As concrete steps have been taken to build up the foundations for an East Asia community in recent years, a consensus has begun to emerge that India should be a part of any serious regional community building efforts. Economic interdependence between India and the countries of East Asia has climbed dramatically, and this has been accompanied by a growing awareness that the future of India is increasingly intertwined with that of East Asia. In light of these developments, JCIE coordinated a joint study, “East Asia and a Rising India: Prospects for the Region,” to explore India’s growing relations with East Asia and the significance of these ties in the context of the gradually emerging East Asia community. 

Leading policy experts from East Asian countries and India met in workshops to discuss the implications of India’s inclusion in the region, the question of how to best manage a regional order characterized by the involvement of a multiple large powers, and the interests and concerns that India has regarding community building in East Asia. This study was coordinated as part of the Asia Pacific Agenda Project (APAP).