China’s grey-zone game: Why India must prepare for ‘armed coexistence’

Former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale argues that China waits for a strategic opening, acts pre-emptively and then builds a narrative of self-defence.His new book, “China’s Wars: The Politics and Diplomacy Behind its Military Coercion”, examines past conflicts and China’s recent grey-zone tactics.In an interview with Indrajeet Rai, Gokhale explains why the India-China relationship has entered an era of “armed coexistence”, why a full-scale war is not the most likely outcome but cannot be ruled out, and how political uncertainty after Xi Jinping could produce global economic shocks or military adventurism. Edited excerpts:You describe China as an opportunistic power. What does that mean, and when does Beijing decide to act pre-emptively?By opportunistic power, I did not intend to suggest that China is very different from other major powers.