India’s Maritime Strategy in Response to China’s Expanding Footprint in the Indian Ocean Region.
Keywords:
India, China, Indian Ocean Region, Maritime Strategy, Indo-Pacific, SAGAR, GeopoliticsAbstract
This paper looks at the maritime strategy India uses in reacting to the increased presence of China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The increasing influence of China in the form of port development, naval positions, and Belt and Road Initiative has changed the regional geopolitical landscape and brought security and influence issues. The study is based on a qualitative methodology that employs secondary data to examine strategic expansion of China and the multidimensional reaction of India such as modernization of its navy, its strategic affairs, and its Diplomacy including SAGAR and the Indo-Pacific framework. The analysis indicates that China is far ahead in terms of maritime advantages, but India is also making strides to be at the forefront by forming alliances and developing national interests. The study concludes that the IOR is transforming into a sphere of strategic competition where there is the need to maintain equilibrium between cooperation and competition to provide stability and security.
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