India: the next superpower?: India's national interests and diplomatic activism: towards global leadership?

摘要

India’s rise constitutes one of the most fascinating and important stories of the past twouddecades, symbolising, along with China, the fundamental shift of power towards Asia. Yetudwhile many acknowledge India’s newfound importance, the country remains one of the mostudmisunderstood actors in the international community. During the Cold War, India was the onlyuddemocratic regime that did not align with the West. After becoming a nuclear power in 1998,udthe country suffered international condemnation, only to become one of the United States’ keyudstrategic partners less than ten years later. While international analysts have traditionally lookedudat India primarily through the prism of the conflict with Pakistan, today it is routinely analysedudin the context of a rising China. Neither viewpoint can do justice to India’s much more importantudand complex role in the 21st century. The need to understand India’s perspective has never beenudgreater, and today no global challenge – be it climate change, nuclear proliferation or povertyudreduction – can be tackled successfully without India’s active contribution and engagement.