India and the Asian Balance of Power: Countering China

The Asian balance of power is shifting rapidly as a consequence of China's rise. Though India is growing faster, the gap between India and China continues to increase and will continue to do so for a period of time. Moreover, China's policies demonstrate a clear intent to contain India within South Asia. This forces India to debate new strategic choices, including a modified nonalignment policy and a possible strategic alliance with the United States. Some of these choices, especially India's increasing closeness to the United States, create tensions with India's old partners such as Russia. 

 

At this event on October 26, Dr. Rajagopalan will present his thoughts on the future of India in Asia's evolving balance of power, the role of the United States in Indian foreign policy, and how India's strategic community and decision-makers should respond to this Chinese strategy of containment. 

 

Rajesh Rajagopalan is a Professor in International Politics within the Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament, School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. His areas of research interest are international relations theory, military doctrines, and nuclear weapons and disarmament. His recent books 

include Fighting Like a Guerrilla: The Indian Army and Counterinsurgency, Nuclear South Asia: Keywords and Concepts, and Second Strike: Arguments about Nuclear War in South Asia. He has also co-authored a chapter on India in the recent Rising Powers Initiative book Nuclear Debates in Asia: The Role of Geopolitics and Domestic Processes. His articles have appeared in a number of academic and policy journals that include, The Washington Quarterly, Contemporary Security Policy, India Review, Contemporary South Asia, Small Wars and Insurgencies, South Asia, South Asian Survey, and Strategic Analysis as well as in Indian newspapers as Economic Times, The Hindu, The Indian Express, Financial Express, and Hindustan Times.