Amid much media attention for the successful launch of long range missile by India, the Chinese government has indicated that the two developing neighbors are not rivals but partners who cooperate on various matters.

India joined the elite club of nations with intercontinental missiles following the first test flight of the new Agni-V missile. The government's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has test-fired its new Agni V missile, which has a range of more than 5000 kilometre.

The three-stage Agni-V missile system, which will boost the country's nuclear capabilities significantly, comes after the testing of surface-to-surface missile two-stage Agni-IV. Agni-V and Agni-IV will provide a reliable deterrence against other countries with similar capabilities. Experts say that Agni-V will prove to be a deterrent against China as it is capable of reaching many targets in the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said, "China has taken note of reports of India's missile launch. China and India are both big emerging countries, we are not rivals but cooperation partners."

Meanwhile, the United States has praised India's clean non-proliferation record. White House spokesman Jay Carney said that comparisons should not be made between tests conducted by India and North Korea because India has a solid non-proliferation record and cooperates in international non-proliferation efforts.