Latest news with #LongXingchun
The Print
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
China is playing saviour for Pakistan. This time, with water diplomacy
Chinese commentary repeatedly casts India as a hegemonic upstream actor leveraging its geographic position, while China is painted as a saviour, stabilising force, and Pakistan's indispensable partner in achieving water security. One Weibo post declares: 'India is a 'shameless' country with double-standards; on one hand, it fears China using its upstream position, but on the other, uses the same to pressure Pakistan.' Last week, Chinese media announced that the Chinese-funded Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan had entered its filling phase, a development heavily publicised and framed as a pointed signal to India. Coverage and posts across platforms like Baidu, Weibo, and WeChat present China's expanding role in Pakistan's water infrastructure not as routine cooperation but as a calculated counter to Indian influence . Headlines proclaim , 'China is helping Pakistan crack India's water strategy,' positioning Beijing as a hydropower ally in Pakistan's rivalry with India. As overt military tensions between India and Pakistan subside, Chinese digital discourse is increasingly casting water as a frontline of strategic competition in the region. Some commentary goes further, invoking national security rhetoric. A Baidu post warns, India's strike on the Chinese-built Neelum–Jhelum dam opens a new front, one that could internationalise the region's water tensions. India said Pakistan's claims of such an attack are a ''blatant lie'. Victor Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, remarked that 'water sharing among China, India, and Pakistan must be governed by international and treaty obligations, adding that third-party upstream nations may intervene if downstream flows are threatened.' The tone on Chinese platforms is often combative. 'Pakistan is no longer afraid of being cut off from India!' posted one Weibo user, citing Chinese-backed dams as strategic shields. Another claimed, 'the war over water escalates! India provoked three times; Pakistan showed off its China-built dam, water crisis is history!' South Asia expert Long Xingchun commented that 'China's intervention was calibrated, supporting Pakistan without provoking open conflict with India. China stepped in this time to pinch the flame and prevent South Asia from blowing up.' Also read: India needs to focus on winning in Kashmir, not fighting Pakistan China's strategic framing Projects like the Mohmand Dam are not framed as technical endeavours but as symbols of strategic alignment. Built by China Gezhouba Group Corporation, a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Corporation, the dam's progress is widely celebrated in Chinese media and is described as China's commitment to Pakistan's infrastructure and energy resilience. Chinese reports emphasise its expected benefits: Irrigation for 16,700 hectares, annual generation of 2.86 billion kWh, and enhanced flood control and water supply. One Chinese article posed the question: Have you ever thought a dam could be a shield for national security as well as a power source? It dubbed the Mohmand project Pakistan's 'water freedom guarantee'—a striking example of how hydropower is framed as strategic autonomy. Chinese discourse around the Mohmand and Diamer–Bhasha dams frequently invoke Balochistan, implying that unrest there is part of a broader strategy to disrupt Chinese investments and derail the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Some posts even claim that India is fuelling separatist sentiment in the region to weaken these infrastructure ventures. However, a Chinese commentator argues, 'while Pakistan's reliance on the Indus River remains precarious, the situation is gradually improving thanks to its close ties with China. With strong Chinese backing, major water projects like the Diamer Bhasha Dam—often dubbed Pakistan's 'Three Gorges Project'—and the planned Kalabagh Dam are making steady progress.' Criticism of India is a constant. A post from the South Asian Studies ewsletter, run by young scholars and commentators, asserts: 'India's 'water weapon' strategy is a double-edged sword—one that may exacerbate regional tensions and ultimately harm India's own interests. This notion of 'hydro-hegemony' has become central to how Chinese platforms frame India's water diplomacy.' Also read: The next wars will be silent—fought with semiconductors, software, invisible lines of code China showcases hydro diplomacy Ultimately, China is using hydropower to assert soft and hard power in tandem. On social media and in state-run commentary, water infrastructure is depicted not merely as development assistance but as a tool of regional rebalancing. As one Weibo user asked, 'Can China rewrite the pattern of water distribution in South Asia?' Chinese discourse strongly suggests it can—and that it is already doing so. These narratives portray China not only as Pakistan's all-weather partner but also as a regional power reshaping the region's hydro politics. For Beijing, water diplomacy serves both to bolster Pakistan's defences against Indian influence and to safeguard its investments and interests in the CPEC. For India, the prospect of a two-front challenge has rarely felt more concrete. Sana Hashmi is fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation. She tweets @sanahashmi1. Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
The Print
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
How China is seeing Operation Sindoor
