View: Towards a proactive bonhomie in India-Southeast Asian strategic relations

Addressing the inaugural session of a special conference to celebrate 30 years of India-ASEAN relations, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a significant component of India’s Act East policy, which seeks to further reinvigorate New Delhi’s engagements with the Pacific beyond the Look East policy of the 1990s. This comes in the context of the agreement forged between India and ASEAN in June to deepen their ties towards a comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual interests and goals.

India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invested significantly in bolstering India’s Southeast Asia outreach to illustrate its growing role as a responsible development partner and a security provider, while acknowledging the significance of ASEAN centrality. Accordingly, what was once a partnership marred by a lack of awareness and understanding is now steadily evolving into a strategic partnership with multi-dimensional goals.

The past few weeks witnessed a series of important developments between India and Southeast Asian countries in the realm of defence. From Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Vietnam and his virtual meeting with his Malaysian counterpart to boosting army to army cooperation between India and Thailand, New Delhi has been proactively cementing its role as a trusted security partner. Moreover, after the successful BrahMos deal with the Philippines, a similar deal is expected to be made with Indonesia by early next year at most. More importantly, the momentum illustrated by these recent engagements is seen as a continuation of the strengthening strategic partnerships India has forged with Southeast Asian countries since the promulgation of the Act East policy in 2014, which was a considerable shift from its legacy of the Look East.

While India’s relations with Southeast Asian countries were becoming more positive since the 1990s, it still lacked a significant depth. The first two decades since the end of the Cold War showed that India was often perceived to be a distant neighbour; hence, cooperation often stopped short of sensitive areas such as defence and security. The reason for India initially having a dulled-down engagement with ASEAN had to do with its own national outlook, and also a strategically limited phase of regional cooperation towards Southeast Asia. However, given the shifts in the global geopolitical landscape, a number of factors have provided India with an opportunity to recalibrate its position in Southeast Asia from “experimentation” to that of confidence and capacity building.

Two noteworthy external factors have significantly motivated India to proactively strengthen its strategic engagements with Southeast Asian countries. The first, and perhaps the most established, is the role of China. China’s rise has been coupled with its growing assertion and desire to expand its territory across Asia at the expense of the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of neighbouring countries such as India and key Southeast Asian countries. China’s territorial disputes with Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines in the South China Sea regarding the disputed Spratly Islands is a strict reminder of the tumultuous relation that China has had with this region. The second factor revolves around the increasing relevance of the Indo-Pacific construct. The conceptualization of the Indo-Pacific allows countries from both oceans to view each other as close neighbours of one strategic region. Therefore, sharing similar threat perceptions and a shared regional identity have become very important pillars in solidifying the India-Southeast Asian strategic partnership, considering China’s historical interest in this region.

Another important point that needs equal attention is the rise of India as a potential pole in the emerging multipolar era. Currently ranked 5th in economy size, 4th in military strength, and 2nd in population, India’s prospects of amassing significant material capabilities will inevitably create significant shifts within the international security architecture; however, unlike the unfolding power competition between the United States and China, India’s role as a major power is seen as a positive development given its adherence to strategic autonomy and refusal to indulge in rigid block politics.

Moreover, India demonstrates its sensitivity towards the plight of many countries in the developing world vis-a-vis the need for a practical alternative for economic growth and development, which goes beyond rigid requirements and predatory lending. As a result, the role of India as an emerging great power will provide a much-needed middle way for many countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. which seek to safeguard their growth and security without falling deeper in the US-China power struggle. Economically, Southeast Asian countries have been trying to get out of Chinese economic dependence, taking into consideration its assertiveness. Whether India can be Southeast Asia’s escape is a larger question.

India and Southeast Asian countries have come a long way in terms of forging closer strategic relations under the recognition of a mutual threat perception. From a level of estrangement to one of mutual understanding and shared interests, both sides have the potential to maximize ties proactively in order to pave a more proactive path amid the turbulent geopolitical trends that are unfolding. However, the road continues to be marred by several structural and domestic challenges, which may hinder relations from taking off further.

While India’s relations with Southeast Asian countries are not free from obstacles, the overarching trajectory of strategic ties between them is continuously upward with multilateral and minilateral arrangements remaining increasingly significant. Therefore, India must continue to maintain pragmatism and consistency in engaging with Southeast Asian countries while acknowledging the importance of ASEAN centrality. This will not only illustrate New Delhi’s commitment but will also pave the way for new and improved areas for cooperation.

Don McLain Gill is a Philippines-based geopolitical analyst and author of over 100 publications on India-Southeast Asian relations and Indian foreign policy.
Upamanyu Basu is a PhD Scholar, currently working as an Assistant Professor of Political Science in Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies.