The elephant in the room is India, the world's most populous country has China as its second largest trading partner but it is only China's 13th. Since 2015 there seems to have been a decline in Sino-Indian relations. Although only a third of China's, India's defence expenditure is the world's 3rd or 4th highest (depending on source) and it has the second largest military in terms of numbers. How far it will seek to oppose actively China's influence in countries in the Indian Ocean, East and South China Seas remains to be seen.