The fractured geopolitics of the United States in the Indian Ocean Region

Hastings, Justin V.

doi:10.1080/19480881.2011.637424

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(13 reference statements)

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“…A greater complexity is found when the economic importance of these chokepoints -and their control -is included. It is here that the heads of scholars of geopolitics are turned, with many arguing that USA-India-China relations will provide the central causal factor in the shaping of the future of this region over the next century (Bouchard & Crumplin, 2010;Hastings, 2011;Kaplan, 2010;Malik, 2014;Khurana, 2015). With the sphere of maritime security seemingly centred on the Indian Ocean and the tri-polar contest in the region, the oceans of North America and the disputes over their territory are absent from the debate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is significant that, when discussing the geopolitical nature of the oceans, much of scholarship's focus is on the Indian Ocean -and the wider area of the Indo-Pacific -rather than the Atlantic and Pacific of North America (see: Kaplan, 2010;Hastings, 2011;Scott, 2013;Dombrowski & Winner, 2015;Wirth, 2016). A key part of this centrality can be found in the growing energy flows occurring across the maritime region.…”

Section: The Indian Oceanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Close to one hundred years on from Mahan's assertions, his words continue to possess an impressive degree of relevance. Chris Parry (2014) has recently written that geopolitical competition over oceans and sea power will likely feed into an atmosphere that defines the coming decades, and it is not hard to find an ever-growing number of other scholars supporting such a statement -with a particular focus on the Indian Ocean (Mohan, 2012;Bouchard & Crumplin, 2010;Hastings, 2011;Kaplan, 2010;Dombrowski & Winner, 2015;Wirth, 2016) and the South China Sea (U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, 2014; Kaplan, 2015;Chan, 2016). Within this literature, 'maritime security' has become the point of focus, with the oceans increasingly understood as a potential flashpoint in future global insecurity.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Saltwater Geopolitics in North America

Atkins

2017

Widening the Scope of Environmental Policies in North America

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The world's oceans cover close to three quarters of the surface of the globe, representing 99 percent of the planet's living space by volume (Kundis Craig, 2012). With half of the world's population living within fifty miles of the ocean's edge these swathes of saltwater provide a theatre for interactions between local subsistence, international trade and the global climate. They provide economic arenas for diverse industries, such as offshore oil development, fisheries and tourism, and provide deep reservoirs of biodiversity, with 43 of the 70 recognized phyla of life found in the oceans-compared to the 28 found on land (Kundis Craig, 2010). Society has taken this materiality of these spaces and transformed it. The levels of these oceans are rising due to climatic change. Society's industrial and economic activity has resulted in increased levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and iron within the world's waterscapes.) Increasing ocean acidification is placing the life of the planet's coral reefs at risk. Anthropogenic change has also impacted on levels of marine diversity-through ecosystem stressors such as habitat destruction, over-fishing and marine pollution (Kundis Craig, 2012). Humans have extracted an extensive, ever-expanding amount of resources from the oceans of the world-from halibut to gravel, and kelp to crude oil-resulting in the oceans pollution, degradation and depletion. Yet, maritime characteristics have also influenced how humans have used the sea, and interacted with each other, for millennia. Questions of geography and oceanography have influenced the differential impacts of maritime security both between and within nations and regions. From the conflicts of pre-European Oceania (Keeley, 1996) to the series of Cod Wars between the United Kingdom and Iceland (Guðmundsson, 2006), the ocean space has both facilitated and forced international interaction over the resources (both physical and political) that it provides. United States Navy Admiral, Alfred Thayer Mahan (1890) wrote that international power, and with it national prominence, can be found in the control of the sea. Although history is populated with exceptions, maritime transportation routes have provided an important canvas on which international relations are played out. From the voyages of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan shifting the trade routes away from land and towards the New World, sea lanes have reflected the globe's composition and concentration of wealth and power. The world's oceans have often provided a fulcrum for a state's military and commercial power-from the strong role of the Royal Navy providing an important factor in the emergence of the British Empire and the related Pax Britannica to the militarised shipping lanes, defence areas and strategic choke points of the Cold War,

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Indian Oceanmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Saltwater Geopolitics in North America

Atkins

2017

Widening the Scope of Environmental Policies in North America

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“…It has been suggested by one commentator that this regional arrangement has resulted in a 'fragmented' organisational security structure as far as the USA approach to the IOR is concerned (Hastings, 2011). On the other hand, partly dependent on budgetary constraints, USPACOM could well be used with some flexibility in the southwest IOR (Green & Shearer, 2012, p. 177).…”

Section: A 'Divided' Io Maritime Securitymentioning

confidence: 97%

The emerging Indian Ocean landscape: security challenges and evolving architecture of cooperation – an Australian perspective

Rumley

2015

Journal of the Indian Ocean Region

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This paper analyses two interrelated issues. The first is a description and discussion of Australian identity dilemmas and contested regionalisms as a backdrop to an understanding of Australia's degree of engagement with regional security regimes. Throughout its post-colonial history Australia has been characterised according to three main geopolitical orientations -continental, geopolitical role and maritime. It is argued that Australia only came to fully realise its maritime orientation in policy terms towards the end of the Cold War period. The second issue in this paper evaluates arguments in favour of the need for an overall Indian Ocean Maritime Security Regime (IOMSR) and it is suggested that an inclusive model, built around energy security stakeholders, is much preferred from the viewpoint of long-term regional stability. This paper describes overall Indian Ocean (IO) regional security concerns and arrangements and then focuses on the nature of IO maritime security and insecurity and the initiatives currently in place to deal with such issues. Five options for the creation of a new IOMSR are described and evaluated and Australia's place within each of these is discussed.

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“…Security in the Indian Ocean involves participation in the activities of the Quad Group (the United States, India, Japan, and Australia), both collectively and bilaterally. It can be said that the geopolitical dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) are also influenced by broader concepts in the region, which encompass values, culture, and communication (Shafiq, 2019). Although relatively peaceful during the two world wars, the region now faces a situation akin to a chessboard with revisionist nations eager to challenge the established order under pressure from the influence of Western nations striving to maintain balance (Rifat, 2023, pp.…”

Section: Findingmentioning

confidence: 99%

China and India in the Indian Ocean: A Study of Strategic Importance and its Influence on Geopolitical Dynamics and Security Policies

Freitas

2024

CJMS

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This article explores the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean for China and India, examining how their actions influence geopolitical dynamics and security policies. The Indian Ocean, a vital global trade route, has seen increased attention from both nations through their naval expansions, infrastructure investments, and diplomatic engagements. This has sparked debates about potential competition, strategic rivalries, and the implications for regional security. The study aims to understand the impact of China and India's activities in the Indian Ocean and their potential for cooperation or conflict. The research question focuses on how these actions affect regional security. The methodology employed is a qualitative research approach, incorporating a literature review, document analysis, case studies, and a comparative analysis of China and India's strategies in the Indian Ocean. The results highlight the Indian Ocean as a critical geopolitical arena undergoing significant transformations due to the actions of China and India. The rise of these two powers has the potential to either lead to conflict and instability or contribute to regional stability by providing public goods such as anti-piracy patrols and disaster relief efforts.

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The fractured geopolitics of the United States in the Indian Ocean Region

Cited by 7 publications

References 15 publications

Saltwater Geopolitics in North America

Saltwater Geopolitics in North America

The emerging Indian Ocean landscape: security challenges and evolving architecture of cooperation – an Australian perspective

China and India in the Indian Ocean: A Study of Strategic Importance and its Influence on Geopolitical Dynamics and Security Policies

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