“Donald Trump’s clueless diplomacy is a gift to Xi Jinping” runs the headline as Indian PM Modi cosies up to the Chinese and Russian leaders. On the surface it seems like a strategic slap in the face for Trump, though as ever in geopolitics there are pros and cons in either direction.
India and China are not natural allies – there are bitter feelings over China’s claim to an entire Indian state – Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing calls “South Tibet”. And since the border war in 1962, China has occupied 15,000 square miles of Kashmir that India considers its sovereign territory. Plus China is by far the biggest provider of weapons to India’s old enemy, Pakistan. China’s threat to Indian territory becomes greater because of the sheer scale of Xi’s military build-up. China’s declared defence budget of $250 billion (£185 billion) is over three times bigger than India’s $75 billion (£55 billion) in part because China’s economy is almost five times the size of India’s.
‘In the past the only way for India to balance China and insure itself against the ambition of its neighbour is by drawing closer to America. That is what India has been doing for at least 20 years’ (William Hague). But Trump’s bullying in trade talks and hosting of Pakistan’s army chief to lunch will have soured the mood considerably.
Modi’s 3rd Term chart is moving through treacherous times with the Mars square Pluto moving to exact within 4 months by Solar Direction and Neptune in final degree Pisces catching the September Eclipse and tr Saturn Neptune conjunct over the winter -so high uncertainty all round.
India’s relationship chart with China hints that hoping for the best may not be a good policy with tr Saturn Neptune opposition the Venus in 2026/27; and a nerve-stretched tr Uranus square Neptune in this year and next.
But what shows more clearly upsets and dented hopes are India’s relationship with both Russia 1917 and Russia 1991 – with tr Neptune Saturn conjunct Uranus and opposition Pluto in 2026/2027 on one and tr Saturn opposition the composite Sun on the other.
Nothing certain in the shifting sands of international diplomacy.
The post India drifting east? Or maybe not first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
