China

[On Indian posture towards U.S.-China relations following its border dispute with China] [T]here will be no taking the middle path here. Even if it does not join a bloc ... Delhi will recognize that its interests and approaches will align far more with the U.S. than with China.

[On China's moves near the Line of Actual Control] What they seem to be trying to do is the territorial version of what they have done in the South China Sea.

[Following the deaths of Indian soldiers on the India-China border] I suspect China has lost another generation, in India, many of whom had seen China as an opportunity. Basically, now they will say we can’t trust them. Even if there was already an internal debate, this has strengthened the hands of those who have called for a rethinking. One thing this will put an end to is the idea that economic interdependence is going to alleviate political strains.

[Following India-China border dispute] And, so far, India has been limiting to some extent its deepening cooperation with the U.S. so as not to provoke China, but China's doing these things anyway.

China doesn’t particularly want India to succeed. A weaker India will do less strategically in its own neighborhood, allowing China to step in more; and it will engage less in places like East Africa or in regional institutions, posing little challenge to China.

[On India-China border dispute] This kind of territory is incredibly hard to hold, but also to move multiple troops over... So it’s not considered to be something that just happened on the ground. It’s clearly a decision made by the Chinese at a more senior level.