India China in Indo Pacific Region

The Indo-Pacific region has been the theatre of increased competition between India and China in recent years, both countries vying for power and influence in the region. As tensions have been rising, the geopolitical situation in and around the region has become increasingly volatile. Both India and China have a deep historical and cultural connection with the region, making it a matter of pride and prestige for them to gain a stronger foothold in the area. In this blog post, we will be focusing on India and China's roles in the Indo-Pacific region, examining the current tensions, analyzing their strategies and highlighting the potential impacts on the region going forward. We will conclude by proposing some possible solutions to the growing tensions between the two countries and seeking to create a more peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

China’s recent behavior cannot be delinked from the global situation where Beijing has come under pressure and is facing a global backlash for its aggression. M Taylor Fravel - the Sino-Indian border constituted a “secondary strategic direction” for China. Its principal interest lay in the direction of Taiwan and the western Pacific.

In the ongoing round of tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, the latter has pretty much followed the Pakistani playbook— level a baseless charge against India that it is trying to make territorial gains, in order to justify its own aggression. Finally, the source of this Chinese aggression, can be attributed to nationalism. China is picking fights with multiple actors simultaneously amid an ongoing health pandemic precisely because of what it sees as a nationalist imperative.

Cooperation

The relationship between India and China in the Indo-Pacific region has become increasingly important in recent years, due to the strategic significance of both nations in the region. The two countries have sought to build closer ties and strengthen their cooperation in the region, in order to ensure peace and stability. 

In recent years, India and China have made efforts to improve their bilateral ties, seeking to work together on regional issues such as trade, infrastructure, and climate change. In addition, the two countries have cooperated in numerous multilateral initiatives, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). 

India and China have also cooperated in the areas of disaster management, with both countries having provided aid to each other during natural disasters. The two countries have also provided development assistance to each other in areas such as education and healthcare. 

India and China have also become increasingly active in a number of regional bodies, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). In addition, the two countries have participated in various international forums, such as the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). 

Moreover, India and China have also been working together to address issues related to the South China Sea, with both countries striving to maintain peace and stability in the region. In addition, the two countries have worked together in the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which are aimed at enhancing economic and trade ties between the two nations. 

Competition

The Indo-Pacific region has become an increasingly important geopolitical area in recent years and competition between India and China has been at the forefront of this development. Both countries have sought to increase their influence in the region and the competition between them is intensifying. India and China have been engaged in a number of economic and military activities in the region, ranging from economic investments, to military exercises, to diplomatic engagements.

India's economic involvement in the Indo-Pacific region has been increasing, particularly in the fields of energy, infrastructure and trade. China, meanwhile, has sought to increase its influence in the region through its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which is aimed at connecting China to markets in the region. In addition, China has also been engaged in a number of military activities, such as naval exercises and port visits, as well as launching satellites into space. India has also been developing infrastructure, such as the International North-South Transport Corridor, which will enable the movement of goods from India to other countries in the region.

The competition between the two countries has become increasingly intense in recent years, with India and China both seeking to increase their influence in the region. Both countries have sought to capitalize on their respective strengths in the region, with India seeking to use its strong human capital and economic growth, while China has sought to use its strong military presence and economic clout. As the competition between the two countries continues to intensify, it is likely to have an effect on the geopolitics of the region, with both countries seeking to increase their sway over the region.

South China Sea – Should India Worry? 

Importance of South China Sea 

The SCS is an important junction for navigation between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It connects with the Indian Ocean through the Malacca Strait to the southwest, and commands access to the East China Sea to the northeast. The sea lane running between the Paracel and Spratly Islands is used by oil tankers moving from the Persian Gulf to Japan as well as by warships en route from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Security in the SCS is a concern both for regional countries such as China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, as well as the extraregional countries, including India, due to their strategic and economic interests in this region. Any conflict in the SCS will pose a threat to regional and international security.

