India’s strategy toward China under Modi needs to be understood as the approach of a rising power (in Asia) that has been in relative decline vis-à-vis China. Consequently, Modi’s India has adopted a mixed strategy toward its asymmetric rival China that includes
accommodation
/
cooperation
at the multilateral level (e.g., the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank),
competition
at the regional level (in the Indo-Pacific),
rejection
of China’s unilateral initiatives (such as the Belt and Road Initiative), and
deterrence
(along the Himalayas and in the Indian Ocean). This seemingly inchoate issue-based approach is function of material and ideational factors. In addition to safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, India aims to prevent Chinese hegemony in Asia while creating strategic space for itself as a great power in a multipolar Asia. However, India lacks a viable strategy to compete/catch-up with China economically, and therefore India’s overall response will be a constant challenge for its diplomacy.
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