Indians sceptical of China's policy towards Asia, India: poll

Although China has become India's largest trading partner, only 31% of Indians agree that China's rise has been good for India

As Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived to a red carpet welcome in New Delhi, a new poll released here today found Indians were "deeply apprehensive" of China's ambitions in Asia and its policy towards the country.

A large majority of 83 per cent Indians considered China a security threat, said the poll, jointly conducted by the Lowy Institute and Australia India Institute (AII).

The poll was supported by MacArthur Foundation.

The poll found that multiple reasons for this mistrust, including China's possession of nuclear weapons, competition for resources in third countries, China's efforts to strengthen its relations with other countries in the Indian Ocean region and the China-India border dispute.

Although China has become India's largest trading partner, only 31 per cent of Indians agree that China's rise has been good for India but in responding to China's rise.

While 65 per cent agreed India should join other countries to limit China's influence yet a similar number of 64 per cent agree that India should cooperate with China to play a leading role in the world.

'India Poll 2013: Facing the Future', which surveyed 1233 Indians, was carried out late last year and much before last month's incursion by Chinese troops in Ladakh.

"It found that a big majority of Indians surveyed in a new opinion poll see China as a security threat," said Amitabh Mattoo, the director of AII.

"The poll suggests that Indians are deeply apprehensive about the perceived threats posed by China, but most want better relations with Beijing and would welcome a reconciliatory move towards Pakistan by the Indian political leadership," Mattoo said.

But while there is great warmth for the US, and discomfort at China's rise, there is ambiguity in the Indian response to any plans to contain China, said authors of the poll, who described it as "the most comprehensive survey of Indian public opinion in recent years."

Predictably, there continues to be deep concern within India about possible terrorist attacks from Pakistan as well as the motives of the Pakistan army, but a courageous reconciliatory move towards Islamabad by an Indian Prime Minister would invite widespread domestic support.

The poll also suggests that anti-Americanism, once a defining feature of Indian public opinion, is now part of history. Indians, not only, feel more warmly towards the US than any other country, but see it as a role model in terms of governance.

Over all, Indians feel relatively secure, are optimistic about the future, but concerned about issues of governance and sensitive to the non-traditional threats to their security.