Question.1267 - Watch the TED Talk by Rush DoshiLinks to an external site.. While the talk is 9 years old, a lot of what he covers is still current today. At the beginning of the talk he treats India and China as one entity. Only later in his talk does he start highlighting the relationship between the two countries. He also indicates some of the strategic locations that may be of interest to both countries. In this discussion, I would like you to investigate whether there are any indications in these strategic locations of an increase in tensions between the two countries. Are both countries trying to expand their influence in these same locations? How are they trying to expand their spheres of influence? What is driving this attempted expansion? Be sure to reference any outside sources. Make sure that you submit your first post by Thursday.
Answer Below:
Firstly, the Ted talk by Rush Doshi addresses the rising tensions between China and India, highlighting the geographical undercurrents driving this geopolitical competition from the times when the Tibetan Plateau geographically separated China and India, limiting interaction. However, prior to the Industrial Revolution, both China and India thrived due to their vast agricultural potential stemming from major rivers originating from the Tibetan Plateau which led to economic dominance. At the same time Rush Doshi stated that the Industrial Revolution empowered European nations with advanced technology, enabling greater productivity compared to agrarian economies, that allowed the European powers to exploit their naval prowess to seize control of strategic chokepoints and trade routes in the Indian Ocean, subduing China and India. China and India are re-emerging as economic giants, and their large populations necessitate significant resource imports. Both nations rely on the Indian Ocean for resource transportation, wherein tends to counter China's dominance in the South China Sea with the support of the US but India's geographical position grants it an advantage in accessing these resources (Chaudhury, 2024). China's growing economic and military might, coupled with its anxieties about India's potential control of resources, is fueling tensions. Currently, the Indo-Pacific region (particularly the Northern Indian Ocean) also plays a vital role due to the war between Israel and Palestine and China's hegemony in certain regions like Mauritius, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, wherein China is trying to take maritime control of the seas surrounding the region by providing financial aid and Chinese security vessels. India is trying to counter it by making ties with Mauritius through interventions like the Sagar policy and an airstrip at Jetty Agelega Islands to curb illegal activities or China's presence around the vast Extended Economic Zone (Chaudhury, 2024).?Another example from the current times could be how the Houthi rebels tend to block the Suez Canal, forcing the shipments to occur at the Cape of Good Hope in and around South Africa (Haddad, 2024).? Mirroring European tactics, China and India are competing for strategic control in the Indian Ocean by influencing or acquiring strategically located islands, building alliances with littoral states bordering the Indian Ocean, and also investing in and leveraging commercial partnerships to exert influence. Rush Doshi concludes by emphasizing the dangers of this escalating competition. It underscores the importance of visionary leadership to break free from these geographically influenced patterns. References Chaudhury, D. R. (2024, March 1).?India, Mauritius inaugurate airstrip & Jetty in Agalega. The Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/india-mauritius-inaugurate-airstrip-jetty-in-agalega/articleshow/108117455.cms?from=mdr Haddad, M. (2024, February 22).?Mapping the Red Sea attacks by Yemens houthis. Al Jazeera Interactives. https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2024/mapping-red-sea-shipping-attacks/
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