Commemorating a decade of the Act East Policy (AEP), Prime Minister Modi on his two-day visit to attend the 21st India-ASEAN Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit in Laos PDR, has firmed up ties with the region. ASEAN comprises 10 Southeast Asian countries- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. India established dialogue relations with ASEAN in 1992. Over the years, the relations have gradually strengthened and improved. Marking the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India diplomatic ties, New Delhi hosted an ASEAN-India commemorative summit under the theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny” in January 2018.
At the 2018
Shanghai Dialogue, PM Modi for the first time strongly articulated India’s
Indo-Pacific Strategy for a free, open, inclusive and stable Indo-Pacific
region. At the 34th ASEAN summit, leaders adopted the ASEAN
Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP), a blueprint of ASEAN engagement with
Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions in June 2019. In November 2019 at the 14th
East Asia Summit (EAS) India announced the Indo-Pacific Ocean’s Initiative
(IPOI) and highlighted the need for both sides to work together to seek common
solutions for a rules-based order. The alignment of IPOI and AOIP laid a firm
ground to enhance partnership between both sides on maritime security,
sustainability, disaster prevention and management.
AEP is
the cornerstone of India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. ASEAN is the heart
of India’s Act East Policy and is central to India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
ASEAN is the gateway to the South China Sea, a vital maritime corridor for
global trade.
Subsequently,
in 2021, both sides adopted a Joint Statement on Cooperation for Peace,
Stability and Prosperity in the region. By 2022, India and ASEAN elevated ties
to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In 2023, both sides agreed to
strengthen maritime cooperation and Food Security and Nutrition cooperation in
response to crises. The partnership built on four Cs- Culture, Connectivity,
Commerce and Capacity Building, was further revitalised at the India-ASEAN
Summit at Lao, PDR with PM Modi proposing a 10-point program.
In the context
of this year's ASEAN Summit theme, "Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”,
delivering India’s national statement, PM Modi has suggested 10 steps to
reinvigorate the partnership.
These
include- Promoting tourism wherein India has committed $5 million and declared
2025 as the "ASEAN-India Year of Tourism”; commemorating a decade of AEP,
enhancing people to people connect, Sides are planning Music Festival, Youth
Summit, Hackathon, Start-Up Festival; holding annual Women Scientists Conclave
under "India-ASEAN Science and Technology Fund"; increasing
scholarships for ASEAN students at Nalanda University and Indian Agricultural
Universities; a review of "ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement” to create
a secure, resilient and reliable supply chain; attaining disaster resilience
with close coordination between sides with fund allocation of $5 million from
the “ASEAN-India Fund”; ensuring health resilience through an institutionalised
framework including extending invitation to health experts from ASEAN to
India’s Annual National Cancer Grid ‘Vishwam Conference’; digital and cyber
resilience; Green Future and Climate resilience.
Stating that
the 21st century is the century of India and ASEAN countries, PM Modi ushered Sides
into a new chapter of cooperation. Seeking solutions to address the challenges
of the 21st century, Sides brought out a “Joint Statement on
Advancing Digital Transformation” for the implementation of ASEAN Digital
Masterplan 2025 (ADM 2025) and to facilitate a seamless transition into the next
phase by 2030.
As part of
capacity building, India has been making noteworthy contributions in terms of
knowledge sharing with the establishment of Centres for Excellence in Software
Development and Training in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
India also reaffirmed
the “importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime
safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, and
other lawful uses of the seas, including unimpeded lawful maritime commerce and
to promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally
recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and the
relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)”.
Cognizant of
China’s incremental maritime expansionism that has brought the region to the
precipice of conflict, India has supported, “the full and effective
implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South
China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and look forward to the early conclusion of an
effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is
in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS”.
