The Evolution of India's China Policy From 2014 to 2024

Details

Supervisors

Atanassova, Elena

Faculty

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences politiques, orientation relations internationales, à finalité spécialisée: diplomatie et résolution des conflits

Abstract

enThe asymmetrical rises of China and India have made observers wonder what the future holds for the two neighbouring countries, their shared region and the world. Narendra Modi has often been credited with providing a new direction to India's foreign policy. This thesis seeks to analyse the evolution of India's China policy from 2014 to 2024. Using a dual theoretical framework, it combines defensive realism to analyse India’s balancing behaviour and neoclassical realism to examine the role of strategic culture in shaping India's China policy. It finds that despite growing threats, India's balancing behaviour has remained constrained by both the fear to trigger a security dilemma and the persistence of Nehruvianism in its strategic culture. As a consequence, it is argued that India's attachment to strategic autonomy is likely to persist as long as it does not face existential threats.