Originally published as ‘What national interests has India achieved by abstaining at UNHRC vote on Xinjiang?’, Moneycontrol, 14 October 2022. In Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, George Smiley is asked a question about what morality was — whether it was a method or if it was “vested in the aims”. “Difficult to know what one’s aims …
Continue reading “India’s Xinjiang Abstention: Neither Morality nor Self-Interest Clear”
The Indian government allowed the Chinese envoy to grandstand and sell China’s narratives to the rest of the world
New Delhi continues to under-utilise the opportunity to revise and reset its China policy that the Chinese transgressions in eastern Ladakh provided nearly two years ago.
It appears that the Indian government lacks the political will to deal with China firmly and unambiguously
Talks with China should be limited to and led by military commanders under political supervision with staff support from Indian foreign ministry officials if necessary
The Indian government has a penny wise and pound foolish approach to the acquisition of foreign expertise and language proficiency.
Prime Minister Modi’s statement at the All Party Meeting on 19 June ended up casting doubt on India’s own behaviour and claims along the LAC and actually encourages further Chinese assertiveness all along disputed sectors on the LAC as well as the temptation to open up fresh disputes.
The deaths of Indian soldiers along the LAC at Galwan is a watershed moment in India-China ties. If the relationship is not to spin out of control, India needs to develop military, economic and intellectual muscle certainly but also adopt transparency and openness to questions as a central plank of the reworking of its China policy.
Quad 2.0 has proceeded more determinedly even if slowly but the Covid-19 pandemic now offers an opportunity to step up the pace. The issue now is of ensuring that Chinese pressure does not derail its development yet again.
Thinking about China in India 