Balance of Power in South Asia

This volume has been written in response to the emergence of India and Pakistan, in May 1998, as declared nuclear-weapons states. Since then, the environment has become more hostile, the region's politics more uncertain and the stakes higher for the international community. This volume discusses the rationale behind the decision to conduct nuclear tests and the subsequent impact on the South Asian region and the Gulf. It offers the perspective of India, Pakistan, China and the Gulf countries, and examines the theoretical framework of balance-of-power politics.