Indian nationalists should learn how to behave, says editorial of Chinese newspaper

An editorial in the Chinese state-run Global Times has called India self-centered, self-righteous and perhaps lacking morals, a day after India formally got membership to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which China has not been allowed to enter due to its bad proliferation record.

According to the Times of India, the entire editorial heaps insults on Indians who according to the Chinese paper don't understand nationalism, have no knowledge of morals, cravenly follow the West and are spoiled.

The editorial is talking about the coverage of and the failure of India's bid to get into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Both the Indian media and the Indian government blamed China's opposition to India's failed bid to the NSG.

"US backing adds the biggest impetus to India's ambition...The US is not the whole world. Its endorsement does not mean India has won the backing of the world. This basic fact, however, has been ignored by India," TOI quoted the editorial.

The editorial seeks to enlighten Indians about foreign policy. "By cozying up to India, Washington's India policy actually serves the purpose of containing China."

Indians also need to learn about nationalism, the editorial says.

"India's nationalists should learn how to behave themselves. Now that they wish their country could be a major power, they should know how major powers play their games," it says.

The editorial repeatedly insists that China "follows the rules" that an NSG member must be a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and India isn't. It says 10 countries opposed India's NSG bid.

"India is not a signatory to the NPT, but is the most active applicant to join the NSG. Before the Seoul meeting, the Indian media played up the prospects of its bid. Some even claim that among the 48 members of the NSG, 47 have given it a green light, except China," the editorial claims.

The editorial - which makes no mention of China's nuclear proliferation for which it has been shut out of the MTCR - seeks to put China on a (dubious) moral high ground.

"Recent years have seen the Western world giving too many thumbs up to India, but thumbs down to China. India is spoiled. Although the South Asian country's GDP accounts for only 20 percent of that of China, it is still a golden boy in the eyes of the West, having a competitive edge and more potential compared to China. The international "adulation" of India makes the country a bit smug in international affairs."

However, according to the report, the Global Times does believe that unlike common Indians, the Indian government is alright.

"On the contrary, the Indian government behaves decently and is willing to communicate," the editorial concludes.