India–China Strategic Relations: Managing Competitive Coexistence in an Evolving Multipolar Asian Order

Abstract

India–China strategic relations constitute a critical axis of contemporary Asian and global politics, characterized by a complex interplay of cooperation, competition, and strategic mistrust. As two major civilizational states and emerging global powers, India and China significantly influence the evolving multipolar order in Asia. While bilateral engagement has expanded in areas such as trade, climate diplomacy, and participation in multilateral forums including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, structural challenges continue to constrain the relationship. The unresolved boundary dispute along the Line of Actual Control remains a central source of tension, periodically leading to military standoffs and erosion of strategic trust. At the same time, China’s growing strategic presence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region and India’s increasing involvement in the Indo-Pacific reflect competing regional visions. Despite these challenges, both countries acknowledge the high costs of open conflict and have sought to manage tensions through diplomatic dialogue, confidence-building mechanisms, and crisis management frameworks. Selective cooperation on global issues such as climate change, development finance, and reform of international institutions further demonstrates pragmatic engagement. India–China relations are best understood as a framework of competitive coexistence, where rivalry and cooperation coexist, and long-term stability depends on effective dispute management and strategic restraint.