REGIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS BY CHINA’S RISE:A RESEARCH REVIEW

Abstract

The importance of the Indian Ocean was highlighted by the American maritime strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan in the Nineteenth century. Geo-strategically, India has numerous advantages in the Indian Ocean and its Sagarmala project is poised to bring enhanced port connectivity; nonetheless, China is rapidly closing the gap of such an advantage. Likewise, India is establishing its foothold in the Western Pacific and the South China Sea (SCS) using multilateral agreements such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad. With New Delhi’s such endeavors, the already competitive environment in the SCS is likely to flare up.The paper aspires to investigate not only the disputes between the Asian giants as the two countries such as China and India are trying to dominate the Indian Ocean. India has a traditional advantage in the Indian Ocean, but China is also trying to counter Indian dominance in the Indian Ocean. India’s strategy of getting involved in the South China Sea (SCS) disputes as an indirect party has raised concerns in China. India is exploiting the resources of the SCS within Vietnam’s EEZ, even as China raised concerns about such activity from India. It concluded that if India blocked China’s commerce from the SCS, it would seriously impede China’s economic progress. Its trade will be greatly reduced. It should also be noted that India prefers a more strategic location in the Indian Ocean, but given the technological superiority that China has achieved over the past several decades, it seems likely that the Indian Navy could cause threat to the Chinese navy and thus has the potential to create an impediment to Chinese commerce.