Universal values and geopolitical interests: China and India in the global competition

Very few commentators would question the validity of the claim that China and India are the central drivers of the nascent “Asianization�? of global politics. Labeled as the “rise of Asia,�? the discussion of the growing prominence of Beijing and New Delhi has provoked a hoard of allegories to assist the understanding of their international outreach. On the one hand, China conjures up images of either a cuddly “panda,�? or a fi re-breathing “dragon.�? On the other hand, India tends to be depicted either as a fearful, yet prickly “porcupine,�? a cumbersome “elephant,�? or a dazzling “peacock�? (Kavalski 2010b). In either case, the question remains, what do these representations tell us about the future roles of and interactions between India and China? Do such images assist current engagements with the rise of Asia or do they obfuscate the fi eld of vision?.