India's Strategy in the South China Sea (International Relations in Southeast Asia)

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. China’s 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 India’s 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 India’s 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. "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. China's 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 these territories as 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 India's strategies and responses vis-a-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 India's stance on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), five of whose member-states (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"-- Provided by publisher Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgements Foreword Glossary 1. India and the South China Sea: a strategic mirror of Chinese hegemony 1 Understanding the context of the problem: situating the rationale of India’s response Notes References 2. The structural intractability of rival claims to sovereignty in the South China Sea 1 Bolstering the quotient of intractability of the South China Sea dispute: an analysis of the prominent determinants 2 Setting the promenade for India’s South China Sea policy: through the “Look East” prism Note References 3. ASEAN–China diplomatic dissension and India’s interests 1 South China Sea conundrum: ASEAN unity disarrayed 2 India’s policy and official pronouncements on the South China Sea issue Notes References 4. Indian strategy and the military dimension of the South China Sea dispute 1 India’s maritime vision and doctrinal espousal 2 ASEAN’S response to India’s balancing policy Notes References 5. The implications for India of great power shifts in priorities: the positions of Trump and Abe 1 India–Japan–US trilateral convergence: backdrop and impulses 2 Analysing the bilateral beads in the trilateral chain: moving towards a concerted balance Notes References 6. Conclusion 1 ASEAN’s precarious balancing dynamics in the South China Sea: India’s policy response summarised 2 Limitations of India’s policy responses: thoughts on the future trajectory Notes References Index