Challenges of Walking the Indo-Pacific

Context: While the inclusion of India in QUAD have strategic significance, it must be noted that strategic talk alone cannot trump overriding economic realities as a foundation of Indo-Pacific.

Similarities and differences between Indo-Pacific and Quad:

• Similarities:
• QUAD members are also major States in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Focussed on China.
• Centred around India’s geographic location and its policies. 
• Differences:
• Indo-Pacific is a grand politico-economic vision while the QUAD is a forum for strategic and military consultations (focused against China) and cannot be the military or strategic nucleus of Indo-Pacific.
• Unlike Indo-Pacific, QUAD is still in its institutional infancy and is focused on diplomatic signalling.

Hurdles in India’s Indo-Pacific Strategy

• Overshadowed by Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): BRI is more advanced, much more thought out and has the economic might of the Chinese state behind it. 

• Several Indo-Paci?c countries are already members of the BRI. 

• Decision to not join Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): could potentially complicate the country’s future engagements in the region. 

• Huge trade gap between Indian and Chinese trade: with the major Indo-Pacific and QUAD States.
• India does not have Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Bangladesh and the Maldives.
• Trilateral FTA negotiations are going on between China, Japan and South Korea.
• Larger military reach of China: China is a major defence supplier of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, dwarfing India’s military might.

Way Forward for India

• Deeper economic engagement in Indo Pacific: through FTAs and joining regional economic pacts like RCEP.
• Sustainable economic, strategic and military engagement: in the Indo-Pacific region as a loosely structured strategic alliance with the U.S. and its allies would not sustain for long.