Until now, India had, in a sense been sitting on the sidelines, talking of containing China in meetings with leaders of the US, Japan and Australia without coming out into the open, for fear of annoying the Chinese.
That hush-hush activity has evidently been given the go-by on the recent visit of US President Obama to New Delhi. Reports say that in the bilateral talks between Obama and Modi on the first day of the former’s India visit, the first 45 minutes were devoted to discussing China. It was obvious that the Americans were keen to build up India as a counterpoise to China in the region, especially since they are pulling out their troops from Afghanistan.
India, less pacifist today under Prime Minister Narendra Modi than it was during the Manmohan Singh era, is not averse to assuming the mantle of a regional power and a bulwark against China. Indications are that it is prepared to stick its neck out and show that it perceives China to be a potential threat. The Americans too, cannot, but be happy with that position.
That the two sides thought it fit to issue a separate document which has a direct bearing on China, is in itself significant. It makes it clear that the two have now joined hands and have a “joint strategic vision” for the two regions of Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean where China is hyper-active.
This document, signed by Obama and Modi, underlines the synergy between New Delhi and Washington and asserts that the two powers will be pro-active “from Africa to East Asia.” The Indo-US document articulates that thinking in a veiled manner when it says: “From Africa to East Asia, we will build on our partnership to support sustainable, inclusive development, and increased regional connectivity by collaborating with other interested partners to address poverty and support broad-based prosperity.”
Couching their resolve in innocuous-looking general terms, the two countries have stressed in this document that they would support regional economic integration and promote accelerated infrastructure connectivity and economic development in a manner that links South, Southeast and Central Asia, including by enhancing energy transmission and encouraging free trade and greater people-to-people linkages.
However, it is the paragraph on security that reveals the resolve to tackle the perceived threat of Chinese hegemony head-on. It says, “Regional prosperity depends on security. We affirm the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea. We call on all parties to avoid the threat or use of force and pursue resolution of territorial and maritime disputes through all peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
It is in this that India’s role as a regional power can be built upon. Indeed, New Delhi and Washington have come up with a specific roadmap to achieve this regional vision and leverage their respective efforts to increase ties among Asian powers.
The Indo-US joint strategic vision goes on to say: “Over the next five years, we will strengthen our regional dialogues, invest in making trilateral consultations with third countries in the region more robust, deepen regional integration, strengthen regional forums, explore additional multilateral opportunities for engagement, and pursue areas where we can build capacity in the region that bolster long-term peace and prosperity for all.”
The Chinese are piqued about India’s new assertiveness in the company of the US. Obama’s statement that he is prepared to pitch for India’s entry into the Asia Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) is also designed to increase Indian influence to counter-balance the Chinese, who have reaped a rich harvest in regional influence, by taking timely action to join groups like the APEC.
The Americans are ruthlessly clinical about what they perceive as their national interest, but when Indian and US interests converge, India must go along and take advantage of that convergence so long as it lasts.
It is not for us to poke our nose in every dispute that China has with countries in the region, but where our own strategic interests are jeopardised by an over-assertive China, which hampers trade and commerce passing through the seas, we need to step in without being shy about it.
The Chinese cannot be expected to gloat over Indian attempts to check Beijing’s hegemonistic designs, but India can ill-afford to remain oblivious to its maritime interests.
It would, however, be prudent for India to continue to do business with China in terms of trade and investment and to build upon economic linkages to the benefit of both countries. The foundation laid at the time of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India last year cannot be ignored under the new obsession with Obama. Prime Minister Modi must visit Beijing, as he has promised Xi Jinping and seek to further the process of forging closer ties based on economic interests, while pursuing strategic interests in the manner dictated by national interests.
Every time there is bonhomie between the US and India, the Chinese show that their relations with Pakistan are on a hugely strong footing, but that need not bother us overmuch.
With the Russians, we have done well to strengthen our relations, regardless of how the Americans react to it. It is indeed vital that we continue to do so.
Indo-Japanese relations have been getting the attention that they deserve in the aftermath of Shinzo Abe’s return to prime ministership. A closer convergence between India, Japan and Australia, would be to the benefit of the three countries.
With Modi at the helm, Indian strategic interests are being well-looked after. But there is no room for complacency.
Kamlendra Kanwar
