China-India border dispute may force South Asian neighbours to pick a side
- Smaller countries in South Asia have sought to avoid being dragged into the hostility between New Delhi and Beijing
- But observers say it will become harder to maintain this neutrality
Smaller countries in South Asia – such as Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka – have sought to stay above the fray between New Delhi, which has historical influence over the region, and Beijing, which has increasingly invested there.
But observers say the Sino-Indian border dispute will make it harder to maintain this neutrality, with some in India advocating for a fundamental rethink of its relationship with China.
“Many countries in the region are re-evaluating their relationship with China,” said Geeta Kochhar, assistant professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, noting this first began after the China-US trade war and during the global pandemic. “The greater tension between India and China has changed the balance of the relationship where each state looks at China with a greater sense of fear and anxiety.”