India’s Great Power Politics : Managing China’s Rise

This book examines India’s foreign and defence policy changes in response to China’s growing economic and military power and increased footprint across the Indo-Pacific. It further explores India’s role in the rivalry between China and the United States. The book looks at the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean Region in the Indo-Pacific geopolitical landscape and how India is managing China’s rise by combining economic cooperation with a wide set of balancing strategies. The authors in this book critically analyse the various tools of Indian foreign policy, including defence posture, security alignments, and soft power diplomacy, among others, and discuss the future trajectory of India’s foreign policy and the factors which will determine the balance of power in the region and the potential risks involved. The book provides detailed insights into the multifaceted and complex relationship between India and China and will be of great interest to researchers and students of international relations, Asian studies, political science, and economics. It will also be useful for policymakers, journalists, and think tanks interested in the India–China relationship. Contents 8 List of figures 10 List of contributors 11 Acknowledgements 14 Part I: India and China’s rise 16 1 India’s great power politics: a framework for analysis • Jo Inge Bekkevold and S. Kalyanaraman 18 2 India in China’s grand strategy: change and continuity from 1949 to present • Jo Inge Bekkevold 38 3 India’s response to the China threat since 1949 • S. Kalyanaraman 64 4 India’s China policy under Modi: growing co-operation, enduring disagreement, increasing rivalry • Sunniva Engh 90 Part II: China’s rise and India’s neighbourhood policy 116 5 India’s “neighbourhood first” policy and the Chinese challenge: the cases of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka • S. D. Muni 118 6 India and the emerging Sino–Iranian partnership • John W. Garver 137 7 India and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation • P. Stobdan 158 8 Cultures of pluralism in India’s soft power strategy • Constantino Xavier 175 Part III: India and the great powers 194 9 India, the United States, and the Indo-Pacific region • Jayant Prasad 196 10 India’s US policy under Modi: alignment and strategic autonomy redefined • Harsh V. Pant 223 11 The changing geopolitical landscape of India–Russia relations • P.S. Raghavan 242 12 India and Japan’s grand bargain in the context of China’s rise • Rohan Mukherjee 262 Part IV: Concluding observations 278 13 Indian strategies on China: past, present, and future • Jo Inge Bekkevold and S. Kalyanaraman 280 Index 291