India Courts the Chinese Market Even as the West Talks of Decoupling

India's ambassador to China, Vikram Doraiswami, argued that more Chinese investment would benefit the broader relationship between the two countries and pressed for greater Indian exports to China in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, where India is globally competitive. The Hindu reported the ambassador's pitch, a notably constructive tone between two neighbors with a long history of border tension.

The comments come amid a wider debate about whether protectionism can rebuild lost industry. A commentary in the South China Morning Post argued that blaming China for overproduction will not bring manufacturing jobs back to post-industrial economies, disputing the premise behind Western tariff campaigns. The two pieces come from different vantage points, an Indian diplomat seeking market access and a Hong Kong outlet defending China's trade position, but both lead to the same conclusion, engagement with Chinese demand rather than separation from it.

For the world's largest developing economies, the calculation is pragmatic. Even as Washington and Beijing restrict each other, India and others are trying to expand their share of Chinese demand and investment, treating the two superpowers as markets to pursue rather than alliances to join.