India's 'G Minus Two' Strategy: Strengthening Indo-Pacific Partnerships Amid US-China Rivalry

Indian Express - Opinion · 9 Jul 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · International relations Mains · GS2 International relations High relevance

India is advancing a 'G Minus Two' strategy in the Indo-Pacific, deepening ties with Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea to navigate US-China tensions while preserving strategic autonomy and economic interdependence with China.

Key points

G Minus Two refers to India's strategy of expanding cooperation with Asian powers like Indonesia, Australia, and Japan to counterbalance US-China dominance, without forming an anti-China bloc or abandoning US partnerships.

Strategic Autonomy is maintained through defence partnerships with the US (India and Indonesia are 'major defence partners') while managing economic ties with China, exemplified by India's $150 billion trade with China.

[GS3-Economy] Asian nations face the challenge of de-risking economic interdependence with China, as seen in Japan's $300 billion and ASEAN's $1 trillion trade volumes with China, making decoupling impractical.

Indo-Pacific Geography positions Indonesia as critical, straddling the Indian and Pacific Oceans, making India-Indonesia cooperation pivotal for maritime security and regional stability.

Defence Modernization is a key driver, with Japan offering advanced defence technology and Australia providing maritime security expertise in the eastern Indian Ocean.

[GS2-International Relations] The strategy connects to India's Act East Policy, emphasizing deeper economic and security ties with Southeast Asia and Oceania to counter Chinese influence.

Economic Resilience is prioritized through partnerships in critical minerals (Australia), semiconductors (South Korea), and infrastructure finance (Japan), reducing reliance on any single power.

This approach contrasts with non-alignment, as India actively builds multilateral partnerships while avoiding formal alliances, reflecting pragmatic adaptation to geopolitical realities.

Way Forward: India should accelerate domestic economic reforms to enhance competitiveness, deepen defence industrial cooperation with partners, and institutionalize minilateral frameworks like the Quad Plus for sustained regional engagement.

Key terms

Strategic Autonomy

India's foreign policy principle of maintaining independent decision-making while engaging selectively with major powers. In the Indo-Pacific context, it involves deepening ties with the US for security while preserving economic links with China, crucial for GS2 international relations questions.

Indo-Pacific

A geopolitical construct spanning the Indian and Pacific Oceans, central to India's maritime strategy. It encompasses freedom of navigation, rule-based order, and connectivity initiatives, with institutional frameworks like the Quad making it a recurring UPSC theme in GS2 and GS3.

De-risking

The process of reducing vulnerability to economic coercion while maintaining trade ties, particularly with China. For UPSC, this connects to GS3 topics like supply chain resilience and Atmanirbhar Bharat, as seen in semiconductor and critical mineral partnerships with Japan and Australia.

G Minus Two

A strategic approach where Asian powers like India, Japan, and Australia enhance cooperation among themselves to navigate US-China rivalry without forming exclusive blocs. For UPSC, this reflects India's nuanced balancing act between strategic autonomy and pragmatic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.