India Now the World’s Swing Vote
China is mobilizing multilateral groups and sending them into battle against the United States.
There is, however, one fundamental problem for an ambitious Beijing: India, which is now playing a pivotal role in the region and beyond. New Delhi has been frustrating Beijing’s efforts to use two groupings, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, to further its main diplomatic goals.
New Delhi does not always oppose China’s initiatives, however. For instance, on the first day of September India joined China, Russia, and the other SCO members in adopting the Bishkek Declaration when the organization in the Kyrgyz capital concluded its 26th summit.
The declaration was clearly anti-American. It condemned “military strikes against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties and significant damage to the country’s economy.” These attacks, the declaration stated, “violate the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter, and create serious risks to international peace, security, and stability.”