How Do Small States Maneuver In The Sino-indian Competition

In recent years,China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean Region(IOR)has undoubtedly affected India’s calculations and raised great concern in New Delhi.The security dilemma this poses in the maritime sphere has led to a significant change from what was essentially a land-based rivalry between the two since they emerged as modern states in this century and,in turn,has had a significant impact on the way the Indian Ocean littoral and island states interact with them.As a result,the increasing engagement of India and China with these island states necessitates a closer examination of their strategic competition.While the majority of research has been primarily discussed in terms of the two major powers,there is still scope for further discussion of the roles the small island states play.Sri Lanka,Seychelles,and Mauritius islands were chosen primarily because of their political and economic relationship with China and India;the three are the most active.Other island nations,such as Madagascar and Comoros,are beyond India’s cultural and military sphere.Currently,the events taking place in Seychelles,Mauritius,and Sri Lanka are surrounded by an external dilemma in which India and China face limited direct competition.This dilemma is influenced by India’s heightened suspicions of Beijing’s interactions with the islands.All three islands rely on the essential economic links and security roles that both regional powers offer.To be able to reap the benefits on offer,the small island states use various alternatives to balance out the pressure inferred onto them by China and India.There is no doubt that a country’s political consensus,in general,gives it more leverage over external powers,and this is especially true of Mauritius and Seychelles,which have solid systems of political consensus.In contrast,the political situation of Sri Lanka has less consensus and a greater tendency to compete with China and India.Through a comparative analysis of China and India’s engagement with these island states,this study analyzes the factors that enhance or detract from their agency and reveal how they,in fact,"maneuver" in the SinoIndian competition.All three island states understand that picking sides will reap no benefits to their national interest regardless of their historical ties.Therefore,these island nations must maintain an ideal foreign policy between China and India to improve their development space by trying to navigate the two powers’ national interests.