The contemporary dynamics of Sino-Indian relations: Examining maritime security, economics, energy and elite dialogue.
Published: 2006
Language: eng
Number of pages: 247
ISBN-13: 9780494220184
Description: This dissertation examines the modern-day dynamics of the Sino-Indian relationship---with a particular focus on issues relating to maritime security, economics, energy and elite bilateral dialogue. In exploring the contemporary nature of the Sino-Indian relationship, the dissertation also seeks to assess the accuracy of predominant neorealist accounts of the Sino-Indian relationship. Since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, most analysts have continued to emphasize the conflictual and competitive elements within the Sino-Indian relationship.The dissertation first explores the crucial post-independence history of Sino-Indian relations to provide the appropriate contextual background (chapter one). Thereafter, the dissertation explores the geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean in light of soaring (global) energy demands. This then leads into an analysis of China and India's naval modernization and China's strategic partnership with Pakistan and Myanmar (chapter two). While acknowledging the credibility of neorealist insights in the realm of maritime security by detailing China and India's naval buildup and naval strategy, overall, it is found that the security dilemma argument is overstated. There is both a lack of threat perception and the existence of alternate explanations for both Chinese and Indian activities in Southern Asia.The dissertation then moves on to explore the positive elements within the Sino-Indian relationship---growing economic interdependence, energy convergence and elite consensus. In the economic realm (chapter three) it is found that Sino-Indian bilateral trade is increasingly being framed institutionally and rapidly expanding every year. The areas where the Sino-Indian economic relationship could be fruitfully expanded are traced and the great potential of bilateral trade is discussed. Thereafter, the dissertation highlights how China and India are beginning to coordinate energy policy (chapter four) as well as the growing political will (chapter five) to transform the Sino-Indian relationship from a framework of conflict and competition to cooperation. The dissertation concludes that there are serious mitigating factors in the Sino-Indian relationship and that an exclusively neorealist outlook is impoverished. Theoretical insights from neoliberal institutionalism and constructivism point to how emerging economic interdependence in tandem with the (elite) creation of dependable expectations of peaceful change point towards stability in the Sino-Indian relationship.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-01, Section: A, page: 0336.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2006.

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