INS Vikrant rattles China
There is no arms race with India, said China’s state-run newspaper
Indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant commissioned on 2 September 2022; pic-GoI
India’s progress in defence has worried China more than other hostile neighbours. India commissioned its largely indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on 2 September 2022, the same day it overtook the UK in terms of largest economies of the world (now behind only China, US, Japan and Germany).
While commissioning INS Vikrant, PM Modi, perhaps for the first time, spoke publicly about the Indo-Pacific region, a direct hint at the aggression of China. He said, “Today the way the global scenario is changing rapidly, it has made the world multi-polar. Therefore, it is very important to have a vision of the place which will be the hub of future activities in the coming times.”
“For example, in the past, security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean have long been ignored. But, today these areas are a major defence priority of the country. That’s why we are working in every direction, from increasing the budget for the Navy to increasing its capability.”
Defence experts in India called INS Vikrant a major addition to Indian Navy. According to them, this could help ease off pressure in the northern frontiers by opening up another front away from the Himalayas.
Chinese state-run, Global Times, after careful evaluation, said that China doesn’t consider it as an arms race. It said, “There is no arms race between China and India. China will not view India’s aircraft carrier and military progress from a perspective of zero-sum game. It’s also hoped that India will not be deceived by the honeyed words of the West.” It editorial almost said “Hindi-Chini bhai bhai”.
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