Encirclement or Engagement? Assessing the String of Pearls and India’s Security Concerns

Abstract

China’s so-called String of Pearls paradigm—an interconnected lattice of ports, logistical nodes, and infrastructural assets dispersed across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)—has emerged as a central determinant of contemporary maritime geopolitics. From India’s vantage point, this evolving configuration evokes apprehensions regarding strategic encirclement, as well as the fragility of critical Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs), particularly through the Strait of Malacca and adjoining maritime corridors. Beijing’s extensive financial infusion into regional port development, coupled with its expanding military engagements with neighbouring states, amplifies anxieties surrounding India’s security calculus. Consequently, India’s strategic orientation necessitates the consolidation of maritime partnerships and the safeguarding of navigational freedoms within an increasingly contested seascape marked by China’s augmented footprint. This study delineates the genesis and structural elements of the String of Pearls, interrogates India’s perception of it as a strategic liability, and evaluates responsive measures such as intensified naval posturing (the Necklace of Diamonds), alliance-building initiatives (notably the QUAD), and infrastructural collaboration with littoral states across the Indian Ocean.