By Ayushi Budholia
Published on 08 August 2022 at 20:39 IST
INTRODUCTION
The changes in the International Relations effects the world politics. The results in countries’ change in policy related to global market, military, foreign aid, trade etc. It is been observed that the regional dynamics, to a large extent, are influenced and shaped by the maritime domain.
In the recent years there is a rising importance of Indo-Pacific region. Earlier, the focus was on Euro-Atlantic regions. This shift has resulted in economic, social and political changes which impacts India’s maritime environment.
This article is divided into three sections. The first section provides a brief idea about Indo-Pacific regions. The second section deals with the factors responsible for the shift to Indo-Pacific region, and the third section deals with India’s vision of Indo-Pacific region.
WHAT IS THE INDO PACIFIC?
At the time of the cold war, the term Asia Pacific was prevalent. It includes the parts of Asia which lies in Pacific. The three major constituents which are a part of Asia-Pacific were North-East Asia, South-East Asia and Oceania. India was excluded from it. From the 21st Century, the term Indo-Pacific started becoming more prevalent. Various leaders and policy makers of different countries started making a formal use of the term Indo-Pacific in their speeches and statements.
Indo-Pacific is a geopolitical construct which is a substitute of Asia-Pacific. It includes an interconnected space between the Indian Ocean the Pacific Ocean, including the countries and small Islands falling in between. It is a 24 nations regional framework comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia.[1] It is an evolving concept and is a strategic theater which have economic benefits also.
Different countries have different interpretations with respect to the region covered in the Indo-Pacific region. According to United States, the Indo-Pacific is an attempt to contain the rising dominance of China in the region. It considers Indo-Pacific to be free and open. It highlights the importance of the rules of norms of conduct in the region.
According to the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), the Indo-Pacific is a system of stable democracy based on power sharing among the elites of society belonging from different countries. They look towards making Cooperative efforts with China in the region.
According to India, the region is an inclusive, open integrated and balanced space. Its primary emphasis is on strategic inter-connections, common challenges and opportunities between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHIFT
The following factors are responsible for the eastward shift from the Asia-Pacific to the Indo-Pacific region:
- Important Sea lines of communication (SLOC) – there is a presence of primary maritime routes between ports which are used for the purpose of trade. On these maritime routes key choke points are present from the Mozambique Channel and Bab-el-Mandeb in the west to Lombok Strait in the east, the region plays a significant role in shaping the new power dynamics and ensuring smooth trade flows.
- Trade and Economy – the Indo-Pacific region helps in increasing trade and world economy. It accounts for 62% of world GDP and contributes to 46% of the world’s merchandise trade.
- Dealing with threats – the region faces multiple risk of piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking, terrorism, etc. To reduce such risk integrated and collaborate efforts of all the nations are required.
- Natural resources – The expanse of Indian and Pacific Ocean combined has vast reserves of marine resources including- Offshore Hydrocarbons, Methane hydrates, Sea Bed minerals, rare earth metals, fisheries etc. Sizable coastlines and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of littoral countries have created a competitive environment for exploitation of these resources.[2]
INDIA’S VISION OF INDO-PACIFIC
Countries like United States and Japan have the Indo-Pacific policy which includes exclusion of China from becoming a dominant Country in the region. India, prior to 2018 took into consideration all the pros and cons of the region. Its view was to prevent China from becoming a dominant country but not by total exclusion of the country from the region. It wanted to work in partnership with China together in the region.
In January 2015, India and United States issued a joint vision for the “Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region”. It highlights the importance of the Indian Ocean marking it as a separate theater from the Asia-Pacific. However, in December 2015, a vision statement was signed between India and Japan recognizing for the first time Indo-Pacific as a region that included the Indian Ocean.[3]
There was a contradiction of perspective between India and other countries like United States with respect to China. India opted for keeping a balanced approach between United States and its allies on one hand and China on the other.
This was evident through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Speech in 2018 at Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore. He said that India calls for a free, open, inclusive region, which embraces us all in a common pursuit of progress and prosperity. It includes all nations in this geography as also others beyond who have a stake in it.[4]
India’s concept of the Indo-Pacific is inclusive in nature, and supports an approach that respects the right to freedom of navigation and overflight for all in the international seas. India’s Indo-Pacific vision is premised upon the principle of ‘ASEAN-Centrality’. India’s approach is based on cooperation and collaboration, given the need for shared responses to shared challenges in the region.[5]
India’s Indo-Pacific strategy was enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech in Singapore in 2018 as the SAGAR doctrine.[6] Further when the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative was launched in Bangkok during the East Asia Submit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seven pillars of SAGAR were laid down. These pillars were Maritime security, Maritime ecology, Maritime resources, Capacity building and resource sharing, Disaster risk reduction and management, Science, technology and academic cooperation and Trade connectivity and maritime transport.
CONCLUSION
During the cold war times, the term which was prevalent was Asia-Pacific region. However, in the 21st Century an eastward shift from the Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific. There are various factors which are responsible for this shift such as Trade and Economy, presence of important Sea Lines of Communication, presence of natural resources and dealing with threats in such a vast area.
This shift was evident from the use if the term in the formal speeches of leaders and policy framers. The region expands from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean and includes the countries and islands falling in between them. With the expansion of China’s dominance some countries like that of the United States views the concept as an attempt to contain the rising dominance of China.
Though, India’s vision of Indo-Pacific was a balance between the United States and its allies on one hand and China on the other. This was evident by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Speech in 2018 at Singapore.
REFERENCES
- What is Indo-Pacific ?
- Indo-Pacific Strategic Importance
- Indo-Pacific Region ↑
- India and the Indo-Pacific ↑
- India in the Indo-Pacific: New Delhi’s Theater of Opportunity ↑
- Prime Minister’s Keynote Address at the Shangri La Dialogue ↑
- Ministry of External Affairs, “Indo-Pacific Division Briefs” ↑
- Foreign Secretary’s Speech at Policy Exchange ↑