In a significant move, a US carrier strike group led by aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has conducted a cooperative exercise with Indian warships in the Indian Ocean. The US group was transiting through the region after completing a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea. That the exercise was aimed at China in the midst of the India-China border standoff in eastern Ladakh was plain. In fact, US defence secretary Mike Esper tweeted before the exercise, “Don’t underestimate the strength of free democracies.” India-US defence cooperation may have become vital in the wake of China’s aggressive tactics in the region. But that alone won’t deter the current Chinese leadership led by President Xi Jinping.

In fact, Xi has been building a narrative within China that the US and its allies are working to contain China’s legitimate rise. This portrays the US as unwilling to live with a strong, prosperous China. Therefore, any display of military strength to counter China will be processed inside China as the US preventing China from realising its valid national growth aspirations. Of course, this is an exaggeration. What is actually happening in China is that Xi is trying to reimpose the authority of the Chinese Communist Party as the sole centre of power. Hence, any alternative vision for governance in China, whether held by members within the party or harboured by the general public, cannot be tolerated as it hits out at the legitimacy of the party itself.

Therefore, in order to quash alternative narratives within China, Xi is playing the nationalism card. The latter is also helpful in effecting a fundamental economic transition in China. After all, China can’t continue to grow at the breakneck pace it did in the previous decade. It has reached its limit following the manufacturing-export model of economic growth. As standards of living rise in China, it has to shift to a technology intensive-consumption model of growth. And that means rewriting the basic social contract that underpinned the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party whereby complete obedience to party rule was seen as the price of meteoric economic growth.

So how does one rewrite this social contract? Again, Xi is using nationalism and the ‘Make China Great Again’ paradigm. According to this, China is destined for greatness but the US and its allies are loath to allow it. So China must be assertive and the Chinese people must struggle to adjust to the new normal and sacrifice to ‘Make China Great Again’.

Seen in this way, the problem is with the current Chinese leadership’s outlook. China’s rise doesn’t necessarily have to be countered but balanced. And balance demands a subtler approach. As I have mentioned before, the US pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was a huge mistake as it was designed to balance China economically. On India’s part, we too should deploy some subtle tactics, alongside military signalling, to send the message to Beijing that it is treading down the wrong path. And one thing we should definitely consider is elevating our ties with Taiwan.

Beijing is certainly sensitive about Taiwan. But if it isn’t going to respect India’s sensitivities, there is no reason why New Delhi should be unduly deferential towards Beijing’s interests. In fact, Taiwan today is open to this as part of its New Southbound Policy. And recently, Taiwan’s ambassador to India for seven years, Tien Chung-kwang, was made Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, highlighting the importance Taipei now attaches to its engagements with New Delhi. Thus, New Delhi should reciprocate and move to substantially elevate ties with Taipei.

Plus, the Taiwanese know China the best. Therefore, from a strategic point of view, it makes sense for New Delhi and Taipei to increase their parleys. This certainly will send a strong message to Beijing and perhaps induce some rethink within the top echelons of the Chinese Communist Party. The idea here is to get China to change its path. New Delhi-Taipei cooperation could be helpful here.