New Delhi up to more mischief: China Daily editorial

Although there has been little reported about the intelligence conference India held on Saturday in New Delhi, with the government keeping details of the event under wraps, it reflects the troublemaking ambitions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The heads or deputy heads of intelligence and security organizations from more than 20 countries reportedly attended the conference, the first of its kind, which was held two days before the Ministry of External Affairs hosts its annual Raisina Dialogue, India's premier multilateral foreign policy and geoeconomics conference.

Although the two conferences are not officially connected in any way, Indian officials were reported as saying that the intention of the conference was not merely a "meet and greet", but a more "sustained" plan to make connections among the intelligence agencies, with each session followed by intensive interactions between the participants.

Organized by the country's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, and the National Security Council Secretariat that reports to the national security adviser, the focus of the conference was reportedly on India's perceived threats from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan.

No wonder the parties who agreed to participate were mainly Western countries and organizations, as few other parties would like to look for troubles for themselves by appearing at such an event.

Not that most of the participants being from the West is something for New Delhi to take a pride in. Rather it should have rung alarm bells, as it highlights how India risks being exploited as part of the West's geopolitical games and how out of step it is with its neighbors.

Although the United States skipped the event — apparently because of India's refusal to join the sanctions against Russia — the West has not given up on India as a member of its clique.

By whatever standards, the gathering constitutes a stark contrast with the down-to-earth Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan, China held in Tunxi, Anhui province, last month, even if they are about the same region.

While India's event represented division and confrontation, China sought to persuade major players, including the US, Russia and Pakistan, to shelve their differences and synergize their efforts to rebuild the war-torn country and help improve the lot of the Afghan people.

In his video speech at the Tunxi meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke highly of the generous support China and other neighboring countries have provided to the Afghan people. He pointed out that the solidarity of the countries neighboring Afghanistan demonstrated the spirit of the global community, and proposed to strengthen humanitarian assistance, economic revitalization, constructive engagements and cooperation.

That's exactly the message India should heed and act on, rather than holding such events with the intention of fomenting mischief.