Geo-competition And India's Foreign Aid

This article focuses on the relationship between geopolitical competition and India's foreign aid.The study finds that the relationship mechanism between geopolitical competition and India's foreign aid is as follows: geopolitical competition is the external factor that leads to India's foreign aid behavior,and geopolitical competition will affect the threat perception of strategic decision-makers.The intensified geopolitical competition may make the neighboring countries enhance the cooperation with their rivals,and the neighboring countries may break away from the control of India or even antagonize with India's intention,resulting in the decline of India's influence and thus perceive the threat.However,India's threat perception leads to its response in foreign strategy and behavior,hoping to strengthen its control over neighboring countries through foreign policy means.As a foreign policy tool,foreign aid can strengthen the relationship with neighboring countries through economic aid and other means.As a result,the amount of foreign aid has increased dramatically.At the practical level,by studying India's foreign aid management system,India's foreign aid channels and methods,and the regional distribution of India's foreign aid,the study shows that India's foreign aid has three characteristics: First,foreign aid has a very high strategic positioning in the Indian government;Second,India's foreign aid distribution is consistent with its foreign policy;Third,There are regional differences in India's foreign aid approach(to maximize national interests).The third chapter analyzes India's threat perception of the “Belt and Road Initiative” and finds that India has a negative attitude towards the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,the Bangladesh-China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and the Maritime Silk Road.It believes that China will collide with India's geopolitical space and weaken India's influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region.The fourth chapter finds that India intends to strengthen its relations with neighboring countries through foreign aid and enhance India's influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region.It is reflected in the amount of foreign aid and finds thatIndia presents a trend of similar changes with China's foreign aid.And between 2013 and 2017,the ratio of India's foreign aid to China's foreign aid has suddenly increased significantly.Specific to India's assistance to individual countries,it is also found that India's aid amount has increased significantly after 2013.