In the high-stakes theater of Asian geopolitics, India stands at a crossroads—caught between the gravitational pull of U.S. strategic expectations and the persistent shadow of Chinese assertiveness.
Yet within this tension lies an opportunity: to play the China card not as a concession, but as a calculated maneuver to reshape its relationships with both Pakistan and the United States. For decades, India’s Pakistan policy has oscillated between restraint and retaliation, often constrained by global perceptions.
But China’s deepening entanglement with Pakistan—via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), military cooperation, and diplomatic shielding—offers India a paradoxical lever. By selectively engaging China on regional stability, counterterrorism, or even economic corridors in South Asia, India can signal to Pakistan that its strategic isolation is not inevitable—but conditional.
This doesn’t mean legitimizing Chinese influence in South Asia; rather, it means using China’s proximity to Pakistan as a pressure valve. If Beijing is truly invested in regional stability, let it bear the cost of Pakistan’s adventurism. India can frame this as a test of China’s credibility, subtly shifting the burden of restraint onto Beijing.
India’s strategic partnership with the United States has flourished— Quad cooperation, defence agreements, and tech diplomacy are at an alltime high. Yet Washington’s expectations often veer toward alignment rather than autonomy. Playing the China card here means reminding the U.S. that India’s strategic calculus is not a derivative of American containment strategies. India can engage China on climate, trade, or regional multilateralism— not to appease, but to demonstrate its sovereign bandwidth.
This recalibration forces the U.S. to recognize India not merely as a counterweight to China, but as a pole in its own right. It also allows India to push back on American indulgence toward Pakistan, especially in moments of crisis, by subtly invoking its own dialogues with Beijing.
This approach is not about trusting China—it’s about using the optics of engagement to create diplomatic space. India must remain clear-eyed about Chinese intentions in the Himalayas, the Indian Ocean, and cyberspace. But it can still use tactical ambiguity to unsettle both adversaries and allies, compelling them to recalibrate their assumptions. In essence, India’s China card is not a joker—it’s a wildcard. Played wisely, it can unsettle Pakistan’s overreliance on Beijing and temper Washington’s strategic overreach. The goal is not to tilt toward China, but to tilt the board itself.
Nephew of the Dalai Lama, Khedroob Thondup is a geopolitical analyst
