The Ukraine Conundrum
America should think twice about arming Ukraine as Russia could easily help China achieve its dreams in the South China Sea. Read Here – National Interest
Tag: South China Sea
Small Islands Matter, And How…
The rise of China, changing power dynamics, territorial disputes in the East and South China Sea, and the U.S. rebalance to Asia have all led to the re-emergence of the Indian Ocean as the center stage for power politics in the Indo-Pacific. Read Here – The Diplomat
Soft Vs Hard Power
Reliance on soft power requires measured patience. Nations want their own way, and the world has seen a marked resurgence in use of hard power. The United States intervenes in Iraq and Syria; Russia has annexed Crimea and encourages rebels in eastern Ukraine, while China asserts broad territorial claims in the East and South China […]
Finding Allies
Rather than aligning themselves with China, countries in the Asia-Pacific are turning to the U.S. How then, can China continue its pursuit of regional hegemony without inflaming regional fears? Instead of pursuing assertive actions against regional neighbors, China will need to consider an alternative approach, one that attracts potential allies, instead of repelling them. Read Here – The Diplomat
Power Play Or Crisis Of Legitimacy?
The country’s intensifying efforts to redraw maritime borders have its neighbors, and the U.S., fearing war. But does the aggression reflect a government growing in power—or one facing a crisis of legitimacy? Read Here – The Atlantic
The Middle Power Politics
China’s rising assertiveness and uncertainties about America’s response to it are causing middle powers in Indo-Pacific Asia to look beyond traditional approaches to security. India, Australia, Japan and some ASEAN countries are expanding security cooperation with each other. The next step should be the creation of ‘middle power coalitions’: informal arrangements where regional players cooperate […]
What’s A Bit Of Sea Between Good Neighbours?
India took a step toward tighter ties with Bangladesh this month in surrendering its four-decade claim to a swathe of the Bay of Bengal about the size of Lake Ontario, opting to heed a United Nations-backed ruling…The decision provides a contrast with China, which declines to acknowledge any UN jurisdiction in its dispute with the […]
Tectonic Shifts
The key reason for China’s aggressive posturing on the seas is the tectonic shift in Beijing’s strategic environment that occurred following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. For the first time in its long history, China no longer faces any threat whatsoever on its northern frontiers and this immense geopolitical development largely explains […]
Rumbles Across The Great Wall
China’s highly nationalistic new leadership may no longer simply accede to the existing international economic and security order; instead it appears to want to change that order, even if that means harming some of China’s most important trade ties. Read Here – Businessweek
It’s About The Maritime Silk Route
India’s predicament highlights a fundamental axiom: on the chess-board of international geopolitics, the context of a strategic proposition is as important as its content. India might be opposed to idea of being surrounded by Chinese maritime infrastructure and PLAN logistical outposts in the Indian Ocean, but the context of China’s rise in the region, and India’s […]
looking beyond borders 