India and China in South Asia: Struggle for Political and Economic Influence in the Region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu13.2023.109Abstract
The article analyses India’s and China’s policy in South Asia, as well as key elements of their interaction with the regional states from the perspective of competition between the two Asian giants for regional leadership and influence in the South Asian countries. It is emphasized that nowadays China is pursuing active policy regarding South Asia. China develops trade and investment ties with the countries of the region, military cooperation, infrastructural projects, participates in the peace process in Afghanistan. The article pays particular attention to the recent events caused by the global coronavirus pandemic and the efforts made by India and China in order to fight the consequences of the spread of the disease, restore the broken connections and benefit from the situation for strengthening cooperation with the South Asian countries. It is pointed out that such Chinese activities in South Asia are of serious concern to India, and they are regarded as a threat to the national security. Due to its financial investment to the economies of the regional states, China not only displaces India from the territories of its traditional influence, but also gets various advantages and benefits in these countries, as well as access to strategic resources and assets. India is seeking to revive and strengthen its positions in South Asia, but it is difficult for it to rival with China’s huge economy, and regarding presence in the region and influence on the politics and economy of South Asia, India loses to China by many measures.
Keywords:
India, China, South Asia, India-China relations, regional leadership, coronavirus
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Acharya A., Buzan B. (eds). Non-Western International Relations Theory: Perspectives on and beyond Asia. N.Y., Routledge Publ., 2010. 242 p.
Bogaturov A. D. (ed.). Modern World Politics. Applied Analysis. Moscow, Aspekt-Press Publ., 2009. 588 p. (In Russian)
Buzan B., Little R. (eds). International Systems in World History: Remaking the Study of International Relations. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000. 452 p.
Lebedeva M. M. World Politics. Moscow, Aspekt Press Publ., 2003. 365 p. (In Russian)
Held D., Goldblatt D., Makgryu E., Perraton D. Global Transformations. Politics, Economy and Culture. Moscow, Praksis Publ., 2004. 576 p. (In Russian)
Bogaturov A. D. Major Powers in the Pacific. Moscow, Konvert-MONF Publ., 1997. 353 p. (In Russian)
Voskresenskii A. D. Russia and China. Theory and History of Inter-State Relations. Moscow, Moskovskii obshchestvennyi nauchnyi fond Publ., 1999. 340 p.
Deutsch K. W. The Analysis of International Relations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. 214 p.
Keohane R., Nye J. Power and Interdependence. N. Y., Longman, 2001. 315 p.
Galistcheva. N. V. India in the World Economy at the Turn of the Century. Moscow, Buki Vedi Publ., 2013. 502 p. (In Russian)
Galistcheva N. V. Priorities of India’s foreign economic policy. Aziia i Afrika segodnia, 2014, no. 10 (687), pp. 13–20. (In Russian)
Galistcheva N. V. Priorities of India’s foreign economic policy. Aziia i Afrika segodnia, 2014, no. 11 (688), pp. 13–17. (In Russian)
Lunev S. I. India’s Foreign Policy and Impact of Internal Factors on It. Vestnik MGIMO-Universiteta, 2010, no. 1, pp. 189–201. (In Russian)
Lunev S. I. India as one of the centres of global influence. Sravnitel’naia politika, 2012, no. 2 (8), pp. 90–104. (In Russian)
Shaumyan T. L. Indian foreign policy: from forecasts of 1980s to the reality of 2000s, Indiia: perspektivy sovremennogo razvitiia. Vnutrennii, regional’nyi i global’nyi aspekty. Materialy nauchnoi konferentsii. Moscow, IV RAN Publ., 2013, pp. 321–340. (In Russian)
Shaumyan T. L. Independence Foreign Policy Under Global Interdependence: India’s Experience. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriia 25. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniia i mirovaia politika, 2011, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 98–129. (In Russian)
Yurlov F. N. The main directions of Indian foreign policy at the beginning of the 21st century. Indiia: perspektivy sovremennogo razvitiia. Vnutrennii, regional’nyi i global’nyi aspekty. Materialy nauchnoi konferentsii. Moscow, IV RAN Publ., 2013, pp. 287–317. (In Russian)
Malik M. (ed). Maritime Security in the Indo-Pacific: Perspectives from China, India, and the United States. Lanham; Maryland, Rowman and Littlefield Publ., 2014. 156 p.
Anderson A., Ayres A. Economics of Influence: China and India in South Asia. Council on Foreign Relations. August 7, 2015. Available at: https://css.ethz.ch/en/services/digital-library/publications/publication. html/193219 (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Baral J. K. Conflict and Cooperation in India-China Relations. Journal of Defence Studies, 2012, vol. 6, issue 2, pp. 78–93.
