War on the Rocks published on 1 April 2019 an analysis titled "The Great Game Moves To Sea: Tripolar Competition in the Indian Ocean Region" by Harry I. Hannah.
India and China view the Indo-Pacific as extending from the African littoral to Southeast Asia and including parts of the Arabian peninsula and Iran, while America's view excludes areas considered Middle Eastern or African. The author argues that India and China's relative emphasis on non-military foreign policy tools, in contrast to America's use of the armed forces to achieve foreign policy objectives, will determine the fate of the three competing strategies. To counter China, he adds, the United States will need to increase significantly its non-military investments and diplomatic engagement and implement an integrated strategy that considers the whole region--from Southeast Asia, through Iran and Pakistan, and all the way to the African littoral and the Arabian Peninsula.
