ABSTRACT
In Chapter 5, Jeff M. Smith addresses the evolving balance that Beijing has struck in its relations with its traditional partner, Pakistan, and a rising India. He highlights the historical distrust that has long kept India and China at arm’s length and the quickly expanding commercial linkages and political engagement that have added new dimensions to bilateral relationship. Beijing’s interest in preventing the emergence of a U.S.–Indian coalition provides powerful motivation for rapprochement. But China’s growing power projection capabilities, its increasingly deep relations with other South Asian states, and its interests in developing the capability to protect its SLOCs into (or perhaps through) the Indian Ocean have prompted increased concerns in Indian strategic circles. Smith concludes by both acknowledging the progress India and China have made in bilateral relations while cautioning that there are still many unresolved tensions and uncertainties.
