India and China: Neighbourhood First Policy

Introduction

In international relations, it is said that there are no permanent friends or enemies. States function on a realist principle focusing on enhancing their interests and power. India has come a long way since its independence 75 years ago, becoming the fifth-largest economy and leaving behind its colonizer. For all these years, China and India- two Asian giants, are in a race to outcompete each other. In its attempt to legitimize its expansion, China has made considerable investments in countries of Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Latin America.India’s neighbours are on China’s lawn, with the latter investing in their infrastructural projects and sanctioning loans. In this context, India’s approach towards recalibrating its image in its neighbourhood as well as in other countries should be to build upon the trust and goodwill rather than focusing solely on outcompeting China.

India’s Neighbourhood Policy

India lies in the South Asian region and shares borders with nine countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In line with the Gujral Doctrine, an introductory guide to conducting foreign relations with India’s immediate neighbors, the country adopted India’s Neighbourhood First Policy which accords special place to India’s neighbors in policy matters.  Although India enjoys civilizational relations with its neighbors characterized by shared history, culture, and in some cases even territory; however, its contemporary relations with its neighborhood face challenges because of geopolitical tensions, China’s dominance, and India’s haphazard response to the issues arising in its immediate neighborhood. Due to India’s big size geographically, economically, and demographically, others feel overshadowed and intimidated by India’s big brother image. Such dimensions have resulted in an anti-India sentiment in countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

Chinese Domination

India’s neighborhood is currently facing economic distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and rising prices of commodities due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Sri Lanka has already undergone the most devastating period in its independent history; Pakistan’s one-third territory is under floods and political instability, Nepal and Bangladesh are suffering from an economic crisis, and Afghanistan is under the Taliban without a governance structure. One common thing in all the countries mentioned above is Chinese investments, loans, and grants. Chinese investments in South Asian countries majorly concentrate on infrastructure- power, roads, railways, bridges, ports, and airports. Through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has constructed a base in India’s neighborhood by which it extends credit and extracts economic or political concessions from countries where they cannot repay their debts- Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port.

Policy Correction

India is on a path to becoming a regional power in South Asia; however, it has lost crucial partners in recent years. Its neighbors have found an alternative in China to their infrastructural problems. India needs to change its policy on a priority basis and engage with its neighbors more proactively and build on already existing relationships. India needs to construct its partnerships on trust and invest in the countries according to its capacity. Such a relationship will go in the long run and most efficiently serve India’s interests. India should avoid looking at investments in its neighboring countries through a Chinese competition lens as it still has to come a long way to get past Chinese capital investments.  India needs to earnestly implement its Neighbourhood First Policy to gain a better reputation among its neighbors. India’s relations with Nepal have suffered a massive setback due to territorial issues and closeness with China. India should develop a policy to re-engage with Nepal and honor its commitments within the stipulated timeline. Similarly to other countries, India should positively engage with its neighbors and look beyond Chinese competition.

Conclusion

In recent years, India’s stature in far-off countries, like the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia, has increased tremendously, with India being part of the Quadrilateral Dialogue (QUAD) and other critical Indo-Pacific initiatives. However, in its neighborhood, India remains on its own due to inherent problems of size and influence. To capitalize on its rising status, India needs to build partnerships based on trust and deliver on its promises. To realize its dream of becoming a superpower in the near future, it needs to stabilize its neighborhood first and take its neighboring countries along.  Partnerships built on trust will ultimately give India an edge over China and its regional investments. India does not need to be in a rat race against China in terms of foreign investments in its neighboring region as cooperation can go a long way than competition alone.

The nation-state is on the rise again. National interests supersede international co-operation, as is evident in the failure of the United Nations to bring about world peace. The military is using Artificial Intelligence to enhance its destructive capabilities, a most worrying sign for peace around the globe. Artificial Intelligence has made positive contributions in medicine and other fields, but is certainly not the panacea that some hope it to be. The rise of the nation-state, and the censorship of the internet promise a future of socio-economic competition between nations, and the control of the flow of information around the globe.