China's Strategic Maneuvers in South Asia and the IOR: Containing India, Consolidating the String of Pearls, and Pursuing Regional Hegemony Abstract: China’s geopolitical strategy in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) aims to establish regional hegemony by containing India, consolidating the “String of Pearls,” and leveraging proxies like Pakistan. Through military provocations along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, China diverts India’s resources from maritime ambitions, such as developing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, critical for controlling the Malacca Strait. The Belt and Road Initiative, including ports in Sri Lanka (Hambantota), Myanmar (Kyaukphyu), and Pakistan (Gwadar), secures energy routes and counters India’s naval dominance. Pakistan, bolstered by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, serves as a strategic foil, ensuring a two-front threat. Drawing on 25 expert quotes, this note analyzes China’s h...