Published Paper Details:

This paper investigates how hard power competition and soft power initiatives influence regional diplomacy in Asia, particularly involving India, China, and Japan. It starts by defining neighbourhood diplomacy as the strategic management of relationships with neighbouring states using security, political, and developmental tools. The paper then presents hard power and soft power as complementary strategies rather than oppositional ones. The next section focuses on nuclear strategy as a key element of hard power, which helps shape deterrence relationships, convey credibility, and affect regional perceptions of threats. This is followed by an examination of health diplomacy as a means of soft power, emphasizing its role in building trust, establishing legitimacy, and fostering cooperation through medical aid, vaccine collaborations, and humanitarian efforts. The final part assesses how the combination of deterrence and diplomatic engagement influences neighbourhood relations, arguing that both coercive power and normative actions are critical to shaping regional stability and influence. The study concludes that effective neighbourhood leadership increasingly relies on finding a balance between strategic restraint and the provision of regional public goods.