Elephant-Dragon tango: Beijing urges India to see synergy, not rivalry, in manufacturing ambitions
An editorial in Global Times — a Chinese state-affiliated newspaper — suggested that deeper engagement between Chinese and Indian firms — through component supply, technology transfer, and production capacity collaboration — could accelerate India’s manufacturing goals.
- Oct 31, 2025,
- Updated Oct 31, 2025 4:13 PM IST
China calls for deeper industrial cooperation with India amid Western pressure Global Times editorial says India’s self-reliant manufacturing drive opens “new opportunities” for bilateral economic ties
Beijing has called for stronger economic cooperation with India, arguing that New Delhi’s push for industrial self-sufficiency should be seen not as competition, but as an opportunity for synergy between the two Asian giants.
In a recent editorial, Global Times — a Chinese state-affiliated newspaper — said Western media have “narrowly framed” India’s manufacturing ambitions as a challenge to China’s dominance in global supply chains, instead of recognizing the potential for mutual benefit. The paper noted that India’s rapid industrialization and China’s manufacturing strengths are complementary, not conflicting.
The commentary comes at a time when both nations are navigating mounting geopolitical pressure from the West, which has increasingly sought to reposition supply chains away from China while courting India as an alternative manufacturing hub.
Global interdependence
The Global Times editorial cited a recent CNBC report detailing India’s approval of seven new projects worth $626 million under a $2.7 billion electronic component manufacturing program. These projects — focused on producing camera modules, multi-layered printed circuit boards (PCBs), and high-density PCBs for smartphones and medical devices — aim to reduce India’s dependence on imports, especially from China.
India’s Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new facilities could meet 20% of India’s domestic PCB demand and 15% of its camera module sub-assembly needs, with nearly 60% of production intended for export.
However, the Global Times argued that viewing these developments through a zero-sum lens misses the larger picture: “Industrial advancement has always been driven more by collaboration and specialisation than by isolation.” It emphasised that India’s manufacturing upgrade “increases the demand for international cooperation” rather than replacing it.
Complementarity over competition
China, the editorial noted, possesses a comprehensive supply chain ecosystem and advanced manufacturing technology, while India offers a large consumer market and skilled labour base — strengths that “naturally create room for complementarity.”
The paper suggested that deeper engagement between Chinese and Indian firms — through component supply, technology transfer, and production capacity collaboration — could accelerate India’s manufacturing goals. Such cooperation, it said, would “provide more solid support” for India’s industrial upgrading rather than dilute its pursuit of self-reliance.
“The core of self-reliance is to enhance industrial competitiveness, and global cooperation is an effective way to achieve this,” the editorial stated. “No country can develop in isolation.”
Shared stake in development
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong also echoed the sentiment earlier this year, writing in The Hindu that Beijing and New Delhi should focus on their “biggest common denominator — development.” He called for greater exchanges, mutual support, and stronger trade and investment flows.
The Global Times editorial drew parallels with Vietnam, which has expanded its manufacturing base while deepening investment cooperation with China. It suggested that India, too, could “break free from the role the West has assigned to it” by engaging pragmatically with China amid global supply chain shifts.
A pragmatic path forward
As global manufacturing undergoes a structural realignment, the commentary argues that India’s “Make in India” initiative and China’s manufacturing ecosystem are not mutually exclusive, but “two forces that can converge.”
“India’s efforts to promote manufacturing localisation are an opportunity not only for its own industrial upgrade but also for new possibilities in China-India economic cooperation,” the paper concluded. “Both countries need to seize this chance — leveraging competition and complementarity to achieve coordinated development.”
China calls for deeper industrial cooperation with India amid Western pressure Global Times editorial says India’s self-reliant manufacturing drive opens “new opportunities” for bilateral economic ties
Beijing has called for stronger economic cooperation with India, arguing that New Delhi’s push for industrial self-sufficiency should be seen not as competition, but as an opportunity for synergy between the two Asian giants.
In a recent editorial, Global Times — a Chinese state-affiliated newspaper — said Western media have “narrowly framed” India’s manufacturing ambitions as a challenge to China’s dominance in global supply chains, instead of recognizing the potential for mutual benefit. The paper noted that India’s rapid industrialization and China’s manufacturing strengths are complementary, not conflicting.
The commentary comes at a time when both nations are navigating mounting geopolitical pressure from the West, which has increasingly sought to reposition supply chains away from China while courting India as an alternative manufacturing hub.
Global interdependence
The Global Times editorial cited a recent CNBC report detailing India’s approval of seven new projects worth $626 million under a $2.7 billion electronic component manufacturing program. These projects — focused on producing camera modules, multi-layered printed circuit boards (PCBs), and high-density PCBs for smartphones and medical devices — aim to reduce India’s dependence on imports, especially from China.
India’s Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new facilities could meet 20% of India’s domestic PCB demand and 15% of its camera module sub-assembly needs, with nearly 60% of production intended for export.
However, the Global Times argued that viewing these developments through a zero-sum lens misses the larger picture: “Industrial advancement has always been driven more by collaboration and specialisation than by isolation.” It emphasised that India’s manufacturing upgrade “increases the demand for international cooperation” rather than replacing it.
Complementarity over competition
China, the editorial noted, possesses a comprehensive supply chain ecosystem and advanced manufacturing technology, while India offers a large consumer market and skilled labour base — strengths that “naturally create room for complementarity.”
The paper suggested that deeper engagement between Chinese and Indian firms — through component supply, technology transfer, and production capacity collaboration — could accelerate India’s manufacturing goals. Such cooperation, it said, would “provide more solid support” for India’s industrial upgrading rather than dilute its pursuit of self-reliance.
“The core of self-reliance is to enhance industrial competitiveness, and global cooperation is an effective way to achieve this,” the editorial stated. “No country can develop in isolation.”
Shared stake in development
Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong also echoed the sentiment earlier this year, writing in The Hindu that Beijing and New Delhi should focus on their “biggest common denominator — development.” He called for greater exchanges, mutual support, and stronger trade and investment flows.
The Global Times editorial drew parallels with Vietnam, which has expanded its manufacturing base while deepening investment cooperation with China. It suggested that India, too, could “break free from the role the West has assigned to it” by engaging pragmatically with China amid global supply chain shifts.
A pragmatic path forward
As global manufacturing undergoes a structural realignment, the commentary argues that India’s “Make in India” initiative and China’s manufacturing ecosystem are not mutually exclusive, but “two forces that can converge.”
“India’s efforts to promote manufacturing localisation are an opportunity not only for its own industrial upgrade but also for new possibilities in China-India economic cooperation,” the paper concluded. “Both countries need to seize this chance — leveraging competition and complementarity to achieve coordinated development.”