arp2041
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First & foremost, there is a difference b/w our Policy - LOOK EAST & that of what Ms. Hillary Clinton suggested India to take in one of her visit - ACT EAST. Look East means that we will forge better relations with the east Asian countries, better trade, more people to people contact, etc. while Act East is more aggressive way to look towards the east Asian countries where we may interfere in their internal affairs maybe even go for having a military bases or two. I am glad we have taken the former approach rather the latter one.
Now, LOOK EAST was a constructive approach towards East Asia & the policy was formulated by the Rao administration in the year 1991-92, it was more a REACTIONARY policy than a PROACTIVE one, reactionary in the sense that it was formulated only after our cold war ally, USSR, disintegrated in the same year, we were left helpless. If we would have want we could have made inroads in East Asia many decades before when the formation of ASEAN was in its initial stages & the east Asian countries approached India in the late 1960s to become the member of the new grouping to be formed, India rejected the proposal than & committed a great Strategic blunder since India would have been the largest & most powerful member of the ASEAN community, making its voice the most important one. This lethargic approach towards our eastern neighbors helped China forge stronger bonds with them.
Anyways, post 1991-92 formulation of this policy, Look East has done wonders for India; basically East Asia consists of following important countries:
1. ASEAN nations (group of 10 countries).
2. China
3. Japan
4. South Korea
1. ASEAN nations - Our dealing with ASEAN countries can be divided into two parts, first direct dealings with the ASEAN nations on one-on-one basis & second relations with the ASEAN itself. We have been somewhat successful in both parts, India have now good relations with nearly all ASEAN countries, Myanmar, was not on Indian radar after the military Junta came to power, but now it is THE gateway to the ASEAN for India, India is building port of Sitwe there which will help us connect our NE in a better way, ONGC has oil blocks in Myanmar, India give military training & weapons to our Eastern neighbor but this does not mean that we don't support Pro-Democracy voices in Myanmar. Singapore is another important ASEAN country whose strong relations with India can be shown by the fact that it is the only foreign country that has been given a base for it's F-16s in India, besides the economic relations are also well known.
Just the way Pakistan is important to China, Vietnam is to India, with aggressive China as its neighbor whom with it has fought a border war, Vietnam is a natural friend of India, & its policy of Look West complements Indian policy of Look East. India was one of the active countries that opposed US presence in Vietnam & this is now paying dividends as Vietnam now has given the basing rights to Indian Navy, it has given oil blocks to ONGC, wants India in the UNSC & is an active pro-India voice in ASEAN & other important groupings.
Similarly, India has now good relations with Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia which are more strong on the historical relationship & cultural ties b/w them. India needs to engage Malaysia & Indonesia more if it wants to ensure that the Malacca Straits indeed remains a dilemma for China.
As far as ASEAN is concerned, India is a full-dialogue partner & has annual summit with the grouping, we have already signed an FTA, trade is close to $100 billion, there is talks of connecting India with the ASEAN nations, besides ASEAN India is a member of newly formed East Asia Summit & ASEAN supports India's membership for APEC. India is also a member of Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) formed in the year 2000.
2. China - Strategic competition & border disputes haven't stopped the two nations to better economic relations, now China is the largest trade partner of India, with yearly trade of $75 billion, this figure is set to pass $ 100 billion by 2015, but there is a massive trade deficit to India as Chinese policy approach towards India is more of protectionism which is hindering Indian exports to China. China also wants to make good relations with India since it knows that aggressive approach towards India will only mean more US presence in Asia which will not be anyone's interest, so for now Trade is the most important link b/w these two Asian giants until & unless they solve their disputes Peacefully.
3. Japan - I think China's bullying of its neighbors has more helped in building friendly relations with East Asian countries than our bureaucrats & politicians hard work for the same.
With an aggressive world power in its backyard, Japan is searching desperately for nations that can counter-balance it, US is the one with which it has good military/economic relations, but when it looks towards Asia, Japan finds only India as a country that can be an effective counter to the Dragon. Thus to make good relations with India, Japan has left no stone un turned, Japan is financing the Dedicated Freight corridor, industrial corridors, DMRC projects in India, it is helping India in every way it can & is on the verge of signing historical nuke deal with India. Japanese & Indian navies regularly take part in naval drills & India-Japan now also have security agreement which make India only one of the three countries that have similar agreements with Japan.
4. South Korea - FTA, economic & military relations define Indian relations with SK, we are taking help of SK's expertise in shipbuilding to cater the needs of Indian Navy which is desperately looking to add more ships to its arsenal, contract of 8 MCMVs given to SK is just one example.
