The South China Sea: Security and Economic Implications of India's Policies

Faced with the rapid rise of the global power of China and its claims in the South China Sea, India has been bolstering cooperation with Vietnam, Japan and Australia to protect maritime security and freedom of navigation according to international laws of the seas in the Indo-Pacific region. India and the US have also strengthened relations in the interest of regional security. While New Delhi does not wish to isolate or ignore Beijing but rather include it in evolving international agreements, growing Chinese military influence in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal remains one of India's main concerns.