Cultural Oceans: Reflections on the Maritime Silk Route and Project Mausam

Apart from security and trade, states are increasingly strategizing cultural policies aimed at ocean spaces. The brief studies these emerging state policies through the case of China’s Maritime Silk Route and India’s Project Mausam. It looks at four questions: first, why did these states decide to curate cultural oceanic policies; secondly, what do these policies entail; thirdly, how have they been executed, and finally, what are the similarities and differences between the two. The brief concludes with two generalizations. First, states curate cultural maritime policies for three objectives – associated material interests, international prestige and regime legitimation. Secondly, the execution of these policies depends on state requirements, capabilities and resources and finally, acceptance by other stakeholders.