ISAS South Asia Scan

In recent years, China’s interest in and strategic engagement with the small island states in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have increased and reinforced by a number of developments. It is, therefore, crucial to understand its small state diplomacy, not just from the regional perspective, but also globally. Since the inauguration of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, China has strengthened and enhanced its engagement with these countries. The ‘China factor’ has become indispensable and crucial in the foreign and domestic affairs of the region. The author argues that China’s presence in the IOR and its growing engagements with these states should be interpreted more from a defensive rather than an offensive angle.