India Tiptoes in China’s Footsteps to Compete but Not Offend

India steps gingerly around the issue of Tibet so as not to offend it’s dominant neighbor to the north. From the New York Times:

Since protests against China broke out among the Tibetans who make their home in exile here, India has urged the Dalai Lama to refrain from talking politics and assured Beijing that the Olympic torch will pass unmolested when it arrives here this month…

Next week, lifting a page from the Chinese, India is scheduled to play host to an India-Africa summit meeting intended to bolster trade with mineral-rich Africa. It is all part of a push by India, like China, to scour the planet for natural resources to aid its growth.

But as the two emerging Asian giants engage in their own version of the Great Game, it is impossible for New Delhi to escape the reality that the playing field is badly skewed in China’s favor, and hence the need for caution.

Listen to NPR’s program: Former Olympian, Activist Debate Beijing Boycott