Former Diplomat Foresees Rising Tensions in India-China Relations

Former Indian foreign secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale predicts increasing tensions between India and China over the next decade due to China's policies and naval presence in the Indian Ocean. He urges India to build deterrence and manage political risks while strengthening its economy. Gokhale outlines potential strategic moves by China and stresses the need for a new approach in India's policy towards its powerful neighbor.

India's ties with China are projected to become increasingly tense over the next decade, largely due to China's policy and burgeoning naval presence in the Indian Ocean, former foreign secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale announced on Tuesday. He emphasized the necessity for India to take steps to build effective deterrence.

Gokhale advocated for managing risks on a broader political level until India can develop its economy to a more robust stage. Delivering a special talk on "India-China relations as seen from China's perspective," Gokhale shared his insights while Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi presided over the session at Raj Bhavan.

Predicting heightened tensions along the Line of Actual Control and increased naval activity in the Indian Ocean, Gokhale described armed coexistence with China as the likely norm. He also outlined four main directions China's policy could take, including grey zone warfare, undermining India's regional influence, and deterring others from aligning with India in the Indo-Pacific region. Gokhale stressed the importance of drafting a policy to address these issues in the next decade, potentially closing the gap by 2047.

(With inputs from agencies.)