India-China Maritime Competition The Security Dilemma at Sea

This edited volume critically examines the concept of the “security dilemma” and applies it to India–China maritime competition. Though frequently employed in academic discussion and popular commentary on the Sino-Indian relationship, the term has rarely been critically analysed. The volume addresses the gap by examining whether the security dilemma is a useful concept in explaining the naval and foreign policy strategies of India and China. China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its expansive engagement in the Indian Ocean Region have resulted in India significantly scaling up investment in its navy, adding ships, naval aircraft and submarines. This volume investigates how the rivalry is playing out in different sub-regions of the Indian Ocean, and the responses of other powers, notably the United States and prominent Southeast Asian states. Their reactions to the Sino-Indian rivalry are an underexplored topic and the chapters in this book reveal how they selectively use that rivalry while trying to steer clear of making definite choices. The book concludes with recommendations on mitigating the security dilemma. This work will be of great interest to students of strategic studies, international relations, maritime security, and Asian politics.

1. Introduction: the Indian Ocean and the India-China security dilemma Rajesh Basrur, Anit Mukherjee, and T.V. Paul 2.Naval development and international stability in the Indian Ocean region Geoffrey Till 3. China-India rivalry at sea: capability, trends, and challenges Koh Swee Lean Collin 4. The security dilemma and India’s naval strategy Yogesh Joshi and Anit Mukherjee 5. The emerging dynamics of Sino-Indian rivalry in the Bay of Bengal Darshana M. Baruah and C. Raja Mohan 6. India-China rivalry and the strategic importance of the Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles Sumitha Narayanan Kutty 7.India-China maritime competition: Southeast Asia and the dilemma of regional states Sinderpal Singh 8. The US response: naval architecture and plans Andrew C. Winner 9. Conclusion: mitigating the security dilemma in the Sino-Indian rivalry T.V. Paul

Rajesh Basrur is Visiting Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and Research Associate with the Contemporary South Asian Studies Programme, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford. Anit Mukherjee is Assistant Professor in the South Asia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. T.V. Paul is James McGill Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at McGill University, Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.