Galishcheva N. V. Pakistan-China Economic Cooperation. Mirovoe i natsional’noe hoziaistvo, 2015, no. 4 (35), pp. 2–5. (In Russian)
Lunev S. I. South Asia and China. Kitai v 21 veke: globalizatsiia interesov bezopasnosti, ed. by G. I. Chufrin; In-t mirovoi ekonomiki i mezhdunar. otnoshenii RAN. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 2007, pp. 288–312. (In Russian)
Smith J. M. Cold Peace: China-India Rivalry in the Twenty-First Century. Lanham, Lexington Books Publ., 2014. 227 p.
Hemant A. SAARC Summit 2014: Can Narendra Modi put India’s neighbourhood in order? Zee News. November 27, 2014. Available at: http://zeenews.india.com/exclusive/saarc-summit-2014-can-narendra-modi-put-indias-neighbourhood-in-order_1504558.html (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Baruah D. M. Modi’s Trip and China’s Islands: The Battle for the Indian Ocean. The Diplomat. March 11, 2015. Available at: http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/modis-trip-and-chinas-islands-the-battlefor-the-indian-ocean/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
China’s Military Strategy. The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China. May, 2015. Beijing. Available at: http://english.www.gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2015/05/27/content_281475115610833.htm (accessed: 31.08.2021).
UN Comtrade Database. Available at: https://comtradeplus.un.org/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Sood R. ‘Neighbourhood first’ in Nepal. Observer Research Foundation. June 12, 2017. Available at: https://www.orfonline.org/research/neighbourhood-first-nepal/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Prasad U. S. Study of Nepal’s Economic Relations with China. The Journal of Development and Administrative Studies (JODAS), 2015, vol. 23 (1–2), pp. 23–32.
Fleurant A., Perlo-Freeman S., Wezeman P. D., Wezeman S. T. Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2015. SIPRI Fact Sheet. February, 2016. Available at: https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/SIPRIFS1602. pdf (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Zhou L. China almost doubles weapons exports over past five years, with Pakistan biggest buyer: think tank. South China Morning Post. February 22, 2016. Available at: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1915140/china-almost-doubles-weapons-exports-over-past-five (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Sibal K. India-China Relations: Problems and Prospects: Occasional Paper. Vivekananda International Foundation. July, 2012. 31 p.
Gulevich V. Bhutan, India, China and Doklam plateau. Mezhdunarodnaia zhizn’, August 3, 2017. Available at: https://interaffairs.ru/news/show/18077 (accessed: 31.08.2021). (In Russian)
Pollock J. China’s Territorial Ambitions in Bhutan — Why it Matters to India. South Asian Voices. December 21, 2020. Available at: https://southasianvoices.org/chinas-territorial-ambitions-in-bhutan-why-it-matters-to-india/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Pandey S. Understanding China’s Afghanistan policy: From calculated indifference to strategic engagement. Observer Research Foundation. August 6, 2019. Available at: https://www.orfonline.org/research/understanding-chinas-afghanistan-policy-from-calculated-indifference-strategic-engagement-54126/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Ramachandran S. Is China Bringing Peace to Afghanistan? The Diplomat. June 20, 2018. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/is-china-bringing-peace-to-afghanistan/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Pandey S. China’s Surreptitious Advance in Afghanistan. The Diplomat. September 22, 2018. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/chinas-surreptitious-advance-in-afghanistan/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Sri Lanka offers strategic deep-sea port to India, Japan. The Times of India. March 2, 2021. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sri-lanka-offers-strategic-deep-sea-port-to-india-japan/articleshow/81292897.cms (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Bhaumik A. China moves to take advantage of Covid-19 in South Asia. Deccan Herald. November 13, 2020. Available at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/china-moves-to-take-advantage-ofcovid-19-in-south-asia-915259.html (accessed: 31.08.2021).
To counter China, India pursues vaccine diplomacy in South Asia. Al Jazeera. January 21, 2021. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/21/india-pursues-vaccine-diplomacy-in-south-asiato-counter-china (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Sharma P. As China-India border dispute continues, New Delhi scrambles to shore up South Asia influence. South China Morning Post. August 30, 2020. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/weekasia/politics/article/3099433/china-india-border-dispute-continues-new-delhi-scrambles-shore (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Purohit K. As India-China border dispute continues, New Delhi works to win back South Asian neighbors. South China Morning Post. December 3, 2020. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3112332/india-china-border-dispute-continues-new-delhi-works-win-back (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Mohan C. R. Why China Is Paranoid About the Quad. Foreign Policy. May 17, 2022. Available at: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/17/india-china-quad-summit-modi-xi-biden/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Buddhavarapu R. India sees a second chance to pivot to the Indo-Pacific in new group that excludes China. CNBC. May 31, 2022. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/01/india-sees-a-secondchance-to-pivot-to-the-pacific-in-ipef.html (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Sakhawat N. China-Bangladesh relations stronger than ever before. The Daily Star. October 6, 2020. Available at: https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/china-bangladesh-relations-stronger-ever-1972993 (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Awan Z. A. Chinese assistance a major contribution to Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19. People’s Daily Online. April 21, 2020. Available at: http://en.people.cn/n3/2020/0421/c90000-9682323.html (accessed: 31.08.2021).
