NEW DELHI: China’s official media on Thursday warned India to stop behaving like a “spoilt kid” and learn lessons from how China handled Donald Trump after the US president-elect challenged ‘One-China’ policy.

“Sometimes, India behaves like a spoilt kid, carried away by the lofty crown of being ‘the biggest democracy in the world.’ India has the potential to be a great nation, but the country’s vision is shortsighted,” an article in the state-run Global Times said.

NDTV quoted the article as saying India “should draw some lessons from the recent interactions between Beijing and Trump over Taiwan.”

“After putting out feelers to test China’s determination to protect its essential interests, Trump has met China’s restrained but pertinent countermeasures, and must have understood that China’s bottom line - sovereign integrity and national unity — is untouchable,” the paper said.

While the article did not elaborate on counter measures, China besides protesting to Mr Trump over his phone call to the Taiwanese President and his comments questioning One-China policy, also seized an “unmanned underwater vehicle” in the disputed South China Sea, the first such incident in the area, NDTV said.

The drone was returned subsequently after protests from US and Mr Trump, an incident seen as an attempt by China to flex its muscles ahead of the President-elect taking over office next month.

The drone operated by a US survey vessel in the South China Sea was seized by a Chinese navy ship.

“Even the US would have to think twice before it messes with China on such sensitive problems, so what makes India so confident that it could manage?,” the article said.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2016