Significance of the Indian Ocean Region in Indo-China Geopolitical Game (original) (raw)
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Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (CJMS), 2024
This article explores the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean for China and India, examining how their actions influence geopolitical dynamics and security policies. The Indian Ocean, a vital global trade route, has seen increased attention from both nations through their naval expansions, infrastructure investments, and diplomatic engagements. This has sparked debates about potential competition, strategic rivalries, and the implications for regional security. The study aims to understand the impact of China and India's activities in the Indian Ocean and their potential for cooperation or conflict. The research question focuses on how these actions affect regional security. The methodology employed is a qualitative research approach, incorporating a literature review, document analysis, case studies, and a comparative analysis of China and India's strategies in the Indian Ocean. The results highlight the Indian Ocean as a critical geopolitical arena undergoing significant transformations due to the actions of China and India. The rise of these two powers has the potential to either lead to conflict and instability or contribute to regional stability by providing public goods such as anti-piracy patrols and disaster relief efforts.
China's Maritime-strategic Presence in IOR: Geopolitical, Geoeconomic and Security Import
Maritime Affairs: Journal of the National Maritime Foundation of India, 2014
Developments of the past few years clearly indicate China's quest to establish a permanent maritime-strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region. With China fast emerging as a global superpower with the potential to challenge the primacy of the USA, this is accompanied with significant geopolitical, geoeconomic and security ramifications for the regional countries. This article attempts to examine the possible implications in terms of regional stability, regional balance of power, maritime security, maritime safety, economics and the adversarial potential in India-China relations. For an objective analysis, the study is based on two contrasting theories of international relations. When viewed in context of the Realist theory, China's presence in the region may lead to zero-sum outcomes. On the other hand, the premise of Constructivism could lead to "win-win" outcomes. The paper concludes that the outcomes are likely to lie somewhere between the aforesaid extremes, depending upon the actions of all states that have stakes in the region. It also attempts broadly to suggest the way ahead for all stakeholders in the region.
Sino-Indian Strategic Rivalry in the Indian Ocean Region
2017
This article aims to explicate Sino-Indian strategic rivalry for regional influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). For this purpose, it focuses on actors’ actions, which can be interpreted as acts of strategic competition. First of all, it examines Chinese attempts to increase its strategic and economic influence in the region through establishing strong economic and military ties with regional countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan and some connectivity projects like CPEC and BCIM-EC as a part of the Belt and Road Intiative (BRI). Secondly, it investigates Indian counter initiatives as a part of the ‘Act East Policy’ and ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, for strenghtening its political, economic and military ties with the USA and its neighbouring countries such as Iran, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and some connectivity infrastructure projects like the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. The article argues that although it seems to be a spatial rivalry for gaining and maintaining a total control over the same territory, it is indeed more about a positional rivalry for regional influence, while China seeks to improve its relative position in the IOR, India tries to maintain its relatively advantageous and pre-eminent position in the region.
This article focuses on the Indian Ocean regional order, particularly on the United States-India-China strategic triangle in the 21 st century. It addresses various initiatives of all three nations, including the concept of a maritime strategic triangle and the formation of a possible tri-polar regional order in the IOR, the Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region, the One Belt One Road Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, and the Pivot to the Indo-Pacific policy which have implications for maritime strategy and security in the region. The article hypothesizes that there has been a transition from a unipolar to a tri-polar system manifest by a triangular matrix, with a U.S.-India maritime partnership facing a rising China in the region, and that all three powers prefer an accommodative strategy with respect to one another. 1. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION (IOR) Systemic configurations in different regions of the globe lend themselves to debates in the discipline of strategic studies and international relations. These concern, among others, the costs and benefits of various " polaric " orders. This means, a discussion on tripolarity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is vital to understanding the current power entanglements that characterize this strategic body of water. The IOR comprises nation-states that border the Indian Ocean, and states that take an interest in the ocean itself. The latter are associated with the tributary water to the Indian Ocean as well as those landlocked states for which transit to and from the sea is oriented towards the Indian Ocean. We also include the 19 states that belong to the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC). In total, there are 51 states, 28 of which are Indian Ocean rim states, plus a further 10 that are coastal states of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, together with an additional 13 Indian Ocean landlocked states. The table below lists out these countries:
Developments of the past few years clearly indicate China’s quest to establish a permanent maritime-strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region. With China fast emerging as a global super-power with the potential to challenge the primacy of the USA, this is accompanied with significant geopolitical, geoeconomic and security ramifications for the regional countries. This article attempts to examine the possible implications in terms of regional stability, regional balance of power, maritime security, maritime safety, economics and the adversarial potential in India–China relations. For an objective analysis, the study is based on two contrasting theories of international relations. When viewed in context of the Realist theory, China’s presence in the region may lead to zero-sum outcomes. On the other hand, the premise of Constructivism could lead to “win-win” outcomes. The paper concludes that the outcomes are likely to lie somewhere between the aforesaid extremes, depending upon the actions of all states that have stakes in the region. It also attempts broadly to suggest the way ahead for all stakeholders in the region.