Chinese scholars, including Long Xingchun , Hui Suisheng, and Liu Zongyi, have long characterised India's military actions as provocative and unilateral. Their analyses consistently frame India's retaliatory strikes as part of an escalating pattern of aggression. India's military preparedness has dominated the conversation across Chinese online platforms, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's assertive military response. Speculation over a potential India-Pakistan conflict is rampant, but one underlying theme is striking: the portrayal of Pakistan not as a fragile state, but as a determined and increasingly capable military power. It challenges the conventional image of Pakistan as the weaker adversary in the region. A stronger Pakistan? On Chinese platforms such as Weibo and Baidu, Pakistan is being seen as not just holding its ground, but actively modernising its military. A popular Weibo hashtag, #India_opens_fire_on_Pakistan_without_provocation, has sparked substantial online debate, amplifying the perception that Pakistan is preparing for a military escalation. Pakistani officials, including the ambassador to Russia, have been unequivocal about Islamabad's readiness to escalate to nuclear war, if necessary. 'Pakistan will use all types of capabilities, including conventional and nuclear,' said the ambassador to Chinese media. Commentators in the country are increasingly asking: Should conflict erupt, would China stand by Pakistan? Discussions on Baidu point to India's unresolved border disputes with Pakistan and China, framing these as deliberate provocations. One post provocatively asks: 'Has India forgotten the lessons of 1962? Is it once again eyeing its neighbours' territory?' Such comments highlight the perception that China's support is helping Pakistan modernise its military, narrowing the longstanding power gap with India. Despite Pakistan's smaller size, this commentator emphasised that its forces are increasingly agile, technologically advanced, and increasingly capable of challenging India's military might. India's military size—boasting 14 lakh active troops and a defence budget of Rs 6.81 lakh crore in 2025—is viewed as insignificant by Chinese commentators, owing to its internal fragmentation. The Indian military is described as a patchwork of outdated Soviet-era tanks, Western aircraft, and domestically produced weapons. Its perceived internal divisions and lack of standardisation are seen as hindrances to battlefield efficiency. In contrast, Pakistan is presented as having a more streamlined and strategic military force, despite its smaller size. India has accelerated military upgrades, including the deployment of T-90 tanks in Kashmir and Rafale jets equipped with Meteor missiles. However, a Chinese analyst argues that these efforts are primarily in response to Pakistan's nuclear deterrence. According to him, the 2019 MiG-21 incident in which Pakistan downed an Indian jet and captured its pilot remains a cornerstone of Pakistan's military narrative, symbolising its resolve and deterrence capabilities. With China's support, Pakistan has bolstered its air power, adding advanced SH-15 howitzers and J-10C fighters to its arsenal. While India retains a numerical advantage, China's backing complicates the strategic calculus, the analyst wrote. The Shanghai Observer highlighted the ongoing military signalling between the two nations. Pakistan's recent missile tests, including the Fatah missile and the Abdali Weapon System, were seen as a direct response to India's air force upgrades. The commentary also framed India's efforts to regain air superiority as a reaction to a 'shameful experience' in 2019, suggesting that India is scrambling to recover from its perceived humiliation. Also read: Away from LoC, General Munir is losing a far more fateful war within Pakistan China's strategic support to Pakistan China has long been a staunch ally of Pakistan in its rivalry with India, offering both military and economic support. During the 1965 war, for example, China provided J-6 fighters and artillery, counterbalancing India's numerical advantage. As tensions persist, a Chinese analyst predicts that Beijing will continue its diplomatic and logistical support for Pakistan. While it'll likely avoid direct military involvement, China will also ensure that Pakistan remains strategically empowered. In a potential India-Pakistan conflict, commentators argue, the battle would see Chinese military hardware, such as the J-10CE fighter jets and YJ anti-ship missiles, facing off against India's French Rafales and indigenous aircraft carriers. While India's larger military and defence budget confer an advantage, commentators argue that Pakistan's focus on strategic superiority, particularly in the air, backed by Chinese technology, could help level the playing field. India's ties with countries like the US and Israel reflect broader geopolitical manoeuvres, particularly concerning the CPEC (China–Pakistan Economic Corridor). India's aggressive posturing, including threats over water security, may also backfire diplomatically, driving further interest in Chinese military technology. 'If Pakistan wants to win the war, it needs to wait for the J-35 and 054B, and then the Indian army will have no chance of winning,' a Weibo user wrote. However, another post pointed out that while Pakistan may dominate the skies with advanced Chinese jets, its ground forces could suffer significant losses due to India's growing investment in UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and FPV drones since 2020. This technological imbalance could lead to major setbacks for Pakistan, even with Chinese support. A minority view within China contends that Pakistan's overall military power remains inferior to India's. The latter's superior leverage and military technology are likely to keep Islamabad in a reactive position. However, even this commentary concludes by suggesting that through continued reforms and strategic partnerships, Pakistan could narrow the gap over time. Also read: Operation Sindoor strikes aren't the 'end'. It's the first salvo of a long-drawn-out battle Slanted talk While the likelihood of a full-scale war remains uncertain, the Chinese narrative around a potential India-Pakistan conflict consistently casts Pakistan as a formidable force. The discourse often shifts away from direct comparisons between India and Pakistan, focusing instead on the broader China-India rivalry and Chinese support to Islamabad. The message is clear: with China firmly behind it, Pakistan stands a better chance in a military escalation while India's preparedness remains dubious. China continues to offer diplomatic and military support to Pakistan, positioning itself as a key player in any future clash. As the strategic rivalry between India and Pakistan endures, China's backing ensures that Beijing will significantly shape the outcome of the conflict. Sana Hashmi is a fellow at the Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation. She tweets @sanahashmi1. Views are personal. (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
