GS II: India and its Neighborhood-Relations; Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests
Context: China’s recent white paper on global governance reflects its attempt to reshape the norms beneath the international order while presenting itself as a defender of multilateralism.
- Disruptive American foreign policy and alienation of allies have created strategic space for China to project itself as a responsible great power.
China’s Approach to Global Order
- China’s Selective Revisionism : China is not seeking to completely overthrow the post-war international order but is selectively revising it to suit its strategic interests.
- Institutional Continuity: China continues to support institutions such as the United Nations, WTO and multilateral forums because they provide legitimacy and influence.
- Parallel Institutions: China has built platforms such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), New Development Bank (NDB) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to expand its authority within the existing system.
- Institutional Revisionism: China’s strategy is not institutional revolution but the expansion of Chinese influence within and alongside existing global institutions.
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Institutional vs Normative Order
- Institutional Order: The institutional order includes the UN system, Bretton Woods institutions and multilateral architecture created after the Second World War.
- Normative Order: The normative order includes principles such as sovereignty, non-interference, human rights, democracy, free markets and rule of law.
- China’s Strategy: China supports the institutional structure of the global order while attempting to reshape its normative foundations.
China’s Normative Ambitions
- Global Initiatives: China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI), Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) and Global Governance Initiative (GGI) seek to project China as a norm-setting power.
- Development Narrative: The GDI links itself with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to present China as a partner of the Global South.
- Security Narrative: The GSI emphasises sovereignty and non-interference but uses the idea of “legitimate security concerns” to dilute sovereign choices of countries such as Ukraine.
- Civilisation Narrative: The GCI promotes civilisational diversity but can be used to weaken universal human rights by making them culturally relative.
- Democracy Narrative: China defines democracy through material outcomes rather than political participation, institutional independence or accountability.
Contradictions in China’s Conduct
- South China Sea: China rejected the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, showing selective respect for international law.
- Border Disputes: China’s periodic standoffs with India and Bhutan reveal the limits of its stated commitment to sovereignty and non-interference.
- Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): The BRI is framed as development cooperation but often blurs the line between partnership and influence in recipient states.
- Selective Multilateralism: China supports multilateralism where it gains influence but securitises and restricts openness where its internal interests are concerned.
Risks for Global Order
- Normative Hollowing: China may preserve global institutions while weakening the liberal principles that give them meaning.
- Sovereignty Dilution: China’s approach can undermine the sovereign equality of states when smaller countries’ choices conflict with great-power interests.
- Human Rights Weakening: China’s cultural relativism can reduce scrutiny of authoritarian governance and weaken universal human rights standards.
- Rule of Law Erosion: Selective compliance with international rulings can weaken trust in legal and rule-based mechanisms.
- Civil Society Constraint: China’s model may legitimise restrictions on civil society, dissent and individual freedoms under the language of stability and development.
Significance for India
- Strategic Concern: China’s preferred global order does not align with India’s interest in a multipolar, rules-based and sovereign-equality-based international system.
- Border Security: China’s conduct along India’s borders shows that its rhetoric of sovereignty does not always translate into restraint.
- Indo-Pacific Stability: China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea affects India’s interest in freedom of navigation and maritime stability.
- Global South Competition: China’s development diplomacy competes with India’s own outreach to the Global South.
- Normative Interest: India benefits from an international order where sovereignty, rule of law, openness and strategic autonomy are protected.
Way Forward
- Rules-Based Order: India must continue to support a rules-based international order that protects sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful dispute resolution.
- Strategic Autonomy: India should avoid alignment with either U.S. disruption or Chinese revisionism and pursue issue-based strategic autonomy.
- Global South Leadership: India must offer an alternative development model based on transparency, sustainability, capacity-building and respect for sovereignty.
- Institutional Reform: India should push for reform of global institutions such as the UN Security Council, WTO and multilateral financial institutions to reflect contemporary realities.
- Normative Clarity: India must defend principles such as sovereign equality, rule of law, democratic accountability and open societies without ignoring the developmental concerns of the Global South.
- Partnership Building: India should strengthen partnerships through QUAD, BRICS, SCO, G20, IORA and bilateral platforms to shape a balanced and inclusive global order.
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Conclusion
China is not dismantling the international order but reshaping its normative foundations from within by preserving institutions while revising their underlying meaning. India must carefully engage with China-led initiatives while defending a rules-based, multipolar and sovereignty-respecting international order that safeguards its long-term strategic interests.
23 Jun 2026
