New Delhi, April 2 -- India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently completed a tour to Southeast Asia - Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia - as he sought to bolster the strategic presence in the region with China in mind. The commemoration of the first decade of the Act East Policy first launched in 2014 marks a critical shift in security and economic crossroads for New Delhi, especially in bolstering ties with current partners, mitigating risks with old allies and weighing the options with new potential supporters in getting both the buy-in and a trust based urgency of common security threat setting.

The Act East Policy provides the credence to India's vision of Indo Pacific cooperation. This includes the Indo Pacific O...