Territorial sovereignty, contention on energy, significance of the geographic location, threat to maritime security and overlapping maritime claims are at the core of the SCS dispute The SCS, an integrated ecosystem, is one of the richest seas in the world in terms of marine flora and fauna, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, fish and plants. The sea accounts for approximately 10 per cent of the annual global fisheries catchment, making it extremely viable for the fishing industries of nearby countries.

Furthermore, value-added production (canning, filleting, fresh, frozen and chilled processing) has translated into valuable foreign exchange earnings and job opportunities for countries in the region. However, China has been imposing fishing rules to operate in the disputed waters, resulting in serious maritime security concerns and objections from other claimant states. Recently, China’s new fishing rules which came into effect on January 1, 2014 raised questions about its efforts to exercise jurisdiction over all fishing activities in the disputed waters.

Furthermore, the region richly laden in both oil and natural gas has led to speculation that the disputed territories could hold potentially significant energy resources. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates, the SCS contains 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in proved and probable reserves. Most notably, the SCS occupies a significant geostrategic position in terms of international shipping as a majority of energy shipments and raw materials have to pass through it.

Undoubtedly, the SCS is a critical corridor between the Pacific and Indian Ocean for commercial and naval shipping China’s ordered an administrative reorganization of its South China Sea territories, injecting new discord in an already tense region. Beijing instituted two new municipal districts, carving up the governance of the Paracel and Spratly island groups, earlier managed by the local administration of Sansha — China’s southernmost city of Hainan province – between two sub-authorities. Xisha and Nansha (Chinese names for the Paracel and Spratly Islands) will now function as separate administrative units with jurisdiction over their respective island chains.

China’s neighbors may well have anticipated the gambit. Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia have in recent months sought to offer pushback to Chinese aggression in their near-seas, employing administrative, legal and operational means. In December last year, Malaysia approached the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf claiming waters beyond the 200-kilometre limit of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the northern part of the South China Sea – a move prompted by China’s extended presence in and around the Luconia Shoals. Weeks later, Indonesia deployed warships and a submarine in the waters off the Natuna Islands after an encroachment by Chinese fishing boats and coastguard ships. Earlier this month, Vietnam sent a diplomatic note to the United Nations protesting the PRC’s sweeping assertions in the South China Sea, after a Chinese ship rammed and sunk a Vietnamese fishing boat.

An irked China has doubled down on its territorial claims, sending in more militia and coast guard vessels into disputed regions. The Chinese vessel and its coast guard escorts have been accused of harassing an exploration vessel operated by Malaysia’s state oil company. The United States has rushed to respond, ordering the USS America – an amphibious assault ship – and guided missile warships USS Bunker Hill and USS Barry in the region.

Quad and beyond

The Indo-Pacific region has been the focus of global attention in recent years as it has seen the emergence of great power competition between India and China. This competition has become increasingly intense, with both countries vying for strategic influence and economic dominance. The competition has been framed in the context of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (or “Quad” for short) which has been jointly proposed by India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan. This group of countries is seen as a bulwark against Chinese expansion in the region, and together they have pledged to pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

However, the competition between India and China in the Indo-Pacific region goes beyond the Quad. Both countries have forged strong economic and military ties with other countries in the region, and there have been numerous diplomatic efforts aimed at strengthening India’s presence in the region. India has also sought to deepen its ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and has been instrumental in the formation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade agreement between 16 Asian countries.

Both India and China are also actively engaged in naval exercises in the Indo-Pacific, with India conducting its first major joint naval exercise with the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Singapore in 2020. This exercise was primarily aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the region. India and China have also signed a Maritime Cooperation Agreement, which is aimed at furthering maritime security and cooperation in the region.

Clearly, the competition between India and China in the Indo-Pacific region is intensifying and is set to continue on for the foreseeable future. As detailed in this brief, Chinese interests in South Asia stretch far beyond simply maintaining amicable relations in the region. Rather, China is dissatisfied at the LAC with India and is trying to improve the situation to its liking. Beijing is also frustrated with New Delhi’s persistent support of the Dalai Lama and rejection of BRI. As a result, China seeks to undermine India by aligning closely with archrival Pakistan.