Page 10 - ICWA Newsletter English April-June 2021

INDIAN COUNCIL SAPRU HOUSE
OF WORLD AFFAIRS

INDIA QUARTERLY This issue on India and Vietnam

A Journal of International Affairs in the Indo-Pacific is a joint issue
between the India Quarterly and
VOLUME 77, ISSUE 2, the Journal for Indian and Asian

APRIL-JUNE, 2021 Studies, Hanoi.

an open and free maritime domain has
Editorial
also meant that interests around the Indo-
Pacific have begun to converge, giving
The articles in this issue represent a substance to its act east policy.
collaboration between the India Quarterly However, as the articles in this issue of
and the Vietnam Journal for Indian and the India Quarterly indicate, the Indo-
Asian Studies, Hanoi. They address the Pacific is seen by many as a work in
understanding of the Indo-Pacific as a progress. It is largely seen as an effort to
new geopolitical concept and the many contain China, and this in itself presents
issues related to the politics, structure and the chief challenge to its success. While
institutions of this domain. China’s territorial claims around its
Over the last decade or so, the Indo-Pacific neighbourhood are a cause for concern,
has moved from being a mere semantic its economic and political influence runs
innovation to a strategic reality, with deep in the region’s economies. Most
nations on its littoral and resident and of the Indo-Pacific is tied to Chinese
non-resident powers keenly aware of the supply chains, and most have endorsed
future implications for strategic postures the Regional Comprehensive Economic
and multilateral dialogues and initiatives Partnership (RCEP) which is, for all
in the region. The convergence of the two practical purposes, fuelled by China.
oceans, the Indian and the Pacific, provides Despite the talk about diversifying from
a wider expanse for action and policy with Chinese supply chains, the state of the
states in the region encouraged to seek global economy, since the COVID-19
partnerships further abroad, to deepen pandemic, has provided little hope of
development and security dialogues a sustained global economic recovery
and bring more energy to debates over based on a radical restructuring of the
multilateral institutions and multipolarity. established patterns of manufacturing
Significantly, middle powers like Vietnam and trade. The last 4 years of the Trump
and Indonesia, among others, are presidency and domestic politics in the
beginning to redefine regional and global USA have also indicated that US presence
policies around the newfound importance and support cannot be taken for granted.
of the Indo-Pacific. Looking beyond the Hence, while balancing China may be an
ASEAN, they are invoking agency in a objective for the USA, hedging best seems
domain critical to their economic and to suit states in the region.
security interests, even as they deem the Moreover, while the institutions for a
ASEAN a foundational institution for the China-led regionalism are rapidly being
region. India’s interest in actively shaping put in place, an alternative notion of
the strategic future of the Indo-Pacific as an Indo-Pacific still lacks institutional

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