A Civilisational Diplomacy

Source– The post is based on the article “A Civilisational Diplomacy” published in The Indian Express on 16th September 2022.

Syllabus: GS2- International Relations.

Relevance– About Foreign policy of India.

News– The article explains the foreign policy choices of India and  changing Chinese opinion about our foreign policy.

PM Modi and President Xi Jinping are meeting for the first time in the post-Covid world, at the 22nd Council of Heads of State of the SCO

What is the changing Chinese opinion about foreign policy of India?

The visible change in Chinese public opinion about India is due to India’s principled stand on the Ukraine crisis and assertion of an independent foreign policy.

The Chinese strategic community views Modi as being politically astute in pursuing India’s national interests by balancing relations with major powers.

Chinese social media voices draw attention to India using media platforms alongside official diplomacy to convey Indian viewpoints, and expose the fallacy in the Western arguments.

Many in China also believe that Beijing should have pursued a similar balanced approach to the Ukraine conflict.

India’s stance on Ukraine has generated a positive mood in China that may help resolve the on-going disputes between India and China.

What are the foreign policy choices of present government?

As per present government policies, both Russia and China are civilisational states.Complete weakening of either of them may have implications for India’s external security.This view stems from the weakening Asian civilisation against western dominance.

What are the implications of these foreign policy choices?

Due to  foreign policy choices, India can have good relations with both Russia and China despite both having different world outlook.

This outlook has enabled India to have a prudent diplomatic approach.It denies the charges of India going very close to western powers.