Foreign policy experts say that India’s concern relates to growing influence of China in the region which is causing security concern on LOC hence new dispensation will have to focus on the strategy and stratagem which must be chalked out with the association of United States
A new regime is poised to be in place in New Delhi after June 4 results of general elections which will be confronted with new challenges viz. providing top priority to emerging technologies advances, changing geo-political equations, rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a long term action plan to checkmate expansion policy and security threat of China in the region, tendency of growing armed conflicts etc. which will help India to achieve its’ goal to join developed nations’ club in future.
Foreign policy experts say that India’s concern relates to growing influence of China in the region which is causing security concern on LOC hence new dispensation will have to focus on the strategy and stratagem which must be chalked out with the association of United States .An insight into Dragon’s new approach suggests that it has set its eyes on India’s neighbours which have been allured through debt policy and subsequently advancing a huge loan to implement its’ ambitious ‘Build and Road Initiative (BRI) and other defence related projects .A latest example pertains to “military assistance” deal signed by Maldives and China in March this year for non-lethal weapons that too for free besides imparting training to the security forces of Maldives which had been earlier trained by India and United States imparting training to the security forces of Maldives which had been earlier trained by India and United States.
Targets ahead
New Delhi must reset an ambitious and realistic long term plan to counter China’s massive ingenuity of “new productive forces” ,a term coined by President Xi last September thereby laying emphasis on economic development based on innovations in advanced sectors. In a related development, Vice President, Han Zhenghad had informed an investment form that China’s new revolutionary policy is aimed at bolstering stability and security for the global economy. Dragon wants to take over the United States in production of advanced science and technologies to ascend to the top global hierarchy which is bound to have its fallout on India also.
In this backdrop, India needs to accelerate its efforts to support America which is already engaged in new global technologies coalitions with its friends like Japan, Australia and India besides CHIP Alliance and building deep bilateral partnership in emerging critical technologies with India.
China on ascendency in expanding its ties in the region
A cursory look at India’s ties with neighbours in the region exhibits that there is dire need of caution to ‘checkmate’ China from bringing our neighbour under its fold and recent example is Nepal .Owing to change of government, Nepal is ruled by communists who are ideologically committed to Dragon and falling in the trap of “Debt Policy” which is dangerous especially when we have a look at Pakistan. Officials’ data shows that China has advanced a whopping debt of $23 billion to Pakistan including $10 billion which owes to commercial banks and other lenders operating as official arms for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).An accumulated public debt exposure to China stands at $67.2 billion for the period of 2000 to 2021. It means Pakistan can never come out this unimaginable debt despite the fact that it is already at the verge of economic collapse and survived due to a special bailout package of $3billion granted by IMF otherwise it could have gone Sri Lanka way.
Experts say that the new government in Delhi may derive some satisfaction from the normalization of ties with Sri Lanka. A serious economic breakdown of Sri Lanka had pushed it nearer to economic disaster but India came to its rescue and provided $4 billion economic assistance and humanitarian succour surpassing even IMF’s 48 month special package to save the existence of this country. Experts say that China had backed out and India went beyond a saga of Sri Lanka’s strained relations which can be attributed to illogical actions of former president, Mahinda Rajpaksa who had blamed India for interfering in Sri Lanka elections which led to his ouster in 2015.The trend continued when Gotabaya Rajapaksa, president cancelled the East Container Terminal ECT) agreement in the Colombo airport in violation of a 2019 project contract signed amongst three partners including Japan, India and Sri Lanka. Now Sri Lanka’s speaker, Mehinda Yapa Abeywardera thanked India for saving his country from ‘blood path’ hence China stands exposed in the eyes of the people of this country.
India is having no problem with Bangladesh and efforts were made by Prime Minister, Narender Modi who described India as the biggest development partner of his neighbour on Nov 23, 2023 when both PMs inaugurated three Indian assisted projects. India’s policy will continue unabated which is mutually beneficial. Sheikh Hasina reciprocated the gesture and expressed her optimism about the ushering in of a new era of prosperity in her country.
Experts say that Indian PM, Narender Modi’s push for digital technologies which proved a boon during Covid19 crisis for the delivery of services besides laying emphasis on renewable energy, a mission mode to put India back on the map of semiconductors’ production, setting a new target in space arena and formulation of a strategy to accelerate India’s capabilities in AI has helped India to position itself to give fillip to innovate and catch up with the US and China which have been trying to master the technological revolution to be relevant in future.
Some ex diplomats, who have served in neighbouring nations, opine that the United States will also be affected if China succeeds in weaning away our neighbours as it will pose serious security problems and debt policy will ruin their economies. India will be directly affected if Maldives and Nepal are not dealt with by India and US tactfully and with flexibility besides injecting a dose of renewed strategic policy and innovative logistics to checkmate the growing influence of China.
