Indian epic Ramayana was enacted during the ASEAN summit Manila, Philippines in Nov'17

China's right-leaning daily newspaper Global Times said today that the country has increasingly become an "influential driver of India's foreign policy decisions".

"China's influence became more palpable," the newspaper said, adding,"This remains especially true of India's policy initiatives vis-a-vis the Asia-Pacific region."

The state-run daily said official expositions and press briefings denying China being the trigger "only betray India's persistent vacillations", asserting that, "China's $12 trillion economy and its $450 billion annual trade with ASEAN speaks volumes about leverages of India's $2.6 trillion economy and $70 billion trade with ASEAN."

The newspaper said both India and ASEAN see China as an important trade partner, therefore are "conscious of not pushing the envelope on Beijing's core concerns too far."

"Both India and ASEAN have become aware, even complacent, to these growing asymmetries and accepted Beijing's lead in several initiatives," the newspaper said.

"Together India and ASEAN seek to balance, not confront, rising China," it said, pointing out that while India stayed away from China's OBOR initiative it is engaging with ASEAN for "parallel connectivity projects".

"The Delhi Declaration commits them (ASEAN) to work for faster implementation of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and to take it to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam," it said.

The newspaper said India is seeking to project its "multicultural and leading epic Ramayana" as its "umbilical cord" with Southeast Asian nations and trying to revive cultural links with ASEAN nations in which Buddhism is popular.

"India is also conscious of China's decade-long lead in promoting World Buddhist Forum. So it seeks to revive cultural links with ASEAN nations in which Buddhism is popular," the newspaper reported.

China's Daily Times said the Delhi Declaration commits ASEAN to work for faster implementation of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and to take it to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.