India and Taiwan are becoming strategically linked within an Indo-Pacific security architecture shaped by China’s calibrated coercion. Developments in the Taiwan Strait and in the Indian Ocean are interconnected theatres influencing regional stability. While structural constraints limit formal cooperation, both sides can pursue deterrence by denial through Maritime Domain Awareness and infrastructure resilience. Incremental coordination raises the costs of Chinese aggression while maintaining strategic ambiguity and avoiding overt escalation.

The 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan crisis places China in a complex strategic dilemma, highlighting the limits of its diplomatic outreach and economic leverage in managing regional tensions. Beijing must carefully balance its close partnership with Pakistan and its growing engagement with Taliban-led Afghanistan, even as the conflict threatens key projects like CPEC and planned connectivity initiatives. At the same time, rising instability has intensified China’s counterterrorism concerns, particularly regarding ISKP, ETIM, and repeated attacks on Chinese assets. China has adopted a cautious and calibrated approach—calling for ceasefire, maintaining ties with both sides, and using platforms like the UN, SCO, and BRICS to project itself as a responsible stakeholder while managing competing regional priorities.

China’s revival of zìlì gēngshēng (self-reliance) under Xi Jinping has crystallised into a core organising principle of its political economy, institutionalised through the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). No longer a historical slogan, it operates as a strategic doctrine linking technological capability, national security, and regime legitimacy. Rather than autarky, it reflects a calibrated response to supply chain vulnerabilities—simultaneously hedging against external shocks and driving domestic industrial upgrading. Its evolution from Maoist survivalism to Xi-era technological sovereignty underscores its conceptual elasticity. Yet, persistent tensions between self-reliance and globalization, and between indigenous innovation and external dependence reveal a model of selective integration—where openness is conditional and subordinated to control, resilience, and systemic endurance.

China’s AI development is driven by a state-coordinated strategy that integrates data systems, computing infrastructure, policy frameworks, and industry collaboration to build global competitiveness. The government has prioritized data as a key production factor, established regulated data marketplaces, and expanded compute capacity through initiatives like the Eastern Data Western Computing strategy. Strong public-private partnerships, especially with major tech firms, and investments in education and research have accelerated innovation and large-scale AI deployment. At the same time, evolving governance frameworks aim to ensure security, ethics, and standardization. However, challenges such as high resource consumption, regulatory complexity, and dependence on advanced semiconductors continue to shape the limits of China’s AI ambitions.

This is the fifth of a six-part series analyzing the Taiwanese TV series ‘Zero Day Attack’ for the Organisation for Research on China and Asia’s (ORCA) ‘Reviewing Chinese Culture’ segment.

जातीय एकता और प्रगति को बढ़ावा देने वाला 2026 का कानून, विशिष्ट जातीय पहचानों के बजाय ’साझा राष्ट्रीय पहचान’ पर ज़ोर देता हैं। नीतियाँ जातीय पहचान के बजाय चीनी राष्ट्र के साथ पहचान को प्राथमिकता देती हैं, जिससे पहले के स्वायत्तता ढांचे कमजोर होते हैं और जिसका अल्पसंख्यक पहचानों के एक प्रमुख ‘हान-केंद्रित राष्ट्रीय संस्कृति ‘में समाहित होने का खतरा है।

The Special Issue “India’s Soft Push for Power in South Asia: Shaping A Favourable Tomorrow” was ideated keeping in mind the increasing need for Indian policymakers to mitigate challenges emerging against New Delhi’s South Asian policy. Through each chapter, contributed by emerging Indian scholars specializing in India’s neighborhood policy, the publications envisions new and existing strategies to effectively leverage India’s soft power appeal in South Asia.