Viraj Solanki & Antoine Levesques
Island and littoral states in the Indian and Pacific oceans are expanding their military-modernisation efforts and defence cooperation with external and regional partners as major-power rivalries increasingly play out on their shores. At the 21st IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, commencing on 31 May 2024, a special session on defence cooperation and small-state security will discuss growing major-power interest in the region, smaller states’ concerns and their prospects for setting the cooperation agenda.
Strategically significant due to their proximity to major international sea lanes, the island and littoral states in the Indian and Pacific oceans are witnessing a significant increase in major-power interest and increasingly visible United States–China and India–China rivalries, driven primarily by security concerns and geo-economic interests, as well as capacity-building. In response, island and littoral states have adapted their domestic and foreign-policy agendas to pursue their own priorities, such as through boosting maritime domain awareness (MDA) and engaging on disaster-management issues.
Enhancing maritime security
For island and littoral states, defence cooperation typically occurs through one or a combination of close bilateral partnerships with a larger proximate neighbour (such as Australia, China or India); ties with other major capitals (such as London, Paris or Washington); or collective security arrangements (such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements). The decision to establish multiple partnerships is informed by geopolitical balancing with major powers, as well as the lack of a regional collective-security pact that smaller European states such as Estonia, for example, have access to via NATO.
No comments:
Post a Comment