China provided $15mn aid to Pakistan to fight COVID-19: envoy. Geo News. July 23, 2020. Available at: https://www.geo.tv/latest/299447-pakistan-china-institute-hosts-webinar-on-cpec-post-coronavirus-relations (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic belt and 21st-Century maritime Silk Road. National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Beijing, March 28, 2015. Available at: http://en.ndrc.gov.cn/newsrelease/201503/t20150330_669367.html (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Smith J. M. China-India Relations in the Xi-Modi Era. US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. March 10, 2016. Available at: https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/SMITH_Remarks%20031016.pdf (дата обращения: 31.08.2021).
Chauhan P. Economy & Development Cooperation Against Competition: India and China in the Energy Sector. South Asian Voices. July 16, 2019. Available at: https://southasianvoices.org/cooperation-against-competition-india-china-energy-sector/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Kim Y-C. (ed). China-India Relations: Geo-Political Competition, Economic Cooperation, Cultural Exchange and Business Ties. Cham, Springer International Publishing, 2020. 228 p.
International Debt Statistics 2022. World Bank. Available at: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/2d6b3d72-a763-5db8-bd8b-209a6a7fb384/content (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Khoda K. India-China challenges in partnership. Greater Kashmir. June 7, 2019. Available at: https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/opinion/india-china-challenges-in-partnership/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Shikin V. Belt and Road in South Asia or how China and India part. RSMD. August 23, 2017. Available at: https://russiancouncil.ru/analytics-and-comments/analytics/odin-poyas-odin-put-v-yuzhnoy-azii-ili-kak-raskhodyatsya-dorogi-kitaya-i-indii/ (accessed: 31.08.2021). (In Russian)
Bhandari A., Jindal C. Pakistan: A Reckless Mortgage. Gateway House. November 30, 2017. Available at: https://www.gatewayhouse.in/chinese-investments-in-pakistan/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Boon H. T., Ong G. K. H. Military dominance in Pakistan and China-Pakistan relations. Australian Journal of International Affairs. November 19, 2020, no. 75 (6), pp. 1–23.
Xi J. Secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and strive for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. In 19th national congress of the Communist Party of China. Xinhua. October 18, 2017. Available at: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/download/Xi_Jinping%27s_report_at_19th_CPC_National_Congress.pdf (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Rajagopalan R. P. Beyond Rajapaksa’s Visit, Are India and Sri Lanka Really on the Same Page? The Diplomat. February 13, 2020. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2020/02/beyond-rajapaksas-visit-areindia-and-sri-lanka-really-on-the-same-page/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Miller M. C. China and the Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia. Discussion Paper. Council on Foreign Relations. June 2022. Available at: https://cdn.cfr.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/Miller-China-BRISouthAsia.pdf (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Singh A. G. China feels the heat in South Asia and IOR. Observer Research Foundation. May 24, 2022. Available at: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/china-feels-the-heat-in-south-asia-and-ior/(accessed: 31.08.2021).
Ramachandran S. Bangladesh Buries the Sonadia Deep-Sea Port Project. The Diplomat. October 12, 2020. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/bangladesh-buries-the-sonadia-deep-sea-portproject/(accessed: 31.08.2021).
Chauhan P. Economy & Development Cooperation Against Competition: India and China in the Energy Sector. South Asian Voices. July 16, 2019. Available at: https://southasianvoices.org/cooperation-against-competition-india-china-energy-sector/ (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Dutta P. K. Chinese Challenge: No ‘String of Pearls’, It’s Dragon in Indian Ocean. India Today. November 19, 2016. Available at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/chinese-challenge-string-of-pearls-dragon-in-indian-ocean-india-china-gwadar-pakistan-myanmar-bangladesh/1/814625.html (accessed: 31.08.2021).
Downloads
Published
2023-07-25
How to Cite
Galistcheva, N. V., & Reshchikova, M. S. (2023). India and China in South Asia: Struggle for Political and Economic Influence in the Region. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies, 15(1), 133–154. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu13.2023.109
Issue
Section
Foreign policy and international relations of Asia and Africa
License
Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.
