Harsh V. Pant - The US Pivot and Indian Foreign Policy Asia’s Evolving Balance of Power

The US Pivot and Indian Foreign Policy DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728.0001

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DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728.0001

The US Pivot and

Indian Foreign Policy:

Asias Evolving Balance

of Power

Harsh V. Pant

Kings College London, UK

and

Yogesh Joshi

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728.0001

Harsh V. Pant and Yogesh Joshi 2016

Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2016 978-1-137-55771-1

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saff ron House, 610 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.

Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Th

e authors have asserted their rights to be identifi ed as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published 2016 by

PALGRAVE MACMILLAN

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ISBN: 978-1-137-55772-8 PDF

ISBN: 978-1-349-71844-3

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

www.palgrave.com/pivot

DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728

To

The Indomitable Spirit of Kumaon

DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728.0001

Contents

Preface vii

Introduction

2 Power Transition in Asia and IndianForeign Policy

3 Indo-US Ties in the Age of Pivot

Indias China Challenge

The Indo-Japanese Strategic Partnershipand Power Transition in Asia

6 India and Regional Balance of Powerin Asia

Conclusion

Bibliography 128

Index 148

vi

DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728.0001

Preface

Facing an assertive China in the Asia-Pacific, US

President Barack Obama announced in late 2011 his strategy of pivoting toward the region. India has emerged as an important constituent of this new policy framework, which is aimed at balancing Chinas growing power. For India, too, Chinas growing military and economic prowess poses a strategic challenge. Yet rather than endorse the pivot, Indian foreign policy shows signs of pursuing a hedging strategy in three distinct realms.

First, New Delhi is recalibrating its strategic ties with the US. Second, rather than balancing China through external help, New Delhi has been trying to normalize its relationship with Beijing without much apparent success. Third, India is encouraging a more localized form of balancing by increasing its defense partnerships with other regional powers. This book examines Indias foreign policy response to the US pivot toward Asia and investigates New Delhis strategy for dealing with the changing balance of power in the region.

This book came out of an Economic and Social Science Research Council grant that enabled us to pursue this collaborative research project. Thanks to the Department of Defence Studies at Kings College London and Jawaharlal Nehru University for allowing us to take this project forward. Hannah Kaspar at Palgrave Macmillan remained patient even as we missed a few deadlines but her support for us did not waiver. Special thanks to Kundan Singh who provided critical last-minute assistance to us which was badly needed. We would like to express our gratitude to DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728.0002

vii

viii

Preface

the numerous policymakers, thinkers and defense officials, both in India and the US, who took time off to talk to us and shared their valuable insights. Last, but not the least, both of us would like to thank our fami-lies who have continued to support us through our academic journeys.

We dedicate this book to the hills and people of Kumaon, a region in India where both of us come from and which we treasure deeply.

DOI: 10.1057/9781137557728.0002

Introduction

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