The influence of China is increasing in global trade directly or indirectly, which could become a major threat to India if it continues to rely heavily on imports and fails to strengthen its own manufacturing and strategic alliances. India should have to focus on manufacturing related to shipping business like containers and other tools for logistics as If you order affordable goods online in the U.S. today, you might notice that many of them are no longer shipped directly from China. Instead, they are routed through nearby countries like Pakistan or Sri Lanka. While this may seem like a simple change in shipping methods, it also reflects a broader shift in global trade and strategy. China appears to be strengthening its presence through partnerships and collaborations with neighboring countries, allowing it to remain influential even when not directly visible. This broader pattern highlights a larger concern for India—not just Pakistan’s actions, but also the expanding role of China in the region and its growing influence behind the scenes.
Focus Shift: From Pakistan to Its Puppet Master
For decades, India’s national security has centered around Pakistan. Wars in 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999, and continuous tensions over Kashmir, have built a public image of Pakistan as India’s arch-enemy. But experts now argue that this focus, while understandable, is short-sighted.
As the original article puts it: “Who is the real enemy? It is not Pakistan, but its puppet-master, the world’s would be greatest—and only hegemon—China.”
Why China Wants to Slow India’s Rise
China sees India as a long-term competitor for power in Asia and globally. India’s increasing global visibility, growing tech sector, and strengthening partnerships—like with the U.S., Japan, and Australia under the Quad—are major concerns for Beijing.
India’s “Make in India” initiative, aimed at reducing dependence on imports and turning the country into a global manufacturing hub, directly challenges China’s dominance as the world’s factory. If successful, India could become an economic and strategic counterbalance to China, especially as companies look to move away from Chinese supply chains due to rising geopolitical risks.
To prevent this, China aims to keep India constantly distracted and under pressure. According to the article:
“Keep India off balance is China’s motto.”
Pakistan: China’s Proxy in the Subcontinent
Pakistan plays a key role in China’s containment strategy. Through major projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China has poured over $60 billion into Pakistan’s infrastructure, including roads, ports, and energy networks. This has turned Pakistan into a dependent client state.
The article states: “Pakistan, a client state, run by a rogue army, is literally a gun for hire. And the gun is pointed at India.”
Pakistan’s role includes supporting terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carry out attacks in India. These create instability, sap India’s military resources, and draw attention away from economic development or global diplomacy. China, though not directly involved in these attacks, gains strategically by keeping India trapped in a regional security quagmire.
China’s Two-Front Strategy: Encircle and Distract
China’s plan doesn’t stop with Pakistan. It also includes India’s eastern neighbors, particularly Bangladesh. Over the past decade, China has invested billions in Bangladeshi infrastructure, including bridges, railways, and power plants. It has also offered defense supplies and training to the Bangladeshi military.
This growing Chinese footprint creates a “two-front” threat for India—military pressure from the west via Pakistan and economic-political influence from the east via Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, China has supported insurgent activity in India’s Northeast and blocked global efforts to blocklist Pakistani terrorists at the United Nations. In 2020, its direct confrontation with Indian troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley resulted in deadly clashes—proving that China is also willing to escalate conflict without using proxies when needed.
China’s Influence Inside India
This also warns of internal threats—individuals, organizations, and influencers allegedly sympathetic to or influenced by China. These may include powerful elites in politics, media, bureaucracy, and academia. While some connections remain unverified, intelligence agencies in India have investigated Chinese-funded NGOs and media platforms for pushing soft propaganda.
The author argues: “More complicated and difficult to eliminate is China’s influence among the top echelons of our political, bureaucratic, journalistic, and intellectual elite.”
Some activists and intellectuals have been labeled “Urban Naxals” by government-aligned groups and accused of working against Indian national interests. However, critics caution that this term can be misused to suppress dissent. Still, the concern over Chinese infiltration into India’s strategic thinking remains real.
Pakistan Can’t Act Without China’s Support
It’s important to recognize that Pakistan, for all its aggression, relies heavily on China. From military aid and intelligence to financial bailouts and diplomatic protection in forums like the UN, World Bank, and IMF—China shields Pakistan internationally.
This support emboldens Pakistan to continue hostile actions toward India without facing global consequences. As the article puts it:
“Pakistan may be the gun pointed at India, but the finger on the trigger is China’s.”
What Should India Do?
India cannot afford to only respond to short-term provocations. It must view Pakistan’s hostility as part of a larger Chinese strategy. That means:
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Building strategic alliances: Strengthening ties with Quad partners and others to counterbalance China.
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Investing in self-reliance: Reducing dependency on Chinese imports and tech through domestic production.
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Monitoring regional influence: Watching China’s growing role in neighboring countries and offering alternatives to them.
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Strengthening internal resilience: Identifying and countering foreign influence in media, education, and civil society.
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Expanding global engagement: Using diplomatic forums to highlight China’s destabilizing behavior and build a broader coalition against it.
China doesn’t want to fight India head-on—it prefers to use distractions, alliances, and subversive tactics. And in Pakistan, it has found the perfect tool. By only focusing on Pakistan, India risks treating a symptom while ignoring the disease.
It’s time India recognized the bigger game. “The elephant must learn to outmaneuver the dragon, or risk being consumed by its fire,” the article warns. That fire isn’t coming from the west or the east—it’s coming from behind the scenes, and it’s wearing a Chinese badge.
