India's Strategy in the South China Sea

The South China Sea tensions pose challenges to the rules-based liberal international maritime order. China's claims and militarization in the region escalate tensions,endangering freedom of navigation and exploitation of natural resources. India,although not a South China Sea littoral state,sees the rules-based order and navigation as core to its national interest. Chakraborti and Chakraborty assess India's strategies and responses in the dispute,their impact on the Act East initiative,and the implications of India's stance on ASEAN,which includes states with territorial disputes with China.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 156 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The South China Sea is a region of immense strategic importance, as it is home to vast oil and gas reserves, as well as important shipping lanes. The tensions in the region are caused by a complex interplay of maritime nationalism, geostrategic rivalry, and territorial disputes.

China has been constructing artificial islands and other infrastructure in the South China Sea, which has led to concerns from other countries in the region. China claims sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, which is disputed by several other countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

India has been a vocal advocate for the rules-based liberal international maritime order, and has been calling for an end to the disputes in the South China Sea. India has also been working to strengthen its relations with ASEAN, which includes several countries that are involved in territorial disputes with China.

The tensions in the South China Sea pose considerable challenges to the rules-based liberal international maritime order. The situation demonstrates the interplay between maritime nationalism and geostrategic rivalry; fuelling militarisation and endangering freedom of navigation, over-flight and exploitation of natural resources.

Chinas dedicated terraclaims, land reclamation and island-building spree – enhanced with military surveillance, communications and logistics infrastructure-building in the form of port facilities, military installations and airstrips – have escalated these tensions. China declares that these territories are an integral part of its core interests, taking an uncompromising stance on the question of sovereignty and its determination to protect the domain militarily.

India, although not a South China Sea littoral state, sees both the general principle of the rules-based order and the specific issue of navigation between the Indian and Pacific Oceans as core to its own national interest.

Chakraborti and Chakraborty assess the rationale and implications of Indias strategies and responses vis-à-vis the South China Sea dispute, and their impact on its overall Act East initiative in Southeast Asia policy. They also analyse the implications of Indias stance on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), five member-states of which (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam) are involved in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

The analysis focuses on the administrative tenures of both the United Progressive Alliance from 2004 until 2014 and the National Democratic Alliance from 2014 onwards.

Weight: 290g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032337142