Status competition or Conflict of interest: Understanding China-India Asymmetrical rivalry in the Indian Ocean region

Abstract

Status competition in world politics always played a greater role, especially the developing powers who strive for greater status in world politics, and so do both India and China. This article tries to examine the nature of the conflict between India and China through the framework of Status competition while at the same time comparatively examining it with other conflict models such as Conflict of interest, Zero-sum game, and Status Dilemma. The article demonstrates that India-China relations in general and in the IOR (Indian Ocean region) should not always be scrutinized through the zero-sum game concept. The status competition model differs from other conflict models in many ways. The status competition model can accommodate the asymmetrical power gap between India and China in IOR. Also, the model provides policymakers in Beijing and New Delhi to avoid conflict-ridden zero-sum game thinking.