The governments of Mauritius and the Seychelles – both located in the western Indian Ocean have, like Sri Lanka, sought to re-imagine and revitalise their role within the emerging maritime order of the Indian Ocean by drawing on both their location and geographical vantage points. Three factors help us understand the return of geopolitics and its impact on the identity politics and international relations of island states: (1) the post-Cold War context; (2) the challenges of maritime governance today and, (3) the growing capacity and interest of China and India to play a greater role in the Indian Ocean.