On 9 December 2022, another military conflict happened at the disputed border region between India and China, injuring at least two dozen soldiers on both sides. This incident has added to a series of Sino-Indian border conflicts since May 2020. New resentment is brewing between the world’s two most populous countries and nuclear powers, fueling further nationalistic sentiments and might lead to more confrontations in turn. Although there should be little concern for an imminent war between the two nations, the conflicts have certainly created uncertainties for business leaders and policy makers.
Today, the two countries account for 35 percent of the global population and 21 percent of the global GDP. India is worried by the stronger and more powerful presence of China not only at its borders, but also in the region. It keeps a suspicious eye on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI has expanded China’s influence in India’s maritime and continental neighborhood. Under the nationalistic Prime Minister Narenda Modi, India has taken a set of strategic and tactical adjustments to deal with the challenges from a more powerful China. It is seeking to reinvent itself. As the soon-to-be most populous country and the 5th biggest GDP in the world, it is assuming more responsibilities and attracting more expectations globally. Where is the Sino-Indian relationship heading for? Is India ready to be a stronger leader in the region? What would this change bring to the rest of the world? And why is it taking an ambiguous stance towards Russia?
Our guest today is Dr. Jabin Jacob, Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations and Governance Studies of Shiv Nadar University in New Delhi. Jacob holds a PhD in Chinese Studies from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and has spent time as a researcher in Taiwan, France and Singapore. His interests include Chinese domestic politics, China-South Asia relations, Sino-Indian border areas, Indian and Chinese worldviews, and center-province relations in China.
For more information about Dr. Jacob and his work, you can visit his website: https://indiandchina.com/
This episode is edited by Yu Ge.