New Delhi: Contesting the ‘Asia for Asians’ notion, Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday, August 29, that “narrow Asian chauvinism” is against the region’s interests, with outside powers like the United States having a legitimate stake, especially in securing global commons.
Speaking at an event organised by Asia Society, Jaishankar noted that there is often “talk about Asia for Asians” from time to time.
“On this subject, let me also emphasise that a narrow Asian chauvinism is actually against the continent’s own interest. Precisely because Asia is so energetic and creative, it would like to benefit from the open doors of other regions,” he said.
The concept of ‘Asia for Asians’ has been forcefully advocated by China in recent years, with the most well-known case made by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014.
In what is known widely as his ‘Asia for Asians’ speech, Xi called for a new security order in Asia. “In the final analysis, it is for the people of Asia to run the affairs of Asia, solve the problems of Asia and uphold the security of Asia. The people of Asia have the capability and wisdom to achieve peace and stability in the region through enhanced cooperation,” he had said at the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in May 2014.
Recently, China has also linked the need for Asian unity in handling its affairs with its criticism of the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy.
Disagreeing with the possibility of a united Asia in realistic terms, Jaishankar said on Monday that the “basis of a united front presumes a stronger convergence within the continent than reality indicates”.
“Moreover, a united front works when participants are confident of the vision and more important intent of each other. This requires at least a moderate level of mutual trust,” he noted.
Stating that building trust was a problematic proposition now, he also took a swipe at former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who had been one of the key drivers of the 1955 Bandung conference, which eventually led to the formation of the Non-Alignment Movement.
“Even in the past, this was not an easy challenge to address. It is obviously much more difficult now. Asia for Asians is also a sentiment that was encouraged in the past, even in our own country, by political romanticism. The Bandung spirit, however, got its reality check within its first decade. Indeed, the experience of the past affirms that Asians are second to none when it comes to realpolitik”.
He also asserted that many Asian nations “approach their continent keeping in mind the larger correlation of forces”. He cited the case of regional group ASEAN, whose links with other external countries, was the “very basis of their global relevance”.
“In fact, relatively speaking, it is India whose diplomatic traditions have been more narrowly bilateral. This was particularly the case in dealing with other Asian powers. That too is changing as we have all become more globalized over the last few decades,” he said.
India has been a member of the revived ‘Quad’, a loose group of countries with the United States, Japan and Australia. The Quad has been the target of ire for Beijing, with top officials describing it as an Asian NATO, though the group has not yet got an explicit militaristic framework, so far.
Stating that a concept of keeping away outsiders from the region was anathema, he underlined, “Precisely because Asia is so energetic and creative, it would like to benefit from the open doors of other regions. That obviously cannot be a one way street. Such an outlook also goes against the reality of globalisation. Whether it is resources, markets or supply chains, these can no longer be compartmentalised”.
He observed that the presence of external powers was necessary to ensure the freedom of navigation on the air and water in the region, an implicit reference to China’s gate-keeping of South China sea.
“There are resident powers in Asia like the United States or the proximate ones like Australia who have legitimate interests. Their contribution is also invaluable for securing the global commons. India’s universalist outlook, expressed in the belief of the world as a family, encourages it to go beyond exclusivist approaches,” said Jaishankar.