HOW the ELEPHANT (India) tames the DRAGON (China)

HOW the ELEPHANT (India) tames the DRAGON (China)

In the current geopolitical scenario, the Dragon (China) seems to have a free ride in Asia. Under such adverse conditions, the Elephant (India) has to do some real soul searching to tame this rising dragon. One approach can be to replicate China’s actions during the last few decades. These actions were to build-up a close relationship with the West (especially USA) and dump goods into their markets by producing & attracting its finances & technology. Their geopolitical game can also be replicated if India becomes the second largest economy; China was able to use Russia’s (old USSR) energy resources & military assets to boost its indigenous manufacturing base.

As we know, China has five province-level autonomous regions: Xinjiang (mainly for Uyghurs), Tibet (mainly for Tibetans), Ningxia (mainly for Hui), Guangxi (mainly for Zhuang) and Inner Mongolia (mainly for Mongols). Manchuria, the three Northeastern Provinces of China is the home of Manchus & many other native minority groups, such as Korean, Russian, Xibe, Hezhe, Oroqen and Owenk. Some of them have cultures associated with Russia, Mongolia and Korea. Its western part, Inner Mongolia is the home of Mongols. Northwestern China is the home of people with Islamic practices consisting of Uyghurs and Hui. Tibetans and Qiang are the two major ethnicities on the Tibet plateau.  In Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi, Miao nationality shares culture with people in Laos; Jingpo nationality shares culture with people in northern Myanmar; Dai (aka Thai) Guangxi is the minority group of second largest population in China, same culture in northern Vietnam. While Article 36 of China’s constitution guarantees “religious freedom”, in practice, ethnic violence has been on the rise in mainland China.

India should use its ‘Soft power’ (multi-party transparent Democracy, free press/religion) as a tool to isolate China’s communist, single-party authoritative regime from getting respect as a ‘responsible world power’. China expects this respect due to its brute non-transparent economy & military muscle-power. Here, India can solicit support from Western powers (USA, Japan & EU) and Islamic powers (Iran, Turkey, Central Asia & Saudi) in isolating China for its support to ‘terror supporting regimes (Pakistan / North Korea)’. Again, India can try to convince Western / Islamic powers to impress upon Russia to delink itself from Chinese nexus by adjudicating Russia as a ‘responsible global SUPER power’ by including it in the main global economy. World media & social media can be used successfully in creating such an environment. Such ‘Overt’ action has to be supplemented by ‘Covert’ actions too. These actions would include raising ‘human rights & minority protection’ public relations exercise including journalists, academicians, non-government organizations & other world forums. This may include getting in touch with ‘Minorities in China’ to garner their support in getting justice under Chinese rule. Leaders of such minorities should be supported and offered platform to raise their voice against enforced injustice (Religious, equal-opportunity, Judicial, Cultural).

India, with its current growth, requires another few years to match China’s economic & military strength. These few years have to be used to impress upon the world (USA, Russia & EU), the threat & uncertainty that a rouge global power - China can cause. India (along with Western countries & Japan) has to counter China’s influence in Africa & South / Latin America by offering them better alternatives compared to what China has to offer.