Harsh V Pant

Unless the world's major democracies don't come together in managing China, all of them will lose the larger ideational battle.

While critics in India argue that India had ignored Iran under US pressure, it is the other way round. It is Tehran that has ignored New Delhi and tried to actively derail Indo-Iranian ties by interfering in Indian domestic matters.

The global landscape, which till a few months back looked benign for China, has now turned against the Middle Kingdom in a manner that Chinese policymakers can ill afford to ignore.

The RIC platform has today become a talk shop in many ways where generic discussions on global issues have become the norm.

The decision to go ahead with the virtual summit is an important signal that both nations don’t want the present momentum in the bilateral relationship to get disrupted.

At a time when China is facing global indignation over its mismanagement of initial stages of coronavirus, tightening screws on Hong Kong gives Xi Jinping a nationalistic boost.

India will have to accept that despite its history with the Taliban and continuing concerns, it will need a proactive engagement policy for durable peace.

PM Modi has been convinced that though the domestic Covid-19 situation would be a priority, India will have to make a case for global engagement and coordination.

For all the socio-economic toll on humanity that the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked, it has exposed the Chinese Communist Party in ways that wasn’t happening before.

The expectations are so low from Washington that even America's closest allies are not coordinating their responses with it.

These are tough times of global crisis when leadership has been in short supply. For India, Modi has so far been successful in providing the right mix of authority and reassurance.

Besides India’s neighbourhood policy, fructification of the wider Indo-Pacific policy of India also depends on its relations with Myanmar.

Western nations continue to use Huawei as it does not have a coherent strategy to manage Beijing even after acknowledging the problems its rise has engendered.

If Afghanistan becomes a haven for extremists and Pakistan-backed proxies become the ultimate arbiters there, India would have the most to lose.

It is a sign of China's growing economic heft around the globe that only 15 countries now recognise the self-governing territory of Taiwan as a sovereign nation.

American actions have put Iran under intense pressure for retaliation, even though Iran’s internal dynamics are hardly suited for an aggressive posture.

American society is more polarised now than when Trump became the President. He has no incentive to ameliorate this situation now.

Even as Britain has signalled that it wants the Brexit turmoil to end, the UK’s political future remains a matter of contestation.

The external affairs minister's assessment of the changing global environment is apt and its impact on Indian foreign policy is already very visible.

If not handled with prudence, the corridor has the potential to become a thorn in India’s ties with Pakistan.

Pragmatism is dictating Saudi posturing as the very future of the country's economic model is at stake. It needs new partners like India.

There is no point bemoaning Chinese presence.

If China has a strategy of containing India, then New Delhi can challenge Beijing’s core interests. Alliance with Russia could come in handy.

The relations between the two nations are today driven by the political consensus that strong ties are imperative.

Global trends are evolving rapidly and major powers must redefine ties with each other to match contemporary requirements.

Unless India lends its voice and support to the cause of smaller regional states, China will continue to advance its claims primarily on account of its ‘might is right’ strategy.

Trump’s comments should be ignored with the contempt they deserve and New Delhi should move on to more important matters.

Despite all the baggage, Pompeo’s visit has succeeded in injecting a renewed vigour in Indo-US bilateral discourse and in Jaishankar he managed to find a partner who is equally focused on delivering practical outcomes.

Modi’s message to Pakistan has been heard around the world and will have serious ramifications for India’s global engagement.

As the US once again revisits its policy options, New Delhi should be prepared to fight its own battles.