Warum Indien den Wettbewerb mit China nicht gewinnt
https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/02/04/why-india-isnt-winning-the-contest-with-china
Warum Indien den Wettbewerb mit China nicht gewinnt
https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/02/04/why-india-isnt-winning-the-contest-with-china
4 Kommentare
The Economist highlights a growing contradiction in India’s South Asian diplomacy: while Modi’s government aspires to be a bridge for the Global South, its regional playbook often resembles a fortress mentality. China, despite tempering its Belt and Road ambitions, has outpaced India by deftly securing economic and diplomatic footholds, particularly in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India’s reliance on politically connected corporate giants like Adani has backfired, with regional projects facing scrutiny and setbacks. Worse, a transactional approach to leadership—backing strongmen without fostering deeper civil ties—has left New Delhi scrambling as regimes change. Former diplomat Shyam Saran warns that India must shed its siege mindset and pivot towards economic integration and cultural outreach, or risk watching China dictate the region’s future from across the Palk Strait.
The biggest problem with Indians, IMO and on average, is that they are less transactional and much more emotive than the Chinese.
The Chinese never let emotions get before a trade deal
Even american are loosing to chinese in make sectors. How can india win?
It’s absurd article.
Article needs to focus on, how much india is successful in countering chinese investment or influence.
China have big resources, money, power or whatever.
There economy is 4 times bigger than india.
They can gamble with there investment but india don’t have that leverage.
This article has a conclusion it’s working backwards to prove.
There’s plenty to be critical about India’s foreign policy in South Asia but being neighbours, it will always be contested. China being relatively more distant and basic common sense means these countries will always balance between India and China because that’s the smart thing to do. This tug of war between pro-India and pro-China governments has been happening for a while.
Trying to embed itself deeper into these nations‘ civil societies WILL gets a negative response. You’ll have heaps of people complaining about Indian influence. They’re already surrounded by it. Indians own many of Bangladesh’s textile factories. Indian companies are dominant there. They’re exposed to it constantly.
It’s also criticising India for ignoring Hasina’s authoritarianism while China is backing the junta in Myanmar. When in reality whether or not these work really depends on if you’ve backed the right person, not whether they’re necessarily democratic.
I do think India needs to calibrate its policy to be more specialised. There’s a sweeping generalisation in how it sees its neighbours as under the same umbrella. More policy specialisation depending on which country you’re focusing on is necessary. But also a stronger focus on the transactional nature of the relationship versus anything about shared culture and such. These countries will always view India as a big brother. That’s a complex that tends to arise from being a small country next to a large one.
India needs to have more joint co-operation with Japan and the US to match Chinese investments. And further diversification of what companies invest in these places (the article does rightfully point this out) though that anti-Indian sentiment would still persist in my opinion.
Ultimately though, China can’t really fully exploit the neighbourhood. No military access due to geography and these countries‘ don’t want to unecessarily invite hostilities. This balancing game will exist for a long time.
Look at South East Asia. Despite all the talks about Chinese encroachment most of those nations maintain their relationship with Beijing and Washington with little intent to lean towards either of them. The only exception is the Phillipines because of China’s targetted aggression towards them and Japan who is firmly a Western ally and can afford to pick sides.
India should tie its approach to its neighbours to its wider developing connections to West and South East Asia. Nepal signed a deal to supply electricity to Bangladesh through India. Do more of that. Tie Bangladesh in with the Act East policy. Build roads from Kolkata through Dhaka to Bangkok. Have those plans of sending power to Singapore to also include say Sri Lanka. Expand IMEC to our neighours as well.
Be ambitious but strategic with where you prioritise your resources. India’s geography is a blessing and it is wasted everyday.