China's state-run daily Global Times in an editorial titled 'India needs to cool its missile fever' admonished New Delhi on Monday for 'breaking' United Nations "limits on its development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missile" following a missile test by India.
The successful test of the Agni-IV intercontinental nuclear-capable ballistic missile, which has a strike range of 4,000 kilometres, had been lauded by Indian media for its ability to "cover entire China" and its value as a deterrence against possible Chinese aggression.
The Global Times editorial said that Pakistan should have "those privileges in nuclear development that India has" and warned Western countries which "accept India as a nuclear country and are indifferent to the nuclear race between India and Pakistan" that Beijing will not "stand out and stick rigidly to those nuclear rules as necessary".
The Global Times said that if the UN Security Council has no objection to India producing intercontinental ballistic missiles "which can cover the whole world... let it be". However, it warns, "the range of Pakistan's nuclear missiles will also see an increase."
Although China is "sincere in developing friendly ties with India", Global Times cautions that Beijing "will not sit still if India goes too far".
The Chinese daily was quick to clarify that Beijing does not feel threatened by India's development and does not consider it a rival in the long run.
"It is simply believed that currently there is a vast disparity in power between the two countries and India knows what it would mean if it poses a nuclear threat to China. The best choice for Beijing and New Delhi is to build rapport."
The editorial continues to say that Delhi should understand "it does little good to itself" if China-India relations are "ruined by any geopolitical tricks".
The Global Times cautioned the Chinese against being "led astray by India's extreme words online about its deterrence ability against China. There are similar rhetorics targeting India in China's cyber world ... These aggressive online rhetorics count for little."
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