Chapter 1: The problem and its background
Introduction
For a long time, India has viewed its sphere of influence as stretching far beyond the subcontinent itself but has had little ability to project this influence beyond its borders. It is only in the last few years that India has been able to become more influential both in the surrounding regions and the world at large. This was mainly anchored on its ‘look east policy’ initiated in the early 1990s that saw the country focus on the East Asia and Pacific regions as an economic framework for expanding ties and promoting economic growth. With the new expanded strategic vision – “Look East” policy 2, India has broadened the definition of its security interest in its strategic economic endeavors. It is generally seen that India’s partnership with ASEAN have had an impact on India’s economic, political, and security related involvement ‘in these larger, concentric coalitions around ASEAN…in East Asia and in the Asian Pacific’ (Gujral, 1996, p. 12). The look east policy has integrated a larger regionalization framework and strategy encompassing the Asia Pacific issues (Scott, 2007).
WE ARE TECHNOLOGY THESIS EXPERTS! ORDER NOW!
WWW.UKESSAYHUB.COM

The Indians-ASEAN links do not only have economic frameworks but strategic underpinnings as well. As Scot (2007) has indicated, china has been a factor in all of the India’s initiatives albeit blurred in economic progressions. Some analysts have argued that the growing Chinese economic and military influence in Asia has been the anchorage on the basis of which the strategic molding of ‘look East Policy’ was structured. India’s continued influence has therefore been viewed as providing ‘a balance’ to Chinas growing influence in the region. India’s aspiration to be a major global power is indisputable. For many years, India took pride in its role as leader of