Growing ties with Delhi stem from concerns about China
It took two decades for the
leaders of Asean and India to have the courage to say that they are strategic
partners in the truest sense of the world. They have been reluctant to say this
all along, as they don't want to give the wrong impression that they are
ganging up against common adversaries. But the rapidly changing regional
environment and global uncertainties have made Asean and India to realise that
they have to forge a closer relations beyond the economic and trade tracks. For
years, they have negotiated a free-trade agreement to promote trade and
investment, which by all records dealings were still small. At the summit
meeting last week in New Delhi, the leaders of Asean and India exhibited the
same wavelength - that comprehensive relations are important to peace and
stability in the region.
Of course, the summit
successfully concluded without mentioning the rise of China and perceived
threats that come with it. Everybody knows the reason why the two sides got
together and upgraded their relations beyond the 20th anniversary - to
essentially balance the growing influence of China. Asean and India were very
clear not to say the obvious. In the past, Asean has treated India as a middle-ranked
power with an inward looking attitude, focusing on its own region. However,
over recent decades, with growing trade and investment and other links with
Asean, India has become an important partner to promote economic progress in
Southeast Asia. Asean-India ties are now much more strategic than before.
Asean feels comfortable with
India, as a rising power. New Delhi has never been perceived as a security
threat in the region. Its benign foreign policy and humility has encouraged
Asean to woo India to increase security cooperation, especially maritime
security. This will be a new area of security cooperation between Asean and
India. Deep down, Asean is looking to India, the world's largest democracy, as
another security guarantor. Of course, the US is the main superpower, which
provides to an overarching security shield for the region. But Asean is keen
for an additional strategic partner that has proximity. Although Australia is
close to Southeast Asia, it is considered a Western power with a focus mainly
on protecting its and US interests in the region.
From now on, India should do more
to maintain the confidence of Asean and demonstrate its commitment to make
tangible progress on their bilateral ties. In the past, Asean also wooed China,
thinking that it would help to strengthen the regional security. However, the
rising tension in the South China Sea accompanied by Beijing's tough talk has
recently changed the thinking within this region. Asean wants to make sure that
along with US, India will walk side by side with the grouping to increase its
support when it is placed on a line-up with China. In a similar vein, Asean's
increased engagement with India will intensify in proportion to the degree of
cooperation the region gets from Beijing on the drafting of a code of conduct
for the South China Sea and other areas.
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