‘India can be substitute to China’: Former Australian PM Tony Abbott lists Delhi's key advantages

Tony Abbott said that when he was Australia’s Prime Minister, he used to say that India will emerge as a “democratic superpower”.

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that India could be a “counterweight” to China and listed out the three big advantages that India has over China. The Australian leader said that some of Delhi's advantages over Beijing include— democracy, the rule of law, and the English language.

“The 21st century belongs to India just as it belongs to China," former Australian PM Tony Abbott said.(File/Bloomberg)

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Abbott said that India could be the “substitute” to China and highlighted the infrastructural development in the country.

"India is a counterweight to China. It is now the most populous country. You go to any Indian city... there is massive infrastructure push - new airports, etc. India is rising and can be a substitute to China," he said.

Abbott also said that the key to check China's ambitions to 'dominate the world' lies with India. "They want to be hegemonic power... and this spells trouble for all of China's neighbours, as well as the world,” he said.

“The 21st century belongs to India just as it belongs to China," the former Australian PM said.

‘India’s PM to be leader of free world’

While speaking at the summit, Tony Abbott said that when he was Australia’s Prime Minister, he used to say that India will emerge as a “democratic superpower”. He added that in the upcoming four to five decades, whoever is India’s Prime Minister could be the “leader of a free world”.

"As PM, I used to say India will emerge as a democratic superpower. Well, now that has happened. The PM of India is likely to be the leader of a free world in the next 40-50 years..." Abbott said.

‘Trump misplayed his hand with India’

While talking about the steep 50 per cent tariffs imposed on India by the United States President Donald Trump, half of which is punishment for buying oil from Russia, Abbott said that while is a Trump supporters, he believes the US President “misplayed his hand with India when he imposed those punitive tariffs... particularly given there are other countries that are cheating here, especially China (which buys more than India), that didn't get the same treatment.”