India faces a unique, and complex, China problem. Contemporary India’s most important relationship may be the one with the US, but the most consequential one is with China. Washington’s ability and willingness to support its strategic partnership with India during times of crisis will depend on the prevailing circumstances, but China is a strategic challenge to India no matter the circumstances.

If Washington and Delhi team up against Beijing in the region, China’s challenge to India will get sharper; but even if they don’t, the China challenge to India will get sharper, albeit slowly but steadily. If you balance China’s power militarily, it will respond with even greater military strength; if you don’t, it will still offset your power. In other words, no matter what, India’s China problem is here to stay. That being the case, India’s China strategy needs to be tailored to meet the long term.

The recent thaw in Sino-Indian relations is encouraging and useful, but it must be understood that India’s China challenge is a constant in Southern Asian geopolitics, regardless of this temporary respite. Consider this. The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the 16th Brics summit in Kazan last October was widely seen as a significant icebreaker. There have also been some positive developments in the past month, including visits by defence minister Rajnath Singh and........

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