China’s maritime
expansionism has roiled the peace and security of the region. Chinese militia’s
aggressive manoeuvres in the South China Sea, including the use of water
cannons against the Philippine vessels and attacks with iron rods on Vietnamese
fishermen, have brought smaller ASEAN neighbours on a collision course with
China. Chinese aggressive military posturing is now a major threat to the
region. The five claimants for territorial structures in the South China Sea
other than China - Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia are
wary of the former’s encroachment of their exclusive economic zones.
Adeptly
synchronising the developmental agenda with security concerns, India is
stitching a strong regional partnership with ASEAN countries with a firm
commitment to upholding international rules-based order. Reiterating India’s
position, addressing the 19th East Asian Summit, PM Modi said our focus
should be on “development and not expansionism”. Earlier at the ASEAN
Summit, he remarked, “We are neighbours, partners in the Global South, and a
rapidly growing region in the world. We are peace-loving nations that respect
each other’s national integrity and sovereignty.”
EAS
comprises 18 participating countries- Australia, China, India, Japan, New
Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and
the United States plus the 10 ASEAN countries, and has a reputation
for being a platform for dialogue among major powers keen on engaging with the
region. Reasserting India’s position in the context of the ongoing Ukraine
war and the Middle East Conflict, PM Modi stated, that it is “essential
to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and international laws. With a
humanitarian perspective, we must place a strong emphasis on dialogue and
diplomacy”. He also added, “Coming from the land of Buddha, I have
repeatedly stated that this is not the age of war. Solutions to problems cannot
be found on the battlefield”.
Endorsing
ASEAN’s five-point consensus for Myanmar, India highlighted its contributions
to the region including extending humanitarian assistance under “Operation
Sadbhav” in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi. In tune with the global challenges,
India and ASEAN are expanding areas of cooperation in fields of emerging
technologies like AI, Blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT),
Robotics, Quantum Computing and 6G.
For a
comprehensive and mutually beneficial equitable development, India and ASEAN
are exploring potential synergies between sub-regional mechanisms and
frameworks such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) the Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC),
Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), Singapore-Johor-Riau
(SIJORI) Growth Triangle, Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East
ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), and Mekong sub-regional cooperation frameworks,
including Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) and Ayeyawady Chao Phraya-Mekong
Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).
India is
also enhancing connectivity with ASEAN in land, air and maritime domains in
line with “Connecting the Connectivities”. As of now, India operates direct
flights to seven ASEAN countries. Direct flights to Brunei will commence from
this year. India has opened an embassy in Timor-Leste. India’s Security and
Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is opening up new paradigms for
connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region. India is expediting the
operationalisation of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway
and seeking to expand it eastward to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
In the long
term, India plans to become the vital hub between Europe and South East Asia by
linking IMT with the India-Middle East- Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
ASEAN, central to the Indo-Pacific strategy has been a collaborating ground for
major powers that sought active engagement with the region. Given the
geographical proximity and extensive economic cooperation, China casts maximum
influence in the region closely followed by the US, Japan, EU and others.
Sadly,
despite being a close neighbour, ASEAN is rather underwhelmed by India. As per
ISEAS- Yusof Ishak Institute, New Delhi is rated as the eighth major partner in
ASEAN. Ratcheting up defence and maritime security cooperation, India is now deepening
ties with ASEAN countries and seeking to emerge as an important defence supplier
and partner as well. India has commenced the first joint drill with ASEAN
countries facilitated by Singapore in 2023. Six countries- the
Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
joined the naval drills underscoring the underlying Chinese influence on the
foreign policies of some countries.
The discreet
Chinese factor is posing a threat to ASEAN unity and preventing some of them
from calling out Chinese threats openly. By and large, Beijing’s unabashed predatory
approach is now forcing countries to forge stronger ties with partner countries
like the US, Japan and Australia and eventually led to another Quad- SQUAD.
Setting
forth a mutually beneficial framework for engagement, leveraging its
civilisational and cultural connect and endorsing the security threats of the
ASEAN countries, PM Modi has positioned India as a reliable Indo-Pacific
security partner.
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