China-India relations

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden along with world leaders arrive to pay their respect at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Raj Ghat on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi on 10 September, 2023. (PIB/AFP)

China and India are not playing a zero-sum game in the global south

With the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor at the recent G20 summit, it could be easy to assume that India has made its strategic decision to join the US-led West to counter China, or that the IMEC is a natural rival to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. But complementary multilateral structures may not be a thing of the past.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits International Media Center, on the second day of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, 10 September 2023. (Amit Dave/Reuters)

G20 summit 2023: India-China win-win moment?

China and India have surprisingly cooperated in facing a polarised geopolitical ambience during the G20 summit in Delhi on 9-10 September 2023, says Indian academic P. S. Suryanarayana. China supported India’s leadership in reaching a G20 consensus on the Ukraine crisis and the development priorities of the global south. The nuances of acquiescence by the US-led West may be key to the future of world affairs, because the G20 reflects today’s realities.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a BRICS summit meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 27 July 2018. (Mike Hutchings/File Photo/Reuters)

Xi Jinping's rare absence from the G20 summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s likely absence from the upcoming G20 summit in New Delhi sends a message, amid tensions with India. However, it also means that there is less of an opportunity for China to engage with the US. Does this also mean that China is less interested in talking to the US, or is it leaving that encounter for later at the upcoming APEC summit in San Francisco?
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrive for a signing ceremony during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, 10 June 2018. (Aly Song/File Photo/Reuters)

The new ‘standard map’: China incurs India’s wrath

In India’s view, a new “standard map” unveiled just before India’s hosting of the G20 summit in New Delhi is a deliberate initiative by China to express its discontent with India on the border issue. With bilateral ties between India and China already in bad shape, the new map further complicates the relationship. Researcher Rishi Gupta explains.
Indian soldiers prepare for the guard of honour before the arrival of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort during the celebrations to mark the country's 77th Independence Day in New Delhi, India on 15 August 2023. (Sajjad Hussain/AFP)

India deepens ties with Taiwan

India’s recent high-profile attendance at a security forum in Taiwan suggests it is ready to deepen ties with Taiwan to safeguard its future interests, despite expected pushback from China.
Russia's Pacific Fleet warships parade off the port city of Vladivostok during the Navy Day celebrations on 30 July 2023. (Pavel Korolyov/AFP)

India, Russia and the Northern Sea Route: Navigating a shifting strategic environment

With China intensifying its interest in the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route, India also looks to subtly increase its cooperation with Russia in the shipping route which can significantly reduce sailing time between Europe and Asia. But India has strategic reasons of its own to do so.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, 20 March 2023. (Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

India and Japan: New 'Asian alliance' to deal with China challenge?

Academic Rishi Gupta gives an overview of the outcomes of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent visit to India and the implications for Japan-India relations.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks at the welcoming dinner during the G20 Summit in Badung on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on 15 November 2022. (Willy Kurniawan/AFP)

India's G20 presidency: Can China and India cooperate to create an 'Asian moment'?

China’s aspirational “Asian moment” in global governance will come true if a China-India geoeconomic concert drives India’s presidency of the G20 in 2023. For this to happen, the two Asian neighbours must rise above the geopolitics of their ongoing military hostility and work together to advance global economic recovery.
China's President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other participants attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 16 September 2022. (Sergei Bobylyov/Sputnik/AFP)

China gains stronger foothold in Central Asian region

Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan analyses the outcomes of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Uzbekistan and the implications of China’s perceived stronger courting of the Central Asia region.