C3S Event Report: Book Discussion – "Tiger with Wings: China’s BRI and Economic Engagement in South Asia" by Mr. Sanjay Pulipaka : Report by Patricia Cherlyn

The Chennai Centre for China Studies (C3S) hosted a book discussion for the book "Tiger with Wings: China’s BRI and Economic Engagement in South Asia", authored by Mr. Sanjay Pulipaka, Chairperson of the Politeia Research Foundation. The event complemented C3S's objective to facilitate conversations on China’s economic initiatives and their impact in the region. The book discussion focused on the work of the author to analyse China’s economic engagement in South Asia, focusing especially on the onset of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The book discussion was attended by a distinguished panel of dignitaries and experts, including the author, Mr. Pulipaka, and:

Commodore R S Vasan IN (Retd.), Director General, C3S

Mr. M. R. Sivaraman, Former Finance Secretary of India and Executive Director, IMF
Colonel R. Hariharan, VSM (Retd.), Member, C3S
Maj Gen Rajiv Narayanan AVSM, VSM (Retd), Member, C3S
Mr. Vivien Massot, Senior Economic Expert, TAC Economics
Lt. Col. Vijayakumar, Head of Cybersecurity and AI, Lincoln Global Law Chambers
Shilpa John, Research Officer, C3S
Patricia Cherlyn, Research Officer, C3S

The event began with a welcome address and opening remarks from Commodore R S Vasan, DG, C3S, who also appreciated the comprehensiveness of the work and gave an overview of the chapters, remarking on the extensive details provided by the author in his chapterization of the book. The author was complimented for the thoroughness of work, including the enormous references at the end of each chapter, which brought out the rigorous research efforts to author the book of great relevance to China observers.

Overview of the book

Chapter 1: China’s External Economic Engagement – An Overview

In the introductory chapter, the author provides a historical outline of China’s economic engagement, starting from its experiments in creating a robust economy and its failure with the ‘Great Leap Forward’ model, instituted by Mao Zedong. The chapter traces the early initiatives with the Soviet Union, where Moscow shared its equipment and non-military technical experts to assist China in the implementation of various projects. The chapter flows through in a linear pattern, tracing the different approaches followed and challenges faced by subsequent paramount leaders of the CCP.

Chapter 2: The BRI: Tiger with Wings

This chapter focuses solely on the BRI Initiative, its inception, and its initiatives. It delves into both the continental and maritime aspects of BRI, as it aspires to provide connectivity to Europe as well as the Pacific, respectively. The author observes through a pattern that it is the developing countries that were favourably disposed to the BRI, as they did not come with conditions attached to them, unlike those they face with the Bretton Woods institutions. He then talks about the common challenges the countries face a few years into the project.

Chapter 3: Intimate Souls in a Transactional Relationship

Highlighting the close and ‘transactional’ relationship between China and Pakistan, this chapter charts the course of the relationship between the countries. It also factors in the other external players that affect their relationship, such as India and the US, in times of war and peace. He further delves into the CPEC project launched as a critical component of the BRI initiative and the effective optimization of the Karakoram Highway by the Chinese, which he ponders as a corridor of inequality.

Chapter 4: In Search of Profit Amidst Peril

This chapter focuses on China-Afghanistan ties, tested by unstable governments that pose a security issue for China. However, the author mentions that the volatile security has not hindered China from capitalizing on its resources, and rare earth mining projects have proved to be a point of concord.

Chapter 5: China and the Emerald Island: Navigating Turbulence

Centered on the China-Sri Lanka relations, this chapter focuses on Sri Lanka’s history of engagement since its first agreement with China, called the ‘Sri Lanka China Rubber-Rice Agreement’ of 1952. It also outlines the progression of relations through trade and agreements on the sidelines of the Sri Lankan Civil War and its ramifications. From there, it traces its engagement in port infrastructure, energy, expressways, and real estate, culminating in the 2022 Sri Lankan Economic Crisis.

Chapter 6: The Disquiet in the Archipelago

Posing as a better alternative to India, this chapter showcases how China replaces India’s support in the Maldives. By monetizing on the weak political structure in the Maldives, China bridges the gap in the Maldives. The author concludes this chapter that it is a personality-centred approach upon which the Maldives’ engagement with China rests.

Chapter 7: The Himalayan Ambitions

The chapter on China-Nepal economic engagement begins by noting that the Tibet factor, its religious and cultural ties, and the sudden occupation play an important role in how Nepal perceives China. The initial anxiety regarding Chinese intentions was soothed by signing the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1960, during Zhou Enlai’s visit to Nepal. Subsequently, trade grew, and attempts to improve road networks were made to improve its economic relations with Nepal. Furthermore, the chapter also plays out the subsequent challenges, such as border issues and Nepal’s balance of engagement with India.

Chapter 8: From Inauspicious Beginnings to a Calibrated Engagement

This chapter on China-Bangladesh relations unfolds by highlighting the ‘inauspicious beginnings’ of Bangladesh because of its early engagements with China related to its recognition as a state in the UN. The author then goes on to highlight the geographical positioning of Bangladesh, bordering India, which raises challenges of porous borders and disagreements in water sharing. Utilizing this opportunity, China presented itself as a counterbalance to address the asymmetry between India and Bangladesh. The author then traces points of collaboration that have finally translated into Bangladesh’s engagement with China through the BRI.

Chapter 9: Cooperation with Suspicion

This chapter begins by providing context for the engagement between Myanmar and China before the Chinese Civil War. The Allied forces used Myanmar during the Second World War, backing the KMT against the CCP rebels. The Myanmar government was not particularly in support of the CCP when it came to power, as this later translated into support for pro-communist rebel groups within Myanmar. It is within this context of suspicion, from both sides, that China-Myanmar relations are shaped.

Chapter 10: Reaping Benefits without Friendship

The most-awaited chapter on India-China relations reflects on the India-China war of 1962 and how that event has shaped further engagement with China. Despite animosity and competition, China remains India’s second-largest trade partner, while there exists a significant trade imbalance when compared to India’s exports to China.

China’s BRI initiative and India’s resistance to joining it are also discussed in this chapter, along with further developments in the COVID and post-COVID era in the face of border clashes due to territorial disputes.

Chapter 11: Conclusion: Asymmetry and Geopolitics

The final chapter of the book sketches the overall asymmetrical outcomes of the BRI in the Indian subcontinent, reflecting on how the initiative has affected the political and economic governance in the region, especially in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. He also reflects on how it has enabled China in the last decade, as evidenced by trade deficits between China and South Asian countries.

Reflections from the Participants

Many first-hand accounts were shared by the participants, which reinforced some of the conclusions drawn by the author while dealing with the neighbourhood issues in India’s neighbourhood. The panel discussed the role of India in the backdrop of China’s economic engagements with its South Asian neighbors and the impact that this has on stability and security in South Asia. The author drew the attention of the participants to the geographical advantage enjoyed by India, which shares land /maritime borders with all its neighbours, while the South Asian countries are isolated from each other.

The discussions also examined the way regime changes can affect projects signed under the BRI.

The session concluded with a short vote of thanks delivered by Patricia Cherlyn, Research Officer at the C3S. Overall, the session reflected C3S’s commitment to exploring emerging strategic and economic issues and developments in India’s neighborhood.