Do the Asian Drivers Pull their Diplomatic Weight? China, India, and the United Nations

SummaryThis article considers whether the ascendancy of China and India as global economic powers has been matched by a shift in their foreign policy profile and performance. Their individual contribution to, and relationship with, the UN system is the best available measure to gauge China and India’s level of diplomatic activity. The authors argue that China has an entrenched cautious or status quo approach in its diplomacy, while India projects an uneven international persona. The sheer scale of China’s and India’s economies provides them not only with enhanced global weight and options, but is also tied with expectations. Size amplifies both countries’ voice and reach; whether the United Nations will continue to be at the center of this activity remains uncertain.