India looks to China as an economic role model
New York Times Sep 2, 2011, 06.39am ISTTags:India
MUMBAI: It seems to be a national obsession in India: measuring the country's economic development against China's yardstick. At a recent panel discussion to commemorate the 20th anniversary of India's dismantling parts of its socialist economy, a government minister told business leaders to keep their eye on the big prize: growig faster than China. "That's not impossible," said the minister, P Chidambaram, who oversees national security and previously was finance minister. "People are beginning to talk about outpacing China."
Indians, in fact, seem to talk endlessly about all things China, a neighbour with whom they have long had a prickly relationship, but which is also one of the few other economies that has had 8% or more annual growth in recent years. Indian newspapers are filled with articles comparing the two countries. Indian executives refer to China as a template for development. Government officials cite Beijing, variously as a threat, partner or role model. But if keeping up with the Wangs is India's economic motive force, the rivalry seems to be largely one-sided . "Indians are obsessed with China, but the Chinese are paying too little attention to India," said Minxin Pei, an economist who was born in China and who writes a monthly column for an Indian national daily newspaper.
The People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's house organ, had only 24 articles mentioning India on its English-language website in the first seven months of this year, according to the Factiva database.By contrast, The Times of India, the country's largest circulation English-language newspaper, had 57 articles mentioning China – in July alone.