NEW DELHI: India is gathering the leaders of the Association of SoutheastAsian Regional Cooperation (ASEAN) for a summit on Thursday to promotemaritime security in a region dominated by China, officials and diplomatssaid.
India has been pursuing an “Act East” policy of developing political andeconomic ties with Southeast Asia, but its efforts have been tentative andfar trail China, whose trade with ASEAN was more than six times India`s in2016-17 at $470 million.
China has also expanded its presence in South Asia, building ports andpower plants in countries around India`s periphery, such as Pakistan andSri Lanka, and spurring New Delhi to seek new allies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited the leaders of all ten ASEANnations to join him in the Republic Day celebrations on Friday in thebiggest ever gathering of foreign leaders at the parade that showcasesmilitary might and cultural diversity.
The leaders, who include Myanmar`s Aung San Suu Kyi, Indonesian PresidentJoko Widodo and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, will hold talks onmaritime cooperation and security, the Indian foreign ministry said in astatement.
Both India and the Southeast Asia nations have stressed the need forfreedom of navigation and open seas and India already has strong naval tieswith countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand andMalaysia, Preeti Saran, secretary in the Indian foreign ministry, said.
“The ongoing activities of ship visits, of coordinated patrols, ofexercises that take place bilaterally, are taking place very well,” Saransaid. “And every time we have defence to defence talks or navy to navytalks, there is a great deal of satisfaction that has been expressed by theASEAN member countries.”
But several Southeast Asian countries locked in territorial disputes withChina have sought even greater Indian engagement in the region, expertssay.
“China`s distinctly hegemonic moves in the last few years in the SouthChina Sea and its growing assertiveness have made ASEAN look towards Indiaas a partner for equilibrium,” said Arvind Gupta, former Indian deputynational security adviser who now heads the influential VivekanandaInternational Foundation in New Delhi with close ties to the rulinggovernment.
But India, which has been building up its navy, is wary of gettingentangled in South China Sea disputes and provoking a backlash from China.
One of the plans the Indian and ASEAN leaders will be discussing at theclose-door summit on Thursday will be for their navies to exercise near theMalacca Straits between Malaysia and Singapore, one of the busiest routesfor international shipping, a navy official said.