The Prayas ePathshala

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08 September 2022 – The Indian Express

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All about the Indo pacific region

The Indo-Pacific Concept:

  • It is a quite a new concept.
  • Around ten years ago, the Indo-Pacific region only began to receive broad notice, but since then, it has expanded dramatically.
  • One of the factors influencing the term’s use is the realisation that the Indian Ocean and the Pacific are connected strategic theatres.
  • Additionally, Asia is now the region of gravity. There are maritime routes because the Pacific and Indian oceans provide the sea lanes. These waters carry the vast majority of world trade.
  • Before the Cold War, trade was literally transiting from the Atlantic when the universe’s centre of gravity was there, but it has since relocated.
  • The earlier term, Asia-Pacific, was substituted in place of India.
  • This slogan was widely used during the Cold War.
  • The phrase “Indo-Pacific” emphasises how crucial India is to the new system.
  • Terrorism and the worry that one particular country in the region may become assertive pose substantial threats to the Indo-Pacific region.
  • The four largest economies in the Indo-Pacific area are the United States, China, Japan, and India.
  • The term “Indo-Pacific” is interpreted in various ways by different parties.
  • India sees the region as being inclusive, open, balanced, and integrated. India emphasises the strategic interconnections, common challenges, and opportunities between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean on a regular basis.
  • The United States emphasises the value of standards or norms of behaviour in the region and works to reduce China’s influence there because it sees the Indo-Pacific as being free and open.
  • Because the ASEAN countries see the Indo-Pacific region as a consociational model, they have included China in order to give it some stakeholdership and to look into potential areas of cooperation.

The view of India toward the Indo-Pacific:

  • The US, Australia, Japan, and Indonesia are just a few of India’s close friends who see the Indo-Pacific as Asia Pacific plus India. India is being incorporated into the Asia-Pacific strategic framework.
  • In order to compete with China, they essentially want India to be present in the South and East China Seas.
  • India, however, wishes to cooperate in building a system for peace and stability in the area. For everyone to enjoy prosperity and security, the states must cooperate to create a shared rules-based structure for the region.
  • India sees the Indo-Pacific region as a liberated, inviting region. Every nation in the region is included, as well as anyone else who has an interest in it. India’s geographic size is determined by taking into account the area between the shores of Africa and America.
  • India supports a rule-based, open, balanced, and stable trading environment in the Indo-Pacific region that will allow all nations to benefit from trade and investment. The same thing is anticipated from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership by the country (RCEP).
  • India, not China, favours a united rather than dispersed ASEAN. By putting some ASEAN members against one another, China tries to employ the “divide and rule” conquest strategy.
  • The American conception of the Indo-Pacific, which seeks to limit Chinese dominance, is not shared by India. Finding ways to work with China is more of an interest to India.
  • India favours the region’s democratisation.
  • In the past, the area resembled a lake in America almost exactly.
  • But there are worries that the area may now become a Chinese dominated one.
  • The Scarborough Shoal problem serves as an example in this situation.
  • Any participant in the region attaining hegemonic dominance is opposed by India. India is participating in trilaterals like India-Australia-France and India-Australia-Indonesia to stop China from dominating the region.

China: A Threat or a Challenge?

  • In addition to currently being a threat to Indian interests in the Indian Ocean, China has previously constituted a threat to the countries of the Asia-Pacific.
  • Only a few hundred kilometres separate the coast of India and the port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka, which is under China’s authority.
  • By supplying military hardware to India’s neighbours, such as submarines to Myanmar, frigates to Sri Lanka, equipment to Bangladesh, and weaponry to Thailand, China is, in a sense, colonising the region.
  • ASEAN: There is a chance that ASEAN’s unity in support of the Indo-Pacific concept would be jeopardised because some of its members have been influenced by China.
  • The fact that China is the region’s largest trading partner and can hardly be ignored by the entire group puts India’s relations with ASEAN at additional risk.
  • Southeast Asia is the focal point of the Indo-Pacific, and ASEAN is important to India, especially in light of its Act East Policy. The ASEAN countries are cognizant of the importance of India’s presence in the area as a counterbalance to China.
  • Despite significant differences, India and China have similar goals in a number of areas, including globalisation, climate change, etc.
  • The BRICS, the SCO, and other international organisations all include China and India.
  • In light of China’s importance in the Indo-Pacific, India’s position is considered as being more challenged by China than threatened.

How to Proceed Ahead:

  • All nations in the region should be granted an equal right under international law to use common sea and airspace, which would require freedom of navigation, unrestricted commerce, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts in accordance with international law.
  • On the tenets of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty, consultation, good governance, openness, viability, and sustainability, connectivity must be developed across the region.
  • The Indo-Pacific area depends on marine domain awareness for security (MDA).
  • MDA implies effective knowledge of any maritime operation that can affect the security, safety, economy, or environment.
  • Multipolarity: It is crucial that the countries in the area maintain law and order and enjoy security. Furthermore, this will allow for multipolarity in the region.
  • The smaller governments in the region expect India to step up and provide them greater options, both militarily and economically. India ought to make an effort to meet their needs.
  • To address the problems in the Indo-Pacific area, India requires a powerful navy, global diplomacy, and trade ties with other nations.
  • India’s objective for the Indian Ocean is known as SAGAR, or Security and Growth for All in the Region.

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