Arunachal to Taiwan: India’s China Strategy Under Fresh Strain

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Journalist Manish Anand warns that growing US–China proximity, pressure on Japan over Taiwan, and renewed border frictions make India’s geopolitical recalibration urgent.

By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk

New Delhi, November 27, 2025 — Senior journalist Manish Anand, speaking on the YouTube channel of The Raisina Hills, has warned that today’s global geopolitics is in a highly fluid phase and that India must remain on maximum alert amid rapidly shifting power alignments.

Highlighting a recent diplomatic flashpoint, Anand referred to the incident involving a resident of Arunachal Pradesh who was detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai airport after arriving from Singapore. The episode, he said, once again underlines China’s continued claim over Arunachal Pradesh. India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong protest, warning that such conduct could impact efforts to normalise bilateral ties.

Anand also drew attention to a major statement by Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo’s parliament, declaring that Taiwan is a matter of national interest for Japan. Beijing reacted sharply, with its ambassador warning of consequences, including possible restrictions on rare earth exports and opposition to Japan’s bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. Anand noted that this directly affects India as well, since both India and Japan are aspirants for permanent membership.

On the Ukraine front, Anand criticised what he described as US president Donald Trump’s proposed peace formula, under which nearly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia could effectively be legitimised. “Rewarding an aggressor sets a dangerous precedent,” he said, warning that such an approach could embolden Beijing on Taiwan.

He further cited reports by The Washington Post and Bloomberg on leaked conversations involving Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian links, raising concerns about Washington’s growing proximity to authoritarian powers.

Anand cautioned that increasing US–China engagement, potential leadership-level visits between United States and China, and Washington’s recent decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, could significantly reshape Asia’s strategic landscape — with direct consequences for India.

He also revisited past military standoffs at Doklam and the deadly clash in Galwan Valley in 2020, stressing that New Delhi must reassess its engagement strategy with Beijing.

As a positive counterbalance, Anand highlighted the recent India–Australia–Canada technology and critical minerals cooperation agreement unveiled alongside the G20 track in South Africa. He said such partnerships among democracies are essential to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals and advanced technologies.

“Global diplomacy today is deeply transactional and increasingly tilted toward authoritarian interests,” Anand said, warning that India must recalibrate, not rush, its China policy in the interest of long-term national security.

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