ABSTRACT
A surface view would suggest that the China-India bilateral economic relations rest on a firm base. Below the surface, however, fissures are evident. This chapter looks at Sino-Indian relations by focusing on the military expenditure and defence modernization of the two countries, the Sino-Indian nuclear equation, access to maritime resources in the Indian Ocean region, the disruptive role of Pakistan, the clash of strategic interests in Myanmar, and the role of the United States (US). An upgraded highway network, built by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), enables Chinese forces to reach the Sino-Indian border rapidly, which has driven India to strengthen its own deployments, and prioritize the development of physical infrastructure in this region. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between them remains unsettled. The complexity of the Sino-Indian nuclear interaction arises from the reality that Pakistan intrudes therein and constructs a strategic triangle arising from its cooperative relations with China.
