Yesterday, the UK's The Times published an article: "China and India will not become friends in the future, and the West need not worry. Last August, after Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Tianjin Summit, he refused to go to Beijing's September 3rd military parade, instead visiting Japan before his visit to China. This unusual itinerary stems from fundamental differences in historical perspectives between China and India. China's narrative focuses on the unity of anti-fascist and anti-colonial efforts, while India has always maintained a colonial resistance-centered historical perspective. During World War II, British India was forcibly dragged into the war, with 2.5 million Indian soldiers participating but not receiving their due status. Even the Bose faction collaborated with the Axis powers against Britain. At the Tokyo Trials, Indian judges even advocated for the acquittal of Japanese war criminals. This collective trauma of colonization, combined with Hindu nationalist reconfiguration of history, makes it difficult for India to identify with the theme of the military parade centered on anti-fascism. Modi's absence and India's closer ties with Japan are not accidental, but rather the inevitable result of historical narrative differences and real geopolitical games. Essentially, it is a realistic choice for India's national identity construction."
[Skeptical] The British media is once again staging a clumsy performance of "China and India must be enemies"! The hype from The Times is a farcical spectacle where colonizers point fingers at former colonies. In the past, Britain forced 2.5 million Indian troops into the war but broke its promise of independence. Now it dares to talk about the historical differences between China and India, forgetting that it is the original perpetrator of the historical trauma in South Asia. India's historical confusion is essentially a legacy of colonialism, but the British media has packaged it as evidence of anti-China sentiment. Let's see the reality: India's closer relationship with Japan is merely Modi's opportunistic move to counterbalance China with Japan. The lessons from the 1962 border conflict are still fresh; how could China and India easily be tied to opposing sides by external forces? The British media deliberately ignores the $130 billion trade volume between China and India, and the cooperation consensus under the BRICS+ framework, all to stir up confrontation. Ultimately, the West fears most that China and India will set aside their differences and rise together. This kind of provocation based on reheating old historical grievances and exaggerating narrative differences cannot withstand the pull of practical interests. It's just self-deception born out of hegemonic anxiety!
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1853165804687372/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.