TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — India might have to play a part in a war between Taiwan and China as it relies on minerals shipped from Russia’s east coast, academics said Thursday (Sept. 22).

India’s military recently ordered a study of possible scenarios for a conflict across the Taiwan Strait, according to a Bloomberg report. Analysts saw the move as a major change from previous years, with the South Asian nation seeing China more and more as an enemy.

Because of the minerals transports from Vladivostok, free passage in the Taiwan Strait and in Southeast Asia is essential to India’s interests, said Shih Chienyu (侍建宇) of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR). He said Indian officials thought war was unlikely, but if it happened, India could not remain a passive bystander, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

Contacts between the military in India and Taiwan would be vague at first, but they would increase mutual trust and lead to better understanding and cooperation, according to Shih.

Experts also saw China’s recent economic problems as a sign which would increase India’s confidence, as the latter becones a magnet for more investments from multinationals looking to avoid risk and seek large markets.