India’s Perception towards China’s Policy of Regionalism during the Modi Government

The article examines the specifics of Indian public perceptions of China’s regionalism policy during Narendra Modi’s tenure, both in the political establishment and among experts. The impact of the perception of Chinese regionalism on shaping India’s policy towards it is revealed. The author concludes that the Indian government’s perception of China’s regionalism is mainly negative, which has led India to adopt a strategy of boycotting and opposing most of China’s regional projects. This stance is due to four main reasons – India’s awareness of its great power status, the structure of competitive relations between great powers, evoked set and historical experience. Besides, Indian think tank experts view Indian government policies mainly from the perspective of neoliberalism and realism, demonstrating a disconnect between economic interdependence and security threat perceptions. India’s overall strategy towards Chinese regionalism is characterized by subordinating potential economic gains to security interests.