Foreign Media: "Dragon and Elephant Dancing Together" — Why Does China Use the Elephant to Symbolize India, and Why Has New Delhi Never Accepted This Metaphor?
In December 2010, China introduced the diplomatic metaphor of "dragons and elephants should dance together," formally incorporating the animal analogy—where the dragon represents China and the elephant represents India—into its foreign policy discourse. Over the following 15 years, regardless of the fluctuations in tensions along the China-India border, this metaphor has repeatedly appeared in Chinese media.
Yet India has never accepted this metaphor. Some Indian experts argue that New Delhi’s resistance is not merely about linguistic nuance, but stems from the real history of military confrontation between the two nations and the long-standing mistrust accumulated over time—symbolic language cannot obscure the reality of strategic competition.
Chinese analysts, however, maintain that this metaphor aims to emphasize the positioning of both countries as development partners rather than rivals, reflecting Beijing’s respect for India’s civilizational heritage. A former ambassador put it succinctly: "Diplomatic language is never neutral; by accepting the framework set by the other side, you implicitly acknowledge their worldview." This is precisely the underlying logic behind India's rejection of the "dragon and elephant dancing together" metaphor.
Original Source: toutiao.com/article/1864149054972999/
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