INDIA AND INDO-PACIFIC - INTERNATIONAL
News: Connecting
India's East with the Indo-Pacific
What's in the news?
● The
writer argues that while framing and implementing India's Indo-Pacific
strategy, voices from the Northeast and the eastern parts of the country must
be heard.
● India
and neighboring countries should move beyond geopolitics and geo-economics and
should focus on “the geo-cultural
dimension” of the Indo-Pacific.
Indo-Pacific Region:
● It
is a geographic region consisting of the tropical
waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean.
● Recently,
it has gained prominence because of the formation
of Quad and the ongoing tussle between China and other prominent regional
players such as India, Australia, Japan and US.
● Trade dependence and the
changing nature of the maritime threat
has raised awareness of the importance of ensuring secure seas for the
unhindered movement of trade and energy.
● India
supports a rules-based, balanced, and
stable trade environment in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indo-Pacific from India's Perspective:
1. Geographical extent:
● India’s
idea of the Indo-Pacific starting from Africa to the America, which covers both
the Indian and Pacific Oceans, in tandem with that of Japan.
● It
was highlighted by India at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2018 with the heart of
its Indo-Pacific policy being rooted in the Indian Ocean.
2. Inclusive:
● According
to the Ministry of External affairs, India’s policy perspective on the
Indo-Pacific, include inclusiveness,
openness, ASEAN centrality and that the concept is not directed against any
country.
3. Rule based Indo-Pacific:
● India’s
concept of Indo-Pacific emphasis on a shared commitment to maintain and
strengthen a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific in which all nations are
sovereign, strong and prosperous is India’s emphasis.
4. Free and open region:
● It
asks for a free, open and inclusive region that fosters universal respect for
international law, freedom of navigation
and overflight and sustainable development.
5. Security of the region:
● The
focus of India’s Indo Pacific initiative and concept is also on connectivity, enhancing maritime security,
counterterrorism, non-proliferation and cyber issues.
Strategic significance of Indo-Pacific region for
India:
1. Mineral Resources:
● Maritime
territories have emerged as depositories
of vital resources ranging from fish stocks to minerals and offshore oil
and gas.
● The
South China Sea, for instance, is estimated to hold some 10% of the global fish resources as well as 11 billion
barrels of oil and 190 trillion
cubic feet of gas.
2. Economic Growth:
● According
to a report of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), countries in the Indo-Pacific
produce over 60% of global GDP, making
the region the largest single contributor to global growth.
● Thus,
the region is important for India’s economic growth and aim of reaching a $5
trillion economic goal.
3. Commerce:
● The
region consists of many of the world’s
vital choke points for global commerce, including the Straits of Malacca which is very critical for the growth of the
world economy.
● The
Indo-Pacific region also stands at the intersection of international trade,
with around 32.2 million barrels of crude oil pass through annually and 40% of
global exports come from the region.
4. Connectivity:
● India
is planning to put greater energy to the IORA because the heart of its
Indo-Pacific policy is rooted in the Indian Ocean.
● This
integrates the blue economy part of the Indian policy with the security part.
5. Freedom of navigation:
● It
is important to adhere to freedom of navigation, adherence to rules-based order
and a stable trade environment.
● Also
for free sea and air lanes, connectivity and upholding international rules and
norms.
Government efforts regarding Indo-Pacific region:
1. SAGAR:
● The
government has introduced the concept of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and believes in an
Indo-Pacific that is free, open and inclusive, and one that is founded upon a
cooperative and collaborative rules-based order.
2. Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD):
● In
continuation of the process of engaging the global strategic community in an
annual review of India’s opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific
region, the second edition of Indo-Pacific
Regional Dialogue (IPRD), 2019 was held in New Delhi.
3. Maritime exercises:
● Being
extremely careful of its relationship with China, India has tried to keep away
from several military and naval exercises.
● Though
it is one of the major Indo-Pacific powers, it has not allowed countries like
Australia to participate in the annual, Indian-led
multinational Exercise Malabar.
4. Participation at international platforms:
● India
has been an active participant in mechanisms like the Indian Ocean Rim
Association (IORA), the East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting
Plus. All these engagements portray India’s increasing involvement in the
Indo-Pacific.
5. Dialogue with China:
● From
the economic point of view, the relationship with China is important, as it is
India’s largest trading partner.
● From
a security perspective, the standoff in the Doklam valley was resolved through
dialogue. It was followed by the Wuhan informal summit and efforts are on to
improve ties.
6. QUAD:
● Quadrilateral
Security Dialogue (Quad) is the informal
strategic dialogue between India, USA, Japan and Australia.
● The
four nations share a common objective to ensure and support a “free, open and
prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
Challenges of India in Indo-Pacific:
1. Geostrategic Competition Theater:
● The
Indo-Pacific region serves as the primary arena for the geostrategic rivalry
between various multilateral organizations like QUAD and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
2. Growing China’s dominance:
● Chinese
military buildup has put India's interests and the stability of the Indian
Ocean in jeopardy.
● China
is providing military and infrastructure support to India's neighbors,
including frigates for Sri Lanka,
submarines for Myanmar, and its overseas military facility in Djibouti (Horn of Africa).
● In
addition, China controls the port of Hambantota
in Sri Lanka, which is only a few hundred miles from India's coast.
3. Non-Traditional Issues:
● Due
to the size of the region, it is challenging to identify and handle a variety
of dangers, such as piracy, human trafficking, and terrorism.
● Climate change and the
three successive La Nina episodes that are triggering
cyclones and tsunamis in the Indo-Pacific area are major threats to its
ecological and geographical stability.
● The
aquatic life in this area is also being hampered by marine pollution and illicit, unreported, and unregulated (IUU)
fishing.
4. India's Limited Naval Capacity:
● Due
to India's military budget's limited allocation, the Indian Navy has limited
resources and capacity to strengthen its efforts.
● Additionally,
India faces a significant logistical problem in maintaining its presence in the
Indo-Pacific due to the absence of overseas military bases.
Way forward:
1. Cultural diplomacy:
● The
idea that neighbors should pay attention to "the geo-cultural
dimension" of the Indo-Pacific, extending beyond geopolitics and
geoeconomics.
● There
is a need to "fortify our historical and geographic linkages" in
order to meet present and future problems.
2. People-to-people cooperation:
● Diplomats
from the area concur that it is crucial to increase people-to-people
cooperation because doing so will increase support for the Indo-Pacific and
strengthen the Quad.
● It
is desirable to broaden the scope of cultural diplomacy and people-to-people
exchanges through more educational interactions, travel, and commerce.
3. Role of Business community:
● The
strategic and business community needs to contribute to crafting a concrete
blueprint for leveraging commerce, connectivity, and human capital development
opportunities.
4. Investment:
● A
greater investment from Indian corporations and foreign investors, as well as
improved management, are necessary for accelerated development.
● There
is a need for improvement in roads linking northeastern towns and job creation
for thousands of graduates produced by local universities.
● It
is necessary to increase the research and development facilities to take
advantage of the biodiversity in the area.
The
Indo-pacific region is highly heterogeneous in terms of economic size and level
of development, with significant differences in security establishments and
resources. Maintaining the delicate
balance between the interests of all stakeholders will be a key challenge.
Thus, India needs to carefully design its Indo-Pacific policy while keeping its
long-term strategic and economic interests in mind.