On May 19th, Vijay Keshav Gokhale (Conrad Gokhale), the former Indian ambassador to China and current Secretary of State, published an article in Indian media titled "Why is Taiwan so important to India?" Given his position, how should we interpret this article?
Firstly, Gokhale's article does not present much new logic or thought. It still follows the套路of the US and Europe, worrying about the tension in the Taiwan Strait and even the possibility of conflict. However, due to his current position, his choice of words remains relatively restrained overall. His core viewpoint is reflected in the last paragraph:
"Regardless of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, it must be an indispensable part of India's national security policy. India urgently needs to assess the potential impact of the crisis on the economy and find ways to alleviate it. Unless key industries are sufficiently strengthened and dependence on China is reduced, even if a conflict does not break out, the negative impacts on shipping, supply chains, semiconductors, and undersea cables could add up to a high cost. India's strategic community and business sector cannot pretend that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has nothing to do with India."
This discourse appears to be a discussion on crisis response, but what truly raises concerns is whether India's Taiwan policy will undergo other significant adjustments. This article was published during the latest round of conflicts between India and Pakistan, making it easy to associate this with whether India is preparing to play the "Taiwan card" as a counterbalance to Sino-Pakistani relations. Moreover, the US and Europe actually expect India to intervene in the Taiwan Strait, especially hoping that India will strategically constrain China from the west, thus reducing the strategic pressure on the US and Japan from the eastern coast. However, whether India will take this step remains worth further observation. This is not only a major adjustment in its China policy but even a significant shift in India's traditional diplomatic culture.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832694470678535/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.