World's second largest economy, it's necessary for China to talk peace now to preserve global market share

By NS Venkataraman

In recent times, the Chinese Foreign Minister has repeatedly asserted on various occasions that China is a peace-loving country and that it would do its utmost to maintain global peace, even in the present chaotic conditions. According to him, China vows to uphold stability amidst geopolitical turbulence. At one time, it offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, and now it has offered to mediate between Russia and the USA!

Those who have been observing China’s various actions over the last several decades would find it extremely difficult to believe that the Chinese government is truly peace-loving.

No one can forget the onslaught made by China against peaceful Tibet several decades ago, when thousands of innocent, protesting Tibetans were massacred. China has since governed the Tibetan region with a vice-like grip. It has thoroughly uprooted traditional Tibetan culture and practices, and Tibet is now no longer what it was several decades ago.

China waged war against India in 1962 and is now holding thousands of kilometres of Indian territory, claiming that it is part of China. China also now claims that Arunachal Pradesh in India belongs to it.

China has approved the construction of the world's largest hydropower dam—a $137-billion project—on the Yarlung Zangbo River (Brahmaputra) in Tibet, raising serious concerns in India and Bangladesh about potential environmental and water resource impacts. China does not care about the concerns expressed by India and Bangladesh regarding this proposal. In recent years, there have been many instances where China has engaged in military conflict with India along the Indo-China border and has been blowing hot and cold when it comes to relations with India.

China is now creating issues with the Philippines in the South China Sea, often resulting in confrontations. It also has disputes with Japan regarding the Senkaku Islands and with Vietnam as well.

The Chinese military has now warned of tightening the noose around Taiwan and has not concealed its ambition to take over the island. China has been constantly threatening Taiwan through several aggressive military postures around it.

Taiwan was created as a separate state following China’s internal war several decades ago, which resulted in the country being split. If mainland China claims Taiwan as its own, then by the same logic, Taiwan could also claim that mainland China belongs to it.

China’s expansionist greed and its frequent indulgence in conflicts and quarrels with its neighbours are now well known. Therefore, China’s claim that it is committed to world peace is hard to believe. Many may feel it is like the devil quoting scripture.

There is no doubt that China has made remarkable economic and industrial progress over the last few decades. It now has the second-largest economy in the world, after the USA. China depends heavily on the rest of the world for its trade, and it is, therefore, necessary for China to talk about peace to ensure that its global market share is not challenged—particularly with the US President threatening to impose tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the USA. The American market is too important for China to forego, and so peace talk is now in China’s interest.

However, as China continues to make aggressive postures toward its neighbours and attempts to browbeat smaller countries by making them debt-ridden and forcing them to open their markets to Chinese goods, it is difficult to believe that China’s commitment to global peace is genuine.

In the present scenario, the only thing that can be said in favour of China regarding its claims of commitment to peace is that other powerful countries in the world, such as the USA and Russia, also claim that they are peace-loving. It appears that China, the USA, and Russia are all in the same slot when it comes to their claims of being champions of peace! Their assertions about peace sound hollow and insincere, and discerning people across the world can see through them.

---

*Trustee, Nandini Voice for the Deprived, Chennai

Comments

Countrywide protest by gig workers puts spotlight on algorithmic exploitation

By A Representative A nationwide protest led largely by women gig and platform workers was held across several states on February 3, with the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) claiming the mobilisation as a success and a strong assertion of workers’ rights against what it described as widespread exploitation by digital platform companies. Demonstrations took place in Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states, covering major cities including New Delhi, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Mumbai, along with multiple districts across the country.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

CFA flags ‘welfare retreat’ in Union Budget 2026–27, alleges corporate bias

By Jag Jivan The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has sharply criticised the Union Budget 2026–27 , calling it a “budget sans kartavya” that weakens public welfare while favouring private corporations, even as inequality, climate risks and social distress deepen across the country.

From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”

Paper guarantees, real hardship: How budget 2026–27 abandons rural India

By Vikas Meshram In the history of Indian democracy, the Union government’s annual budget has always carried great significance. However, the 2026–27 budget raises several alarming concerns for rural India. In particular, the vague provisions of the VBG–Ram Ji scheme and major changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) have put the future of rural workers at risk. A deeper reading of the budget reveals that these changes are not merely administrative but are closely tied to political and economic priorities that will have far-reaching consequences for millions of rural households.

Penpa Tsering’s leadership and record under scrutiny amidst Tibetan exile elections

By Tseten Lhundup* Within the Tibetan exile community, Penpa Tsering is often described as having risen through grassroots engagement. Born in 1967, he comes from an ordinary Tibetan family, pursued higher education at Delhi University in India, and went on to serve as Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from 2008 to 2016. In 2021, he was elected Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), becoming the second democratically elected political leader of the administration after Lobsang Sangay.

'Gandhi Talks': Cinema that dares to be quiet, where music, image and silence speak

By Vikas Meshram In today’s digital age, where reels and short videos dominate attention spans, watching a silent film for over two hours feels almost like an act of resistance. Directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, “Gandhi Talks” is a bold cinematic experiment that turns silence into language and wordlessness into a powerful storytelling device. The film is not mere entertainment; it is an experience that pushes the viewer inward, compelling reflection on life, values, and society.

Frugal funds, fading promises: Budget 2026 exposes shrinking space for minority welfare

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Ministry of Minority Affairs was established in 2006 during the tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, following the findings of the Sachar Committee, which documented that Muslims were among the most educationally and economically disadvantaged communities in India. The ministry was conceived as a corrective institutional response to deep structural inequalities faced by religious minorities, particularly Muslims, through focused policy interventions.

From Puri to the State: How Odisha turned the dream of drinkable tap water into policy

By Hans Harelimana Hirwa, Mansee Bal Bhargava Drinking water directly from the tap is generally associated with developed countries where it is considered safe and potable. Only about 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority located in Europe and North America, and a few in Asia and Oceania. Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and Singapore have the highest-quality tap water, followed by Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, Australia, the UK, Costa Rica, and Chile.

Search This Blog