Security Challenges Faced by the Modi Administration in the Indo-Pacific Region

ABSTRACT

The paper looks at the security challenges faced by the Modi administration in the Indo-Pacific region. There is a special focus on Indo-Pak relations and Sino-Indian relations. Whilst India has had problematic relations with both China and Pakistan in the recent past, relations between India and China are likely to improve because of the exponential growth in trade between the two countries. Good economic relations between the two rising Asiatic giants, particularly in the post-2000 phase, is likely to diffuse some tension over border issues. However, this is not the case with neighbouring Pakistan. In Pakistan, whilst civilian leaders may view India favourably, the more powerful Pakistani military and the ISI do not, and hence problematic relations with India are likely to continue. In the final analysis, whilst realism helps us to understand Indo-Pak relations, both realism and liberalism gives us an insight into Sino-Indian relations.

KEYWORDS:

• India
• China
• Pakistan
• Modi
• foreign policy
• Indo-Pacific

Notes

¹Interviews carried out by the author in India, 2013, 2014, 2015.

²Interviews carried out in India, 2014/15.

³ http://www.aiib.org/html/pagemembers (accessed 6 December 2015).

⁴ http://ndbbrics.org (accessed 6 December 2015).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kunal Mukherjee

Dr. Kunal Mukherjee is a full time Lecturer in International Relations/Asian Security at Lancaster University, England, UK.