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By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury
14 Oct, 2013
NEW DELHI: India's relation with 10-member Asean, or Association for Southeast Asian Nations, is not merely about economics. The current India-Asean Summit showcased that Delhi is quietly but surely building strategic partnerships across the region, with China in mind.
While India's policy cannot be termed as "replication of Chinese strings of pearls strategy", there is no doubt that Delhi is expanding its footprint in various strategic sectors across the Southeast and East Asia along the periphery of China.
The very idea of an Asean mission, with a full-time resident Indian ambassador, reflects growing strategic ties between the two entities. It was in last December that the ties were elevated to the strategic level during the commemorative summit that India hosted in Delhi. India's growing defence ties with Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are adding to the discomfiture of Beijing.
Similarly, China, with its diaspora across several Southeast Asian nations and economic might, has a strong presence in the region. However, the overwhelming presence and territorial ambitions of Beijing are worrying these small nations. On the contrary, India's image is benign. Also, Delhi is careful not to align with the US and is following a strategy based on its national interests.
Countries like Vietnam and the Philippines have refused to budge before the Chinese diktat and a wary Singapore is seeking greater Indian presence to balance Beijing.
The South China Sea dispute is yet to be resolved.
India, on its part, refuted Beijing's pressure to withdraw from Vietnam's oil block in the South China Sea region. At the Asean Summit in Brunei, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh minced no words when he said: "A stable maritime environment is essential to realise our collective regional aspirations. We should re-affirm the principles of maritime security, including the right of passage and unimpeded commerce, in accordance with international law, and peaceful settlement of maritime disputes."
The Southeast Asia's importance lies in the fact that it is India's bridge to the East Asia and Asia-Pacific region. While India has strong strategic and economic ties with Japan and South Korea and its relations with Australia are growing, it is yet to emerge as a player in the Asia-Pacific. Pankaj Jha, Research Fellow with the Indian Council for World Affairs and an expert on the Southeast Asia, said: "It has been a calibrated and careful strategy to expand strategic partnership in an incremental fashion."
However, the potential of India and the Southeast Asian relations and cooperation is yet to be exploited fully but consistent initiatives have made most analysts and observers hopeful.
India is expanding its footprint across the Southeast and East Asia along the periphery of China - The Economic Times
14 Oct, 2013
NEW DELHI: India's relation with 10-member Asean, or Association for Southeast Asian Nations, is not merely about economics. The current India-Asean Summit showcased that Delhi is quietly but surely building strategic partnerships across the region, with China in mind.
While India's policy cannot be termed as "replication of Chinese strings of pearls strategy", there is no doubt that Delhi is expanding its footprint in various strategic sectors across the Southeast and East Asia along the periphery of China.
The very idea of an Asean mission, with a full-time resident Indian ambassador, reflects growing strategic ties between the two entities. It was in last December that the ties were elevated to the strategic level during the commemorative summit that India hosted in Delhi. India's growing defence ties with Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are adding to the discomfiture of Beijing.
Similarly, China, with its diaspora across several Southeast Asian nations and economic might, has a strong presence in the region. However, the overwhelming presence and territorial ambitions of Beijing are worrying these small nations. On the contrary, India's image is benign. Also, Delhi is careful not to align with the US and is following a strategy based on its national interests.
Countries like Vietnam and the Philippines have refused to budge before the Chinese diktat and a wary Singapore is seeking greater Indian presence to balance Beijing.
The South China Sea dispute is yet to be resolved.
India, on its part, refuted Beijing's pressure to withdraw from Vietnam's oil block in the South China Sea region. At the Asean Summit in Brunei, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh minced no words when he said: "A stable maritime environment is essential to realise our collective regional aspirations. We should re-affirm the principles of maritime security, including the right of passage and unimpeded commerce, in accordance with international law, and peaceful settlement of maritime disputes."
The Southeast Asia's importance lies in the fact that it is India's bridge to the East Asia and Asia-Pacific region. While India has strong strategic and economic ties with Japan and South Korea and its relations with Australia are growing, it is yet to emerge as a player in the Asia-Pacific. Pankaj Jha, Research Fellow with the Indian Council for World Affairs and an expert on the Southeast Asia, said: "It has been a calibrated and careful strategy to expand strategic partnership in an incremental fashion."
However, the potential of India and the Southeast Asian relations and cooperation is yet to be exploited fully but consistent initiatives have made most analysts and observers hopeful.
India is expanding its footprint across the Southeast and East Asia along the periphery of China - The Economic Times
exactly!
