The global geostrategic environment is in a state of constant flux. Unrelenting Sino-US rivalry has further exacerbated its imperatives. Its ripple effects have engendered intended/ unintended effects on the strategic balance in Asia generally and in the South Asian region, specifically. Consequently, regional countries are (re)positioning themselves and alliances, coalitions, pacts, agreements, and alignments are acquiring newer avatars and starker dimensions. Asia is getting seriously polarized.

While China faces a possible major effort against it in the Pacific Ocean region, it is not oblivious to a secondary or auxiliary effort coming through India, across the LAC in the Himalayas/South Asia. However, South Asia has a third, quite formidable player too; Pakistan. An extremely tenuous trilateral strategic balance has persisted here for many decades; it stands further vitiated now because of this current Sino-US friction; India’s clear alignment with the US against China and Pakistan’s obvious tilt towards the latter. India has fought wars with both China and Pakistan over territorial disputes. The militaries of these three antagonists sit eyeball to eyeball astride hot, volatile borders/lines of control. Thus, an existing clash of interests between three of the world’s most formidable military, nuclear, and missile powers is becoming rapidly, and radically aggravated.

This trilateral strategic balance in South Asia is unique, fragile, and constantly evolving. It is quite akin to a domino phenomenon, with one relationship having serious effects on the other. China........

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