India has come a long way, from the days of meek policies to eye for an eye challenging the Dragon’s ring of fire. Since the end of the British Empire and the subsequent termination of European Colonialism, global politics has only witnessed China as a territorial aggressor.

String of Pearls

The term ‘String of Pearls’ may sound fancy and ornate but it is as deceptive as China’s dream ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ project.

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The term refers to the network of Chinese military and commercial facilities and relationships that extends from the Chinese mainland to Port Sudan in the Horn of Africa.

In Geo-political language, a ‘pearl’ is a current or potential Chinese overseas military base, infrastructure project, economic corridor, port, or another city. The eponymous “string” of these pearls refers to the Chinese Navy’s ability to connect these pearls via maritime routes.

The background

The term was first coined in a report named “Energy Futures in Asia” by US Defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

According to the report, China’s investments in seaports across the littoral areas of the Indian Ocean would be used to create a network of naval bases stretching from Southern China to Pakistan. Through the years Chinese state media and officials have denied these allegations and termed them as US-driven defamatory propaganda.

Col. Dai Xu, one of the most cited Chinese military officers, had publicly advocated the creation of a network of naval bases. Writing in Global Times, he highlighted the need to develop overseas bases as a necessity to “safeguard” Chinese commercial interests and world peace. According to Pacific Forum researcher Virginia Marantidou, China had been concerned about its security environment in the Indian Ocean due to the possibility of a US and Indian blockade of the Malacca Strait.

This situation, dubbed the “Malacca dilemma” by Chinese researchers, posed significant challenges to Beijing’s government elites. China has been working aggressively to assert greater dominance in the policing of shipping corridors as the sea lines are its most important source of energy.

Belt and Road Initiative

Formerly known as the One Belt One Road initiative, the BRI has been a focal point of China’s foreign policy. 

During an official visit to Kazakhstan in 2013, Xi Jinping first announced the strategy as the “Silk Road Economic Belt”. The term “belt” referred to the proposed overland routes for road and rail transportation through landlocked Central Asia along the famed historical trade routes of the Western Regions.

“Road” refers to the Indo-Pacific sea routes through Southeast Asia to South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. As of March 2022, 146 countries were listed as having signed up for the Belt and Road Initiative.

As stated by the Communist regime, BRI seeks to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future, even though several countries have objected and outrightly opposed the initiative.

The Indian Government has repeatedly accused the Chinese regime of using BRI as a tactic to encircle the country. The Indian state has constantly criticized the CPEC or Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor, for infringing the country’s sovereignty and national interests.

Stringing the subcontinent

Indian analysts often have accused China of encircling its territories by establishing naval bases. 

It may not be a threat in the present scenario but it surely rings warning bells about China using the Naval infrastructure, in a potential conflict.

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The two largest projects are a Chinese-financed commercial shipping centre in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, and a Chinese-controlled port in Gwadar, Pakistan, serving as the epicentre of CPEC.

 Both sites have alarmed neighbouring countries, most notably India, which is concerned about the possibility of a string of Chinese bases being established just off its coast.

The Gwadar port, which is linked to the Karakoram Highway that connects Western China to the Arabian Sea, is of particular concern to the Indian government, which sees it as strong evidence of Chinese and Pakistani collusion against Indian interests.

Taming the dragon

Since the 1962 war, India has been constantly wary of Chinese aggression and has undertaken steps to counter its regional steps. 

From proposing the Sagarmala initiative to the formation of the Quad— India has come far in their approach. India has seen a paradigm shift, especially after the ascent of Narendra Modi and Nationalist leadership in the Parliament.

The UPA Era

The Lok Sabha Elections of 2004 paved the way for the formation of a government under UPA, led by Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.

The UPA regime had created policies and plans to counter Chinese aggression but always failed due to red tape or its indecisiveness. India planned to counter Chinese expansion but was often hindered by various reasons. Initially, the Hambantota port was being offered to India as a deal by Sri Lanka but then ally in UPA, the DMK party threatened to quit the alliance. Fearing losing the government, Congress decided to terminate the deal.

The counter-move to China’s garland, the Sagarmala programme of India, was in cold storage during the UPA era. Furthermore, the Indian reputation in the neighbouring countries had been established on the lines of ‘All bark but no teeth’.

The neighbouring countries often complained of complacency on the Indian part and blamed red tape for the degradation in Bilateral relationships.

Moreover, relationships with countries such as Nepal and Sri Lanka were dealt a severe blow which in turn prompted them to come under the Chinese fold.

The NDA Era

The BJP-driven NDA alliance claimed the throne as it earned a thumping majority in the Lok Sabha.

The Narendra Modi-led government evolved from the ‘Look East Policy’ to the ‘Act East Policy’ which sought to bolster economic and strategic relations with the vast Asia-Pacific region.

Under the new outlook, the government sought to counter China’s rising influence in the region by forging better relations with the neighbouring countries under the new ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’.

During his Election campaign, Narendra Modi stressed the fact that he will forge better relations with the surrounding countries. He took the first step, inviting all the state heads of the South-Asian countries to his oath ceremony function and then held bilateral talks on the Second day.

Indian PM Narendra Modi paid his first foreign visit to Bhutan after he was invited by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Tobgay. The visit was also important to check the recent rise in relations between China and Bhutan.

Narendra Modi stated Bhutan was a ‘natural choice for his first foreign visit because of the special and unique relation shared by the two countries. He also inaugurated the India-funded Supreme Court of Bhutan building and sought to forge business relations, including a hydroelectric deal.

The new Indian government was quick to recognize Bangladesh’s enormous geostrategic importance in India’s security paradigm. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj chose Dhaka for her first stand-alone foreign visit on June 26-27, 2014, where she met her counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood and also called on Sheikh Hasina.

 The land boundary agreement (LBA), the proposed Teesta water sharing pact, cooperation in eliminating extremist groups from the North-East seeking refuge in Bangladesh, and illegal immigration were some of the discussed matters. In his 2015 visit to Bangladesh, Indian PM Narendra Modi concluded as many as 22 agreements. India extended a $2 billion credit line to Bangladesh and pledged $5 billion in investments. 

According to the agreements, India’s Reliance Power agreed to invest US$3 billion in the construction of a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant and Adani Power to build a 1600 MW coal-fired power plant for $1.5 billion. India had worsened its relationship with Sri Lanka over the years which led to strong Chinese influence on the Island. Things started to change after Maithripala Sirisena’s ascension to power tried to balance the Indian and China equilibrium.

During the recent economic crisis of the country, India was the only country to issue a credit line to Colombo, and still is pledging to invest more. Between January and July, India gave the island’s 22 million residents $4 billion in quick aid in the form of a currency exchange arrangement, postponed import payments, and dispatched a warship carrying vital medicines.

India has played an important role in QUAD or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. It is a strategic security dialogue between India, Japan, Australia and the United States. The new order is widely perceived as a response to increasing Chinese influence.

QUAD nations have played a major role in redefining the ‘Asia-Pacific’ as ‘Indo-Pacific’ to strengthen the trans-regional ties and deal more effectively with China’s string of pearls.

The Conclusion 

The tectonic change has been the transformation of attitude and approach towards its neighbourhood countries, creating strategic partnerships beyond the South-Asian realm.

India is now more vibrant with its bilateral relations with other nations and their citizens. The fluidity with which India has solved pending issues, completed unfinished projects and implemented new policies to tackle Chinese Dominance.

While it would be unfair to raise the NDA government on a high pedestal and not give due credit to the UPA regime — but it was the decisiveness of the Modi government which brought forth a paradigm shift in Indian diplomacy.