Coexistence as Strategy in the India–China Reboot

India–China ties are resetting under US unilateralism, Operation Epic Fury and weaponised tariffs. I analyse this cautious re‑engagement, the LAC dilemma and India’s strategy for true strategic autonomy.

As the world enters 2026, global geopolitics is marked by coercive statecraft, unilateral military interventions and weaponised tariffs, with the Trump‑led United States setting a disruptive new normal. Against this turbulent backdrop, India faces a twin challenge: managing economic and strategic friction with the US while handling a difficult, militarised boundary and strategic rivalry with China.

My latest article in Business Standard Blueprint (Defence & Geopolitics) analyses how and why India and China have moved towards a limited tactical reset since late 2025. I argue that the current engagement “is a product of necessity amid global turbulence, not trust” and is best seen as “cautious re‑engagement, not reconciliation.” The reset offers breathing space from US tariff pressures and global uncertainty, but it does not resolve the underlying structural rivalry or the unresolved boundary dispute.

The piece examines three core strands:

• The impact of US unilateralism, Operation Epic Fury against Iran and punitive tariffs on both India and China.
• The security implications of an unstable Line of Actual Control, China’s incremental encroachment strategy and India’s response through deterrence and infrastructure build‑up.
• The role of RIC, BRICS, the Quad and multi‑alignment in preserving India’s strategic autonomy while navigating between coercion and coexistence.

I emphasise that India’s way forward must rest on realism: strengthening credible deterrence along the LAC, accelerating economic and technological resilience, and engaging multiple partners “without dependence” so that India can emerge as an autonomous pole in a genuinely multipolar world order.

Publication details and link

This article was originally published in Business Standard Blueprint – Defence & Geopolitics, April 2026 issue (Analysis section).

👉 Access the full article (paywalled) on Business Standard Blueprint – https://www.business-standard.com/blueprint-defence-magazine/insights/coexistence-as-strategy-in-the-india-china-reboot-126040700831_1.html

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The views expressed are personal views of the author, who is a Globally acknowledged Strategic and Defence Analyst, He can be reached at Facebook and LinkedIn as Shashi Asthana, @asthana_shashi on twitter, and personnel site https://asthanawrites.org/ email shashiasthana29@gmail.com LinkedIn Profile www.linkedin.com/in/shashi-asthana-4b3801a6.  Youtube link https://www.youtube.com/@GenAsthanaAnalyses