From Look East to Act East. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao sought to emphasise the importance of the Southeast Asian nations to the success of India’s foreign policy by coining the catchy term, Look East. However aside from an occasional summit meeting between the leaders of one or the other nation in the grouping of ten countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, nothing concrete really transpired. Indeed, even after committing themselves to deepen trade, cultural and security ties in 2012, when India hosted the ASEAN leaders in New Delhi, not much progress was made to realise that commitment. It largely remained on paper.
The evidence can be found in the fact that our trade with ASEAN remains at a paltry $76 billion. ASEAN constitutes a huge trading block, with its combined GDP topping 2.8 trillion. China alone tots up a huge sum of $ 350 billion in two-way trade annually, the EU $228 billion and the US $ 212 billion. Thus, the scope for India to raise its act in the field of trade and commerce can hardly be over-emphasised. Besides, there are age-old religio-cultural affinities which both partners can enhance for mutual gains. The Ramayana and the Mahbharata are part of the socio-religious ethos of the people in Indonesia, Thailand and several other nations in the region. Besides, the strong Buddhist links underline the potential for further expansion of ties between several ASEAN nations and India.
Above all, the reason for stepping up the relationship between the grouping and India lies in the growing expansionist ambitions of China. The hegemonic designs of China are all too clear to anyone aware of the way this newly emerging military and economic power has sought to colonise the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Despite a clear verdict by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, China has most brazenly refused to vacate its aggression in the maritime territory of the Philippines. Similarly, China has aggressive designs on the waters of Vietnam and other nations in the region, even establishing military outposts on artificially created islands in the South China Sea. In this context, despite feeling weak and helpless, with the Philippines not even pressing its claim after the vindication by the tribunal in The Hague, closer ties with India make immense strategic sense.
In fact, even the US is no longer unmindful of the growing threat to peace and security posed by China. President Trump, despite all his peculiarities, has publicly acknowledged the key role India can play in safeguarding the established order in the wider region. The recent revival of the Quadrilateral, a grouping of India, Australia, Japan and the US, is bound to reassure the smaller nations in the ASEAN. Being a democratic nation with a growing economy and a substantial military, India’s credentials and intentions as a peaceful nation are not suspect in the eyes of the world. On the other hand, China’s words and actions are creating menace globally, with even the US, the sole military and economy power, beginning to worry about the Chinese designs. Therefore, closer economic, cultural and security ties between India and the ASEAN are to the mutual interest of both.
In fact, the Belt and Road Initiative of China has added to the security concerns in the entire region, notwithstanding the Chinese claims that the project has only peaceful intentions and seeks to enhance communications and connectivity in the wider region. Pointedly, India’s refusal to participate in the Belt and Road project has elicited a grudging admiration from the nations in the region which are themselves too weak to resist the Chinese arm-twisting.
Thanks to the advent of Narendra Modi at the helm in New Delhi, a new purposefulness informs India’s conduct of foreign relations. Strengthening ties with all members of the ASEAN grouping is part of that very process. That would explain the extraordinary spectacle this Republic Day of all ten heads of government present as joint chief guests at the parade last Friday. On this occasion, the 25th anniversary of ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit also adopted a declaration embodying the common concerns of the participating countries, promising to realise the full potential of closer ties. The sight on Rajpath last Friday was strong in symbolism. Turning it into substance would require a conscious and consistent effort on the part of each country in order not only to increase the two-way trade but to establish closer security ties. The growing Chinese threat should act as a catalyst for all these nations to band together for mutual benefit and progress.
