The 2nd ASEAN Reader

93. ASEAN in India's Foreign Policy

ASEAN in India’s Foreign Policy 463 By: ROS Size: 7.5" x 10.25" J/No: 03-14474 Fonts: New Baskerville 93. ASEAN IN INDIA’S FOREIGN POLICY AMITABH MATTOO Reprinted in abridged form from Amitabh Mattoo, “ASEAN in India’s Foreign Policy”, in India and ASEAN: The Politics of India’s Look East Policy, edited by Frédéric Grare and Amitabh Mattoo (New Delhi: Manohar Publishers & Distributors, 2001), pp. 91–118, by permission of the publisher and the copyright holder, Centre de Sciences Humaines. Slowly but surely, ASEAN is emerging as central pivot in the Indian view of Asia and its future, and essential to the construction of a security order that will be in India’s interests. This is not only because the view of the Asia-Pacific as a zone of increased threats, potential turbulence and unbridled great power rivalries, is gaining increasing currency in India. But also because ASEAN is seen as potentially sharing a range of common military and non-military threats and concerns, including those related to issues as diverse as energy, economics and sustainable development. With ASEAN’s eastward expansion to include Myanmar, India and ASEAN are no longer just maritime neighbours, but also share over 1,600 km of a land boundary. Deeply concerned about the uncertainties of the future, including China’s role, India’s elite1 would like to fashion a multilateral security order in the Asia-Pacific in partnership with ASEAN. This view is not only an expression of Indian concern about potential instability in Asia, but also demonstrates a willingness to adopt a more active role in the future. Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh’s speech, in Singapore in June 2000, is particularly revealing and illustrative. He began by identifying the ‘uniqueness’ of the region, and the threats faced by it: It is in this region that we find the presence of almost all major global players: the United States of America, Russian Federation , People’s Republic of China, Japan, ASEAN and India. The security scenario, the Asian security environment is unique. ... Our scenario is marked by the presence of seven of the ten most populous countries of the world; some of the largest standing armies; four declared and one undeclared nuclear weapon states, the presence of a US nuclear armed fleet and several missile manufacturing and exporting countries. ... Notwithstanding the economic dynamism displayed in the region, or the expanding avenues of bilateral and regional cooperation, many traditional sores of conflict remain: assertive nationalism, internal political transitions, unfinished agendas of national consolidation, territorial disputes, historical antagonisms, 093 AR Ch 93 23/9/03, 8:19 AM 463 464 Amitabh Mattoo By: ROS Size: 7.5" x 10.25" J/No: 03-14474 Fonts: New Baskerville internal conflicts all of such nature as could draw external powers into the resultant gaps. ... Jaswant Singh went on to specifically focus on Indian and Indian-ASEAN security concerns: India’s parameters of security concerns clearly extend beyond confines of the convenient albeit questionable geographical definition of South Asia. South Asia was always a dubious framework for situating the Indian security paradigm. Given its size, geographical location, trade links and the EEZ, India’s security environment and therefore potential concerns range from the Persian Gulf to the Straits of Malacca in the West, South & East, Central Asia in the North-West, China in the North-East and South East Asia. ... India and ASEAN face a complex, postcold war environment where relations among the great powers, most of whom are either Asian maritime powers, or powers from the continental landmass, are in a f|ux. We search for definitions and certainties in a period that is itself struggling to find answers. What will be the influencing factors? Critical will be the results of the reform process in Russia; concomitant political and economic changes in China; Japan’s rediscovery of a more assertive political role; the ongoing tussle between unilateralism and cooperative multilateralism in the US and the challenge and opportunity of a European economic and politico-military integration. What will also contribute is the whole process of globalization — the questions that it has thrown up and our ability to answer them. ... It is not possible that security be viewed in military terms alone. Both India and ASEAN face the challenge of tackling new, non-military threats. Amongst others, like food or water, the principal are economic, environmental and energy security. ... Other challenges that we will need to deal with relate to migration of populations, and...