China's confidence borders on arrogance: Expert

As global financial crisis has increased China's role in world affairs, its new confidence 'borders on arrogance' and India is not considered central to its scheme of things, an expert on China in the US-based Brookings Institution said on Wednesday.

China's new confidence 'borders on arrogance' which is starting to create problems for world affairs, Kenneth G Lieberthal, director, John L Thornton China Center and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution said in New Delhi.

Addressing a CII-Aspen Institute session on 'China: How it works and what it seeks', Lieberthal said, "The Chinese feel that they are doing well and India is not central to their concern".

Way back in 1978 both India and China had almost an equal level of per capita income. China's per capita income is now more than double the level in India, he said, adding,
"I think that makes a difference".

As per the official estimates, annual income of an individual in India is Rs 43,749 during the current fiscal.

If inflation is factored in, it works out to Rs 33,540.

With foreign exchange reserves of $2.5 trillion, China has emerged as the number one exporter in the world overtaking Germany.

Its exports in 2009 were $1,201.6 billion against $ 1,121.3 billion from Germany. The Chinese economy grew by 8.7 per cent in 2009.