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    EYE ON INDIA                                                              JULY 31, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    6

                India Balances China Reset with Quad

             Commitment in a Changing Indo-Pacific

                As New Delhi cautiously normalizes ties with Beijing while deepening cooperation within
               the Quad, India is pursuing a calibrated strategy that seeks stability on its northern border

                                         without compromising its Indo-Pacific partnerships.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            awareness. This evolution has enabled
                                                                                                                  India to deepen strategic partnerships
            Manila / New Delhi
                                                                                                                  without entering into treaty-based al-
               ndia’s  evolving  engagement  with                                                                 liance  commitments  that  could  con-
               China and its simultaneous com-                                                                    strain  its  foreign  policy  autonomy.
            Imitment to the Quad underline                                                                            The  United  States  continues  to
            one of the defining features of New                                                                   frame  the  Quad  within  its  broader
            Delhi’s  foreign  policy:  strategic  bal-                                                            Indo-Pacific  strategy.  At  the  Manila
            ancing  rather  than  strategic  align-                                                               meetings,  Washington  reiterated  its
            ment.  Recent  diplomatic  exchanges                                                                  commitment to a free, open and pros-
            in Manila have illustrated how India is                                                               perous  Indo-Pacific  and  emphasized
            attempting to stabilize relations with                                                                long-term engagement with ASEAN.
            Beijing after years of border tensions                                                                US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
            while continuing to strengthen securi-                                                                reaffirmed that the Quad remains a
            ty and economic partnerships with the                                                                 strategic priority, describing the four
            United  States,  Japan  and  Australia                                                                democracies as sharing a common vi-
            under the Quad framework.                                                                             sion based on the rule of law, sover-
                The  parallel  diplomatic  engage-                                                                eignty and territorial integrity.
            ments -- External Affairs Minister S.                                                                     For  India,  however,  the  Quad
            Jaishankar’s  meeting  with  Chinese                                                                  serves  a  broader  strategic  purpose
            Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the   External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a group photo with Australian Foreign Minister Penny   than simply balancing China’s grow-
            Quad  Foreign  Ministers’  Meeting  --   Wong, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japan Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi   ing influence. It enhances India’s pro-
            demonstrate that India sees no con-                                                                   file  as  a  leading  Indo-Pacific  power,
            tradiction  between  improving  bilat-  during the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, in Manila on Wednesday. (@SecRubio X/ANI Photo)  strengthens  defense  and  technology
            eral ties with China and participating                                                                partnerships  with  advanced  econo-
            in regional groupings that seek to pre-  States.  Stable  ties  with  New  Delhi   New  Delhi  has  increasingly  linked   mies, and provides greater flexibility
            serve a free and open Indo-Pacific. In-  would allow Beijing to avoid simulta-  broader  bilateral  normalization  to   in  responding  to  regional  security
            stead, New Delhi appears to be pursu-  neously managing strategic rivalry on   sustained stability along the frontier.   challenges.  At  the  same  time,  New
            ing a dual-track strategy that combines   multiple  fronts  while  reinforcing  its   While disengagement efforts have   Delhi  has  consistently  resisted  por-
            engagement    with    deterrence.  narrative of Asian cooperation.  reduced immediate military tensions,   traying the grouping as an anti-China
                The latest round of India-China   India, however, continues to ap-  strategic trust remains limited.  alliance,  preferring  to  emphasize  its
            dialogue reflects a gradual thaw fol-  proach  the  relationship  with  greater   At the same time, India’s partic-  positive agenda centered on regional
            lowing the prolonged military stand-  caution.  Jaishankar  reiterated  that   ipation in the Quad continues to ex-  stability and development.
            off  in  eastern  Ladakh  that  began   peace and tranquility along the Line   pand. During the Foreign Ministers’   This  balancing  act  is  consistent
            in 2020. Chinese Foreign Minister   of Actual Control (LAC) remain the   Meeting in Manila, India joined the   with India’s larger vision of a multi-
            Wang Yi described India and China   indispensable  foundation  for  restor-  United  States,  Japan  and  Australia   polar  Asia.  Interestingly,  both  India
            as  “partners,  not  competitors,  and   ing  normal  bilateral  relations.  He   in  reaffirming  their  commitment  to   and China now invoke the language
            opportunities,  not  threats,”  arguing   stressed that stability on the frontier   a  free  and  open  Indo-Pacific  while   of  multipolarity,  albeit  with  differ-
            that recent interactions between Pres-  is  a  “pre-requisite”  for  broader  dip-  expressing  unwavering  support  for   ent  strategic  objectives.  Beijing  sees
            ident Xi Jinping and Prime Minister   lomatic engagement and argued that   ASEAN  centrality.  The  ministers   multipolarity as a means of diluting
            Narendra Modi had placed bilateral   any  durable  relationship  must  rest   discussed  maritime  security,  critical   American influence, while India views
            ties back on a path of improvement.   on  mutual  respect,  mutual  interest   technologies,  economic  resilience,   it as creating greater strategic space
            He called for expanded cooperation   and mutual sensitivity. He also raised   humanitarian  assistance  and  emerg-  for middle powers to pursue indepen-
            in  trade,  people-to-people  exchang-  longstanding   concerns   regarding   ing regional challenges, underscoring   dent foreign policies.
            es  and  multilateral  forums,  while   market access, trade imbalances and   the Quad’s growing role as a platform   The  Manila  meetings  therefore
            emphasizing  that  both  countries,  as   supply chain reliability, signaling that   for practical cooperation rather than   reflect not a contradiction but the es-
            representatives of the Global South,   economic  issues  remain  intertwined   a formal military alliance.   sence of India’s contemporary foreign
            should contribute to a more multipo-  with the political relationship.   The  Quad’s  agenda  has  steadily   policy.  By  keeping  diplomatic  chan-
            lar international order.              This  emphasis  reflects  India’s   broadened beyond traditional security   nels open with China while reinforc-
                The rhetoric from Beijing reflects   post-2020  approach  towards  China.   concerns.  Cooperation  now  extends   ing the Quad, New Delhi is seeking
            China’s interest in reducing tensions   Unlike the earlier period when eco-  to resilient supply chains, critical and   to  reduce  the  risks  of  confrontation
            with India at a time of increasing geo-  nomic engagement often progressed   emerging technologies, infrastructure,   without  compromising  its  long-term
            political competition with the United   independently  of  border  disputes,   disaster response and maritime domain   strategic interests.

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