The Chinese Shadow on India’s Eastward Engagement: The Energy Security Dimension

Securing energy supplies is vital for India, the world’s second most populous country, home to 1.38 billion people having a median age of 28.1 and where some seven million youth enter the workforce every year.

Any discussion about India’s energy security would have to factor in China, the world’s most populous country. Its 1.41 billion people have a median age of 37.4 and about nine million youth were expected to enter China’s workforce in 2021.

China is the second largest global importer of fossil fuels while India is the third largest. Competition for energy sources, particularly fossil fuels, is inevitable between these two Asian neighbours, especially when demand far outstrips domestic supply, in either country. And, this competition has played out over the past several years on every continent.