Winds of Change: Geopolitics at the Crossroads of South and Southeast Asia by Asanga Abeygoonasekera

Winds of Change explores how China's Belt and Road Initiative, India's diplomacy under Prime Minister Modi, and America's Indo-Pacific strategy are reshaping strategic landscapes across all of Asia with particular attention to the international relations of a Sri Lanka which in 2024 elected its first Marxist-leaning leader. President Dissanayake's inaugural visit to China secured USD 3.7 billion in foreign direct investment, and this momentous political shift reflects a broader regional transformation across South and Southeast Asia, as nations navigate the competing influences of China, India, and the United States amid rising geopolitical tensions. Drawing on firsthand experience, regional travel, exclusive interviews, and research, this book examines four key themes: the Geopolitics of Belt and Road, India-China Regional Diplomacy, Geopolitical Power Rivalries, and Sri Lanka's Domestic Political Challenge. Looking at how countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, and Vietnam are adjusting to shifting power dynamics, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Nepal struggle to maintain balance amid India'China tensions, this book goes on to investigate whether a second term for Trump could accelerate a global order increasingly tilted toward China. Key questions include: How do South and Southeast Asian nations perceive India's and China's regional diplomacy? How are India'China tensions affecting Sri Lanka, and what does this mean for regional stability? Revisiting the geopolitical theories of Nicholas J Spykman alongside modern-day thinkers, Winds of Change blends historical analysis with contemporary geopolitics, providing a nuanced perspective on a region at the heart of 21st-century power struggles. It is essential reading for policymakers, scholars, and global affairs enthusiasts.