A recent message from a former foreign secretary offered a striking metaphor: India, she suggested, might be at a Lagrange point. Not having been the most attentive science student, I had to look the term up. A Lagrange point is one of five positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large orbiting bodies—say, the Sun and Earth—balance out. This equilibrium allows a smaller object, like a spacecraft, to remain stable between the two, requiring minimal fuel to stay in place. These points are often described as ‘parking spots’ in space.

It’s a compelling image for India’s current geopolitical predicament. In the intricate and often tempestuous world of international relations, few relationships are as complex and consequential as the one between China and the United States.

An

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