India has made strides in terms of becoming a powerhouse comparable to China. However, in growing to the size of its neighbor, the country can avoid diplomatic mistakes.
In the last few years, incidents between China and other countries worldwide have created tensions, encouraging Western countries, namely the US and EU, to look toward India to form similar business and political partnerships. The trouble brewing in China’s finance and political sectors reminds India, a country on the precipice of greatness, to be diplomatic.
India is similar to the China of a few decades ago in that the former is investing billions of dollars in its infrastructure, including roads, ports, railways, and airports. The world’s largest software companies reside in India, creating its own digital infrastructure. According to a November 2023 CNN article, digitization in the country has changed the game in attracting business and making India potentially as formidable as China.
While the country is experiencing robust growth and economic stability, it can learn from China’s lapses in diplomacy. Not only are there tensions between China and Western countries, but China also has long-standing conflicts with India. Some issues between the two countries include China ignoring India’s contributions to the country’s cultural fabric (Buddhism and Sanskrit). Then, China committed repeated violations of the border pacts, including the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement and the Tibet issue, with China seeking to control the succession process for the Dalai Lama.
An October 2023 article in the news magazine The Diplomat advises India to protect its borders while engaging in diplomacy with like-minded partners in China. In dealing with their relations with the US and EU, an April 2021 article in the news magazine Global Times also suggests diplomacy as an answer for creating political alliances with the West while avoiding conflicts with China. Furthermore, India will have to avoid favoring either side to remain in an advantageous position.
