A N A LY S I S GLOBAL AND REGIONAL ORDER THE REMAKING OF SOUTH ASIA Geopolitical Implications of the Covid-19 Pandemic Christian Wagner September 2021 • While South Asia 1.0 was shaped by the conflict between India and Pakistan, South Asia 2.0 will be shaped by the rivalry between India and China and is likely to see an increasing plurality of new sub-regional initiatives competing with estab­lished structures like SAARC. • Chinese investments in the region may give South Asian countries additional political lev­erage, but its commitments are no free lunch. Especially smaller states might initially see new opportunities, but they will also face challenges in attempting to maintain a balance between the major powers.