World Xa, www.worldfocus.in ISSN 2230-8458 U.S. Library of Congress No. 80910345 A Premier Indo-centric Foreign Affairs Journal Since 1980 December 2014 neu peau o gone or rome unger ts eee a India’s New ewe mA ® S FOREIGN ,@ 2a??? 28 POLI Crs" b ncita couse tans bur mmeouney For the fulfilment of India’s Enlightened National Interest = 100 A .US $17 ‘) acyIndia’s Foreign Policy -Annual Issue (Series 2) Contents: gn Policy ~A Positive Approach. Anil Kamboj, Inspector General (Ret Modis Vist o Japan Incremental Evolution of India-Japan Bilateral Relations, Prof. HS Prabhakar. ‘Act East o Connect People: India’s “Look East’ and the Northeast Prof. Samir Kumat Das. Small Development Projects (SDP) of India in Afghanistan, Post 2014: Strengths and Opportunities Prof. Mondira Dutta. ndia’s Foreign Policy - a Mixed Bag of Impressive Accomplishments and Missed Opportunities Prof. ¥. Yagama Redd Indian Liability Act asa Roadblock to Indo Prof. Kuldip Singh and Ms. Kawaljeet Kaur India-Vietnam Relations: Transcendence from ‘Gaze’ to ‘Action’ Prof. Trib Chakrabor Democracy in Central Asia: Less than Half Way There In Dr. Rup Narayan Das India-Russia-China Triangle: Can they shape a New World Order? Dr. Deepak Yadav. Moving towards Partnership! India & Britain: A Critical Evaluation Dr. Nivedita Giripradhan. Islamic State of Traq and Syria a Alvite Singh Ningthoujam.. India’s Border and China’s Strategy Aaryan Salman.. From Look East to Act East Ma, Sapa Ku India: Recent Developments and Challenges ik Road Economie Belt and India: Challensco and Opportanitica Dr. Mahesh Ranjan Debata... India-Africa Partnership: Dr.Arunoday Bajpai INDO-US. Strategic Partnership on Hi Analyzing the India-Australia Relations through the Prism of Tony Abbotts visit o India Ms. Tilottama Mukheri India’s High Profile Foreign Polic Dr. Vinod Khobragadk India-Singapore Relations: Sealing New Heights Saheli Bose. 2 World Focus December 2014WATCHFUL EYE Strategising India’s foreign policy Col R Hariharan Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelled out his vision for India in his Independence Day address on August 15, 2014 at New Delhi. From this and from his, speeches at various national forums, major components of the vision appear to be:! a Boost India’s industrial growth by inviting investors and manufacturers from all over the world to invest in infrastructure building and to manufacture in India. This would unleash the entreprencurial spirit of Indian youth to work towards manufacturing in the country land also generate jobs. ». To upgrade digital infrastructure as a priority, 10 upgrade information and services to the people ‘in a timely and effective manner.” Smart cities would be planned towards this end. ¢. Public services at the grass root would be improved to provide better governance, quality of education, healthcare and clean environment through empowered administration and public participation while maintaining social cohesion and gender equity 4, To retain India’s strategic influence in the Asia- Pacific region and enlarge itin keeping with its growing slobal economic power. ‘The Prime Minister launched a series of foreign policy initiatives within the first 120 days in office ‘These included visits to Bhutan and Nepal in India’s immediate neighbourhood, attending the BRICS summit at Rio de Janeito and visits o Japan and the U.S. In New Delhi, the Premier received a number of visiting foreign dignitaries. Notable among them were the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Breaking away from India’s traditional lai back foreign policy mould, Modi's foreign visits and interactions were well publicized and conducted with Alot of pizzazz. He was proactive, clear and assertive Of course, his style grated the sensitivities of some of the experienced senior diplomats and bureaucrats. They found it loud and at times abrasive and his speeches ‘unabashedly nationalistic. However, Modi managed to catch the attention of people and leaders wherever he Strategising India's foreign policy ‘went because he could relate to the common people and make India relevant to them, Moreover, the emerging international geo-strategie environment has ‘made global leaders to take notice of India’s new and highly visible leader ax never before for their own reasons? Both at home and abroad Modi articulates India’s desire tobe treated on equal terms by big powers like the U.S., China and Japan. He has assured that small countries would be treated as equals regardless of their size. There were two common threads running inall his interactions- India’s readiness to build coral and harmonious relationship with all nations; and invitation to international businesses and investments to benefit from his initiatives to revamp Indian economy by building a better and business-riendly environment His objective is clearly o attract foreign investment to boost Indian manufacturing and infrastructure industries without sacrificing India’s interests 2s the “Make in India’ slogan emphasized,’ His readiness to listen to the business community on restructuring the business environment and bureaueracy to make it easier to do business and in India shows that his primary aim is to market India as a favoured destination for foreign businesses and investments. It would be reasonable to expect this ‘would apply even to countries that do not enjoy a cordial strategic equation like China and Pakistan. ‘Modi’s visit to Bhutan and