Shinzo Abe's upcoming Russia visit

Obama's upcoming visit to Laos

'India-US growing closer'

logistics agreement

Pakistan's atrocities in Balochistan

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

NEW DELHI: Could it be that despite the belligerent front China keeps putting on, it's actually feeling cornered by recent moves of its neighbours to ally with other countries?An editorial today in a Chinese government-run news outlet seems to indicate strongly that Beijing is indeed feeling threatened. The editorial also says that this means that "China has just become a real major power."The editorial in Global Times talks about China's diplomatic efforts on various fronts, alludes to them as altruistic rather than strategic partnerships, and then says that similar efforts by other countries are actually all an attempt to encircle China.In this context, the editorial mentions Japanese premier"despite the lack of progress in their long-standing territorial dispute." The leaders of the two states are expected to work on eight economic cooperation plans, the article says."Japan's moves can easily be viewed as imposing geopolitical pressure on China through improving ties with Russia," is the editorial's interpretation.Then there's US President Barack, after the G20 summit in China's Hangzhou early next week. "He will be the first incumbent US president to visit Laos, and this has been interpreted as his last efforts to address his pivot to the Asia-Pacific strategy before he leaves office," Global Times analyzes.And last but not least, there's bête noire India."Currently, Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar is in the US to sign awith the US, and some US media explicitly said that this signals that India is leaning toward the US alliance system," the editorial says.China, the article says, appears to be positioned in the centre of geopolitical manoeuvres by the US and Japan, and by extension, India. The article warns, though, to not take China lightly. "The outside world has miscalculated geopolitics by interpreting China's diplomacy," it adds.Global Times, in fact, said earlier this week that India's pact with the US might just "irritate" China"If India hastily joins the US alliance system, it may irritate China, Pakistan or even Russia. It may not make India feel safer, but will bring strategic troubles to itself and make itself a centre of geopolitical rivalries in Asia," Global Times said in an article two days ago.State-run Chinese media has also indicated Beijing is extremely unhappy with India's strategic shift in dealing with Pakistan - by talking aboutand in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.Also earlier this week, an influential Chinese think tank warned that Beijing will have "to get involved" if any Indian "plot" disrupts the $46 billionin restive Balochistan.The Chinese think tank, the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceanian Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, is among China's most powerful, and is affiliated with the country's ministry of state security. A researcher there said India's growing military ties with the US as well as its changed attitude on the disputed South China Sea are ringing alarm bells for China.And China would not at all have been thrilled with US secretary of state John Kerry's statement yesterday, which hinted that Beijing could learn from New Delhi how to accept international tribunals' non-binding judgments.Of course, about China's own geopolitical forays, the article was more forgiving."Is China "encircling" the US when Chinese leaders visited Cuba or Mexico? Was China extending its footprints to the US' backyard when it enhanced economic cooperation with Latin American countries? In Asia, China keeps increasing its investment in Sri Lanka. Is China rivaling with India?" the editorial posits rhetorically. Without explicitly saying "no" to all these questions, the article is essentially saying China isn't doing any of these things for any strategic reasons.As for the other countries, they are all acting to contain China, the editorial says."The US and Japan have the motivations to initiate a geopolitical competition with China, but China will not be made to give in," Global Times concludes.