Indian & China, No Friends

Have you ever heard the Japanese propaganda of the World War II, Asia for Asians? Now this propaganda in somewhat modified manner, certainly not in the Japanese style, has been in the air for a good number of years. The chief exponents of this were of course India and China, the probable Asian economic superpowers. However this has taken a backseat owing to the latest survey that has focused a considerable section of Indians who have no confidence in the propensity of the adjacent communist giant.

It has been denoted by the survey under the auspices of the Pew Global Attitudes Project, that the epitome of China throughout the length and breadth of Asia has been to some extent encouraging, barring India. In this very country the overall image of the future super power has been somewhat downbeat with 43 percent of the entire population expressing negative opinion compared to merely 20 percent in 2002. In the same tone, a considerable section of the staggering population has opined that the growth of the Chinese economy is nothing but a menace for the sake of the recrudescing Indian economy. It is to be noted, in this respect that barely two years back, 53 per cent perceived the mounting Chinese economy as beneficial to the India, while 36 percent considered it as a potential threat to the national cause, making a major shift. Along with this the 47-nation survey on global opinions indicated that there has been a substantial growth of the growing trust-deficit and lack of confidence in dominant nations and also their leaders for the populations of the other countries.

Nevertheless, the USA happens to remain as the most favored nation among the Indians with nearly six-in-ten people preferring the nation. But at the same time, it should not be ignored that 49 percent of Indians are with the "war on terror" while 56 percent favor removal of troops from Iraq and 49 per cent in favor of the removal of troops from Afghanistan.