Strategic Analysis

Indian Ocean Perspectives: From Sea Power to Ocean Prosperity

Long before the Atlantic and the Pacific became theatres for commerce and conflict, the Indian Ocean was home to considerable commercial and cultural intercourse. Most recent literature has, however, focused on maritime security and sea power while greater attention ought to be paid to economic development around the Indian Ocean. India’s plans for the development of the ‘Blue Economy’ augurs well for the region.

Actions Speak Louder than Words: China’s Consultative Peacekeeping in Africa

Existing concepts (e.g. ‘non-interference’ and ‘pragmatism’) remain too vague to provide explanations for China’s increasingly assertive security policy. To avoid this pitfall, this article adopts a narrower focus on Chinese security policy towards Africa.

Theorizing EU-TRACECA Relationship in Eurasian Context

This article contends that the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) is European Union’s (EU) most visionary trans-regional connectivity project. It theorizes the EU-TRACECA relationship to show that the TRACECA represents different regional integration concepts, and that the EU scripted it invariably for the mutual benefits of its partner states. Conceptually optimistic, the article, nonetheless, discovers certain inextricable complications in the TRACECA’s real working for varying economic profiles of and mutual conflicts among its member countries.

Geopolitics of Western Indian Ocean: Unravelling China’s Multi-dimensional Presence

The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) is now attaining centrestage in the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean. Apart from France and the US, China holds significant interests in the WIO. China’s interests with the WIO states could be divided in four categories: dual-use infrastructure building, politico-diplomatic focus, connectivity-access and military activities. All four are interconnected and facilitate China’s desire to project power. For China, activities in the WIO serve the purpose of ensuring energy supplies, maintaining economic growth and securing military interests.

Korea’s Para-diplomacy with States in India: An Analysis of the ‘Caravan Events’

In the arena of international relations nation-states have been regarded as the primary actors. However, the constituent units of nation-states have also become active in forging relations with the political units which are located outside the national borders through ‘para-diplomacy’. Since the 1990s the states of Indian union have been playing a significant role in India’s foreign affairs. The Narendra Modi government in New Delhi has also established a ‘States Division’ in the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Geopolitics of the US-India-Russia Strategic Triangle

The article deals with the state of play in the relationships between the United States, India and Russia. The focus of the article is placed on the geopolitical environment in which the three countries have been building their relationships in contemporary times. The author analyses the approaches of the US, India and Russia towards two geographical concepts of the Indo-Pacific and Eurasia. The situation in Afghanistan is examined through perspectives and interests of all three players as each of them is involved—though in a different manner—in the resolution of the crisis.

Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China’s Push for Global Power

The reformist and open policy which Beijing adopted in late 1978 has transformed the overall structure of Chinese economy, society as well as its military. It is because of the success of this that China moved from an agrarian under-developed country to become the world’s factory. Its growth has made China the second largest global economy. The economic transformation has entailed significant investments in military modernisation and pursuit of advanced defence technology.

Pakistan Adrift: Navigating Troubled Waters

There is no dearth of literature emphasizing the role of domestic and international factors for the predominance of the military over civilian institutions in Pakistan. Some scholars relate it to military’s growing economic interests, while others attribute it to military’s ‘Guardians of the Nation’ complex involving a militarily superior India, unsettled borders and irredentist claims from Afghanistan that make external security a high priority.

Why Terrorist Groups Form International Alliances

The menace of terrorism has existed for centuries, but its modern, transnational version has ‘metastasized’ to the extent of threatening global peace and security. In 1975, security expert Brian Jenkins observed: ‘Terrorists want a lot of people watching and not a lot of people dead.’

Xi Jinping’s China

There are several significant events which preceded China’s constitutional amendment of March 2018 that removed the presidential term limit boosting Xi Jinping’s standing as China’s prospective leader-for-life. Born to a revolutionary leader, Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping spent most of his life serving the government, gradually working his way up the hierarchy. His precedence in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and authority over all political institutions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have arguably placed him at par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.