Sofia, June 6 (IANS) — A Bulgaria-based report in Modern Diplomacy says India is pursuing a carefully calibrated form of “strategic neutrality” between the United States and China, driven by political considerations and growing interdependencies the report describes as “interconnectedness.”
The analysis places India’s stance within a wider Global South trend: countries such as Indonesia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia are adopting realist balancing strategies that acknowledge US–China bipolarity without fully aligning with either side.
The report highlights the May 26 Quad foreign ministers’ meeting — involving the US, India, Japan and Australia — as a significant signal of cooperation on energy and critical minerals security. Revitalised in 2017 amid concerns over China’s regional rise, the Quad now focuses on strengthening regional capacity in technology, infrastructure, health and climate resilience.
Yet Modern Diplomacy notes that alignment with the US on shared projects has not stopped India, Japan and Australia from engaging with China in other fields. New Delhi, the report argues, combines strategic alignment in some arenas with active economic engagement with Beijing, exemplifying a middle-path approach rather than exclusive partnership with either superpower.
According to the report, India’s post-2014 policy of strategic autonomy seeks favourable international partnerships without being constrained by value-based bloc politics. This policy underpins New Delhi’s effort to balance cooperation with the US while preserving freedom to work with China where national interests demand.
A key reason Washington values India, the report adds, is its geostrategic position in the Indo-Pacific and the growing importance of maritime security. The US, geographically distant from the region except for bases, relies on diplomatic and practical ties with regional partners — and India’s location and capacities make it a pivotal partner.
The report also recalls that India’s dealings with the US have been cautious at times; early in President Donald Trump’s tenure New Delhi temporarily reassessed the relationship in response to what it saw as “volatile decision‑making.” That experience reinforced a desire to avoid overdependency while maintaining mutually beneficial ties.
On China, the report points out that while military tensions have been managed, economic links have expanded since a 1984 trade agreement that reopened commerce after the 1962 border war. Today, the two countries remain, in the report’s words, “deeply interlinked,” a reality that shapes India’s careful balancing act between strategic partnership and economic pragmatism.
Original Source: https://tripurachronicle.in/world-news/india-navigates-us-china-bipolarity-through-strategic-neutrality-report/
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Publish Date: 2026-06-06 19:40:00
