• V.L Chaka Hmar

China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its sovereign territory and it has stoutly and assiduously asserted its stake in recent years. Besides building up and fortifying reefs and islands within the disputed area, China has dispatched survey ships to assert mineral rights and deployed large numbers of coast guard to the sea. Till very recently in the middle of the global coronavirus pandemic, China has been busy increasing its presence and working steadily to modernise and expand its navy to protect what it calls its ‘sovereign territory’. At this very juncture, India is also continuously expanding its reach in the South China Sea region which in itself has become a crucial factor in her foreign policy. Time and again, India has reiterated its interest in the freedom of navigation beyond an exclusive economic zone (E.E.Z) which stretches from the coast to 200 nautical miles into the sea. This paper analyses the geopolitical realities of the areas surrounding South China Sea along with their implications upon India.

South China Sea, Geopolitics, Conflicts, Sovereignty, China, India.

"The Geopolitics of South China Sea: Its implications for India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 4, page no.589-594, April 2020, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2004578.pdf

"The Geopolitics of South China Sea: Its implications for India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 4, page no. pp589-594, April 2020, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2004578.pdf