In this episode of The Awaara Musaafir Show, host Jayesh Gangan sits down with former diplomat and China expert Ashok Kantha for a deep, hard hitting conversation on India China relations and the strategic challenges shaping Asia’s future. Drawing from decades of diplomatic experience and insights from his book, Kantha offers a rare India first perspective on understanding China beyond Western narratives. The discussion begins with why India lacks deep China expertise compared to Pakistan focused discourse, and how relying on Western scholarship has created dangerous misconceptions about China’s ideology, politics and long term intentions. Kantha explains why China was never going to become a liberal democracy and why India must analyze China strictly through its own national interest. The conversation moves into the realities of border tensions, including Eastern Ladakh, past standoffs like Sumdorong Chu, and why China respects strength more than rhetoric. Kantha breaks down India’s approach of strategic patience, strong deterrence and calibrated diplomacy, while also questioning where India should have spoken more openly and firmly. The episode also explores China’s growing support to Pakistan, including intelligence sharing, weapons systems and real time military assistance. Kantha explains how this marks a clear shift in China’s role and why India must call this out publicly, not just through quiet diplomacy. The discussion expands to larger geopolitical risks such as China’s mega dam projects near Arunachal Pradesh, water security threats, economic dependencies, rare earth control and how dependency itself is being weaponized. Kantha also shares his views on India US relations, shifting American policy, and why India can no longer rely on external balancing alone.
