In Global Trends, I make a big deal of India and China. Jointly, these countries represent over one third of the world's population. They have experienced rapid economic growth in recent decades, and can rightfully be said to belong to the world's major powers - and rising.
The bilateral relationship between India and China is not discussed as often as it should in the media. But given what I just mentioned, we really should be paying more attention. This relationship has been deteriorating as of late, due to a border dispute in the Sikkim region. We will discuss the specifics of this border dispute later in class, but things seem to be degenerating. In retaliation for the killing of 20 Indian soldiers (little is known about what truly transpired), India has banned all Chinese apps from the country. The Modi government seems to be contemplating other possible steps, though these would likely be quite costly not just for China but also for India.
These developments are yet another example of the disintegration of international ties that we are witnessing in this period of retrenchment. I don't expect anything good to come out of it, however legitimate India's reasons for taking these actions. Most likely, it will hurt both China and India. The only silver lining I see is that the deterioration of China-India relations will bring India closer to the US. I have been puzzling at why, for decades, the world's two largest democracies have not had closer ties. That could well change.