CHINA'S GEOSTRATEGIC INTERESTS AND APPROACHES IN THE SOUTH ASIA REGION
Keywords:
China's foreign policy, South Asian countries, geostrategic interests, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), String of Pearls strategy, Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM), the United States of America, Indo-Pacific Strategy, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), regional security, infrastructure diplomacy, energy security, geoeconomic approach, strategic partnership.Abstract
This article analyzes China's geostrategic interests and political approaches in the South Asian region. As South Asia increasingly becomes a key area in global politics and economic relations due to its strategic location, large population, and economic potential, China is making the region a growing priority within the framework of its broader foreign policy and global ambitions. The article examines China's role in developing trade and investment relations with South Asian countries through economic reforms, with particular attention given to the significance of the "Belt and Road Initiative" in enhancing infrastructure development and regional integration. It discusses the complex aspects of China-India relations, China's strategic partnerships with other countries in the region, and the debates surrounding "debt-trap" diplomacy. The article also explores China's expanding presence in terms of access to the Indian Ocean, military cooperation, and regional security, as well as efforts to secure energy and natural resources, its rivalry with the US Indo-Pacific strategy, and China's long-term geostrategic objectives.
Downloads
References
Abb, Pascal., Boni, Filippo., & Carrar, Hasan H. (2024). China, Pakistan and the Belt and Road Initiative: The Experience of an Early Adopter State. Routledge, p:176.
Afzal, M. (2020). "At all costs": How Pakistan and China control the narrative on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/at-all-costs-how-pakistan-and-china-control-the-narrative-on-the-china-pakistan-economic-corridor/
Baruah, Darshana M. (2018). India's Answer to the Belt and Road: A Road Map for South Asia. CARNEGIE INDIA. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2018/08/indias-answer-to-the-belt-and-road-a-road-map-for-south-asia?lang=en
Cai, P. (2017). Understanding China's Belt and Road Initiative. Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/understanding-china-s-belt-road-initiative
Chivvis, CS, Cuéllar, M.-F., Medeiros, ES, Walt, SM, Culver, J., Foot, R., Bergsten, CF, Campanella, E., Rithmire, M., Fravel, MT, Heginbotham, E., Perkovich, G., Wong, A., & Wertheim, S. (2024). US-China Relations for the 2030s: Toward a Realistic Scenario for Coexistence. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/10/us-china-relations-for-the-2030s-toward-a-realistic-scenario-for-coexistence?lang=en
Dunst, C. (2020). How the US Can Win Back Southeast Asia. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/how-the-us-can-win-back-southeast-asia/
Fasinu, ES, Jesutayo, B., Olaniyan, T., & Eloche, J. (2024). Assessing the Politics of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and its Impact on India-United States Relations: Implications for Security and Trade Cooperation. Journal of Public Administration and Social Welfare Research, 9(3), pp:115-125.
Haacke, J. (2019). The concept of hedging and its application to Southeast Asia: a critique and a proposal for a modified conceptual and methodological framework. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 19(3), pp:375-417.
Hussain, E. (2019). CPEC: Governance and security challenges—Implications for the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese Political Science Review, 4(1), pp:135-147.
Kaplan, RD (2011). Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power. Random House, p:400.
KARACKATTU, JT (2018). India–China Border Dispute: Boundary-Making and Shaping of Material Realities from the Mid-Nineteenth to Mid-Twentieth Century. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 28(1), pp:135–159.
Lee, C. (2023). An Analysis of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy in US-China Competition. American Journal of Chinese Studies, 30(1), pp:43-59.
Malick, S. (2025). China's Belt and Road Initiative: Impact on South Asia's Geopolitical Landscape and Regional Dynamics. Jadavpur Journal of International Relations, 28(1), pp:7–30.
Malinbaum, S. (2025). India's Quest for Economic Emancipation from China. Asia. Visions, No. 145, Institut français des relations internationales, p:9-30.
Pant, HV, & Shivamurthy, AG (2025). A China-led trilateral nexus as India's new challenge. The Hindu. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-china-led-trilateral-nexus-as-indias-new-challenge/article69745715.ece/amp/
Prasain, ID (2024). The Belt and Road Initiative: Assessing Its Implications for Nepal's Development. Interdisciplinary Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 5(2), pp:102-113.
Rashid, S., Majeed, G., & Ikram, M. (2023). China's Belt and Road Initiative and its Implications for the South Asian Region. UCP Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (HEC Recognized-Y Category), 2(1), pp:49-66.
Sacks, D. (2021). The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—Hard Reality Greets BRI's Signature Initiative. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/blog/china-pakistan-economic-corridor-hard-reality-greets-bris-signature-initiative
South Asia Development Update, October 2024 : Women, Jobs, and Growth (English). South Asia Development Update https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099743510212434785/pdf/IDU-9cf6875c-0bfb-4ce0-a263-563505302763.pdf
Sharma, A. (2020). The recent deadly India–China border clash. New Zealand International Review, 45(5), pp:4–7.
Shambaugh, D. (2013). China Goes Global: The Partial Power. Oxford University Press, p:409.
Tehseen, M. (2017). Sino-US Competition: Implications for South Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Strategic Studies, 37(4), pp:1-17.
Tyagi, Y. (2025). China Deepens South Asia Footprint with Trilateral Engagement of Pakistan, Bangladesh. Times Now News. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.timesnownews.com/world/asia/china-hosts-trilateral-talks-with-neighbors-excludes-india-from-south-asia-axis-article-152155836/amp
Wardani, RY, Cooray, NS, Waruwu, AH, Putri, AN, & Maulani, AA (2024). The IPEF as a Grand Strategic Design for the US Economic Gains. Indian Journal of Asian Affairs, 37(1/2), pp:43-56.
Wang, PBM (2025). US-China Competition and ASEAN Unity: Why Economic Resilience Matters. AEI Insights: An International Journal of Asia-Europe Relations, 10(1), pp:15–30.
Wibisono, AN (2019). China's “Belt and Road Initiative” in Sri Lanka: Debt Diplomacy in Hambantota Port Investment. Journal Mandala Journal Ilmu Hugangan International, 2(2), pp:222–245.
Wolff, SO (2023). The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative: Concept, Context, and Assessment. Springer, p:412.
World Bank. (2024). South Asia Development Update, October 2024: Women, Jobs, and Growth. South Asia Development Update.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All content published in the Journal of Applied Science and Social Science (JASSS) is protected by copyright. Authors retain the copyright to their work, and grant JASSS the right to publish the work under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). This license allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author(s) for the original creation.
