{"id":23967,"date":"2024-04-20T17:48:07","date_gmt":"2024-04-20T12:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=23967"},"modified":"2024-04-20T20:11:11","modified_gmt":"2024-04-20T14:41:11","slug":"indias-approach-in-the-south-china-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/20-04-2024\/indias-approach-in-the-south-china-sea","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s approach in the South China Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/International Relations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0cb2d8d8970fcc76e5fb15bd21ee6252\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, India delivered the strategic <strong>BrahMos cruise missile<\/strong> and articulated its full support in upholding national sovereignty for the <strong>Philippines<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5ab07c39a00f33f9cf8340bc40231f93\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>About the South China Sea<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is one of the most strategically and economically important waterways in the world, extending from the Strait of Malacca in the southwest, to the Strait of Taiwan in the northeast.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a crucial <strong>maritime gateway<\/strong> and junction for shipping <strong>between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is surrounded by several nations, including China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The region is rich in natural resources, including oil, gas, and fisheries, and serves as a crucial trade route for various economies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b841269c5aa96ef35abbaf9e5abe5363\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Economic Importance of the Region<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Trade Route:<\/strong> The South China Sea serves as a crucial trade hub for various economies of East Asia, South Asia, and beyond.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A trade of more than $5.3 trillion happens on these waters. It makes up about one-third of all marine traffic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Natural Resources: <\/strong>The region has proven oil reserves of around 7.7 billion barrels, with an estimate of 28 billion barrels in all.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Natural gas reserves are estimated to total around 266 trillion cubic feet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Philippines is counting on the US <\/strong>and its allies to play a crucial role in its plans to explore energy resources in the disputed South China Sea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fisheries:<\/strong> More than half of the world\u2019s fishing vessels are in the South China Sea, and millions of people depend on these waters for their food and livelihoods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/bX6axbpAOKGo6FTV6-XsTp-nIgoViAiUSvD6iLb_fV367LiKS0XE79nFARABKkFVkeN3I7gIrEfPYl_l8Ke96ttzpthLafe6freHLj2zT0eLpU8egODRJ1zAaH6y-vRW1ubIQxdmJTn531ppX55h45E\" alt=\"Economic Importance of the Region\" style=\"width:641px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-097f63ce0e655e54e714465ac0bc6fbc\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Territorial Disputes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The territorial disputes in the South China Sea primarily involve China and several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>China claims sovereignty<\/strong> over virtually the entire South China Sea, putting it at odds with the <strong>Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei<\/strong>, who all maintain claims over islands, reefs, and undersea resources in the region.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These disputes have implications for the freedom of navigation and overflight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The South China Sea dispute essentially revolves around <strong>multiple claims<\/strong> to the land features \u2014 islands and reefs \u2014 and associated territorial waters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-91cca6014c7eae6b7ae1cce051875830\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>India and South China Sea<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s stance on the South China Sea has seen a significant shift in recent years, reflecting its broader strategic and economic aspirations on the global stage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India<\/strong> has been<strong> increasing cooperation, defence as well as economic, <\/strong>with these countries to take its resistance to maritime Chinese influence to China\u2019s own backyard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-31e16bbf60ce46ca4eda93c09c4337c3\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>India\u2019s Evolving Position<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, India articulated its full support for the Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty amid the ongoing South China Sea dispute between Philippines and China.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2023,<strong> a joint statement<\/strong> between India and Philippines had called for <strong>China to adhere to the rules-based maritime order<\/strong> and acknowledge the <strong>International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling<\/strong><strong>(2016) in favour of the Philippines.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These are part of an <strong>evolving approach<\/strong> that signals a departure from India\u2019s earlier more cautionary and neutral position vis-\u00e0-vis the South China Sea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India has significantly enhanced its military and diplomatic engagement with claimant states such as the <strong>Philippines and Vietnam<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It has been offering military aid and more supportive rhetoric to China\u2019s rival claimants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c2c0abd4b6c717150f1d0972dd6ea0fb\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Economic Stakes and Strategic Engagements<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India\u2019s engagement <\/strong>with the region was <strong>initially primarily economic, driven by its Look East Policy,<\/strong> which aimed to enhance economic integration with Southeast Asia and the imperative to secure energy resources to fuel its growing economy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The participation of Indian state-owned enterprises, such as the <strong>ONGC Videsh<\/strong>, in oil and gas exploration projects in <strong>Vietnam\u2019s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) <\/strong>and other similar ventures not only signified India\u2019s economic stakes in the region but also its support for the <strong>principle of freedom of exploration and exploitation of maritime resources<\/strong> within the bounds of international law, specifically UNCLOS.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ffd4fe7ac068421a95c5f23ea3abda9e\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Policy Transformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The<strong> transformation of India\u2019s policy<\/strong> orientation from Look East to Act East has marked a shift <strong>towards a more strategic and active engagement<\/strong> with the <strong>Indo-Pacific region<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It reflects India\u2019s acknowledgment of the changing geopolitical landscape and the need for a more proactive and multifaceted foreign policy approach with the Act East Policy emphasising not only economic integration but also <strong>strategic partnerships<\/strong> and expanded security cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific <strong>including Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore, besides the Philippines.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e7ae980ff816b4d65b36302cbcca67ec\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Geopolitical Impact and International Stance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Major Asia-Pacific economies could lose up to 12% of their GDP if the geopolitical tensions were to force closure of key trade routes in the region.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The United States champions a free and open Indo-Pacific and has made clear that Beijing\u2019s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The U.S. stands with its ally, the Philippines, in the face of this escalation that directly threatens regional peace and stability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f8e305d9fde03a5a582b678b0480605c\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The disputes in the South China Sea require a political framework, which can only be created through dialogue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should try to find a political solution through \u2018quiet diplomacy\u2019.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The potential for resolving this issue through legal methods is very low.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One of the most important ways to de-escalate the current tensions in the South China Sea for both parties is to avoid hostile actions against each other, uphold a more reconciliatory attitude and emphasise the need to cooperate rather than compete.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> How effective do you think India&#8217;s approach in the South China Sea dispute has been in balancing its strategic interests and maintaining regional stability?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-20-04-2024.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, India delivered the strategic BrahMos cruise missile and articulated its full support in upholding national sovereignty for the Philippines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23967"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23978,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23967\/revisions\/23978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}