The China Question: Convergences and Divergences in the India-Europe Relationship

Date and Time: 17 July 2024, 15:00 hrs IST (11:30 hrs CEST/CET)

About

For both India and Europe, relations with China play a crucial role for their geopolitical considerations and strategies, albeit for differing reasons and from different viewpoints. Europe has increasingly expressed concerns about China's human rights record, trade practices and its own reliance on the Chinese market, akin to its previous energy dependence on Russia. However, among EU members, views on China are fractured and Europe is rarely able to navigate its China relations with one voice. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, it considers Russia as its main security threat. In contrast, and although it also has comprehensive trade ties with its neighbour, India views China as one of its primary security concerns. The now popular refrain, that “China and Russia is to India, what Russia and China is to Europe'' best reflects this nuanced and complex geopolitical landscape in which contemporary India-Europe relations are set. The growing Russia-China bonhomie has been watched with wariness in both New Delhi and major European capitals, complicating strategic calculations of both parties.

Despite this considerable divergence in perspective, the India-Europe relationship also sees significant convergences on China, especially regarding the dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region, intensifying political ties and defence cooperation as well as driving increasing trade and a supply-chain resilience narrative that positions India as an alternative manufacturing hub.

In light of this convoluted geopolitical landscape, this webinar seeks to explore narratives in both regions about managing relations with China, and to unpack the convergences and divergences in this crucial power triangle.
 

Relevant Questions for Discussion:

• How will the recent election outcomes, of the Indian general election and the European Parliament election, impact the respective China policies?
• To what extent do New Delhi and European capitals view China as a shared area of concern and cooperation in their relations?
• How does the deepening Russia-China partnership affect EU-India relations and what are the divergences between Brussels, Berlin, Paris and New Delhi?
   

Panellists

• Amb Ashok Kantha - Former Ambassador to China and Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi (Moderator)
• Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva - Jean Monnet Chair & Director, Europe Area Studies Programme, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi
• Shairee Malhotra, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi
• Dr. Mathieu Duchatel, Resident Senior Fellow and Director of International Studies, Institut Montaigne, Paris