Thus, I would say, positive approach of India, bullying of its neighbors by China & changing world order which is witnessing the rise of Asia, has helped make the Indian policy of LOOK EAST a great success, but we still have to go a long way if we want to counter China. As I said in the start that I am happy that we didn’t take Act East as a policy b’coz this is what China is doing & it is resulting in drifting away of its neighbors towards India & US.
Now, LOOK EAST was a constructive approach towards East Asia & the policy was formulated by the Rao administration in the year 1991-92, it was more a REACTIONARY policy than a PROACTIVE one, reactionary in the sense that it was formulated only after our cold war ally, USSR, disintegrated in the same year, we were left helpless. If we would have want we could have made inroads in East Asia many decades before when the formation of ASEAN was in its initial stages & the east Asian countries approached India in the late 1960s to become the member of the new grouping to be formed, India rejected the proposal than & committed a great Strategic blunder since India would have been the largest & most powerful member of the ASEAN community, making its voice the most important one. This lethargic approach towards our eastern neighbors helped China forge stronger bonds with them.
Anyways, post 1991-92 formulation of this policy, Look East has done wonders for India; basically East Asia consists of following important countries:
1. ASEAN nations (group of 10 countries).
2. China
3. Japan
4. South Korea
1. ASEAN nations - Our dealing with ASEAN countries can be divided into two parts, first direct dealings with the ASEAN nations on one-on-one basis & second relations with the ASEAN itself. We have been somewhat successful in both parts, India have now good relations with nearly all ASEAN countries, Myanmar, was not on Indian radar after the military Junta came to power, but now it is THE gateway to the ASEAN for India, India is building port of Sitwe there which will help us connect our NE in a better way, ONGC has oil blocks in Myanmar, India give military training & weapons to our Eastern neighbor but this does not mean that we don't support Pro-Democracy voices in Myanmar. Singapore is another important ASEAN country whose strong relations with India can be shown by the fact that it is the only foreign country that has been given a base for it's F-16s in India, besides the economic relations are also well known.
Just the way Pakistan is important to China, Vietnam is to India, with aggressive China as its neighbor whom with it has fought a border war, Vietnam is a natural friend of India, & its policy of Look West complements Indian policy of Look East. India was one of the active countries that opposed US presence in Vietnam & this is now paying dividends as Vietnam now has given the basing rights to Indian Navy, it has given oil blocks to ONGC, wants India in the UNSC & is an active pro-India voice in ASEAN & other important groupings.
Similarly, India has now good relations with Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia which are more strong on the historical relationship & cultural ties b/w them. India needs to engage Malaysia & Indonesia more if it wants to ensure that the Malacca Straits indeed remains a dilemma for China.
As far as ASEAN is concerned, India is a full-dialogue partner & has annual summit with the grouping, we have already signed an FTA, trade is close to $100 billion, there is talks of connecting India with the ASEAN nations, besides ASEAN India is a member of newly formed East Asia Summit & ASEAN supports India's membership for APEC. India is also a member of Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) formed in the year 2000.
2. China - Strategic competition & border disputes haven't stopped the two nations to better economic relations, now China is the largest trade partner of India, with yearly trade of $75 billion, this figure is set to pass $ 100 billion by 2015, but there is a massive trade deficit to India as Chinese policy approach towards India is more of protectionism which is hindering Indian exports to China. China also wants to make good relations with India since it knows that aggressive approach towards India will only mean more US presence in Asia which will not be anyone's interest, so for now Trade is the most important link b/w these two Asian giants until & unless they solve their disputes Peacefully.
3. Japan - I think China's bullying of its neighbors has more helped in building friendly relations with East Asian countries than our bureaucrats & politicians hard work for the same.
With an aggressive world power in its backyard, Japan is searching desperately for nations that can counter-balance it, US is the one with which it has good military/economic relations, but when it looks towards Asia, Japan finds only India as a country that can be an effective counter to the Dragon. Thus to make good relations with India, Japan has left no stone un turned, Japan is financing the Dedicated Freight corridor, industrial corridors, DMRC projects in India, it is helping India in every way it can & is on the verge of signing historical nuke deal with India. Japanese & Indian navies regularly take part in naval drills & India-Japan now also have security agreement which make India only one of the three countries that have similar agreements with Japan.
4. South Korea - FTA, economic & military relations define Indian relations with SK, we are taking help of SK's expertise in shipbuilding to cater the needs of Indian Navy which is desperately looking to add more ships to its arsenal, contract of 8 MCMVs given to SK is just one example.
Thus, I would say, positive approach of India, bullying of its neighbors by China & changing world order which is witnessing the rise of Asia, has helped make the Indian policy of LOOK EAST a great success, but we still have to go a long way if we want to counter China. As I said in the start that I am happy that we didn’t take Act East as a policy b’coz this is what China is doing & it is resulting in drifting away of its neighbors towards India & US.
