Economic heft and foreign policy posturing

India's foreign policy options are circumscribed by its relatively inadequate economic size and technological capabilities

China’s economic rise and technological excellence are well recognised in world capitals. It has been less acknowledged till very recently that China’s economic heft has contributed to its aggressive external posturing, including armed intrusions into Indian territory, extravagant claims over all of Arunachal Pradesh and now even when interacting with the West. The Indian government has at times not sufficiently factored into its foreign policy calculus the changes in the economic size, trade, foreign direct investment-related numbers and military strength of neighbouring and major powers. Among other causal factors, this is mainly because the Indian Ministry of external affairs (MEA)