Chinese state media on Wednesday warned India against any move to improve its relationship with Taiwan, stating that such a proactive move would be akin to "playing with fire." The warning comes barely days after Taiwan's women parliamentarian delegation arrived in New Delhi for a rare visit.  

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The stinging article published in the state-owned The Global Times chides India for trying to warm up to the self-ruled island-nation just as U.S. President Donald Trump has started amending his pro-Taiwan policies.   

"At a time when new U.S. President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the one-China policy, India stands out as a provocateur," it said.   

The article writer Yu Ning accused New Delhi of nursing a nefarious desire to use "the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China."  

Yu argues that the Modi government has been motivated to play the Taiwan card due to its apparent uneasiness over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He accused New Delhi of stubbornly misinterpreting the flagship project as part of the One Belt, One Road Initiative (BRI).  

"As the corridor passes through the disputed Kashmir, some Indian strategists have advised the Modi government to play the Taiwan card, using the commitment of the One-China policy as leverage in exchange for China's endorsement of 'One India,'" he wrote.

The writer urged New Delhi to stop being suspicious about the BRI and rather economically benefit from the ambitious project by directly participating in it.

The article also criticized Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen for provoking India in a desperate bid to pressurize Mainland China. It accused that the leader is trying to take leverage from New Delhi's traditional suspicion of Beijing.

India does not officially recognize Taiwan       

India does not have a formal embassy in Taipei since it has traditionally lent unilateral support to the "One China" policy. Nonetheless, New Delhi and Taipei have managed to maintain political and business exchange through the India-Taipei Association Centre.

If the Modi government continues to work on its relationship with the self-ruled island nation, then Taipei would be more than happy to have a major Asian country on its side.

Analyst, however, claim that India would play the Taiwan card only to a extent as the risk of irking China obviously looms high.          

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