[Answered] Examine the geopolitical drivers behind Beijing’s narrative of India and China acting as Global South anchors. How should India counter this strategic alignment?

Introduction

With BRICS expanding and the Economic Survey 2025-26 highlighting South-South cooperation as a growth driver, China’s Global South anchor narrative reflects an emerging contest over leadership, norms and influence across developing economies.

Geopolitical Drivers Behind Beijing’s Global South Anchor Narrative

1. Consolidating Leadership of the Global South: China seeks to project itself as the principal representative of developing countries despite being the world’s second-largest economy. It portrays itself as championing reforms in global governance. Example: BRICS expansion.
2. Diluting India’s Independent Leadership: India’s Voice of Global South Summits created an autonomous platform outside Chinese influence. The co-anchor narrative seeks to blur India’s unique bridge between the Global North and South. Example: Voice of Global South.
3. Countering Western Strategic Coalitions: Beijing portrays the Quad, iCET and Indo-Pacific initiatives as bloc politics. It seeks to discourage India’s deeper strategic convergence with the US and its allies. Example: Quad narrative.
4. Legitimising China’s Global Governance Vision: China’s Global Governance White Paper argues that China will always remain part of the Global South. It seeks greater influence in the UN, WTO, IMF and BRICS institutions. Example: Global Governance White Paper.
5. Expanding Economic Influence: The narrative supports Chinese-led initiatives like BRI, AIIB and Digital Silk Road. It helps sustain market access and resource diplomacy across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Example: BRI corridors.
6. Managing Strategic Competition with India: The “anchor” concept shifts attention away from unresolved issues like the LAC, military deployments and maritime competition. It attempts compartmentalisation of disputes. Example: Post-Galwan diplomacy.

Challenges in Beijing’s Narrative

1. Credibility Deficit: Win-win cooperation contrasts with debt distress in Hambantota (Sri Lanka) and fiscal pressures in CPEC (Pakistan).
2. Strategic Contradictions: Simultaneous calls for cooperation alongside assertive actions in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
3. Asymmetrical Partnership: China’s economic size risks reducing India to a junior stakeholder within a Beijing-led framework.

Strategic Framework for India’s Counter-Response

1. Preserve Independent Global South Leadership: Institutionalise Voice of Global South Summit as an annual platform focused on development priorities. Example: Development diplomacy.
2. Promote Democratic Development Partnerships: Expand Digital Public Infrastructure (UPI, Aadhaar, CoWIN), capacity building and transparent development financing. Example: DPI exports.
3. Strengthen Maritime Leadership: Reinforce SAGAR, IFC-IOR, Colombo Security Conclave and humanitarian assistance to remain the preferred net security provider. Example: Indian Ocean.
4. Deepen Multi-Alignment: Simultaneously strengthen Quad, BRICS, SCO, G20 and ISA, reflecting India’s policy of strategic autonomy. Example: Multi-alignment.
5. Defend Rules-Based Order: Continue insisting that normal bilateral relations require peace along the LAC, respect for sovereignty and adherence to international law. Example: Border stability.
6. Build Alternative Economic Architecture: Scale up India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), resilient supply chains and South-South development financing.
   Example: Connectivity diversification.
7. Expand Soft-Power Leadership: Promote affordable healthcare, pharmaceuticals, digital governance, climate finance and education partnerships. Example: Vaccine Maitri.

Way Forward

1. Create a Global South Development Fund focusing on climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure.
2. Expand NITI Aayog’s Digital Public Infrastructure model globally.
3. Strengthen India-Africa, India-Pacific Islands and India-Latin America partnerships.
4. Position India as a trusted development partner, not merely a geopolitical balancer.

Conclusion

Cooperation succeeds only with mutual respect. India’s Global South leadership must therefore rest on sovereignty, transparency, inclusivity and strategic autonomy not geopolitical subordination.