This 1.5-hour morning seminar discussed the significant shifts in power balances in the Indo-Pacific region, partly fueled by the comprehensive rise of China, “rebalance” strategy of the United States, Japan’s re-rise, India’s Act East policy, revival of territorial disputes and contest over maritime, cyber and space commons.
China’s Strategy and Foreign Policy in the Indo-Pacific Region
Dr Malcolm Cook introducing the speaker to the audience (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Tuesday, 04 October 2016 – ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute hosted a seminar by Professor Srikanth Kondapalli on China’s growing economic and military interests in the Indian and Pacific Oceans on 04 October 2016. The seminar room was full with good attendance from the diplomatic corps, the business community, media and academia.
Professor Kondapalli touching on the new, more pronounced role in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific played by China (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Professor Kondapalli is one of India’s leading Chinese politics and foreign and security policy experts and Chairman of the Centre for East Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He focused on how China’s growing overseas commercial and human security interests are leading to China playing a new, more pronounced role in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. China’s focus of strategic competition in East Asia has also shifted from the traditional focus on Taiwan to Japan with strategic competition with the US already high and likely to intensify.
Dr Cook and Professor Kondapalli taking questions from audience during the Q&A session (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Participants at the seminar (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
The seminar was attended by close to 50 participants.