The new world politics of the Indo-Pacific : perceptions, policies and interests / edited by Josukutty C A and Joyce Sabina Lobo.

The book offers a vivid analysis of the new geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific in terms of big power rivalry between the US-China and country-wise perspectives situating largely within the late 2000s and culminates with the developments of the COVID-19 period. The great power shift, marked by the rise of China and the relative decline of the US, poses a serious challenge to the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region and the world order in general. Ironically, the play of realism in the region is stymied by broad partnerships of key countries that utilise the liberal approaches of cooperation with both rivals - the US and China. The book captures the mosaic of stakeholders - rivals the US and China along with Russia; other QUAD members Australia, India, and Japan; key ASEAN members, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam; vulnerable states in East Asia, viz. Taiwan and South Korea; and groupings including the ASEAN and QUAD - that constitute the new world politics of the Indo-Pacific. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of Indo-Pacific studies, global politics, and international relations.

About the Editors xAbout the Contributors xiAcknowledgements xvSECTION AThe Indo-Pacific Construct 11 Introduction 3Josukutty C. A. and Joyce Sabina Lobo2 The Geo-Politics of the Indo-Pacific: Perceptions, Opportunities, and Challenges 16Srikanth Kondapalli3 The Indo-Pacific as the New Theatre of "Cold War" Politics: Challenges and Regional Responses 34Shankari Sundararaman4 From Quad 1.0 to Quad 2.0: The Persisting Discourse 49S. Y. Surendra KumarSECTION BChina and the Quad Nation States 695 China in the Indo-Pacific: Perspectives and Interests 71Huo Wenle6 Russia in the Indo-Pacific through Multipolarity, Eurasian Integration, and the RFE 89Joyce Sabina Lobo7 The US in the Indo-Pacific: Interests and Strategy 103Nanda Kishor M. S.8 Japan's Interests and Strategies in the Indo-Pacific 118Anil Kumar P.9 India's Interests and Strategies in the Indo-Pacific 133Uma Purushothaman10 Indo-Pacific: Australian Middle Power Ambitions and Dilemmas 148Madhusudhan. BSECTION CKey ASEAN Nation States and Vulnerable Neighbours of China 16511 Malaysia's Responses to the Indo-Pacific: Between Trepidations and Aspirations 167Ivy Kwek12 Singapore's Strategy in the Indo-Pacific 182Vignesh Ram13 Indonesia in the Indo-Pacific: The Rise of a Strategic Geopolitical Power 194Vignesh Ram14 Vietnam in the Changing Strategic Environment of Indo-Pacific 207Aswani R. S.15 South Korea's Approach to Indo-Pacific 221Jojin V. John16 Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific 236Suresh K.17 Conclusion 250Joyce Sabina Lobo and Josukutty C. A.Index 259