Global power equations witness ever evolving rapid paradigm shifts in International politics. India's role in the entire equation is going to be critical and more often be like a catalyst, in this changing international mathematics based on bilateral and intercontinental and interconnected political relations across southern and northern hemisphere.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's friendly visit to the US two weeks ago was an important milestone in strengthening the INDIA and US, with the help of President Donald Trump after months of bitterness on media space and negative news floated around about India-US relations. During his visit, Modi managed to make a good impression on US population, especially the NRI Indians living in Houston, so that his role in Kashmir issue as well as his criticism of trade policy would be diluted.
Trump, who was present at the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston to express his throughs to Modi and India, openly expressed his sentiments and showed them the importance of the strength of Indian-Americans in political power in the United States. Modi is systematically engaging with US President Trump. This was the fourth meeting between the two this year. India-US relations are more stable than those of the United States with some of its closest partners. This is the obvious result. Despite Trump's reputation as a pragmatist, the India-US strategic partnership has grown over his time in White House and the belief was underlined at a recent meeting in Houston. This is obvious because US-China relations are deteriorating at lightning speed. Since US relations with China have been strained.
China's support for Pakistan's Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council has once again made it clear that the path to contemporary India-China relations is tough. Last month, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held informal consultations at the conference in response to a letter written to the UN Security Council President on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which was firmly backed by China. It was a desperate attempt by Pakistan to internationalise the Kashmir issue, which eventually field terribly.
Their efforts also show that China is closely working with Pakistan to legitimise the illegally occupied territory of Ladakh the status titled 'Aksai Chin'. The central government's decision to abrogate the Article 370 (which was internal to Indian constitution) is a stern reply to China's sovereign interests and according to Chines government, a sheer violation of the bilateral agreement on maintaining peace and stability along the border, China said. Despite India cornered China at the UN Security Council, the clear delivered to India by the Chinese was loud and clears: China will undermine Indian interests on all possible fronts with the help and intervention of Pakistani military.
There were many hopeful faces in India whom, in the face of the unreasonable so-called "Wuhan Spirit", expected China's treatment of India and India's treatment of China to remain subdued. However, it is absurd to assume that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan last year will change China's foreign policy. Fools go where fools have been before, Chinese approach to listen to Pakistan and false attempt to belittle India as the UN council is a clear indication what might happen in the near future, and thus normalisation of India-China relations is now almost impossible and distant dream. This is happening over again and again.
Earlier this year, China was cornered by the globally due to its highly enthusiastic efforts in trying to save Masood Azhar from being designated as a global terrorist, but later had to back down in the face of global backlash. Even last month, UN Security Council consultations on Kashmir abruptly ended without any conclusion or formal statement. The majority of global members supported India's stand that the bilateral issue and border disputes should be resolved once for and all between India and Pakistan. Despite being repeatedly singled out multiple times on global front, China appears to be unequivocally committed to maintain its no-needed partnership with Pakistan, the epicenter of terrorism. Currently India will have to live with this sad strategic truth.
The Wuhan Conference, held in the aftermath of the Doklam crisis, was an attempt to reduce the tensions between India and China that had reached a peak, and succeeded. Moreover, India is becoming more and more active at the international level and as Chinese expansionist approach is creating more more and discomfort with other neighbouring countries. It is very likely that in desperation, the Chinese government will target and attack India more sharply, through diplomatic ways.
China's aggressive attempt to "internationalise" the Kashmir issue is a challenge for India, and China is working on it without taking a day off.Although India has made it clear that India has no shortage of options and active armed forces and advance weapon system at its disposal and will definitely not hesitate to use them. If China is so aggressive about Kashmir, then no one can stop India from raising issues like Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Tibet and Taiwan are also China's weaknesses.
Although Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit India in October to promote the "Wuhan Spirit", China should not be under any delusion that India is not looking may not respond to its provocations. It should be noted that there is no large constituency left in India today with a favorable attitude towards China. In South Asia, if China has a long-term strategy to control India, then India can easily adopt a policy of challenging China's core interests, and India is doing so in solid partnership with other major world powers, such as the United States. Russia also hopes that the growing alliance between Moscow and China could be dismantled.
Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Russia's Far East last month to give the country a "new direction, new energy and new momentum". Modi's presence in the EEF is significant at various levels. Russia's Far East is a vast, resource-rich, but underdeveloped country. As the centre of global economics shifts to Asia, Putin is eager to look to the Far East and develop with the help of Asian powers.
So far, China's dominance in Russia's far eastern regions has been palpable. For this reason, there is growing discomfort in Russia, and in this context, Putin and his office is prioritising various assumptions in terms of reducing Russia's growing dependence on China. Looking to the far east of Russia, exploring investment opportunities, Indian investors may add better value.
Global trends are evolving rapidly and the major powers of the world are changing the definition of their relations to adapt to the needs of the day. Given this trend, the central government's diplomacy will be strained as it seeks to align itself with the major powers.
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