Class Notes 4 You

Indo- Pacific geopolitical construct which represents an integrated theatre that combines the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and the land masses that surround them. gained relevance in the recent times Several regional and extra regional countries like India, Japan, USA, Australia, France etc have released policies focused on the Indo-Pacific acknowledging the strategic shift towards the region Germany adopts an Indo-Pacific policy centred around greater security and economic cooperation . “The world is witnessing a race for strategic bases in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and it is only going to gain momentum in the times to come”. Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's oceanic divisions (after Pacific and Atlantic), covering 19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. IOR is home to 1/3rd of the world’s population densely populated & highly vulnerable to natural disasters Economies of many IOR countries are expanding rapidly. Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Ta...

South China Sea (SCS) is im­portant not just to its littoral coun­tries. It has been a transit point for trade since early medieval times, contains abundantly rich fisheries, and is a repository of mineral depo­sits and hydrocarbon reserves. Importance of South China Sea Strategic Location : key commercial point connecting Asia with Europe and Africa One third of global shipping , or a total of US$3.37 trillion of international trade, passes through the South China Sea. around 80 percent of Beijing’s imports of oil reach through the South China Sea after passing the Strait of Malacca Up to 97% of India’s total International trade volume is sea borne, half of which passes through the strait of Malacca. In addition, ASEAN constitutes one of India’s largest trade partners. Any instability in the SCS would adversely affect the shipping lanes and have a knock-on effect on India’s economy Natural Resource : major reserves of natural resources, such as natural gas and oil Fisheri...