NEW DELHI: The netizens in China have given an unusual nickname to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi – "Modi Laoxian" – even as India and China have been engaged in a bitter border controversy for the last 3 years. "Modi Laoxian" implies Modi is immortal. In Chinese, Laoxian refers to "an elderly immortal with some weird abilities".

Chinese internet users reportedly believe PM Modi is unique and "even more spectacular" than other foreign leaders, as per a recent report in a US-based international online news magazine. The Chinese internet users believe that the Laoxian-like differences between him and his predecessors extend beyond his personal look and manner of dress.

As per the article published in The Diplomat, what makes him "laoxian" to the Chinese people is not simply his appearance or policies but also the wonder, bewilderment, and "maybe a dash of cynicism" that he inspires in them.
The author of the post continues by stating that PM Modi's nickname sticks out above all others because it is uncommon for Chinese netizens to refer to a foreign leader by a nickname. The majority of Chinese believe that PM Modi's India can maintain a balance among the major nations in the globe amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russian conflict, which has put the United States and West against Russia. As per  the article, "India can enjoy amicable ties with all of them, whether it be Russia, the US, or Global South countries, which is quite admirable to certain Chinese netizens.

The article's conclusion is that, aside from the border conflict, the Chinese have no ill will against India overall.
Since 2020, the Chinese and Indian militaries have been at odds after the former's aggressive military manoeuvres in eastern Ladakh, which violated the accords to settle the border conflict. High-level military commander negotiations between the two nations have taken place 17 times in an effort to end the standoff.

Prime Minister Modi is well-known in China, and not just online. Using his account on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo, which he started in 2015 and had amassed over 2.44 lakh followers, he even engaged with the Chinese populace.
In July 2020, however, he stopped using Weibo after the Indian government decided to ban 59 Chinese apps in response to the border incident. More than 582 million people are active users of Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

Also, shortly after gaining office at the Centre for the first time in 2014, PM Modi hosted former Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad.

According to the article in the Diplomat, Chinese perceptions of India are quite complex, but they are typically motivated by a sense of superiority and self-assurance.

The article also discusses how Chinese netizens regard relations with India as being superior to those with Pakistan because they view China's efforts to use Pakistan as its "all-weather friend" as unrealistic "The distance between the two South Asian neighbours is growing. Pakistan has recently seen a political and economic collapse.

"There is more room for cooperation between China and India, as evidenced by the realities over the last nine years. For instance, China has annual trade with India of USD 115 billion, which is far greater than China's annual trade with Pakistan, which is estimated to be worth USD 30 billion, according to the report.

The article also discusses New Delhi and Beijing being on the same page on the Ukraine crisis, as well as Chinese apprehension over India's rising popularity with western nations, particularly the US.

The essay goes on to discuss a topic that is frequently discussed among Chinese internet users. "Why China is now the West's objective while India is the West's preferred country. How did India pull this off?"

The majority of Chinese people, with their "feeling of superiority and self-confidence," believed that India was not as developed as China to be a threat to the West.

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