Nepal within first few weeks in office appeared to be hastily planned, allowing little time for the hosts to be ready. But read along with his invitation to SAARC leaders (including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif) to attend his swearing-in as Prime Minister, his message was clear: India’s first priority in foreign relations would be to improve the bonding with India’s South Asian neighbours. Modi’s priority is understandable because India’s political, economic and strategic relations had uffered neglect under the earlier government. With China making huge inroads into the neighbourhood,India’s strategic influence has become hostage to enlarging Chinese presence in South Asia. ‘The invitation extended to Pakistan Prime ‘Minister and cordial meeting Modi had with him showed his readiness to resume talks with his Pakistani ‘counterpart, which hac come to a halt sometime back.* Of course, there was no progress beyond that presumably due to the Pakistan Prime Minister’s internal problems with the army, which continues 10 influence foreign policy decisions of the government’ Big power initiatives ‘Mod's talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, President Xi Jinping of China and President Barak Obama had very large strategic content. Equal ‘weightage has been given to economic cooperation as ‘well. They brought out the contours of Modi’s foreign policy discourse. Apart from discussing bilateral issues linked to visa restrictions, strategie initiatives and trade and commerce, he discussed multilateral issues like regional security, freedom to interact and transact, ‘global warming and intellectual property rights. His talks ‘with the visiting Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in New Delhi resulted in an agreement to import uranium from Australia for India’s civil nuclear programme. This fitted well in the overall strategic security picture he was mapping, Former Sri Lankan diplomat Dr. Kathira Pathiyagoda analyzing India’s soft power in an article in The Diplomat found that with “some diplomati craftsmanship, Delhi can convert its somewhat ethereal values-based soft power advantage into hard strategic and economic gains, Modi’s government seems to have recognized this and is building on Congress party's initiatives to enhance India’s public diplomacy toolkit. India’s soft power has rare characteristics when compared with the other great powers of the emerging ‘multi-polar world: U.S., China, Russia, Japan and Europe (as a unified entity)."* He found India’s relatively neutral, non- threatening image would make “India a uniquely attractive great-power partner for countries looking to hedge against future fallout between the U.S. and China, and not wanting to antagonize either superpower. ‘Australia has chosen a wise time to solidily ties with one of the world’s most dynamic rising powers.” Despite Dr Pathiyagoda’s positive observation, Modi is likely to find the task of balancing India’s strategic relationships with the two antagonists -Fapan and China - a tough foreign policy challenge. And if the U.S. (China relationship also worsens, itcould get even more complicated. Relationship building with Japan Modi has been enjoying a close personal equation Abe even before he became the Indian Prime Minister. He chose Japan as the first overseas destination outside India’s immediate neighbourhood. Abe's appreciation Of this gesture found a mention in his Joint Statement ‘with Modi” The Joint Statement also mentioned Modi’s decision to visit Japan first as “a reflection of Japan's importance in India's foreign policy and economic development and her place atthe heart of India’s Look East Policy.” On the other hand, though President Xi Jinping was keen to visit India for his formal meeting with Modi. However, his visit had to be postponed at India’s request and he met Modi only after the Indian Prime Minister came back from Japan. The importance Modi attached to meeting with Abe first would not be missed by China, Modi courted the Japanese businesses with the mantra of “Make in India’ and 3Ds (Democracy, Demography and Demand) that make India best place todo business. There are mixed views about the results achieved by Mr. Modi in Japan. The Economic Times fist of ten takeaways from Mr. Modi’s Japan visit include the upgrading of Special Strategic Global partnership, which has ominous portends for China in the context of its ongoing confrontation with Japan. ‘The Abe-Modi Joint Statement suggestively titled “Tokyo Declaration for India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership” said “a closer and stronger strategie partnership between India and Japan is indispensable for advancing peace, stability and prosperity in the ‘worl, in particular, in the inter-connected Asia, Pacific and Indian Ocean Regions.” The statement also underlined the “importance of the 2 plus 2 dialogue, involving Foreign and Defence Secretaries for theit ‘growing strategic partnership,” and the decision to seek ‘ways (0 intensify this dialogue indicating the future ‘course for chartering Indi-Japan strategic relationship.” But Modi is unlikely to be swayed by Abe in entering (0a multilateral strategie arrangement with Japan it would inevitably be pitted against China with whic! India shares nearly 4000 km of border; moreover it would not further his agenda to leverage China’s economic muscle for India’s economic development. 4 World Focus December 2014