Third IDSA Annual Conference on South Asia
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  • Speaker Profile: Prof Swaran Singh

    Prof. Swaran Singh teaches Diplomacy and Disarmament at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi). He is President of Association of Asia Scholars (AAS, New Delhi), General Secretary of Indian Association of Asian & Pacific Studies (ICAPS, Varanasi) and Member, Bangkok-based Asian Scholarship Foundation’s Regional Review Committee for South Asia.

    Prof. is Visiting Professor, University of Peace (Costa Rica), and has been formerly Visiting Faculty of the Beijing University, Xiamen University, Shanghai Institute of International Studies, Center for Asian Studies (Hong Kong University), Asian Center (University of the Philippines), Guest Faculty at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sweden), and Academic Consultant (2003-2007) at Center de Sciences Humaines (New Delhi), and Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (New Delhi).

    Prof Singh has traveled and written extensively on Asian Affairs, China’s foreign and security policy issues with special focus on China-India confidence building measures as also India’s foreign and security policy issues. More recently, Prof Singh has authored of China-India Economic Engagement: Building Mutual Confidence (2005), China-South Asia: Issues, Equations, Policies (2003) and China’s Changing National Security Doctrines (1999) and Limited War (1995); recently edited work China-Pakistan Strategic Cooperation: Indian Perspectives (2007) and Co-authored Regionalism in South Asian Diplomacy (SIPRI Policy Paper No. 15, February 2007).


    ABSTRACT

    China and South Asia

    China’s South Asia policy remains predominantly India-centric and security-centric. Within this broad bandwidth, there have been several ups and downs as also an overall transformation which has made it far more pragmatic as also favourable towards India.

    So, if their support to Kashmir people in 1960s and to insurgents in India’s northeast in 1970s marked the nadir of Cultural Revolution radicalization of China’s foreign policy, China’s celebrated neutrality during the Kargil War (1999) was epitome of Beijing’s pro-India leanings. This has been the result of their rapprochement since late 1970s followed by their rise as emerging economies since late 1980s or early 1990s. Nevertheless, China’s relations with India’s neigbours, especially Pakistan, still continue to be an important pillar of its South Asia policy.

    The credit must go to India’s continued engagements and China’s often reluctant yet positive reciprocity that the two sides have assiduously evolved and codified a whole set of confidence building measures that form the base of their ties. However, some of the vestiges of old habits and equations continue to create difficulties. So thesis like ‘String of Pearls’ and ‘encirclement of India’ remain integral part of analysis on China’s South Asia policy, often fueling skepticism in their mutual perceptions and policies.

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