Why is India not falling into the trap of Russia and China…, taking cautious steps while joining RIC because…

New Delhi: The trilateral forum between Russia, India, and China (RIC) has become the talk of the town in recent days. Moscow is trying to restart the forum, as China has also given its consent. Now, India has to decide. The Indian Foreign Ministry has been very cautious in its statements on this issue. The question arising is: why is New Delhi cautious about forming a trio with Beijing and Moscow, as it already has good bilateral relations with Russia? However, it is not as easy as it looks. Retired Indian diplomat Prabhu Dayal, in his article in Firstpost, stated that the RIC structure has been largely inactive in recent years, and the reason for this is military tension and mistrust between India and China.

‘Cold War’ Continues India And China

Dayal said even after recent agreements, tension will remain on the India-China border. It is to be noted that after the Galwan clash of 2020, the relation of India and China deteriorated further and the situation on the India-China border remains complex. Additionally, the increasing infrastructure development near the border by China is further increasing escalating the tensions.

Earlier this year, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi stated that India will not reduce the number of soldiers deployed on the Line of Actual Control.

Years Old Dispute

Notably, the India-China conflict has deep historical roots. China’s long-time challenge to India’s sovereignty over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, including its depiction of Aksai Chin as Chinese territory on official maps and its renaming of Arunachal Pradesh as “Jangnan,” has further escalated the tension.

Additionally, China’s strategic alliance with Pakistan, which includes military and intelligence support, has just intensified existing tensions, creating a major geopolitical rift between India and China.

Support Of Pakistan On International Forums

After the Pahalgam terror attack, China provided arms and ammunition to Pakistan like – PL-15 air-to-air missiles. During the recent clashes Beijing also provided air defence and satellite support to Islamabad.

Not only that China has always backed Pakistan on the issue of terrorism at international forums such as the United Nations, blocking India’s efforts. China vetoed India’s UN Security Council resolution to designate five Pakistani individuals as terrorists responsible for attacks on India.

India’s cautious stance toward China stems from a historical perspective and concerns about China’s actions and goals.

 

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