Conclave 2021: Is the world ready for a Chinese century? | In Pics

At the India Today Conclave 2021, former Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Senior Transatlantic Fellow, GMF Asia and author Andrew Small discussed whether the 21st century would be the 'Chinese century'.

On the India-China standoff, former foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon said that the 'power balance has now shifted against India'.

Senior Transatlantic Fellow, GMF Asia and author Andrew Small added, "China has shifted its approach in ways that have caught almost everyone off guard. There is a significant process of adjustment now taking place for all states, not just India, to deal with China.

On the China-Taiwan situation, Shivshankar Menon said, "We need to keep watching Taiwan carefully. But China has reason to be careful. It involves killing fellow Chinese. China is not sure how the world will respond and they also cannot be sure that they will win."

Andrew Small added, "We have seen how states are working together more actively with greater urgency and I see this as a disadvantage for China."

He said that China wishes to be a global military power. "China is trying to make other countries dependent on it while being independent itself," Small added.

When asked what India should do with China fast emerging as a global superpower, Andrew Small said the country should be proactively involved in global coalition-building. On the other hand, Shivshankar Menon stated that India needs to "grow at 12 per cent".