Relevance : GS Paper II
Why has this issue cropped up?
As Prime Minister Modi heads this week to the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, interest is riveted on what might or might not happen between him and Pakistan’s Imran Khan.
The Sino-Russian factor
- PM might have other things at the top of his mind — the unfolding alliance between Russia and China and what it might mean for India’s international relations.
- Russian and China recently had an expansive celebration of their alliance in Moscow and St Petersburg last week.
- Putin has declared that the partnership with China has risen to “unprecedented levels”.
- Chinese media is describing the current phase as the “golden age” in relations with Russia.
- That the Sino-Russian alliance is being framed as a counter to the United States makes it that much more complicated for Indian diplomacy.
- Navigating the rivalry between the great powers remains the biggest challenge for India’s foreign polic.
India’s Situation
- As the weakest of the major powers, India is far more sensitive to any realignments among great powers.
- Further, India has a longer memory of the Sino-Russian relationship than most other nations — of the “Red alliance” between Russian and Chinese communists in the 1950s, their breakup in the 1960s, their confrontation in the 1970s and the rapprochement since the late 1980s.
Way forward for India
India can no longer make light of the implications of the emerging Sino-Russian alliance for India’s engagement with other powers, especially the US, and the regional consequences for India’s neighbourhood, especially the Af-Pak region.
Conclusion
However, there is little reason for panic for India. As foreign minister S Jaishankar put it the other day, “in every clash, there is an opportunity”. The policy challenge, according to Jaishankar, is to “manage the risks and maximise the opportunities”. Delhi appears better prepared than most capitals to play the new Great Game between Russia, China and America.
