China's new era: a Pivot to South Asia?

[Raphael]

Lately, we have seen China increase its focus on South Asia. China's rebuke of groundless US criticism against Pakistan has US officials speculating that China is looking to take a bigger role in 'preserving stability in Afghanistan, South Asia':

http://www.financialexpress.com/wor...-afghanistan-south-asia-says-official/826236/

My opinion is that these are not isolated developments, but should be seen as part of an emerging foreign policy 'pivot' towards the region. We will expand our footprint in South Asia for these reasons:

1. Because now we can. Previously, South China Sea issues drained our attention. But now the region has been pacified. We have just signed a framework for a Code of Conduct. The most recalcitrant claimants have been either switched their allegiance (Philippines), or been cowed into obedience (Vietnam). Moreover, Trump has little interest in the region. This leaves us with a free hand to do pursue our interests elsewhere.

2. South Asia is the critical gateway for our OBOR, BRI, and CPEC projects. Critical for both the land and the sea route. Without stability in South Asia, all these projects become derailed, and our connectivity with Europe, the Middle East and Africa would then face serious bottlenecks. That makes us the most important external stakeholder in South Asian issues.

3. The Kashmir inferno is the root cause of terrorism across all Eurasia:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/21/kashmir-pakistan-india-nuclear
https://www.dawn.com/news/697593

Kashmir and Afghanistan are especially linked. Kashmir set Afghanistan alight, and in turn, Afghanistan ignites, or risks igniting, all of Central Asia and even our XinJiang region.

When Kashmir is restless, agitated, unhappy, then our overland routes, and particularly CPEC, are put at risk. While Kashmir remains in flames, all adjacent regions will burn too, and their fires cannot be put out because contact with Kashmir will reignite them immediately. Kashmir is not a bilateral India-Pakistan issue, it is a regional and international issue. Everyone with an interest in preventing terrorism is a stakeholder in Kashmir.


For these reasons, China will magnify its presence in South Asia. After its immediate neighborhood, South Asia is the region that China will pay closest attention towards.

 

[Götterdämmerung]

India with its hundreds of insurgrncies and separatist movements is the weakest piece in the whole of South Asia as the US will surely have an easy game to destabilise it. In fact, my observation of Indian behaviour says, Indians would rejoice and say it's monsoon rain, when the US pee on them.

 

[Raphael]

India with its hundreds of insurgrncies and separatist movements is the weakest piece in the whole of South Asia as the US will surely have an easy game to destabilise it. In fact, my observation of Indian behaviour says, Indians would rejoice and say it's monsoon rain, when the US pee on them.

This is true. Anglo-Saxons made 'India'. They conjured it out of thin air. So they can break it too.