Search: For - sea lanes

7 results found

Vital sea lanes of communications as a core interest for China: Inferences for India’s national security
Aug 18, 2020

Vital sea lanes of communications as a core interest for China: Inferences for India’s national security

China’s energy interests, constant pursuit for natural resources, expanding commercial interests combined with a quickly growing diaspora in the Ind

India’s Maldives headache
Feb 26, 2018

India’s Maldives headache

Given the Maldives’ geostrategic location in the Indian Ocean, it is understandable that China has long-term strategic interests in it. The island nation sits atop of critical sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). Gaining a larger footprint in the Indian Ocean is now part of China’s stated strategy.

Maritime Security in the Bay of Bengal: Obstacles and Opportunities
May 14, 2024

Maritime Security in the Bay of Bengal: Obstacles and Opportunities

This paper examines security collaboration in the Bay of Bengal. It argues that despite increased cooperation in the maritime domain, the security perceptions of Bay states differ significantly, arising primarily from disagreements associated with China’s presence in the region. Crucially, the Bay states are wary of being seen as siding with India to counterbalance China. Even in nontraditional security areas where cooperation is readily possib

Navy needs a capacity boost to become ‘net security provider’
May 23, 2024

Navy needs a capacity boost to become ‘net security provider’

India faces a medium-term challenge from the Chinese PLA Navy, which has been active in terms of sending vessels on regular patrols in the Indian Ocean.

Securing Sea Lines of Communication in Asia
Nov 21, 2022

Securing Sea Lines of Communication in Asia

The Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) in the Indo-Pacific are a critical enabler of economic development and prosperity in the region but receive little policy attention. In an era of geopolitical contestation, with regional powers reluctant to exert military effort in preserving exclusive access in ‘contested’ spaces, joint military endeavours remain largely confined to non-traditional areas of security. The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukr

The Eastern Corridor and the Law of the Sea: Ensuring Sea-Lane Security
Dec 01, 2020

The Eastern Corridor and the Law of the Sea: Ensuring Sea-Lane Security

The Eastern Corridor is a crucial highway for global trade flows, where any disruption could severely affect the global economy. The route comprises some of the world’s most vulnerable Sea Lanes of Communication (SCLOs), with potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea. For years, these SLOCs have been characterised by tensions in South Asia and Southeast Asia; the more recent years are seeing a heightening of both intent and capacity for

The South China Sea Disputes: Territorial Claims, Geopolitics, and International Law
Aug 08, 2016

The South China Sea Disputes: Territorial Claims, Geopolitics, and International Law

The verdict delivered in July by an international tribunal on the South China Sea case in The Hague is a stunning defeat for China. The Tribunal has upended the maritime claims of a number of nations in the South China Sea, but China is most affected, as its claims were also most extensive. As China had already rejected the verdict even before it was pronounced, the world sits at a juncture of two possible paths — China could become more assert