Eastward Ho? analyses India’s relationships with the countries lying to its east. It explores India’s ‘Look East Policy’ launched in the early 1990s, later renamed ‘Act East’ in 2014. Against the backdrop of deepening intra-Asian economic integration, combined with security tensions and rivalries, both related to the economic and strategic rise of China, this volume asks: What are India’s relationships like with countries to its east, and what are its challenges, possible roles and options?
Parts I and II study the political and economic consequences of the growing Asian integration; the evolving Asian ‘security architecture’, today’s buzzword for institutions and processes; China’s ever-changing perceptions of India; and India’s emerging relations with Japan and Korea.
Part III studies India’s economic and strategic relations with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and focuses on India and China’s tussle for influence over the Himalayan states of Nepal and Bhutan. Part IV concludes the discussion by analysing India’s evolving relations with Southeast Asia, namely Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
List of Figures and Tables List of Appendices List of Abbreviations Glossary Preface Acknowledgements
PART I: THE RISE OF CHINA AND THE OVERALL STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC SCENARIO TO INDIA’S EAST 1. Eastward Ho? Indian Foreign Policy in the Indo-Pacific in the Context of Trade Integration and Security Rivalries E. Sridharan 2. The Evolving Asian Security Architecture: Institutions and Processes Swaran Singh 3. China’s Perceptions of India: Interdependence or Conflict? Srikanth Kondapalli
PART II: MANAGING THE RISE OF CHINA: EAST ASIAN PARTNERS 4. India–Japan Relations: Managing Security and Economic Interdependencies in Asia H. S. Prabhakar 5. India and Korea: India’s Turn Now Vyjayanti Raghavan
PART III: INDIA’S RELATIONS WITH THE EASTERN RIM OF SOUTH ASIA 6. Politics on the Strategic Himalayas: India and China Sangeeta Thapliyal 7. Changing Contours of India–Sri Lanka Relations P. Sahadevan 8. India–Bangladesh Relations: Geopolitics or Human Security? Shibashis Chatterjee 9. India–Myanmar Relations: A Critical Link in India’s Eastward Engagement Shankari Sundararaman
PART IV: INDIA’S STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH SOUTHEAST ASIA 10. The Evolving Dynamics of India–Singapore Security and Economic Relations W. Lawrence S. Prabhakar 11. Thailand: A Bridge for India to Act East? Reena Marwah 12. Vietnam in India’s Foreign Policy Baladas Ghoshal 13. India–Indonesia Relations: Moving from Shared Commonalities to Strategic Partnership Shankari Sundararaman 14. India–Malaysia Relations in the Post-Cold War Period Baladas Ghoshal 15. The Philippines Archipelago and Intersecting Interests: Is There a Role for India? Reena Marwah Notes on the Editors and Contributors Index