Identity’s Role in China–India Competition and Conflict

Abstract

Identity is a crucial factor shaping the orientations of states at multiple levels. It determines their role in domestic affairs and sets their trajectory in foreign policy, establishing priorities that can become grounds for either cooperation or divergence among states. This study focuses on China and India, two countries founded upon distinct identities that rest on different ideological underpinnings and directions.

The research explores the role, concept, and definitions of identity, beginning with a central research question: Has the national identity of China and India influenced the competition between the two countries and driven them toward conflict? To answer this question, the study proposes a hypothesis that reflects a direct relationship between identity and conflict: the greater the tangible and intangible components of identity that lean toward expansion and regional leadership, the more competitive the foreign policies of the two countries become.

The study employs inductive, comparative, and constructivist approaches to analyze identity. The study concludes that the distinct national identities of China and India have reinforced their competitive foreign policies, fueling rivalry and potential conflict despite mutual economic interests that encourage cooperation.