Title: Messed Up!India is not playing well in South Asia, but the territory is lost, how to break the game?
The international situation in South Asia is changing, and the huge impact of China's rise is shaking India's position as the regional leader. As veteran bloggers in the field of military international relations, let's take a closer look at this interesting situation and see what challenges India faces and how to take it in stride.
First, let's focus on the Maldives, the first "castle" in this "game" in South Asia. When the new ** came to power, he immediately issued a warning to India that India's garrison was no longer welcome. This is clearly a concentrated outburst of dissatisfaction with India's past interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives. The signal is clear: the old era of the "big brother" is over, and the countries of South Asia are drifting apart. The Maldives is not alone, and a growing number of countries are signaling "undesirable" to India.
Why did such a change happen?The key lies in China's strong Belt and Road Initiative and strong alliance with Pakistan. This has boosted China's influence in South Asia. At the same time, U.S. influence in South Asia is declining, leaving a power vacuum that China has skillfully filled. This has led to a broader alliance in South Asia that is increasingly worrying India.
China's Belt and Road Initiative has attracted more and more South Asian countries to join, and even directly led to the Maldives wielding a knife. This series of events cannot help but make people wonder whether India can maintain its position as the leader in the region and whether it can reverse the trend of "falling out of favor" in South Asia.
In addition to the proliferation of anti-India regimes in South Asia, the challenges facing India, which Professor Jacob mentioned, are more noteworthy than the strong rise of China. China's Belt and Road Initiative and strong relationship with Pakistan have allowed China's influence in South Asia to grow. This has also made India anxious, which once regarded these countries as its "little brothers", but now sees them getting closer and closer to China, and the situation is worrying.
India is also facing the crisis of losing leverage to negotiate with its neighbors. A breakthrough has been made in the negotiations between China and Bhutan, and Bhutan has independently resolved the border issue with China, which has caused India unprecedented helplessness. In the past, India always used various means to sow discord and sabotage bilateral negotiations between China and its neighboring countries, and for this reason, Jacob lamented that China's influence is increasing, and it is almost impossible for India to maintain its position as the leader in South Asia.
So, what should India do in the face of this dilemma?Jacob's suggestion, though a bit harsh, is worth pondering. First of all, India needs to be stable and face up to the reality, and South Asia is no longer India's private backyard and cannot go its own way. Second, India needs to bring in external forces, which are difficult to counterbalance China's rise on its own, and needs to use forces like the United States to form a hedge against China in order to pursue its own interests. Third, India should pay attention to multi-faceted diplomacy, not only in its relations with the upper echelons of South Asian countries, but also in establishing ties with opposition parties and learning Xi from China's successful experience in multifaceted diplomacy. Finally, Jacob stressed the need for India to train more professionals who understand the conditions of South Asia, abandon the stereotype of South Asian monolithic culture, and establish deeper ties with these countries with a more open mind.
Overall, with the breakthrough in border negotiations between China and Bhustan, China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative has gradually attracted more South Asian countries to join, while countries such as the Maldives have directly driven away Indian troops, and India's position as the leader in South Asia is in jeopardy. Jacob's analysis and recommendations, while critical of the current situation in India, point the way to a clear path for the problems facing India. Today, in the 21 st century, if India wants to maintain its position in South Asia, it must abandon outdated concepts, face up to reality, keep pace with the times, and engage with neighboring countries with a more positive attitude, so as to play its due role in the region. South Asia is no longer India's solo stage, and only when it is truly integrated into the overall development of the region can it show its style on the big stage of South Asia.