This refers to Sanjaya Baru’s column “China in gulf” (Sanjayovaacha, September 26). We need not compete with China in West Asia or Africa or anywhere else. But we should always be aware that the country is driven by an ambition to rule the world. It is clearly not concerned about what India or others say as long as its decisions suit the ambition to become the world’s super power in the next decade or so.
We should be aware of China’s hidden agenda of supporting Pakistan to destabilise India and its false territorial claims in the north east. In light of all this, it is for us to decide whether we should continue to import from China on such a huge scale and kill our manufacturing industry for short-term gains. Second, we also need to reconsider the export of our iron ore to China. The situation today is different than it was a decade ago. We should now be in a position to use our low-quality iron ore by erecting our own facilities to process the ore and for making world-class steel in our own plants.
Narendra M Apte, Pune
Readers should write to:
The Editor, Business Standard,
Nehru House,
4, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi 110 002,
Fax: (011) 23720201;
letters@bsmail.in
All letters should have a postal address and telephone number