The consequences of China’s growing capabilities, and the sharpening of tensions on territorial issues across the breadth of Asia, with question marks now on agreements and understandings of yesteryears, are among reasons that stress the importance of establishing a multipolar Asia as a foundation of a multipolar world, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. Addressing the Fifth Indian Ocean Conference in Abu Dhabi Saturday, he said the changing American strategic posture since 2008, with the US “adjusting to multipolarity and rebalancing”, along with China’s rise, are two trend lines that have influenced the evolution of the Indian Ocean in recent years.

However, he stressed that it would be a serious error to visualize the two developments as a zero-sum game. But it has led to the emergence of a greater role for middle powers as well as a stronger practice of regionalism. “Whether it is the Indo-Pacific, Afghanistan or the Gulf, we are seeing more players, greater localization and arrangements of pragmatism. In fact, we are now entering a world of greater plurilateralism, one that recognizes the shortcomings of multilateralism, the limits of bilateralism and the untenability of unilateralism from whichever quarter,” he said in what is seen as a major policy speech outlining India's changing foreign policy outlook.

This signifies stronger cooperation among resident players of the Indian Ocean. “Indian Ocean nations are called upon today to take greater responsibilities, fashion better relationships and display more initiative,” he added.

He pointed out two developments that have significantly heightened uncertainties in the region. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan has left the immediate and extended region grappling with serious concerns about terrorism, radicalism, instability, narco-trafficking and governance practices, while Covid has also impacted the region that is particularly vulnerable to health and economic stresses.

In a pointed comment at the Western powers, their reluctance to share vaccine patents alongwith stocking up on vaccines thereby depriving the poorer countries, Jaishankar said the pandemic has “not just been a once-in-a-century shock to the international system, it has also thoroughly exposed all its fault-lines and shortcomings.”

“In economic terms, the dangers of over-centralized globalization are starkly apparent. The answer lies in both more reliable and resilient supply-chains as well as in greater trust and transparency. In political terms, the absence of vaccine equity and the reluctance to cooperatively address a challenge of such magnitude spoke for itself.”

“International organizations failed the world, whether in terms of establishing the origins of the problem or in leading the response to it,” he said, in a pointed reference to the WHO, which has taken a soft line on China with regard to finding the origins of the corona virus that emerged first in Wuhan, and to the WTO where talks on patent waiver have been deadlocked for months.

In this scenario, specific countries, including India, have been stepping forward in different ways to mitigate the crisis, some individually, others in partnership. He said India has done its fair share, whether through supply of medicines, vaccines, and oxygen.

“As we move from a ‘just in time’ globalization to a ‘just in case’ one, the Indian Ocean will witness shorter and multiple supply chains and a broader definition of what constitutes national security. These could well shape the nature of the recovery process,” he said, and urged that travel is normalized through recognition of vaccine certification so that livelihoods are restored ASAP. India has worked out solutions with about a 100 nations in that regard, he added.

“In fact, the demonstration of political will to overcome historical divides has enormous cooperative consequences,” he said, and referred to the new grouping between India, the UAE, Israel and the US.
 
That India has begun seeing the Gulf, ASEAN and Central Asia as extended neighbourhoods “is indicative of a changed thinking. So, of course, was SAGAR –the ocean’s policy. All these bode well in terms of exploring more collaborative endeavours in the coming times,” he added (SAM).