China Wades Into ‘India-Bharat’ Debate, Says Country Has More Important Issues

New Delhi: As the debate continues on whether the government will change the country’s name from India to Bharat, China has advised New Delhi to focus on comprehensive economic reform as name change is not the most important thing.

As India is set to host its first historic G20 Summit in Delhi on September 9 and 10, Chinese mouthpiece Global Times said that India “should make good use of the increasing global attention it is getting, and turn this influence into a driving force for growth.”

Ahead of the summit, a political storm erupted in the country after the G20 dinner invitations from the Rashtrapati Bhawan were sent in the name of the ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the customary ‘President of India’. This sparked speculation that the Centre may change the country’s name from India to Bharat in the five-day special session starting September 18.  

The editorial said that India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and is poised to continue on this path. “The Indian people have the freedom to call their country whatever they want. However, a name is not the most important thing,” it said.

According to Global Times, what matters is whether India can comprehensively reform its economic system. “What matters is whether India can comprehensively reform its economic system, which can be traced back to before 1947, when the nation became independent. This is the key to India’s economic takeoff, and improving India’s influence on the international stage.”

It said that New Delhi should use the G20 presidency to demonstrate its determination to reform its economy, expand its openness, attract foreign investment, and provide a fair business environment for foreign investors. “These are all more important than whether to change the country’s name.”

The report stated that the Modi administration has been one of the most ambitious governments in India in terms of economic reforms since 1991 when India started major reforms to liberalize its economy. “Unfortunately, India is increasingly shifting toward trade protectionism,” it said.

Referring to India’s recent strict crackdown on some Chinese companies, the report said, “India’s hesitancy in fully opening up its markets to the world is understandable, but post-1947 history tells us that every time India promotes reform and economic liberalization, it brings strong impetus to economic growth.”

However, the Chinese mouthpiece admitted India’s growing gobal stature and said: “Undoubtedly, India has gained growing world attention. No matter what message India wants to send to the outside world through its G20 presidency, it will gain more weight and more people will pay attention to what India wants to say.”