'More amazing than other leaders': PM Modi popular on Chinese social media, says Beijing-based journalist  

Prime Minister Modi is fondly known as ‘Modi Laoxian’ among Chinese netizens, according to a Beijing-based journalist. In an article titled 'How Is India Viewed in China' published in The Diplomat, Mu Chunshan says he has spotted Chinese social media users describe the Indian PM as 'Modi Laoxian'. 

Chunshan wrote, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an unusual nickname on the Chinese internet: Modi Laoxian. Laoxian refers to an elderly immortal with some weird abilities. The nickname implies that Chinese netizens think Modi is different - even more amazing - than other leaders.”

"They point to both his dress and physical appearance, seen as Laoxian-like, and some of his policies, which are different from India’s previous ones," Chunshan wrote. 

He described the meaning of the word 'Laoxian' as something that captures "the complex sentiment of Chinese people toward Modi, combining curiosity, astonishment, and perhaps a dash of cynicism".

The journalist also said that it was rare for Chinese social media users to give a nickname to a foreign leader. The fact that Modi had a nickname meant he had made an impression on Chinese public opinion, according to Chunshan. 

PM Modi had an account on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo till July 2020 with over 2.40 lakh followers. However, he quit the platform in July 2020 when the Indian government banned Chinese apps amid dwindling ties.

Chunshan, in the article, mentions that Chinese people have no malice towards India, but the border dispute is an 'exception'. India-China relations hit rock bottom following the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, which claimed the lives of 20 Indian Army personnel. Since then, Indian and Chinese armies have held a series of high-level commanders’ talks to resolve the standoff. 

Chunshan says that Chinese people have a realistic view and believe China’s attempts to use Pakistan against India are “unrealistic”. Referring to the instability in Pakistan and the rise of India on the global stage, Chunshan points out that Chinese citizens are aware of the widening gap between the two nations (India and Pakistan).

Chunshan further underscores that China and India have more room for cooperation since China’s trade with India stands at $115 billion a year, way more than its trade with Pakistan. China’s trade with Pakistan is pegged at around $30 billion a year. The journalist also stated that Chinese people were anxious about India’s growing popularity in the West and its handling of the Ukraine crisis. 

The journalist wrote, “In the eyes of these netizens, if India one day becomes the world’s second-largest economy and its military strength continues to develop, then the United States will be sure to suppress India- as it is now doing to China.”

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