India, China and the Indo-Pacific

19 Jun, 2015    ·   4890

Rini Babu looks at the reasons for the deepening interest in the construct of the Indo-Pacific

The phrase ‘Indo-Pacific’, which has been drawing significant attention of late, was first officially articulated in Australia’s Defence White Paper in 2013. In addition to being a geographical construct, the Indo-Pacific can also be seen as a changing network of nations. Against this background, it would be pertinent to ask why this term is gaining traction now and what roles are envisaged for India and China in it.

Both India and China have geo-political and geo-economic reasons for their interest in this spatial construct. Running countries as big as India and China demands energy, and this region has it in abundance.

India and the Indo-Pacific
Capt (Dr) Gurpreet S Khurana, Executive Director at National Maritime Foundation, in his article ‘Security of Sea Lines: Prospects for India-Japan Cooperation’ analyses the idea of the Indo-Pacific from an Indian perspective. He writes that as a regional or spatial concept, it serves India’s interests as a growing regional power.

It is clear that the present NDA government wants to revamp the Indian economy by attracting more foreign investments. Since the majority of its trade relations are through the sea, resolving the present and future maritime threats by giving more attention to the Indo-Pacific construct is of prime importance. India has declined China’s offer to join the latter’s Road and Belt project, as there are fears that it might be a means to contain India. Modi’s visit to India’s neighbouring Indo-Pacific regional nations, prior to his visit to China, implies not only the strategic importance of the region for India, but also shows how India wants to counter possible Chinese threats China in the Indian Ocean Region.

In keeping with the pragmatic nature of India’s foreign policy, the Indo-Pacific construct allows India to further enhance its Look East/Act East Policy. Australia’s strategic position in the region makes it important for India’s Act East Policy. Australia, in turn, in its attempt to balance its dependence on China, has signed new agreements for security cooperation with India. The insecurity India feels from the growing influence of China has led to intensified defence and security cooperation with Japan, Vietnam and the US, strengthened security ties with ASEAN, and deepening cooperation with islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Modi’s recent engagement with the Indian diaspora in Australia, Fiji, Mauritius and South Korea was an attempt to highlight historical and cultural linkages, which is essential to increase India’s role in the region.

China and the Indo-Pacific
China has been drawn towards Indo-Pacific to satisfy its economic and energy requirements, like India. The US’ presence in the region has also contributed to China’s increasing interest in the Indo-Pacific. The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade agreement initiated by the US, excludes China and it has been speculated that this is an economic tool to contain China’s rise in East Asia.

The Indo-Pacific has many critical sea lanes of communication (SLOC) that are crucial for China’s energy transportation. China has long been using its strategies to reach out and find a permanent position in the Indian Ocean Region because the area is viable for long-term infrastructure development to reduce transport dependency through the Straits of Malacca. The availability of other choke points along these SLOCs, the Sunda Strait and Lombok Strait, which connect China to the mainland is also a contributing factor.

The similarities between India and China are not only in their size and population but also in their national interests. Both of them have a large economic drive: China to maintain its global position and India to increase its import surplus. Maritime security is also an essential to both. These reasons have led to both the countries investing time, energy and capital in the Indo-Pacific region.