China and South Asia

China shares border with five South Asian countries, while India has borders with six of them. Other South Asian countries share borders with not more than any two countries in South Asia. Though China is not part of South Asia, it is politically more attractive than India for most of the South Asian countries. Chinese investment and trade with South Asian countries are remarkable. South Asian regional security, particularly in the nuclear dimension, cannot be understood without factoring China. China and India were involved in a war in 1962. Both the countries are yet to resolve their territorial disputes. Apart from the nuclear dimension in regional security, China has also been an important factor in determining relations between India and other South Asian countries. Unresolved border issues between India and China, coupled with perceptions of hegemonistic intentions on both sides, the establishment of cordial relations with other South Asian countries, particularly with Pakistan, by China is seen by India as a threat to it. Weaving through the new dimensions that have emerged in South Asia,this chapter aims at constructing/building some future scenarios with regard to relations between China and South Asia.