莫迪是一个娴熟的推销员。在频繁的外交行程中，这位印度总理不仅用言语，而且还用行动来夸耀他的品牌。幸福洋溢的笑容，温暖的拥抱以及标志性的民族特色的衣着，凸显了一个庞大却温和的国家令人安心的谦逊。然而，在被莫迪人格化的模糊的印度形象背后，一个地区强国的轮廓正在他的领导下渐渐清晰地显露出来。

For many Indians, it is about time. Traditional Indiandiplomacy has been “non-aligned”. In practice this has often meantdisengagement from the wider world and skittish caution closer to home. Suchhas been the case in India’s dealings with China: its generous economic andmilitary aid to Pakistan, India’s eternal rival, and its energetic efforts toprise smaller neighbours such as Nepal and Sri Lanka from India’s orbit haveuntil recently resulted in little more than head-scratching in the Indiancapital, Delhi. C. Raja Mohan of the Carnegie Endowment for InternationalPeace, a think-tank, says there has been a shift in Indian diplomatic thinking:“Now the word is: ‘We will push back.’”

对很多印度人来说，是时候这么做了。传统的印度外交政策已经不受青睐（注：指不结盟政策）。实际上，不结盟通常意味着把自己隔绝于更广阔的世界，并对附近的地区过分敏感。像印度与中国的交易已经成为例子：中国慷慨地给印度的死对头巴基斯坦提供经济和军事援助，并积极拉拢诸如尼泊尔和斯里兰卡这种印度势力范围内的小国直到最近导致新德里感到头疼。来自智库卡内基国际和平基金会的C.拉贾莫汉说，印度的外交思维已经发生转变：“现在的想法是：“我们要绝地反击。””

Mr Modi has signalled this on his recent travels. Lastmonth saw him in Iran where, between cuddly photo-sessions with similarlygrizzled Iranian leaders, India pledged to develop port and rail links betweenIran and Afghanistan. It is no coincidence that this route, which will easetraffic between Central Asia and the Arabian Sea, runs parallel to China’s own$46 billion scheme to build energy and transport infrastructure through thelength of Pakistan, linking China to the sea.

莫迪最近的出访暗示着这一点。上个月看到他在伊朗，与相像的头发花白的伊朗领导人进行有亲和力的合影之后，印度承诺开发伊朗和阿富汗之间的港口及铁路连接。这条缓解中亚至阿拉伯海交通压力的路线并非巧合，它和中国拥有的460亿美元建设能源和运输基础设施的计划十分相似，这一计划穿越整个巴基斯坦，将中国连接到海洋。

On June 4th Mr Modi stopped in Afghanistan to inaugurate ahydroelectric station. One of numerous Indian aid projects, it is intended notonly to shore up Afghanistan’s Western-backed government, but also to show offIndia’s generous, responsible behaviour, in contrast with that of anotherneighbour, Pakistan, whose intelligence services have long been accused ofcovertly sponsoring the Taliban.

6月4日，莫迪经停阿富汗，为一个水电站剪彩。作为印度众多援助项目中的一个，它的目的不仅仅是巩固西方扶持的阿富汗政府，还为了展示印度的慷慨以及负责任的行为。相比之下，它的另一个邻居巴基斯坦的情报机构则一直被指责暗中资助塔利班。

From Afghanistan he went to Switzerland, America andMexico. His aim in these countries was to put the seal on what has been a longand complicated Indian diplomatic effort. India has been trying for decades togain international recognition as a nuclear state. It will soon gain entry tothe 34-nation Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), whose aim is to keepirresponsible countries from acquiring missiles with which to deliver weaponsof mass destruction.

莫迪从阿富汗出发，先后到访瑞士、美国和墨西哥。他去这些国家的目的是为印度长期而复杂的外交努力收获成果。印度数十年来始终致力于成为一个获得国际公认的拥核国家。它将很快获准进入34个国家组成的导弹及其技术控制制度（注：MTCR是美国等西方七国建立的集团性出口控制制度，中国未加入。），这一制度旨在防止不负责任的国家获取可运载大规模杀伤性武器的导弹。）

China worries about signs that Western countries arecosying up to its giant neighbour. It fears that Mr Modi will exploit betterties with America as a source of advantage. For years the Pentagon has pursuedIndia as part of an effort to counterbalance growing Chinese strength, but onlyin recent months have Indian military officials begun to show eagerness for co-operation.This month the two countries will hold their annual naval exercises not inIndian waters, but in the Sea of Japan, with the Japanese navy, near islandsclaimed by both Japan and China. In a wide-ranging speech before a jointsession of Congress on June 8th, Mr Modi said that America was India’s“indispensable partner”. An outright military alliance between India andAmerica remains unlikely, but even the remote prospect of one will concentrateChinese minds.

中国担心西方国家正讨好它的巨大邻国的迹象。它担心莫迪将与美国更紧密的关系利用为优势资源。多年以来，五角大楼一直致力于将印度作为制衡中国不断增长实力的努力的一部分，但只是在最近几个月印度军方才开始展现对合作的渴望。本月，两国将举行的年度海军演习不在印度洋，而是和日本海军一起，在临近与中国争议的岛屿附近的日本海海域。在6月8日国会联席会议之前的一个涉及多领域的演讲中，莫迪说美国是印度“不可或缺的合作伙伴”。印美之间的直接军事同盟仍然希望渺茫，即便远景是其中一国将专注于中国的想法。