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BEIJING - China has asked India to avoid making South Asia a battle field, since it might be counter-productive for New Delhi.
Recently, Sri Lanka declared a 10-day state of emergency following clashes between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community in Kandy in the central part of the country. Many observers believe that it might be India that incited the riots through social media.
The riots indeed triggered concern in India with mainstream media outlets continuously running updates about the unrest. However, no extraordinary concern was found in the reports, which concentrated more on the India-Sri Lanka cricket match.
Some Indian reports quoted the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, they did not hype up the China factor. On the whole, India reacted rationally and prudently.
The Indian response is not surprising. First, few international factors are involved in the Sri Lankan unrest as it is a result of the nation’s deep-rooted ethnic and religious divide. In fact, India , like China , does not want riots in Sri Lanka.
Not only does India want to protect its investment, industries and other interests in Sri Lanka, it is also worried that turmoil in neighboring countries will enable nations outside the region to intervene in South Asia.
Second, with a pro-India government in Colombo, there is no reason for New Delhi to try to change Sri Lanka’s current regime.
There is no denying that China has become increasingly popular among small and medium countries in South Asia since the Belt and Road initiative was launched. However, China’s popularity is based on the common development vision between Beijing and South Asian countries.
The rivalry between China and India in South Asia is not a “zero-sum game.” China’s development in South Asia will not impede, but instead facilitate India’s friendly relations with other regional countries.
https://timesofislamabad.com/17-Mar-2018/china-warns-india-against-making-south-asia-a-battlefield