Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR, as part of a two-day visit to the country that begins on Thursday (October 10).
In a statement, the Prime Minister said, “This year marks the decade of our Law of the East Policy. I will join ASEAN leaders to review progress on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and plan the future direction of our cooperation. “
PM Modi will and attend the East Asia Summit, adding that “it will provide an opportunity to discuss the challenges of peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The ASEAN group is one of the most successful examples of international organizations in the world, with 10 neighboring countries using their cultural and historical links for effective economic and political relations. Why is it an important aspect of India’s foreign policy in the region, especially after China’s recent assertions here? We explain.
First, what is ASEAN?
On August 8, 1967, five Southeast Asian leaders – the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – met together in Bangkok. Thailand was settling some disputes between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and the event eventually led to the signing of the document.
“The five Foreign Ministers who signed – Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand – would later be recognized as Founding Fathers almost. the most effective intergovernmental organization in developing countries today. And the document they signed will be known as the ASEAN Declaration,” the ASEAN website said.
The ASEAN declaration expressed the desire to advance regional cooperation in economic, social, cultural, technological, educational and other fields. Promoting regional peace and stability was another major goal. It stated that the Organization will be open to participation by all countries in the Southeast Asian region that subscribe to its goals, principles and objectives.
In the next few decades, five more joined – Brunei Darussalam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. The 10-nation group has an anthem, a flag and biannual (twice a year) conferences with a rotating chairman. An example of the focus on unity, its official motto is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”. Its main pillars are Political-Security Community (APSC), Economic Community (AEC) and Social-Cultural Community (ASCC).
What is India’s link with ASEAN?
ASEAN is central to India’s ‘Act East’ policy, which focuses on an expanded area in the Asia-Pacific region. It was built as a follow-up to the ‘Look East’ Policy that began in the 1990s.
In the non-USSR world, where India had close historical ties, India tried to deepen its relations with other countries, such as those in Southeast Asia. The states of Northeast India, due to their proximity to Southeast Asia, would contribute to this.
This policy was originally conceived as an economic plan, many countries in Southeast Asia have seen rapid economic growth in the past few decades. For example, Brunei, which Prime Minister Modi visited earlier this yearis one of the largest oil and gas producers in the region.
India’s relationship with ASEAN has subsequently gained political, strategic and cultural dimensions, including the establishment of institutional mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation. India is part of the ASEAN Plus Six group, which includes China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.
In 2010, a Free Trade Agreement was also signed and entered into force between India and ASEAN. While India was part of the talks to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2020, it ultimately decided not to. In recent years, trade has grown in terms of value, except for the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
And what is the East Asia Summit?
The East Asia Summit (EAS) process was started in 2005 with 16 participating countries, which are ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of of Korea. The United States and the Russian Federation joined later.
It refers to the Meeting of Heads of State/Government of these countries and is convened every year.
What is the importance of ASEAN to the rise of China?
Speaking at the 20th ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the Prime Minister said that by 2023 ASEAN is the “central pillar” of India’s Act East Policy and India fully supports the group’s importance and vision of -Indo-Pacific.
India’s emphasis on regional geopolitics is in the context of China’s rise in global affairs in recent years. Under President Xi Jinping, it has also taken a turn for approval. The state of China’s economy gives it strength, allowing it to finance several infrastructure projects and provide loans to other countries. These projects have been viewed with suspicion that they lead to “debt traps”, where failure to repay loans leads to Chinese control over the country’s strategic assets.
In addition, cooperation has also been affected by China’s claims over the South China Sea (many of which compete with the claims of ASEAN members such as the Philippines and Brunei) and the issue of a military conflict in its member state, Myanmar.
ASEAN has tried to stay aloof from the larger geopolitical conflict in the Indo-Pacific at times. After the 2023 summit, India’s former Ambassador to ASEAN, Ambassador Gurjit Singh, wrote to The Indian Express: “China is still a big challenge for ASEAN, especially, in terms of great power rivalry in the region. Its (ASEAN) call for peace and prosperity is a silent way of saying that the US and China will not show their rivalry in the region. “
In this context, India tried to provide an alternative and deepened its relationship. Prime Minister Modi also said in a statement, “We share a close cultural and civilizational relationship with the region, including Lao PDR, which is enhanced by the shared values of Buddhism and Ramayana. I look forward to my meetings with the leadership of Lao PDR to further strengthen our bilateral relations. I am sure that this visit will deepen our cooperation and ASEAN countries.”