Indo-us Strategic Relationship: China as a Factor*Lieutenant General VR Raghavan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd)** |
The international security environment is witnessing a power shift from the hegemonic power, the United States, towards the rising powers, China and India. This power shift will have a significant impact on global geopolitics. Power shifts have rarely been peaceful throughout history. The challenge before the USA, China and India, therefore, is to steer their triangular relationship in a direction that would avoid heightened security competition, which could potentially lead to conflict and instead seek ways to maintain peace and stability in Asia through constructive engagement. The US-China-India triangle is not sui generis since there are other major powers like Russia, Japan and the EU, which also play a part in the global strategic landscape. However, as the Brazil-Russia-India-China (BRIC) report by Goldman Sachs points out, China and India will join the USA as the three largest economies in the world, in the first half of the 21st Century, which would collectively give them greater clout than any other geometric configuration. |
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.*Text of the talk delivered at the USI on 07 November 2007. **Lieutenant General VR Raghavan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd) was closely involved in formulation of the Sino-Indian Accord on maintaining peace and tranquility on the borders as Director General of Military Operations from 1992-1994. He is a member of the Council of the International Institute of Strategic Studies, London and Director of Delhi Policy Group. Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Vol. CXXXVII, No. 570, October-December 2007. |
Lieutenant General VR Raghavan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd),
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