Indo-Chinese Cooperation for Gulf Security

Abstract:Gulf-Asia ties are no longer restricted to just economic, political and cultural ties. There is noticeable intent of collaboration in the security realm as well. The slow but certain American disengagement from the Middle East has not only affected Gulf security, but could also impact the “free rider” status of China and India in future. As the economies of the Asian giants grow and their naval presence expands to protect the supply routes in the Indian Ocean, they could either themselves play or be called upon to play a security role in the region. This serves as an opportunity to explore a new collective security architecture, involving Middle Eastern, Asian and Western powers. While China and India have not laid bare their cards, they have not ruled out a prospective security role, either independently or collectively. Simultaneously, while Sino-Indo competition is inevitable, there is nothing stopping them from cooperating and avoiding confrontation. Their cooperative relationship has signifi...