The dashboard is part of ORCA’s India-China Trade Project. Synopsis: The India-China Trade dashboard- Annual is a comprehensive visualisation of yearly merchandise trade between the two economies. It captures India’s imports and exports to China between 2011-12 to 2021-22 based on the Harmonised System (HS Codes).

Since Independence, New Delhi’s South Asian strategy has drawn heavily from its shared religious, linguistic, and historical roots. Yet, as the External Affairs Minister indicated, this approach has at times proven to be a double-edged sword, causing suspicion and resistance rather than cultivating the intended goodwill. Narratives casting New Delhi as an interventionist power too have gained traction, often being politically weaponized to sway public sentiment for electoral gains in South Asian countries. In light of such growing complexities particularly pertaining to New Delhi’s perception in the neighbourhood, the EAM’s remarks invites an overdue assessment: Has New Delhi’s emphasis on cultural affinity as the focus of its regional policy reached a point of diminishing returns, calling for a strategic re-orientation of its overarching neighbourhood narrative?

In the past few years, bullish visions of China’s regional aspirations have dissipated as its own domestic economic realities have become clear. There has been a significant fall in China’s development spending in the Pacific since 2016. Observers have noted that this is linked to a decrease in Chinese loans across the region, although this has also been a global phenomenon. Expectations around the BRI in the Pacific have also been tempered as various projects have stalled with commentators observing that “half-finished Chinese skyscrapers stand in disrepair” in various Pacific Island countries.

China's military modernization, under President Xi Jinping, has been marked by reforms that include the restructuring of the PLA into five theater commands: Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central. These reforms aim to improve joint operations and enhance the PLA's capabilities for modern warfare, focusing on fast decision-making, integrated command systems, and coordination across all branches of the military. The theater commands are strategically aligned with China's security priorities, including regional conflicts, border stability, and global power projection.