India and the South China Sea
China's belligerence in the South China Sea is causing anxiety in India. India needs to strengthen its stance on the situation to maintain preponderance in the region which holds great significance to its trade.
China's belligerence in the South China Sea is causing anxiety in India. India needs to strengthen its stance on the situation to maintain preponderance in the region which holds great significance to its trade.
India’s invitation and the subsequent participation of the Japanese navy in the Malabar 2014 exercise is a sign of the deepening of the political-security relationship between India and Japan. However, an actual fruition of the potential requires both the administrations to be more flexible, especially on the nuclear deal and defence purchases
‘Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific’ is a pragmatic narrative by Robert D. Kaplan of the receding power of the U.S. and China’s growing dominance
Braving potential retaliation from China, the Philippines has now challenged Beijing’s sovereign claims over the South China Sea before a UN tribunal, and raised the stakes in a longstanding dispute
China is reportedly taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine to further its claims in the South China Sea. Its aggressive stance has pushed the Philippines to approach The Hague for arbitration. There are concerns that the tensions could lead to a breakdown of trade routes in the Western Pacific
The Indian Navy, through multi-lateral exercises, is increasing its sphere of influence and becoming a regional force. Yet, it needs to be supported by policy decisions that enable it to achieve its potential as a state-of-the-art establishment and a powerful tool in India’s diplomatic repertoire
The India-Japan alliance needs to be viewed through a prism broader than that of "containing" China, and by treating the Indian and Pacific oceans as a single entity. Such an alliance has the potential to strengthen the geopolitical security of India and Japan, along with that of all their allies and associates
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Japan’s Shinzo Abe are giving heft to a renewed partnership and a focus on the Indo-Pacific. Both nations must collaborate and work with South Pacific countries, especially Tonga, to counter China’s growing influence in this increasingly geopolitically important region
An understanding between China and India not to develop a permanent presence on each other’s maritime territories may be helpful in reducing tensions between the two navies. Given the broader context of Sino-Indian strategic rivalry, however, this seems unlikely.
Traditionally, the South Pacific islands have been considered strategically insignificant. However, the need for resources, and the geopolitical shift towards Asia-Pacific have prompted nations to realize that these small island states control large resource-rich ocean areas and are increasingly geostrategic.