The Indo-Pacific is a strategic system encompassing the Indian and Pacific oceans, reflecting the expanding interests and reach of China and India as well as the enduring role of the US. The Lowy Institute's International Security program presents a weekly selection of links illuminating the changing security picture in this increasingly connected super-region.
- Xi Jinping is making his first visit to India since the election of Narendra Modi. Peter Drysdale reflects on the growing strategic weight of both countries.
- And here's Shashank Joshi in The Interpreter: 'Prepare yourself for a glut of feeble anthropomorphic metaphors (elephants, pandas, tigers, and dragons are all anticipated) and bloviating communiqués: India-China diplomacy is underway.'
- An opinion piece in China’s Global Times argues that Beijing and New Delhi can be partners in an Indo-Pacific era.
- Lowy Institute Nonresident Fellow Raja Mohan says that Modi has much more domestic political leverage in dealing with China than his predecessors.
- Interestingly, on Tuesday India issued a joint statement with Vietnam calling for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. This is in addition to the already well reported discussions underway between New Delhli and Hanoi over the latter's purchase of the supersonic BrahMos missile.
- And lastly in terms of India-China, while there has been some good economic news with the announcement that Beijing will invest ‘billions’ in India, border disputes between the two countries are persisting.
- Two recent publications on the South China Sea take opposing views on US policy. Jeffrey Bader and Kenneth Lieberthal at Brookings recommend that the US should ‘overall, lower the temperature of official public commentary.’ CNAS’s Patrick Cronin believes costs should be imposed on ‘bad behaviour.’
- Is North Korea building submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles?