Indian Perspectives on the Rise of China: Geopolitical, Geoeconomic, and Geocivilizational Paradigms
Abstract
One of the most significant developments in the still nascent twenty-first century is the rise of China and India. While the implications for the rise of China have been debated in the global or systemic contexts, as well as regional or bilateral contexts, relatively sparse scholarly discussion has been devoted to either the rise of the other great power - India, or how these two Asian great powers - India and China - perceive the ascendancy of the other state. Yet how these two very different Asian giants perceive each other and consequently negotiate their paths in substantially changed global and regional contexts will be important for scholarly interest and policy making. This paper analyzes this complex relationship and examines how Indian elites - in political, security, and economic arenas - perceive the rise of China. Based on the authors field research in India and secondary sources, this paper examines this important yet complex relationship by three contrasting perspectives -- geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geocivilizational, and assesses the alternative prospects: "Chindia" (Indo-Chinese partnership), rivalry, or pragmatic management of bilateral relationship.