India-China Maritime Rivalry and the Shaping of Indo-Pacific Security Order
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62656/Keywords:
India–China rivalry, maritime security, Indo‑Pacific, SAGAR, MAHASAGAR, Quad, security order, naval competitionAbstract
This article examines how maritime rivalry between India and China is influencing the emerging security order in the Indo-Pacific. It argues that competition at sea is no longer confined to naval modernization, but now includes maritime doctrine, strategic partnerships, regional institution-building, and contestation over rules, connectivity, and influence. The article situates India’s evolving maritime posture expressed through SAGAR and later MAHASAGAR against China’s growing naval reach, infrastructural expansion, and strategic presence across the Indian Ocean and adjacent Indo-Pacific theatres. It contends that the Indo-Pacific security order is being shaped through a dynamic interaction between balancing behaviour, minilateral cooperation, and efforts to preserve a rules-based maritime environment.
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