India-United States Strategic Partnership in Indian Ocean Region and its Implications for Pakistan

Abstract

Indian Ocean is the region that would be the center of conflicts among world powers in the near future. Major Powers of the world have their strategic and economic interests in Indian Ocean. U.S. sole super power of the world, in the current timeframe, has been changing its policies in the Indian Ocean keeping in view its vital interest. Under Trump‟s administration, U.S. policies in the Indian Ocean have been diverted from Obama‟s administration. India considers the Indian Ocean as its backyard. U.S. sole hegemonic power wants to have supremacy over the ocean that is why U.S. has shared responsibilities with India to control politics of the Ocean. Indo-U.S. strategic partnership has been strengthened by signing deals such as Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement. They have also joined naval forces. They are actively patrolling and conducting deep-rooted Malabar exercise in the Indian Ocean. The study focuses on geopolitical complexities which converge the interest of India and U.S. in the ocean. These developments have serious implications for regional security and regional actors like Pakistan. China is the most important factor in changing geopolitics of Indian Ocean. Case study method has been applied to study implications for Pakistan in Indian Ocean. Primary and secondary data have been collected for the research. It has been concluded that China plays the role of regional balancer for Pakistan in Gwadar port in regards to Indo-U.S. strategic partnership in Indian Ocean Region. In order to maintain asymmetrical balance in the region, Pakistan has to revisit its strategic and maritime policy keeping in view its crucial role in the ocean.