India-China Relations

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  • Vineet Ravindran asked: What is the ‘Asian Century’? Is the American ‘Pivot to Asia’ and the friction in India–China relations a challenge to the concept of the Asian Century?

    Prashant Kumar Singh replies: The idea of the ‘Asian Century’ argues that the 21st century international order is going to be defined by Asia’s pre-eminence, the way the US pre-eminence defined the international order in the 20th century and Europe in the 19th century. It is also seen as Asian countries’ mutual rediscovery in terms of reconnection and reintegration. It seeks to repair artificial divisions in the Asian social, economic and cultural space that colonial interventions created.

    Rahul P. Singh asked: How can the Chinese reluctance to solve the boundary dispute be explained from a neorealist perspective?

    Prashant Kumar Singh replies: The essence of the neorealist perspective in international relations is that the structure of the international system is anarchic and that the states are "unitary rational actors existing in a ‘self-help’ system". A “self-help” system means that “each state must fend for itself”.

    The Evolution of China’s Southern Frontier: Cartographical Encroachments on Indian Territory, 1922–1960

    The People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s case on the Sino–Indian boundary question has not received the sort of attention it deserves with the result very little is known about it. While India appears to have inherited its northern frontier from the British with some ambiguities, Manchu China’s territorial bequest to the Republic of China (RoC), in comparison, is more straightforward. Both foreign and Indian writers have subjected the Indian case to rigorous scrutiny. However, the PRC’s case has, thus far, escaped similar scrutiny.

    July 2018

    China’s Hydro Ambitions and the Brahmaputra

    The upper riparian China is uniquely positioned to influence the flow of Yarlung Tsangpo/Brahmaputra into lower riparian India. In the absence of a water sharing treaty, the Chinese decision to build more dams on Yarlung/Brahmaputra and continued evasiveness on its long-term plans would remain an issue of major concern for India.

    July 23, 2018

    Ashish Jaitpal asked: Prime Minister in his recent address at the Shangri-La Dialogue referred to India’s relationship with China as ‘multi-layered’. What does that mean?

    Rup Narayan Das replies: One can only hazard a guess as to what Prime Minister meant when he referred to India-China relations as ‘multi-layered’. It may have two broad connotations. At the bilateral level, the edifice of complex India-China relations is built around political convergence. Needless to mention that now the relationship between the two countries has been elevated to a ‘strategic level’. The leadership of the two countries at the highest political level are meeting both at bilateral and multilateral level.

    India and China – Time for a dialogue on nuclear security?

    It may be time for India and China to discuss nuclear issues bilaterally with a view to mediating the uncertainties borne of their differing perspectives and postures.

    April 19, 2018

    Suchak Patel asked: As China continues to encircle India, earlier through ‘string of pearls’ and now the Belt and Road Initiative, why is India still hesitant to form a ‘Democratic Quad’?

    Prashant Kumar Singh replies: The question posed appears to be based on three assumptions, agreeing to which is a little difficult. First, China is encircling India through ‘string of pearls’ and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Secondly, that the proposed ‘Democratic Quad’ is a response to this encirclement. Thirdly, India is hesitant to form the ‘Quad’ and that it is India’s hesitance alone that is holding up its formation.

    External Balancing in India’s China Policy

    External balancing is re-emerging as an element of policy driven by the yawning power asymmetry between India and China and China’s turn towards assertive behaviour and territorial claims.

    March 28, 2018

    Xi Jinping’s Extended Presidency and India-China Relations

    China

    India should carefully understand the evolving foreign policy strategy of China under Xi Jinping, and notably, his worldview, and try to position bilateral relations accordingly.

    March 27, 2018

    Doklam and the Indo-China Boundary

    On 19 December 2017, three days ahead of the scheduled 20th Round of Indo-China border talk between the Indian National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval, and China’s State Councillor, Yang Jiechi (the details of which are yet to be made public), the daily Times of India reported a statement by China that the Doklam standoff posed a ‘major test’ for the bilateral ties and that lessons should be learnt from it to avoid a similar situation of its kind in the future.1 China’s statement was made in the context of the face-off between Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PL

    January-March 2018

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