CHINA- INDIAN OCEAN FORUM - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

News: India is the lone absentee at China’s Indian Ocean forum of 19 countries

 

What's in the news?

       China this week convened a first “China-Indian Ocean Region Forum” bringing together 19 countries from the region – and all of India’s neighbours, except for India itself, the lone absentee from a new Beijing strategic initiative.

 

China - Indian Ocean Region Forum:

       The forum, held in Kunming in southwestern Yunnan province on November 21 for the first time on the development of Indian Ocean Island countries to build consensus and synergy, and promote common development.

 

Members:

       It was attended by the representatives of 19 countries including Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, and Australia.

 

Conducted by:

       China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).

       The CIDCA is China’s new development aid agency, and is currently headed by former Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui, who also earlier served as envoy to India and Pakistan.

 

Key takeaways:

Marine disaster prevention:

       At CIDCA’s Kunming forum, China proposed to establish a marine disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation mechanism between China and countries in the Indian Ocean region, and stood ready to provide necessary financial, material, and technical support to countries in need.

 

BLUE ECONOMY THINK TANK:

       China also proposed the establishment of a blue economy think tank network for China and countries in the Indian Ocean region with the support of Yunnan.

 

Cooperation:

       The participating countries, the statement said, agreed to cooperate to “strengthen policy coordination, deepen development cooperation, increase resilience to shocks and disasters, and enhance relevant countries’ capacity to obtain economic benefits through use of marine resources such as fisheries, renewable energy, tourism, and shipping in a sustainable way.

       China, which has set up a China-Africa Satellite Remote Sensing Application Centre, also called for countries “to jointly address non-traditional security challenges and participate in global development cooperation, so as to forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership.”