The year gone by witnessed India’s firm responses to bilateral issues and China’s appreciation of the Indian position, thus providing a positive momentum to India-China relations.

Though India would be keen to expand defence cooperation on a one-to-one basis with Australia, especially on counter-terrorism and maritime security issues, it is likely to remain averse to joining any regional security grouping directed against China.

After ensuring that its people are only able to access ‘filtered’ news, the Chinese leadership has also decided to refurbish its image abroad through a major public relations effort.

The island hopping game being played out is an indication of China’s strategy for gaining access to the IOR by developing the capabilities of “reach”, “presence” and “sustainability”.