Delighted to release the interactive map of the Indian Ocean Region- a key initiative of @CarnegieEndow #IndianOceanInitiative to help better visualize & understand the region, its players, dynamics and key facts.

bit.ly/39l6TJw For far too long, the ocean has been divided under continental sub-regions hindering assessments on the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean as one region -from the eastern coast of Africa to the western coast of Australia.

Excited to be leading the new Indian Ocean initiative and look forward to moving to DC soon! Please read @EvanFeigenbaum's thread as to why we at @CarnegieEndow are creating this dedicated stream of research and convening on the Indian Ocean under the @CarnegieSAsia program 1/6

https://twitter.com/EvanFeigenbaum/status/1367125221195538435

The Indian Ocean deserves its own attention & research focus. The stellar team across Carnegie Asia plus expertise in and from Europe, Russia, China & Africa allows this initiative to build on and bring together this expertise. 2/6

[Thread] In my new @CarnegieEndow working paper, I look at maritime security as a new domain in India's foreign policy engagements. Tracing the debate in India from 2013, I argue Indo-Pacific is a theater of opportunity (1/13)

carnegieindia.org/2020/06/30/ind… While India struggled to define the concept within its political framework in the early stages of the debate, it eventually emerged as an opportunity to increase its diplomatic and security profile (2/13)

[Thread] Islands and Indian Ocean security: I notice an increase in opinion pieces and analysis advocating for use of strategic islands in the ongoing US, India, Australia (among others) competition with China. (1/15) First, it is great to see increasing public discussion on role/use of islands as I believe they will come to play a bigger role in shaping great power competition. However, some of us have been working on this issue and advocating for such collaborations for a few years now(2/15)

[Thread] I had the chance to co-author my latest article with the excellent @Yogeshjoshidec1 on India’s policy on Diego Garcia & dilemma on Indian Ocean security for Australian Journal of International Affairs:
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… (1/10) Based on archival documents (thanks to @Yogeshjoshidec1 's excellent archival work), we highlight India’s policy of publicly supporting decolonisation while privately supporting & welcoming US and great power presence in the Indian Ocean. (2/10)

Gen. Frenghe Wei, Minister of National Defence, China: some countries deliberately create hostility & interfere in the internal affairs of others. #SLD19 Gen. Wei: we have never bullied or preyed in others and we not allow others to bully others or us.#SLD19

Following on PM @leehsienloong keynote last night who asked great powers not to force small states to choose sides, @ActingSecDef says US doesn’t want any country to choose any country. However, some countries are choosing to act contrary to actions that benefit us all. #SLD2019 @ActingSecDef - we can’t wish away reality as countries use friendly rhetoric to distract from unfriendly actions. US rejects the actions that run contrary to the order that many at #SLD19 benefit from.