'Not In India's Best Interests': What Drew This Warning By Chinese Media

New Delhi: It is "not in India's best interest" to bar China from high-speed train projects, Chinese state-run media has declared.

An editorial in the Global Times today said India should not have protectionist tendencies as it will hinder economic growth in the country when it wants to bring in high-speed trains. 

"India actually needs China more than China needs India in the arena of steel rail manufacturing and train technology," it said.

"Admittedly, India has stayed vigilant against China and has chosen Japan as a partner for the country's first high-speed railway project, which is expected to commence in 2018. However, this doesn't mean it is in India's best interest to bar China from entering into partnerships on other bullet train projects."

The newspaper also referred to this week's report that the planned $130-billion, five-year overhaul for the railways is at risk because the state-owned Steel Authority of India or SAIL is not able to supply enough material for replace old tracks or laying new ones.  The report said that the railways may look at opening up annual purchases worth upto $700 million to the private sector.

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"India's effort to revamp its rail network, the fourth-largest in the world, is apparently suffering from supply-side malaise, as its state-owned railway company purportedly eyes private supplies to make up for production shortfalls," the editorial said. It said India was protectionist as it imposed anti-dumping duties on certain Chinese steel products for six months last year.