Ambassador Xu Feihong Rejects Claims That External Generosity Fueled India and China’s Growth

NEW DELHI — Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong has asserted that the "remarkable" development of both India and China over recent decades is the result of their own "hard work and wisdom" rather than the "generosity" of external powers.

Speaking at the 14th China-India Youth Dialogue, the envoy’s remarks served as a pointed rebuttal to recent comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Landau had previously suggested that past US economic support for China was a "mistake" that Washington would not repeat with New Delhi.

Rebutting External Narratives

Without naming the United States, Ambassador Xu took a thinly veiled dig at narratives suggesting that Western support was the primary driver of the two nations' economic rise.

• Self-Reliance: He emphasized that while global cooperation played a role, the core achievements of both nations are built on the labor of their own people.
• The "China Threat": Xu warned against "certain elements" that aim to profit from discord by amplifying differences and hyping up security concerns between the neighbors.
• Independent Thinking: He urged the youth to step out of "information cocoons" and evaluate the bilateral relationship through a lens of independent thought.

The "Dragon-Elephant Tango"

The Ambassador highlighted that as the world’s two largest developing economies, the relationship between China and India holds global strategic significance that transcends bilateral ties.

Key Strategic Objectives:

• Mutual Success: Advocated for a "Dragon-Elephant Tango," where both nations act as partners in growth.
• Global South Leadership: Called for strengthened coordination to safeguard the rights of developing countries against rising unilateralism.
• Peaceful Coexistence: Urged a return to "Eastern wisdom" to prevent international relations from reverting to the "law of the jungle."

Improving Bilateral Ties

Xu noted that following high-level meetings between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan and Tianjin, relations have moved beyond a "reset" toward a "new level of improvement." He stressed that the future of this progress depends heavily on the mutual understanding and affinity between the people of both nations.