China’s View of South Asia and the Indian Ocean

[Backwards Observer]

Heritage's Dean Cheng offers these pointers in another 2010 analysis:

U.S. Reaction

With regard to China’s maneuvering in South Asia, the U.S. should:

-Continue to build strong strategic ties to India and encourage India to play a more active political and economic role in the region. To help India fulfill that role, Washington should continue to seek a robust military-to-military relationship with New Delhi and enhance defense trade ties.

-Collaborate more closely with India on initiatives that strengthen economic development and democratic trends in the region and work with India to counter any Chinese moves that could potentially undermine such trends in order to ensure the peaceful, democratic development of South Asia.

-Cooperate with India in matching increased Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region. Given the substantial Indian naval capabilities, U.S. naval forces should increase their interaction with their Indian counterparts, both to improve Indian naval capabilities and to signal Beijing that its moves will be matched jointly by New Delhi and Washington.

Leadership Needed

With an ascendant China determined to flex its diplomatic and military muscle, American leadership is needed now more than ever.

China's Indian Provocations Part of Broader Trend - Heritage Foundation - Sept 9, 2010.

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Ray, you may also be interested in this speech by another "product of the Heritage Foundation":

Dinesh D'Souza Explains His Theory of the Obama Administration - Heritage Foundation - March 16, 2011.

The Economist has a take:

Against D'Souza - The Economist - Sept 30, 2010.