The “Pivot to Asia” strategy qualifies to be called Obama Doctrine: a part of Obama’s “grand strategy”. This policy may radically redefine not only the US engagement with Asia but also the Asian strategic dynamics. The initiative is packaged comprehensively and has all the necessary components of a strategy, namely military, political, economic and ideological. The strategy may also be seen as an attempt to address the China challenge, or the China dilemma, given its critical role on a number of issues in the region and its growing military modernisation. This book looks at various facets of the pivot strategy, to include US, Chinese, regional and country specific perspectives with an aim of providing greater clarity and understanding.
US PIVOT AND ASIAN SECURITY
1. Introduction
— S.D. Muni
EVOLUTION OF US REBALANCING
2. Evolution of US Rebalancing Strategy: Implications for India
Arvind Gupta and Sanjeev K Shrivastav
MILITARY IMPLICATIONS OF US REBALANCING
3. Military Implications of the US Rebalancing Strategy
— Vivek Chadha
4. Restructuring the Maritime “Pivot”—Latest Developments in the US Rebalance to Asia
— Abhijit Singh
5. Military Dimensions of US Pivot and Its Implications
— P.K. Gautam
REGIONAL AND COUNTRY PERSPECTIVES
6. US Pivot to the Asia-Pacific: Impact and Implications for West Asia
— Rajeev Agarwal and Prasanta Kumar Pradhan
7. US Pivot to Asia and China: Rhetoric, Responses and Repercussions
— Rukmani Gupta
8. Chinese Military Response to US Rebalancing Strategy
— Mandip Singh
9. US Pivot to Asia-Pacific: Implications for the Indian Ocean Region
— Sarabjeet Singh Parmar
10. The US Rebalancing Strategy: Responses from Southeast Asia
— Rahul Mishra
11. Japan’s Response to the US “Pivot to Asia”
— Shamshad A. Khan
NUCLEAR DIMENSIONS
12. Pivot to Asia and Nuclearisation
— Rajiv Nayan
INDIAN PERSPECTIVE
13. India’s Approach to the Asia-Pacific
— Arvind Gupta
14. America’s Pivot to Asia and India’s Nuanced Approach
— Rup Narayan Das
APPENDICES
I. Remarks by President Obama to the Australian Parliament
II. America’s Engagement in the Asia-Pacific
Index
For nearly forty years, Prof. S.D Muni taught, conducted and supervised research, in international relations and South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (1974-2006), National University Of Singapore (2008-2013), Banaras Hindu University (1985-86), and University of Rajasthan (1972-73). At Jawaharlal Nehru University he held the prestigious Appadorai Chair of International Politics and Area Studies. Prof. Muni also served as India’s Special Envoy on UNSC Reforms (2005) and Ambassador in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (1997-99). In 2005 he was bestowed with ‘Sri Lanka Ratna’, Sri Lanka’s highest national honor for a foreign national. He was invited to address the UN Special Committee on Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace in 1985. Author and editor of twenty five books and monographs and more than 150 research papers, Prof. Muni has travelled extensively. He has been sitting on the selection committees for vice-chancellors and faculty members for different Indian universities. Presently he is based at the Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses as Distinguished Fellow.
Colonel Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Research Fellow at IDSA. He served in the army for over 22 years before joining IDSA in 2011. His current areas of research are defence studies, counter insurgency and terrorism finance. His published books include: Low Intensity Conflicts in India: An Analysis, Company Commander in Low Intensity Conflict and Indo-US Relations: Divergence to Convergence. He has also edited a book titled Armed Forces Special Powers Act: The Debate.
Cdr Abhijit Singh is a Research Fellow at the IDSA. He looks at maritime strategic issues in the broader Indo-Pacific region, and littoral security in the Indian Ocean.
Dr Arvind Gupta is the Director General IDSA. He specialises on a number of international and national security issues.
Brig Mandip Singh, VSM is a Senior Fellow and Centre Coordinator for East Asia Centre at IDSA. He lectures and writes extensively on security and defence matters related to Sino-Indian relations and the PLA.
Col P.K. Gautam (Retd) is a Research Fellow at IDSA. He has a number of books, chapters and articles on military matters, non-traditional security and Tibet to his credit.
Dr Prasanta Kumar Pradhan is an Associate Fellow at IDSA. His areas of research interests include domestic, foreign policy and security issues in the Gulf region and the Arab world.
Col Rajeev Agarwal is a Research Fellow at IDSA. His research focuses on foreign policy, regional security and strategic issues in West Asia.
Dr Rahul Mishra is a Research Fellow at Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. He specialises on political, economic, foreign policy and security aspects of countries and regional groupings of Southeast Asia. He was a researcher at IDSA from 2009-2013.
Dr Rajiv Nayan is a Senior Research Associate at IDSA. He specialises in nuclear issues and export controls.
Ms Rukmani Gupta was formerly an associate fellow at the IDSA. She is currently the Armed Forces Analyst for APAC with IHS Jane’s. The views expressed in this chapter are the author’s alone and are not endorsed by IHS.
Dr Rup Narayan Das is a Senior Fellow at IDSA. He is presently on deputation from the Lok Sabha Secretariat of Indian Parliament, where he is the Director (Research).
Mr Sanjeev K. Shrivastav is a researcher at IDSA. He specialises in India-US strategic partnership, foreign policy as well as domestic politics in the US.
Cdr Sarabjeet Singh Parmar is a serving naval officer, presently working as a Research Fellow at IDSA. He looks at maritime security issues.
Dr Shamshad A. Khan is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. He focuses on various aspects of Japanese affairs. Previously, he was a researcher at IDSA.
Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Research Fellow at IDSA. His research areas include defence studies, countering the finance of terrorism and Indo-US relations.