India’s first intercontinental ballistic missile launch:

A wake-up call for Beijing to boost its preparedness - Chinese media

CHINA: Thursday's launch of Agni-V, India's first intercontinental ballistic missile which has the capability of reaching any part of China, has been seen by the official Chinese media as a strong political message from New Delhi and a wake-up call for Beijing to boost its preparedness.

The launch was described variously in commentaries in several state-run newspapers as “a political missile” aimed at China, serving a “reminder” to it to be ready to confront “more complicated security challenges.”

In the lead-up to the launch, several newspapers close to the Communist Party, including the official People's Daily, the Global Times and the Guangzhou Daily, all published articles that struck a similar tone.

Analysts said the articles reflected a growing sense of distrust and mutual suspicion on account of a continuing military build-up on both sides of the border, despite commitments from both countries to address differences peacefully.

The Global Times, known for its strong nationalist views, in an editorial, warned India not to “overestimate its strength,” saying it would be “unwise for China and India to seek a balance of power by developing missiles” and both countries needed to be “wary of external intervention.”

“Even if it has missiles that could reach most parts of China, that does not mean it will gain anything from being arrogant during disputes with China,” the paper said. “India should be clear that China's nuclear power is stronger and more reliable. For the foreseeable future, India would stand no chance in an overall arms race with China.”

“Missile poses threat to China, Pakistan”

India's Agni-V missile is “an intended design” that posed a threat to China and Pakistan, says the Guangzhou Daily. Ye Hailin, a prominent South Asia scholar at the official Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said the missile “has nothing to do with Pakistan, and is mainly targeting China.” Speaking in an interview with the China Business Daily he did, however, downplay the threat saying that China's own ICBM, the Dongfang DF-31, was “more stable and reliable.”

The People's Daily, in one commentary, warned that recent progress in relations marked by growing cooperation on multilateral fora such as the BRICS grouping could be “easily disrupted” as “China and India have remained suspicious of each other.”

It pointed to the development of Agni-V “which will bring the whole of China under its strike envelope” as a “constant reminder” that recent “charm diplomacy,” such as President Hu Jintao's visit to New Delhi, was “probably not enough to ease and finally eliminate all suspicions.”

The paper said India “should cooperate with neighbouring countries instead of being hostile to them and should reduce its “persecution mania” to play a role on the world stage in the future.” The Hindu