Approximately 40 percent of the world’s population lives in India and China combined. China is the second-largest economy globally, while India is currently fourth but is expected to move up to third soon. Given the geostrategic importance of the area, it is no surprise that President Obama chose to “pivot” to Asia in 2011. Ever since, the US focus has been on containing China’s rise and its insurmountable presence in the region. Consequently, the US has bet on India in this bold “new great game” to advance its strategic goals in the Indo-Pacific vis-à-vis China. But a detailed examination reveals…
Author: Ahsan H. Tutul
Ahsan H. Tutul
The author is a doctoral researcher in International Relations at Universiti Sains Malaysia. He can be reached at Ahsanh123@yahoo.ca.
Thucydides, in his book “The History of the Peloponnesian War,” noted that “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” Since there are no world police to turn to for help in this anarchic world system, a state’s primary goal is therefore survival. The more powerful a state is, the better its chances of surviving. Following this pattern, Israel has been building up its military power to influence the regional environment in the Middle East and establish hegemony over its weaker neighbors. Israel’s recent major actions — attacks on Iran and the genocide in Gaza…