Varied but simultaneous developments took place in the recent period in different corners of the Indo-Pacific.
They are indicative of the renewed geopolitical importance of the island states.
Why are island states significant?
At the dawn of the modern maritime age four centuries ago, control of critically-located islands became important.
It was part of the rivalry between European powers in the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.
Islands helped the replenishment of supplies, positioning of troops and ammunition, and the host ship to do repair and maintenance.
Island dominance became the key to securing the sea lines of communication.
The Anglo-American maritime dominance over the last two centuries helped limit the contestation for the islands.
An exception was imperial Japan’s challenge in the decades before the Second World War.
Today, the rise of China has brought the island states back to the centre stage of major power politics.
What are the recent developments?
Maldives - The Indian PM visited Maldives recently for the swearing-in of its new president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The visit underlined the renewed warmth in the relations between the two countries.
Under Solih’s predecessor, Abdulla Yameen, India’s relations with the Maldives rapidly deteriorated.
The contestation between India and China in the Maldives got intertwined with the democratic struggle of the opposition parties to end Yameen’s autocracy.
They kept demanding an Indian intervention as Yameen trampled over the parliament and judiciary, but Delhi held back.
Sri Lanka - The intersection of Sino-Indian rivalry with domestic politics is also witnessed in the neighbouring Sri Lanka.
The international community and India too was surprised at the recent decision of the Sri Lankan President to dismiss Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
India, the US and EU, emphasised the importance of due constitutional process and supported parliament test.
But the Chinese ambassador in Colombo was quick to show up at the newly-installed PM Rajapaksa's office to congratulate him.
Notably, during the decade-long rule (2004-15) by Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka seemed to steadily move closer to China’s orbit.
Symbolising its influence, China won the strategic contracts to build the Colombo port city.
It also got the contract for the construction of a new port at Hambantota in the southern part of the island.
India, in turn, appeared to lose its historic primacy in the island state.
Papua New Guinea - Further east, Papua New Guinea very recently hosted the forum for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's annual summit.
It brought leaders from 20-odd countries from America to China, Malaysia to Japan and Canada to Chile to this island state.
Here too, there is rise in Chinese commercial and political presence in the last few years.
There was also a speculation that China might be in quest of a military base in Papua New Guinea.
So Australia and the US moved in to announce that they will fund the development of the port facilities.
This would be developed in the Manus Island to the north-east of the main island.
Notably, Imperial Japan had occupied Manus and built a military base there in 1942.
Australia also joined the US, Japan and New Zealand in unveiling a project to provide electricity to 70% of the island population by 2030.
But countries have largely failed to anticipate the intensity of China’s power projection.
How does the future look for the Indo-Pacific?
Contestation for influence in the island states of the Indo-Pacific has just begun.
The European colonial powers could easily prevail over natives of the strategic island territories.
But unlike then, in Indo-Pacific, today’s major powers have to deal with the more complex domestic politics of the island nations.
The ruling regimes in these islands have agency and the capacity to play one power against the other.
