Two Asian tigers, two distinctive roars

From a nation of 141.24 crore (2021), only one voice speaks, that of the President of the People’s Republic of China Mr Xi Jinping.  

About 10.7 million Chinese overseas today – about 60 million, if their descendants are included, yet only the voice of Mr Xi Jinping is heard.  

35 Chinatowns spread over 19 countries, but the only voice heard from there also is that of Mr Xi Jinping.  

Whether it is the conflict with Taiwan; India; Uighur Muslims genocide; oppression of Tibetans; South China Sea conflict with Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Taiwan, and Malaysia; spying by China’s Telecom Networks, only the voice of Mr Xi Jinping answers. 

The face is inscrutable, even the best of face readers will not be able to fathom his thoughts, intentions, emotions and reactions. His formidable grip on power is unmatched and sweeping. 

Contrast this with Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi’s relentless every day ordeal in leading a nation into the envied realm of developed countries. He is hounded, targeted, criticised, and even ridiculed by the opposition political parties, economists, select media, journalists, film stars and starlets, poets, assorted writers, religious obscurantists and shady NGOs. There is another international conglomeration of financiers, observers, journalists, politicians, and media houses, who try to malign and tarnish his image in every possible way. Even Indian students in Western Universities have been mobilised to conduct a constant tirade against him. Few world leaders have had to confront intense opprobrium on an everyday basis for every action of his.  

In 2018 at Westminster's Central Hall in London, responding to a question regarding the secret behind his perfect health, Prime Minister Modi said that criticisms are the secret to his fitness. “I always welcome criticism. I give so much importance to your criticism that I try to accept it in my life and it is a goldmine.” 

It is a game of chess between the two giant Asian leaders. Their persona, attitude and vision get reflected on their countrymen when they visit other nations for business and leisure. A Chinese national visiting any country is viewed with deep suspicion nowadays. In July 2022, the UK disclosed that more than 50 students linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had left, after their suspicious involvement in espionage activities aimed at military and hi-tech businesses came to light. 

Christopher Wray, Director of FBI, warned “we consistently see that it is the Chinese government that poses the biggest long-term threat to our economic and national security”. The FBI was opening one China related investigation every 12 hours, a level of activity that had increased by 1,300% over the past seven years, the FBI chief added.  

Ken McCallum, the Director General of the British spy agency MI5 said the agency was running “seven times” as many China-related investigations as it was in 2018 – reflecting both a growing threat and an increased focus on hostile activity from Beijing. McCallum said MI5 expected to double its China-related activities over the next three years. 

In the USA there has been a string of criminal cases of Chinese spying in the academic world. Chinese Professors, scholars and students have been apprehended for illegal activities like shipping banned missile technology, recruiting spies, and stealing proprietary technology. FBI officials have also urged universities to review ongoing research involving Chinese individuals that could have defence applications.

Visitors from China who are involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are monitored particularly. “What they're trying to collect on, what they're interested in on our campuses," is the focus, according to William Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. 

Contrast this with the fact that about 1,99,182 students with India as their place of origin are pursuing higher education in the US in 2021-22. The US Mission in India issued a record-breaking 82,000 student visas in 2022 till September 2022. Indian students received more US student visas than any other country. The country can be proud that not a single Indian student has been caught in any Western country for spying, stealing missile technology or stealing any hi-tech technology. There is a famous adage in Sanskrit “Yatha Raja Tatha Praja” meaning ‘the Public is like the King’. If the King is great, the public is bound to be great. 

When a Chinese passport is presented by a traveller to the US Customs & Border Protection officer, he needs to assess whether it is a spy, a student spy, scientist out to steal, spy wanting to silence dissidents, and somebody on an economic espionage mission. Contrast this with what happens when a traveller presents an Indian passport. The officer has no apprehension that he poses a serious threat to America’s economic, political, and social systems. 

Two nations, two leadership styles, two different citizens. 

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The author of this article is Dr G Shreekumar Menon IRS (Rtd), Former Director General of National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the authors' own and do not reflect those of DNA.)