India Illustration: Liu Rui/GT
India has reportedly successfully conducted the maiden flight test of an indigenously developed ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads, a move widely viewed by Indian and Western media as intended to enhance its nuclear deterrence against China and Pakistan.
However, Chinese experts pointed out that China has no intention of engaging in arms race with India or any other countries, and hopes that both sides can view each other as a source of opportunity rather than as a threat.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced the successful test flight of the Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, Indian media reported.
Media also cited sources as saying that the missile has a range of 5,000 kilometers and is India’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
According to Chinese experts, the missile is more offensive and more difficult to defend against. The successful test launch of the Agni-5 missile indicates that India has achieved a new development and progress in the research and development of long-range strike weapons.
Usually, ICBMs have ranges greater than 5,500 kilometers, but this Indian missile with a range of 5,000 kilometers, which is also referred to as an ICBM, particularly shows that India’s main hypothetical enemy is China, with its goal of having missile coverage over China to enhance deterrence capabilities, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
China has been consistent that it develops military technology, including strategic weapons, to defend its own country and safeguard its own sovereignty and security, with no intention of engaging in arms race with India or any other countries, Qian stressed.
“We do not engage in arms races and are not afraid of deterrence or so-called military pressure from any country,” he noted.
The latest missile test comes as Indian media are hyping that two Chinese scientific research vessels, the Xiang Yang Hong 01 and 03, are operating in the Indian Ocean, even calling them “spy ships” without any evidence.
“The ship [Xiang Yang Hong 01] was likely monitoring the Indian test,” the Hindustan Times claimed citing an anonymous source.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin in February has refuted such smears, noting that “China’s scientific research activities in relevant waters are for peaceful purposes and aimed at contributing to humanity’s scientific understanding of the ocean. The activities are in strict compliance with the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In another recent provocative move by New Delhi, India on Tuesday rejected Chinese objections to Modi’s weekend visit to the area of Zangnan, or South Tibet, according to media report.
Wang said on Monday that the area of Zangnan is Chinese territory. The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called state of “Arunachal Pradesh,” which was illegally set up by India and which China firmly opposes. “We have made solemn representations to India,” the spokesperson stated after Modi visited the area to inaugurate the Sela Tunnel and other projects on Saturday.
Qian pointed out that Modi has visited the region multiple times, indicating New Delhi’s desire to enhance control in the area. However, such actions will only make these issues more complex and difficult to resolve, the expert warned.
Recently, the Modi administration and Indian media have been hyping issues concerning the Zangnan area, exaggerating the threat from China, as a way to gain a political advantage before the general election, the expert said.
By turning diplomatic issues into domestic political tools and further into a security issue, the Modi administration is seeking political gains, which is not conducive to the stability of bilateral relations with China, and the increasing complexity of unresolved issues will ultimately harm India’s interests, Qian said.
