POST 9/11 SINO-RUSSO ENTENTE: RESHAPING THE ASIAN SECURITY DYNAMICS AND CHALLENGES FOR INDIA
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Date
2019
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Publisher
Central University of Punjab
Abstract
China and Russia belongs to the group of major players of the international system. The strategic convergence between the two countries occupies a considerable geopolitical weight. The Sino-Russian relations witnessed a dramatic change after the demise of the Soviet Union. The bilateral relations since then have witnessed a positive trend i.e., from being adversaries to strategic partners. To a large extent, both the countries seem to have overcome the problems that used to hamper their relations. Although, it was predicted that the Sino-Russo strategic partnership is full of challenges and is not going to last long, however, the two sides have been successful in sustaining their partnership so far in the 21st century. In fact, their strategic entente is becoming stronger day by day and the main reason behind this is that they are focussing more on converging interests. The U.S. factor plays a key role in the mounting Beijing-Moscow entente. The ‘Asia Pivot’ policy and the Ukraine crisis further boosted their bilateral relations. While responding to the U.S. hegemonic designs and unilateralism, both China and Russia found themselves on the same page. Therefore, the two sides have been countering Washington’s strategic designs both individually as well as jointly. Furthermore, the two powers have used the vacuum created by the U.S. involvement in the long-drawn Afghan and Iraq wars to enhance their strategic outreach. America’s relative decline has made their path of countering the U.S. hegemony easy. Both the sides in the current security scenario have been engaging the United States on two fronts i.e., Russia in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and China in the South China Sea. Initially, Pentagon was not taking any serious note of the China-Russia strategic partnership, however, since the past few years it has started to view the rising Moscow-Beijing strategic proximity with grave concern. In fact, the Trump administration in its recently published security strategies has vowed to take serious note of the Sino-Russian strategic designs which are undermining the U.S primacy in the world. All these developments are changing the security scenario of Asia, thereby resulting in the emergence of great-power competition. India being situated in such a geopolitical position can no longer remain aloof from these developments. The changing security dynamics has unfolded a plethora of challenges for India. While responding to these developments, India in one or the other way is showing its tilt towards the United States and its allies and strategic partners in the subcontinent. iv It is perhaps in this backdrop that Russia has made revisions in its Pakistan policy by showing positive overtures towards the latter. Furthermore, India seems to be losing its time-tested friend Russia to its arch-rival China in the changing geopolitical realities as Moscow-Beijing partnership has become much more than the ‘axis of convenience’. In fact, it has become difficult for New Delhi to balance its relations between Russia and the United States. Although, New Delhi has been successful so far in walking the tight rope quite well, however, it is becoming more challenging for it to maintain its strategic autonomy. While looking at the developments these challenges are going to become more intense for India in the years to come. Keeping these developments in view, this work analysed the strategic proximity between Beijing and Moscow with special focus on its current status. Secondly, the U.S. factor in the mounting Sino-Russian strategic embrace, and how this partnership is undermining the U.S. predominance in Asia, has been analysed. Finally, the challenges that this emerging great-power rivalry has unfolded for India and its response to the changing geo-political realities have been analysed.
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Keywords
Strategic Entente, Strategic Autonomy, Thucydides Trap, Hegemony, Balance of Power, Security Dymics, Triangular Dymics, Asia Pivot, Unilateralism, Multilateralism.
Citation
Ramzan, Hilal & Kaushiki, Nishtha (2019) POST 9/11 SINO-RUSSO ENTENTE: RESHAPING THE ASIAN SECURITY DYNAMICS AND CHALLENGES FOR INDIA