REGIONAL COOPERATION
of economic tools, like fair and reciprocal trade agreements, and sanctions on China, Russia and Iran; and third, the global economy is a component of the American Might and must be protected from Chinese intervention. In Aug 2017, US expressed its desire for India to take a more constructive role in South Asia( SA) as a means of incorporating the region in the US’ strategic sphere.
China’ s geopolitical theory for the Indo-Pacific region has largely been that of a“ String of Pearls” around India vis-s-vis geoeconomic development and influence through the mammoth Belt and Road Initiative( BRI). The BRI covers parts of Eurasia and Central Asia, encompassing more than 60 countries with the joint GDP of $ 21 trillion that have articulated their growing need for infrastructural connectivity. The scheme comprises of countries that collectively account for about 65 percent of the global population, 1 / 3 of the world’ s GDP, and quarter of all the goods and services in the world. South Asia features the flagship project of the initiative, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor( CPEC) that connects China through the Himalayan corridor to the warm-water Arabian shores of Pakistan, besides other stretches covering Nepal and the Bangladesh-China-India- Myanmar Corridor.
India’ s policies to counter China’ s South Asian ambitions are highly significant. There are clear inclinations of India’ s efforts to reinforce relations with Russia, in the view of growing Moscow-Beijing relations. Strategic harmonisation with Japan and defence relations with Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam has revealed new training exercises. Access to ports for logistical support in France, Oman, Singapore, and Indonesia has extended India’ s sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean( IO). The second Tri-Service Joint Exercise, after the first with Russia, has been agreed with the US. As part of the US policy and strategic worldview, India has agreed to a familiar communication in the Indo-Pacific, Afghanistan, and North Korea; broadened collaboration on counter terrorism; and the strategic convergence in the Indo- Pacific or South China Sea with the steadfastness to work for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region with right to sovereignty, territorial integrity, rule of law, good governance, free and fair trade, and freedom of navigation and over-flight.
India has stressed upon its Act East Policy, to play a connecting role for larger Indo-Pacific space, but at the same time has developed visible informal channels with China. India under Prime Minister Modi has been explicit about its Neighbourhood First Policy which is yet to be fully realised but does not presage a clear policy vis-à-vis US and China, and it indicates her inclination to the Rebalancing Approach.
Significantly important for smaller nations in South Asia can be the informal and unscheduled Wuhan meet between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Nation states under the Himalayas, such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nepal, are land locked and have access to sea routes through different political, diplomatic, and security arrangement. Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan have access to the Indian Ocean and can figure in the policy of containment of China by the US and its allies.
BIMSTEC Summit
The year 2016 saw the leaders of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation( BIMSTEC) revive and participate in the( BRICS)-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit in Goa. The first such uncommon arrangement, the summit brought back to the table the importance of BIMSTEC and its potential as a sub-regional corporation in the Asian age.
SAARC and its limitation as a South Asia Forum were discussed. Pakistan’ s former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited Nepal soon after KP Oli took office with hopes to transpire the 19th SAARC Summit. There were speculations about India trying to isolate its north-western neighbour diplomatically to counter Pakistan’ s state sponsored terrorism on India soil. Trump, in the policy paper, has urged India to take a leading role for peace and stability in Afghanistan. If so, India’ s diplomatic maneuverings must not be a strategic diplomatic slip.
When South Asia as a region seemed scattered with road blocks in SAARC, the BIMSTEC Summit got a nod from sub-regional leaders coming together to stress the importance of a regional organisation for peace and stability. Seven head of governments of South Asia and South East Asia( SEA) except for China and Nations of South West Asia( SWA) met in Kathmandu on 30-31st Aug.
SA nations, SEA nations and Central Asian Nations( CAN) are part of regional, intergovernmental and sub-regional organisations like SAARC, BIMSTEC, Association of South East Asian Nations( ASEAN), Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement( BBIN MVA), South Asia Sub-Regional Economic( SASEC) and Central Asia Regional Economic Co-operation Program( CAREC).
Five SAARC nations, excluding the island nation of Maldives that lies in the IO and two nations in SWA Afghanistan and Pakistan, and two of the ten members of ASEAN are a part of BIMSTEC. Afghanistan and Pakistan, with nine other nations of CAN, are a part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Corporation( CAREC) grouping with imperatives that CAN resources be utilised for the economic and political stability of the region. South Asia must act as a bridge between East and Central Asia for justifying the blitz of globalisation and make the most of regional assets, resources and geographical advantage.
BIMSTEC started with focus on economic enhancement driven by six sectors: trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries, and expanded to embrace nine more
44 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 9 • September 2018, Noida