Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has called on India to take its “rightful place” among democratic nations and replace China in vital global supply chains. “The answer to almost every question about China is India,” the former prime minister wrote in an op-ed published in The Australian. “Although currently not as rich as China, as a democracy under the rule of law, and as the world’s second-largest producer of steel and pharmaceuticals, and with its own version of Silicon Valley, India is perfectly placed to substitute for China in global supply chains,” he added. He also noted that with China becoming more belligerent by the day, it was in everyone’s interests that India take its rightful place among the nations as quickly as possible. “And because trade deals are about politics as much as economics, a swift deal between India and Australia would be an important sign of the …