Why New Delhi must master narrative warfare against US-China manoeuvres

China recently slammed a Pentagon report that accused Beijing of using easing border tensions with India to weaken India-US relations while deepening defence ties with Pakistan as an attempt to sow discord with false narratives. China firmly opposed the report, blaming the report for distorting China's defence policy and sowing discord between China and other countries. China stated that its bilateral relations with India are long-term and strategic.

This is an example of narrative warfare, where superpowers deploy stories as weapons to shape geopolitics. The future of the international order may depend on who controls the stories rather than missiles and deals.

This is a battle over who controls India's strategic narrative. External powers like the US and China are constantly trying to script India's relationships to fit their own visions of the world order, and this is the latest test of whether India can assert its own agency. India needs to tell its story before others tell it.

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Narrative warfare is a very powerful weapon that influences perceptions, decisions, and alliances without firing a shot. Today, terms and rhetoric are weapons. In this case, the Pentagon's report paints China as a manipulator: reducing border frictions with India to isolate the US-India partnership while deepening its defence ties with Pakistan.

China flips the script, portraying the US as the real troublemaker, blaming "false narratives" for undermining improving China-India ties. This is about control in a shifting global landscape. India, with a surging economy and military clout, is a key player in the Indo-Pacific. The US wants India as a key player to counter China; meanwhile, China sees India as a vital partner in countering Western dominance and influence. Both are attempting to define India's choices.

India needs to master a strategic weapon – its own narrative warfare. It should start by publicly calling out these attempts to script its role. Diplomats could issue statements that reaffirm strategic autonomy. India should invest more in domestic defence, tech and economic sectors, reducing dependence on any superpowers. For example, accelerating programmes like Make in India could make foreign narratives less persuasive and powerful. It should engage in several multilateral forums like Brics or the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to shape discussions. Finally, India should encourage think tanks and media to dissect these foreign reports and make people aware.

To be fair, the Pentagon report might highlight genuine concerns—China's military ties with Pakistan do raise eyebrows in India, and Beijing's border moves could indeed be strategic. But this diplomatic spat underscores that India's agency is under constant test. New Delhi must craft its own chapter in the global story, prioritising its people over foreign plots. People should stay vigilant and support policies that keep India truly sovereign.

(The writer is a columnist. His articles have appeared in various publications like ‘The Independent’, ‘The Globe and Mail’, ‘South China Morning Post’, ‘The Straits Times’, etc. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.)