Part of International Relations — India and the World. Common notes for UPSC Mains GS-II.
UPSC
📌 Background & Key Features
Strategic Partnership elevated in 2025; foreign-policy convergence driven by shared concerns over China’s South China Sea assertiveness and UNCLOS/2016 Arbitral Award enforcement.
BrahMos missile deal (2022, $375 million) was India’s first major missile export success in Southeast Asia, followed by growing defence attaché presence and multi-year plans across defence, tech and economic sectors.
📰 Current Affairs Linkage (2025-26)
President Marcos Jr.’s state visit to India (August 2025) formalised the Strategic Partnership; the Philippines also conducted joint patrols with the US near Scarborough Shoal (May 2026) amid rising South China Sea tensions that India watches closely as a Quad-adjacent partner.
