Areas of Chinese-Indian competition in the South Asian region

This study seeks to demonstrate China and India's role as regional powers in the global order by highlighting the military and economic presence of both countries in the South Asian region. Analysing the region's place in the strategy of both China and India through the region's important geographical location and enormous economic wealth represented a polarizing factor for emerging countries. South Asian countries have been an important focus of China's strong economic and political rivalry with India. China is expanding its presence in the region through an initiative "Belt and Road", India is demonstrating its role as a regional force through bilateral and multilateral cooperation with South Asian countries to achieve competition with China, which has been able to attract many countries of the region through inward investment and flooding the markets of these countries with Chinese products to control their economies and block India's progress in South Asia. Both China and India have sought to strengthen their influence through various economic, political and security strategies. This competition has created challenges and opportunities for small States in the region, which have found themselves compelled to adapt to this reality by taking balanced positions between the two competing Powers in their national interests and benefiting from investments and joint cooperation with both States.