China in the neighbourhood

The China Factor: Beijing's Expanding Engagement in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Myanmar
 

Author: Shantanu Roy-Chaudhary
 

Publisher: K W Publishers
 

Pages: 394
 

Price: Rs 1,480

As Sri Lanka struggles with one of the worst economic crises in its history, the role of China’s debt in the Sri Lankan financial emergency has come to the forefront. Irrespective of Beijing’s contribution to this crisis, China’s investments and other engagements in India’s neighbourhood have come under scrutiny again. Against this backdrop, Shantanu Roy-Chaudhary’s book The China Factor presents good background reading for anyone interested in assessing China’s relations with some of India’s neighbours.

Mr Roy-Chaudhary is a research associate with the Centre for Air Power Studies, Delhi. In his debut book offering, he has tackled the mammoth task of neatly analysing China’s activities in India’s neighbourhood. The book comprehensively summarises China’s political, economic, and other relations with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. It is a valuable addition to the growing literature on China’s activities in South Asia.

The book’s first two chapters summarise China’s aspirations and set the stage for the following four chapters. Chapter one, titled “The Middle Kingdom”, briefly covers China’s geopolitical engagements in South Asia, the South Pacific, and Central Asia, along with the short contemporary history of China. The second chapter on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aptly explains the rationale of the project and its role in expanding the Chinese footprint around the world. Interestingly, the author has also briefly touched upon the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) activities and the implications of the Digital Silk Road while assessing the BRI as Xi Jinping’s “long-term-geo-economic strategy”. The author identifies BRI as one of the strategies used to expand China’s power and influence, similar to other strategies used by rising powers throughout history.

In the following chapters, the author has conducted a data-driven analysis of China’s political, economic, military, and other projects in each country. This analysis covers data on development assistance, military exports and relations, China’s relations with political entities and individuals in each country, and the implications of these activities for India.

Some chapters also attempt to offer a rationale for each country’s engagement with Chinese companies. For example, the author notes that “China is often perceived as the preferred partner as Sri Lankans do not believe Beijing interferes in their internal politics, especially compared to India.” Moreover, the author also notes, “the view from Colombo was that if India wants to be a partner, it has to make better deals than China and be more forthcoming with the investments”. Whether this perception will change given the current crisis would be a compelling theme to investigate.

Similarly, regarding Bangladesh, the author notes that “Dhaka has taken a cautious and astute approach when engaging with Chinese overtures which limit the economic concerns when compared to the other countries in India’s neighbourhood.” He goes on to add, “Bangladesh has kept its interests at heart, with no single country financing an entire port, a strategy that has been followed in other projects as well.” By investigating each country’s approaches toward Chinese projects, Mr Roy-Chaudhary offers an insight into how India’s neighbours are tackling the China factor.

Oddly, Nepal is the one key neighbour missing from the book. From an Indian strategic perspective, assessing China’s engagements with Nepal has become crucial given the dramatic ups and downs in Nepal-India relations in recent years and China’s bonhomie with Nepal. Currently, Kathmandu seems to be skillfully balancing its ties with India, China, and the United States. Closer relations with Beijing on the one hand and ratification of the US Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement on the other is evidence of Kathmandu’s manoeuvring in the ongoing tussle for influence in India’s neighbourhood. An Indian perspective on China’s influence and activities in Nepal would have added value to the book.

The book is ideal for policymakers, diplomats, experts, researchers, and young scholars interested in unpacking China’s footprint. While demonstrating Mr Roy-Chaudhary’s expertise, The China Factor presents an intelligent analysis of security issues in South Asia.

The reviewer is a research analyst (China Studies) at The Takshashila Institution. She tweets at @pardhimegha21