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The Persian Gulf is a crucial strategic space for India. Given India's size, its growing economic and military power, and its proximity, one might expect that India would be a natural regional security provider or even a hegemon in the gulf. But India's ability to project its influence in the area is severely constrained by ideological factors, domestic politics, and longstanding patterns of alignment and rivalry. This article explores India's contemporary security relationships with the gulf in light of these structural constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is sometimes claimed that India has ambitions to become the leading power in the Indian Ocean. This article examines the different streams of Indian strategic thinking about the Indian Ocean and how they will likely contribute to future Indian strategic behavior. It argues that although many among its elite aspire for India to eventually become the leading power in the Indian Ocean, there is little conceptualization as to what India needs to do to achieve this. For several reasons, including an attachment to ideas of non-alignment and strategic autonomy, Indian strategic behavior in the Indian Ocean will likely continue to be relatively reactive and constrained. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In coming years, India is likely to become one of Australia's most important partners in the region. This article explores how the security and defence relationship has developed in recent times. It discusses challenges in the relationship before exploring potential areas for enhanced security and defence cooperation. It argues that if Australia wishes to be successful in its objectives of promoting greater cooperation with India, it will need to move in a consistent and sustained manner with a time horizon considerably longer than it is generally used to. In some cases, Australia may also need to move past any immediate expectations of the reciprocity that would be expected in developing security partnerships with most countries [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As India expands its strategic reach in the Indian Ocean, it will need friends that it can count on. The island state of Mauritius has long been one of India's closest allies in the region. This article discusses India's plans for a military intervention in Mauritius in 1983 to prevent a feared coup that may have threatened India's interests. A naval task force was readied, but the intervention did not proceed because of disagreements in India's leadership. Instead New Delhi facilitated a political solution to the crisis that firmly consolidated its special role. This previously undisclosed episode sheds light on India's thinking about the Indian Ocean, the alignment of India's interests with the United States, and India's military capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end of the Cold War, India's strategic horizons have moved beyond its traditional preoccupations in South Asia. India is developing a strategic role in East Asia in particular. At the same time India's strategic thinking has undergone a revolution, as the country that prided itself on non-alignment has moved closer to the West. But India's culture, history and geography still fundamentally shape its worldview. In engaging with East Asia, India is guided by a mosaic of strategic objectives about extending its sphere of influence, developing a multipolar regional system and balancing against China. The interplay of these objectives will frame India's role in East Asia in coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses foreign relations between India and Indonesia. It presents an overview of the history of their interactions, beginning in the Cold War era and extending to 21st-century diplomacy concerning the Strait of Malacca. An argument is presented that the two countries have the potential to develop an extensive partnership in terms of international security issues. The question of whether this is likely to occur rapidly or slowly is addressed, and the complementary aspects of their national interests are analyzed.

Many Australian observers see Australia and India as 'natural' partners whose strategic perspectives are likely to become ever closer in coming years. This article will examine recent developments in the Australia-India security relationship and consider some possible limits to the strategic convergence of Australia and India, particularly in Indian Ocean security. It argues that Australia's challenge in coming years will be not only to address areas of common interest but to also actively engage with India on the interests and expectations of littoral states and extra-regional powers in the security of the Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008, India and Japan made a joint security declaration while asserting that a strategic partnership between the two countries would become an essential pillar for the future architecture of the region. This article examines whether the security declaration is a step toward building an enduring security partnership. It will consider perceptions in Japan and India of the bilateral security relationship, proposals for how to give it substance, and key issues that may impede the deepening of the relationship. This article will conclude that although there is no clear consensus as to the substance of the relationship, the relationship between India and Japan is likely to grow in coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the economic partnership that is developing between South Korea and India. The article notes that this development is unusual because of a long-standing disconnect between Korea and South Asian countries. It is also noted that the two countries are beginning to develop a political and security relationship. South Korea and India have discovered that they have much in common when it comes to national partition and dealing with conflict, and they both have uneasy relationships with China.

In recent years, India and Singapore have developed a strong bilateral security and economic partnership that has assumed a central position in India's strategic engagement in Southeast Asia. Having sought strategic engagement with India for many decades, Singapore has now successfully positioned itself as India's leading political partner and economic gateway to the region. At the same time, India and Singapore have actively pursued close defence ties, including frequent joint training and the assumption of an active maritime security role by India in Southeast Asia. The recent decision by India to allow the Singapore air force and army to operate long term training facilities on Indian territory represents a significant development in Indian strategic practice and may presage a more permanent Indian security presence in East Asia. This article will examine these developments and consider to what extent the emergent security relationship between India and Singapore should be seen as a desire to balance China's growing economic and political dominance of the region and to what extent it reflects a 'natural' strategic sphere for India stretching from Aden to Singapore and beyond into East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than 40 years, India and Vietnam have consistently stood together in resisting Chinese domination of Indochina. The relationship represents one of the few longstanding political partnerships between East and South Asia. In recent years, the two have been seeking to recalibrate their relationship in the context not only of China's growing economic and military power but also India's own security ambitions in the region. What are India's aspirations to project naval power into the South China Sea and how is this perceived in the region? This article looks at this longstanding political alliance in light of India's attempts at strategic engagement with Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]