The Chinese Shadow on India’s Eastward Engagement (Routledge Critical Perspectives on India and China)

India, one of the largest importers of oil in the world, has been diversifying its energy resource options and moving towards greater energy security. This book analyses India’s potential for building energy ties in the Asia–Pacific considering the global and regional power politics. Facing China’s growing influence in Asia, India’s eastward engagement with its extended neighbours has been entrenched in its Act East Policy and institutional commitments towards Southeast Asia.

This volume focuses on diverse facets of energy security beyond the traditional understanding of demand and supply and price and stability. It examines India’s energy sector, its dependence on hydrocarbons, and the push towards renewable and alternate energy resources. It further looks at the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea regions in geopolitical negotiations from an energy perspective and how China’s influence in the region will affect India’s moves towards greater energy cooperation with the countries of East Asia.

With contributions by leading experts, the volume seeks to fill a major void in this theme and cater to the needs of a variety of audiences including academics, policymakers and experts in international relations, geopolitics and geoeconomics, and professionals in the field of energy studies.

Sanjay K. Bhardwaj is Professor of South Asian Studies and the Energy Studies Programme at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was Chairperson at the Centre for South Asian Studies and Director of the Energy Studies Programme at SIS, JNU. He specialises in India’s foreign policy, energy security, politico-security and economic issues of India and South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia.