The Monk Who Stung A Hornet

The Dalai Lama’s Arunachal visit worsens Sino­Indian ties, as neighbours reap the benefits of their competing largesse

- Pranay Sharma

It’s like a slow and tense tango, but with more partners than two. At the centre of the stage, shedding its dor­mancy all of a sudden, is the tibet issue. Its reappearance as a factor in Sino­Indian ties has sharpened the focus on a long­ pending boundary dis­pute and reminded countries in the neighbourhood and beyond of the high stakes involved. But the Dalai Lama’s ongoing visit to Arunachal Pradesh and the strong Chinese reaction to it are not just a matter of some extra nee­dle coming into bilateral ties. At a time when the two Asian giants are involved in a game of brinkmanship trying to ex­pand their ambits of influence in South Asia and beyond, all regional players get pulled into the unfolding drama.

Yet, the Sino-Indian race for influence also offers opportunities, and challenges, for the neighbours, offering them tactical leverage to extract better bargains with both India and China to enhance investment opportunities. At the same time, there is also a creeping sense of worry on whether the thickening Sino-Indian rivalry, if left unchecked, could deteriorate into an armed conflict and drag them in, affecting their hard-won growth.

China, like it does elsewhere, has been investing heavily in South Asian countries to push through its One-Belt-OneRoad (OBOR) Initiative and the New Silk Route project. It has been pouring billions into infrastructure in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bangladesh, developing roads, highways, ports, cities and airports in a bid to string up and link important road and sea lanes in these countries with its ambitious projects.