A leading Chinese daily has cautioned India that it is being used by the United States as a tool to counterbalance China.

“Washington’s pursuit of closer ties with New Delhi is mainly driven by its strategic need to utilize India as a tool to counterbalance China,” said Global Times in an editorial.

“How many practical interests can India gain from it? During Barack Obama’s tenure, in order to woo India, he promised to support India’s bid for a UN Security Council seat, but did not put it to any practical action. Will Trump take substantial steps to facilitate India’s UNSC bid? It’s hard to tell. Will Trump put more pressure on Pakistan for its alleged support of terrorist groups? The answer is very likely to be negative,” it further asked.

The Chinese daily also mocked Indians for feeling proud on the fact that it is being used by the US.

“Being a “key piece in the jigsaw for the US” is nothing to be proud of. Instead, it is more likely a trap that deserves India’s vigilance,” it cautioned.
The editorial was published yesterday just before Modi-Trump meet. Also, the editorial came amid border tension.

As reported yesterday, along the Sikkim border, some Indian and Chinese soldiers had a face to face, a video of which has been all over the news since yesterday and has generated heated media debates in both the countries. Officially though both countries blaming each other’s forces of violating the Line of Actual Control that acts as the default border between the two countries. The two countries fought a war back in 1962.

Concluding, the Chinese daily had a veiled threat for India as well. “New Delhi should avoid being roped into a geopolitical trap. Despite its anxieties over China’s rise, maintaining a stable relationship with China is of more importance to its security and development,” it said.