Geopolitics in Indian Ocean & threat to maintenance of Peace in Asia
International Journal of Geography, Geoinformatics &Geographic Information Science , 2019
The world's third largest ocean, Indian Ocean, has been always an important strategic, economic, social and political space for global interaction among world powers. The power and significance of this geographical marine region had been well recognised by Mahan, Mackinder and Spykmen during first half of the 20 th century. Colonial era after 15 th century was known for Indian Ocean struggles and conflicts among colonisers for controlling the trade and political supremacy. It is a region of several unexploited lands. The sea route is a vital link between the Eastern and the Western part of the world. The region has also tremendous amount of valuable unexploited resources in its beds which attract several littoral countries. The surrounding countries of its rim are of mostly Islamic nations and two giant countries of nuclear power. The increasing influence and intervention of China republic through investment in port development in various countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Djibouti and Maldives has presented a challenge and conflicts in peace-making efforts in the region. Silk marine trade route through this ocean is another game of Chinese effort to increase her influence in Africa, West Asia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South East Asian countries. 80% of the oil trade through the sea route occurs through this ocean. Keeping in view the high level of strategic and peace maintaining significance in the area , the researchers aimed to explore the status of world power interference in disturbing and balancing geo political and economic power equilibrium in Asia especially in Littoral nations. The excess interference of China, an emerging world economy and its impact on socio economic and political stability especially between India and Pakistan are also explored. The level of relevance of containment policy of USA has been also analysed and searched out. Study is based fully on secondary source of data. Study revealed that the presence of China in Indian Ocean in different forms resulted in geo political unrest in the area. Geo political conflict in South China Sea including Malacca striate, political instability in Maldives, Myanmar conflict and recently Indo Pak tension are some new examples of emergence of conflicts in Indian Ocean region. Rim Land geo strategic model of Spykemen is fully relevant and applicable in contemporary world.
Realignment of Power Patterns in Indian Ocean: Role of Regional and Global Actors
Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies, 2021
Purpose: Purpose of study is to analyze the impact of changing strategic patterns and priorities of various regional and international actors on the Indian Ocean Region. Geo-political contestation for hegemony among these actors i.e. US, India, Japan, Australia, China and Pakistan is examined. Measures and counter-measures taken by the said states too are evaluated. Design/Methodology/Approach: Analytical study based on qualitative descriptive analysis is formulated in inductive way. Findings: Indian Ocean has been evolving to be the center-stage of Global power politics. US, UK, Australia, Japan and India are pursuing the goal of containment of China. China too has initiated economic partnerships with various states of the Indian Ocean Region i.e. Pakistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Implications/Originality/Value: Keeping in view the pace at which international and other concerned actors are inclined towards alliances formulation and militarization of the Indian Ocean Region, naval ar...
Journal of Islamic World and Politics
The study intends to explore the connection between China's energy security, 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), and its anticipated impacts on Indo-US strategic perception in the Indian Ocean region. China's economic prosperity and industrial boom is fomenting different variables to upset the U.S. led world order. In the back drop of energy security as core national interest, Chinese leadership has exceptionally focused the maritime domain. In addition to this, for uninterrupted industrial growth, China largely relies on energy imports that have turned its attention to the strategic value of the Sea lines of communication (SLOCs). However, China's newly emerged interests and subsequent investment in different sea ports along the oceanic supply chain of Indian Ocean is fuelling Indo-US strategic distrust in the region. The study concludes that China's carefully crafted Maritime Silk Road (MSR) is to challenge the status quo to protect its (China) core national interests in Indian Ocean The divergence of strategic interests in Indian Ocean is heralding a new multipart strategic competition that will transform the Indian Ocean into breeding ground for naval arm race. To understand the shifting geo political realities, the researchers used the Power Transition theory.