Transcending the Conflict vs Cooperation Paradox: China-India Power Politics in South Asia

Abstract

China is rapidly extending its integrations in South Asia for capturing maximum regional opportunities while India perceives it as a potential threat to its regional position. China’s evolving influence in the region and its massive support to Pakistan through CPEC further strengthens India’s threat perception of encirclement. India, by adopting a counter-encirclement strategy, finds itself more secure under the US security umbrella, both China and India claim to have benign intentions behind their evolving integrations and frequently emphasize the importance of bilateral cordial relations for the regional peace and stability. There is bulk of literature available that vociferously reiterates their conflicting intentions against each other particularly for regional dominance. But the literature overlooks the complex nature of relationship between these two states causing culmination of the debate being sided with either of two extremes; conflict or cooperation oriented relations between the two. Apart from simply describing these two (conflict/cooperation) extremes the fundamental significance of this research work is to understand the phenomenon in its genuine form by comparatively and critically evaluating the actual driving factors behind their intentions beyond oversimplified dichotomy. Careful exploration of the evolving dynamics of regional political arena within which India and China are shaping their foreign policy postures would help study develop realistic inferences about China and India’s repeated rhetoric and narratives. A meticulous understanding on the topic will help the study in unfolding complicated regional scenario comprised by conflict/ cooperation paradox by China and India’s evolving intentions.