Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

As “power” is the chief determinant of foreign policy of all states, so it is in the case of Sino-Indian relations as both states seem exceedingly busy in fulfilling their strategic interests. States tend to gain more power either for survival, strategic supremacy, or for hegemonic purposes. China and India are neighbouring states and strategic rivals as well. Both belong to ancient civilizations, breathed in an environment of peace and non-interference for centuries, before the emergence of China and India as modern nation states after getting independence from intruders. Both are big countries, having large populations and fast growing economies. The territorial disputes and later Sino-Indian war of 1962 sowed the seeds of longstanding mistrust, mutual suspicion, and strategic rivalry between these two states, which after the jumping up of their economies are now assuming the shape of geo-strategic and geo-economic competition within the regional vis-à-vis global context. In this regard, China has showed yawning interest in developing the Gwadar Port in Pakistan to boost its strategic and economic benefits, while India on the other hand is investing in Chabahar Port in Iran, just to counter China’s ambitions. This offensive behaviour of both major regional states is creating mess for the neighboring states of this particular region especially for Pakistan. This paper focuses the Sino-Indian geo-strategic competition, in terms of the Gwadar and Chabahar Ports and its implications for Pakistan.