Professor C Raja Mohan and Dr Chulanee Attanayake

In the first week of January, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited to Sri Lanka and the Maldives - two Indian Ocean countries where it is looking to strengthen its influence. This visit is important for these island states not only in the current geopolitical and economic context but also historically as they both celebrate landmark years in their bilateral ties with China. Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS and Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow at the same institute, share many insights into the current state of relationship between these countries and how India could navigate the China challenge.