EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Interpreting India, Jabin Thomas Jacob joins Saheb Singh Chadha to discuss China’s growing interest in South Asia and the drivers of its foreign policy. Why does China care about South Asia? How has China sought to engage the region to protect its interests? And what sort of influence has that resulted in?
EPISODE NOTES
South Asia is a region of remarkable diversity, encompassing countries such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. Typically, India has been considered the power most capable of exercising its influence in the region. Yet, in recent years, there has been another power that has laid claim to South Asia as part of its periphery and has sought to expand its influence in the region. For the past decade and a half, China has made deeper inroads into South Asia, not only offering capital and infrastructure, but also deepening political ties and people-to-people relations.
When did we begin seeing China’s interest in the region? How does China interact differently with South Asia compared to other powers like the United States? How does China’s slowing economy affect its economic engagement in the region?
