China in South Asia: A Critical Appraisal of the Drivers Behind China’s National Interests and Statecraft Strategy

Abstract

China, once a great civilization, is approaching to acquire its previous grandiose by
enhancing its power and clout in the contemporary global politics. China has been
spreading its sphere of influence around the world and South Asia is no exception. This
paper seeks to trace out the factors that motivate China to engage South Asia as it is
considered imperative to understand its statecraft strategy towards this region. The
key objective is to identify the elements that instigate China to make its presence felt in
the region. This study aims to explore why China is keenly interested to project its
influence in South Asia and what are the factors that propel China to engage regional
countries? It is a qualitative study which utilizes case study method to bring multiple
perspectives which are rooted in a specific context. It has been found out that there is a
range of factors that provoke China to extend its influence in South Asia including
ensuring energy security, maintaining security in the Sea Lanes of Communication
(SLOCs), maintaining relative peace and security both at home and abroad, realizing
economic prosperity, and guaranteeing support for anti-hegemonism.