India is hosting the leaders of Myanmar and Vietnam this week, underscoring once again the seriousness with which it is pursuing its “Look East” policy, as it forges close economic and security ties with two significant nations in Southeast Asia and counters China’s penetration of its own neighbourhood. The Look East policy, initiated by P.V. Narasimha Rao, is now the cornerstone of India’s engagement with the world’s most economically dynamic region. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made it clear that his government’s foreign-policy priority will be East and Southeast Asia, poised for sustained growth in the 21st century.