However, New Delhi is also growing increasingly wary about its neighbour’s activities across the broader Indo-Pacific region, where Beijing is building up its military presence.
The two powers have both been on manoeuvres, with India recently opening its own military facility near the Maldives amid fears China is seeking bases in nearby Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Chinese president President Xi Jinping has sought to thwart India’s ambitions to play a bigger role on the global stage.
Beijing vetoed its neighbour’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2016, blocked New Delhi’s efforts to put Pakistan-based terrorists on global watchlists and has repeatedly denied its attempt to join the powerful United Nations Security Council.
That is despite support from all other sitting members, including Russia.
Against that backdrop, India has sought to foster closer alliances with partners, including the US, Australia and Japan, all of which sit on the “Quad” security alliance, to help contain Chinese aggression.
However, with Modi having suffered a surprise loss of his parliamentary majority in the latest Indian elections – forcing him to rely on coalition partners – his latest position on Taiwan may be a sign of strength regarding his foreign policy.
“Symbolically, it shows efforts to send a signal to Beijing that despite the Modi government’s weakened mandate, India will maintain its more assertive and muscular foreign policy and not kowtow to pressure from China on the border,” says Dr Chietigj Bajpaee, a senior research fellow for South Asia at the Chatham House foreign policy think tank.
