Diplomacy Systems and Processes

What are the key characteristics of the diplomacy of India and China? To what extent is diplomatic capacity an issue in the management of a country’s foreign policy? For example, the number of executive level officials in the diplomatic machinery of China and India (the foreign ministries, embassies, consulates and other subsidiary offices) varies greatly in size, composition and work methods. Compared to about 1200 diplomat-rank officials in India, China has over 6500 diplomats—not counting new recruits who serve as non-diplomatic staff for their first three years, before being promoted as ‘attachés’ under their ‘3-3-4’ system. This and several other elements (structure, competence and capability) constitute a country’s ‘diplomatic capacity’; this concept has drawn new attention in the past five years. Another example is that both are large countries with a number of provinces; 1 the methods used to bring them into the external policy process offers rich material for comparison, with some clear learning. China’s larger diplomatic machine does not always translate into greater effectiveness. Some Indian methods are unique and score over China’s. This essay draws on research since 1999, comparing foreign ministries (one outcome of which was Asian Diplomacy , Rana 2007).