‘India can’t afford to lose China support’

India cannot afford to lose China’s support by joining the US in patrolling the disputed South China Sea as it needs Chinese help for economic growth and for success of Brics, a state-run daily said on Tuesday.

In the second commentary within a week on the joint patrol issue, an article in the Global Times said: “The New Delhi government pursues pragmatic diplomacy and strives to reach a balance between the US and China. Some interpret New Delhi’s refusal (to jointly patrol the South China Sea) as retaliation against Washington’s approval of weapon sales to Islamabad last year.”

“This may be true. Yet, the fundamental reason is that New Delhi understands the significance of a sound China-India relationship to the nation’s development. India cannot afford to lose China’s support, which serves as an economic engine for the nation’s growth. In addition, New Delhi has officially taken over the presidency of the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) from Moscow in February and will host the eighth summit in a few months’ time. A friendly atmosphere is significant for the upcoming summit,” the article said.

It said conducting joint patrols in an attempt to court the US in this backdrop is inappropriate. “By refusing the US proposal, India is taking a stand and showing goodwill to China.”

The commentary is the second such article in the daily.