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

The book Conflict and Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific New Geopolitical Realities is a collection of nine articles by 11 different authors. The book is edited by Ash Rossiter and Brandon J. Cannon. It examines and explores the most important strategic questions and emerging policies of cooperation and conflict adopted by the Indo-Pacific states. One of the important attributes of this book in regard to its contribution towards the realm of International Relations and geopolitics is that it questions the narrative of ever-increasing Chinese dominance and the descent of the US and its allies. It explicitly focuses upon the visions and strategies developed by Japan, India, Australia and the US in response to the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific. The work overall suggests that new geopolitical realities will be shaped by new rivalries, shifting alliances and an economic churn in the Indo-Pacific. It aims to target the plethora of audiences ranging from policymakers, students and academicians who wish to explore and understand what could be the defining regions of international politics in the future. The following paragraphs of this book review will provide a brief overview of the focus areas and certain contents of the book. The first chapter is titled same as that of the book, i.e., "Conflict and Cooperation in The Indo-Pacific" and it is authored by the editors Ash Rossiter and Brandon J. Cannon. It provides the readers with a brief background of the geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. The authors assert that the Chinese economic, political and military engagement in the region is the most crucial factor responsible for transforming and establishing a new order in the region. While discussing the China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the authors point out that "Not all Chinese investment or presence is bad. Indeed, it fills a critical need that neither the US nor its Indo-Pacific partners can or should fill." The opening chapter therefore encompasses a different perspective that focuses upon the response to the opportunities and the challenges by the states in the Indo-Pacific. Chapter 2, "India's approach to the Quad and the salience of China" by Jagannath P. Panda, argues that "New Delhi's Quad stance is not an explicit move against China but rather is a calculated strategic move to protect its interests, including maritime interests and ambitions, in view of a 'revisionist' China in the Indo-Pacific." India's engagement with the Quad is not merely to contain China's strategic interest in the Indian Ocean, but is also to ensure power equilibrium in the region which is a reflection of New Delhi's plural foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific. The author effectively sums up the chapter by saying that, "Indian approach is to position its security interests-maritime and otherwisefront and centre in India's relations with Beijing while at the same time further establishing consonance and compatibility with the United States, Japan and Australia." According to the author, Beijing's Maritime Silk Road (MSR) is a challenge to India's maritime superiority. While India is using Quad to reduce China's rising assertiveness in the region, India is also aware of the Quad's limitations.