Chinese media do not typically devote much effort to covering developments in India. In recent weeks, however, they have produced numerous reports on the U.S.-India civilian nuclear deal known as the “123 Agreement.” The August 13th issue of Study Times, the official journal of the Chinese Communist Party Central Party School, ran a lengthy piece on the strategic implications of the Agreement, under which the U.S. will provide nuclear fuel and technology to India. Aiming its criticism primarily at Washington, rather than New Delhi, the article calls the deal “a dangerous precedent” and accuses the United States of practicing “double standards” by making concessions to India while opposing efforts by Iran and North Korea to develop nuclear weapons. The article also presents the following take on the economic motivation behind the deal:
GE’s current annual revenue is well north of $150 billion–an eight fold increase seems unlikely. And although China is not identified by name, the article suggests that geopolitics plays a role in the nuclear deal as well, with Washington “molding” India into a regional counterweight:
Official Chinese media have also been recounting with evident glee the strong opposition to the 123 Agreement by India’s leftist lawmakers. For example, this August 20th People’s Daily report, titled “Causing Discord, Indo-US Nuclear Agreement May Not Pass India’s Parliament,” states:
Beijing itself may hold the key to that question. The 123 Agreement has plunged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s three-year old coalition government into its worst-ever political crisis, and elements within the Indian government are reported to believe that “the Left’s campaign against the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal is inspired by Beijing.” The Times of India, in an August 21st report titled “Chinese Whispers,” notes that the deadlock between the UPA government and its leftist ally “bears Beijing’s imprimatur.” The Agreement must also be cleared by the IAEA and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which counts China as a member. While Beijing is obviously keeping a close eye on the development, it has not yet announced what position it will take when the 45 member states of the NSG meet to discuss the matter. Should India’s leftist lawmakers succeed in derailing the deal prior to an NSG vote, Beijing would be rescued from having to make a difficult choice that might put improving Sino-Indian relations at risk.
