India, facing China concerns, abstained from UN resolution to appease Russia: foreign policy expert

India abstained from voting on a United Nations Safety Council decision demanding Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine largely due to its concern over China, a international coverage scholar advised Fox Information.

“India’s main concern is about its rivalry with China,” a fellow with the Council on Overseas Relations, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, stated. “India has a rising concern about China’s rising affect, not simply within the Indo-Pacific area, but in addition within the Center East, which is one other space the place it has important curiosity.”

India, whereas persevering with its nonalignment coverage, is straddling efforts to appease Russia to forestall it from shifting nearer to China, whereas concurrently making an attempt to maintain the U.S. as an ally for safety within the area, in accordance with Liu.

“In some ways, India’s abstain from the U.N. safety vote doesn’t essentially converse a lot about India’s concern over Russia and Russia’s army motion in opposition to Ukraine, however actually speaks to India’s personal strategic calculation,” Liu advised Fox Information.

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“India is sticking with nonalignment coverage in some ways,” she continued. “It is irritating from our perspective.”

India has relied on each the U.S. and Russia, in accordance with Liu. Russia has supplied 60% of India’s army gear and has traditionally been an ally, whereas the U.S. has been a accomplice in each commerce and safety within the Indo-Pacific area.

China has been constructing troops on the border with India for years, and the 2 nations have clashed on a number of events. 4 Chinese language troopers and 20 Indians died in a 2020 skirmish.

Officers and troopers conduct coaching in Southwest Guizhou, Guizhou Province, China, Feb. 22, 2022. (Costfoto/Future Publishing by way of Getty Photos)

Because of this, India is aiming to make sure that Russia will proceed promoting it arms whereas sustaining its relationship with the U.S. to make sure its presence within the area.

“India most likely doesn’t wish to do issues that might drive Russia to additional assist China and which could danger India’s strategic safety within the area,” Liu stated. “By way of India’s brazenly supporting Russia or serving to Russia keep away from the sanctions, I personally do not essentially assume that that’s going to be in India’s curiosity.”

The U.S. and different Western nations imposed heavy sanctions in opposition to Russia after it invaded Ukraine in late February. International locations that assist Moscow keep away from the penalties may face secondary sanctions – a punishment India desires to keep away from, in accordance with Liu.

Border Safety Drive (BSF) personnel show weapons throughout an exhibition as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav programme, on March 10, 2022 in Srinagar, India. (Waseem Andrabi/Hindustan Occasions by way of Getty Photos)

In the meantime, from an financial standpoint, India desires to develop past Western markets and reliance on the greenback – a place each Russia and China maintain, as properly.

“On condition that our policymakers right here in america have a tendency to make use of sanctions in opposition to international actors or international entities, the weaponization of the U.S. greenback and the dollar-based world monetary system are inclined to make folks take into consideration ‘properly, we most likely wish to hedge in opposition to the greenback hegemon,’” Liu advised Fox Information.

India “for an extended time frame” has expressed “dissatisfaction in the direction of the Western-led or American-led world system,” Liu added. She stated India and Russia have a historical past of settling commerce via exchanges with their very own currencies.

Isabelle McDonnell contributed to this report.