A ‘confident’ India attempts to strike a difficult balance with both US and China
- India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, spent 11 days in US working the UN General Assembly and Washington, but little time with Chinese counterparts
- India has felt compelled to move closer to US and its allies as China’s military might and economic influence have grown
India’s efforts to position itself as an undisputed stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond were on display during the recently concluded 11-day visit to the United States by the country’s external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The envoy said he intended to present what he called a “confident India” that was “ready for greater responsibility”.
Jaishankar met with over half the 193 delegations at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. High on his agenda was mustering support for India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council as well as strengthening ties between Washington and New Delhi.
But a confident India wasn’t so sure about engaging its biggest neighbour, China. Amid a flurry of diplomatic events, Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tried their best to avoid each other, only briefly attending a BRICS gathering.
The freeze in India-China ties comes as India’s engagement with the West, led by the US, has gained new momentum.
After regarding the US with suspicion for decades, India has felt compelled to align more closely with Washington and its allies as China’s military might and economic influence have grown.
