Conflict and Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific (original) (raw)

India, China and the US: strategic convergence in the Indo-Pacific

This paper examines the evolving geopolitical developments in the Indo-Pacific region, especially through the lens of an India–US– China trilateral/tripolar framework. At a time when ‘strategic unease’ has become a defining characteristic of the region and ‘security alignments and strategic hedging’ a prevalent diplomatic tendency, this paper captures an evolving trend of convergence in the strategic visions of the three key Indo-Pacific players – India, China and the US, and rising bilateral strategic/defence cooperation between them. Using a constructivist approach, this paper explores the feasibility of a trilateral cooperative framework among the three countries in near future.

Looking West, Acting East: India's Indo-Pacific Strategy

Malcolm Cook and Daljit Singh (eds.), Southeast Asian Affairs, 2019

The re-emergence of the Indo-Pacific as a strategic concept guiding the foreign policies of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India—the so-called Quad—has raised concerns in Southeast Asia about ASEAN becoming less central in a region increasingly at risk of being dominated by dynamics reminiscent of the Cold War. However, one Quad member—India—is pushing for a more inclusive Indo-Pacific, one that would include both China and ASEAN. India’s different approach stems from New Delhi’s need to ‘manage’ Beijing through a mix of economic and diplomatic cooperation on the one hand and military deterrence on the other. Consequently, the Indo-Pacific as the conceptual basis for a potential China-focused containment strategy makes little sense to Indian policymakers. Instead, they prefer to dilute the threat to Beijing by involving more states in key regional discussions, and ASEAN is a logical candidate. However, Southeast Asian states looking for a major power that can support Washington’s declining ability to underwrite regional order cannot rely on New Delhi, which still pursues an ingrained foreign policy of strategic autonomy.

The Hot Peace in Indo-Pacific: Contesting Quadrilateral Security Dialogue Against Chinese Geopolitics in the Indian Ocean Region

Malaysian Journal of International Relations, 2021

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a strategy to contain China which has now reached the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as part of the Chinese geostrategy in the Indo-Pacific to counterbalance US and western hegemony. The dynamics brought by the minilateral realm and bilateral conflicts within the Indo-Pacific have contributed to the shaping of the region's security architecture. This article discusses the contentions between India-China competition; ASEAN, Quad, and the implications to IOR; and how the Quad Plus notion is affecting further geopolitical deliberation in the Indo-Pacific. The article concludes that the Quad is an important platform for years ahead and the rising notion of the Quad Plus will remain as the future challenge for both sides. This may redefine the Indo-Pacific concept itself, however, it is assured that ASEAN will play as a collaborative agent to China and the Quad, while also prioritise their interests over the region.

US and India: Paving the road to ensuring Peace and Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region

Electronic Journal of Social and Strategic Studies, 2020

The Indo-Pacific regional construct has been at the helm of international strategic discourse in the recent decade. This region comprises of the whole of Asia-the hub of 21 st century commerce, eastern Africa and the key International Shipping Lanes and maritime chokepoints connecting the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. One cannot overstate the salience of this vast regional expanse for the maintenance of well-ordered maritime commerce and security. The formidable rise of China in international affairs causes tension and unease to the United States and India and brings them together to work in tandem at containing China's expansionist rise which has the potential to jeopardize the transparency and inclusiveness underlying the Indo-Pacific Global Commons. The Covid-19 pandemic has put the world's trust and confidence in China at an all-time low which provides the twin democratic nations with fresh opportunities to resolve outstanding irritants in their bilateral relationship and take a panoramic view of the road to cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. This paper attempts to analyze the respective US and Indian Indo-Pacific regional approach to probe prospects for cooperation in securing the multilateral order in the region.

Pursuing Stability Through Competition: India's Reactive Strategy to China's Rise in the Indo-Pacific

Ali Asker, Md Nazmul Islam, Büşra Yengeç Ersin, Amir Ahmed Khuhro (eds.). South Asia. State, Society, Politics, 2023

China-India relations are characterized by competition and a certain degree of mutual distrust. Ongoing territorial disputes, military rivalry and infrastructure connectivity disagreements, all prove that Sino-Indian relations can be defined in terms of strategic competition. Though skirmishes and frictions are recurrent, major military clashes and diplomatic setbacks between Beijing and New Delhi have been scant: China and India maintain a stable mutual relationship despite mutual distrust. Sino-Indian rivalry is evident with regards to the implementation of Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, and especially its Maritime Silk Road. India is balancing Chinese growing influence in countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar, which New Delhi has traditionally maintained a good relationship with. India is also strengthening ties with Vietnam and Indonesia, countries which hold strained relations vis-à-vis China. Within the framework of the "Delhi Dialogue," India pursues cooperation with ASEAN, in the attempt to counterbalance China's engagement with the organization. Moreover, India is concerned with the rapid expansion of the Chinese strategic footprint into the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Despite China's military and technological superiority, India strives to maintain and expand its maritime projection by improving its naval forces and vying for the establishment of foreign naval bases. This chapter aims to shed light on India's reactive strategy to China's enhanced footprint in its adjacent territories, emphasizing that this strategy is conducted through a multifaceted approach and aims to maintain a stable bilateral relationship. India pursues a strategy of "diplomatic containment" vis-à-vis China by consolidating its relations with South and Southeast Asian countries. Concurrently, New Delhi is committed to the improvement of its naval apparatus in the IOR, in an apparent attempt to deter China from gaining unimpeded strategic projection in the area. Grounded on these analytical frameworks, this study comes to envision that Sino-Indian relations will develop along a stable rivalry pathway which would hardly turn into an open conflict in the short to medium term.

Indo-Pacific Significance: A Study on Geopolitical Impact on India and China

International Journal of Law and Politics Studies (IJLPS),ISSN: 2709-0914, 2019

Today, Indo-Pacific is a buzzword interpreted differently in its outlook or vision papers by different countries. For its vision for a stable Indo-Pacific, India will need to manage its relations with China and Japan. Global economic growth engines have moved to Asia, first to the Asia-Pacific and now to the Indo-Pacific which includes South Asia. One might argue that the natural evolution of trade, investment and energy flows favours the broader Indo-Pacific definition of Asia and the Asia-Pacific as opposed to the narrower confines. This study focuses on the importance of indo-pacific region. These issues are mostly geopolitical in nature such as dominance over the region. For analyzing this paper, we mostly relied on secondary data which was collected through different books, journals, authentic internet sources, grey literatures and websites. The paper tries to highlights on how to minimize the strategic challenges which India is facing presently. This research will be useful for scholars and academicians, foreign policy, decision-makers, security, and strategic influence on frontiers.

China's 'Rimland' Strategy and India's 'Indo-Pacific' Response

Edited Book: International Relations in the Indo-Pacific Region: States’ Strategies and Regional Institutions, 2024

As the maritime underbelly of Asia, the Indo-Pacific region is re-emerging as an arena of maritime interaction between China and India. This interface last occurred between the ancient Chinese and Indian civilizations about three centuries ago. Whereas the erstwhile linkage was through trade and cultural interactions, the present one is premised on the security connections between Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Indo-Pacific security linkage began to emerge with the turn of the 21st Century. This paper aims to analyze the regional contestation between China and India against the backdrop of the theories of the 'Security Dilemma' and 'Heartland versus Rimland'. The analysis is based on the interplay between the geo-strategies of China and India that seek to meet their geopolitical objectives in the region: China's emerging 'Rimland' orientation and India's 'Indo-Pacific' response that combines its Act East policy with its vision of SAGAR.