Through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the String of Pearls strategy, China aims to extend its maritime influence, raising questions about its long-term objectives
China s expansive push into larger maritime domains has emerged as a significant global concern. This is
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began his first week-long Africa tour in Egypt at the weekend. The four-nation visit is part of a concerted effort to strengthen relations with the "Global South"…
Indian Ocean as the Sea of Opportunities: Reinforced Regional Interdependence via Trade and Development
This article presents the evolving policy of regional trade agreements in the Indian Ocean region with India at the helm of affairs. Besides the existing arrangements such as Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, new partnerships are on the horizon including the recently concluded Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor. In the process, the Indian Ocean region looks at advancing South–South cooperation. The challenge remains to prioritise collective steps toward trade and development while envisaging people-friendly international trade governance.