The value of India’s oil and gas trade with the United States rapidly increased in size over the last two to three years. Efforts by New Delhi to build better bilateral relations with Washington helped to energise the fossil fuel trade. India, as a consumer, can expect to buy oil and gas at reasonable prices in the mid-term, ensured not least by competition among suppliers. However, India’s import of coal from the US suppliers is projected to decline due to recent decision of the Indian Government to become self-sufficient in coal.
Xunzi and The Kautilya Arthasastra are full of rich philosophical thoughts on inter-state relations. This article undertakes a comparison between them in terms of their methods of writing, views on the nature of inter-state systems and arguments about a state’s comprehensive power. This article finds that the leadership’s determination and emphasis on morality are two important shared mentalities between Xunzi and Kautilya. Both attribute the rise and fall of a state mainly to state leadership rather than material factors or the political system.
