London: In an indirect reference to China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday warned against a world order that gave way to skewed deals without due consideration of “reliable, supply chains”. safe and sustainable “. During a speech on India’s Indo-Pacific Vision at the Policy Exchange think tank in London, Shringla emphasized India’s commitment to promoting and contributing to infrastructure, connectivity, economic projects and supply chains. supply in the region always prioritizing the needs of the host community.
We must not forget that many Indo-Pacific countries have suffered from a history of colonialism, some of whose wrinkles are still with us and have yet to be resolved. As we do so, and as we move forward with determination, we must be mindful not to adopt constructs that themselves create biased dependencies and agreements, the Foreign Secretary said. The massive China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) seeks to build rail, sea and road links from Asia to Europe and Africa in a revival of the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road. India has been highly critical of the BRI, President Xi Jinping’s pet project, as the $ 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of the BRI, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India says it cannot accept a project that ignores its central concern about sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Last year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that China is using its governmental power through the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve its national security goal, and claimed that the Trump administration is leading global efforts to inform countries about the predatory Chinese economy. The Trump administration has been extremely critical of President Xi Jinping’s billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and believes that China’s predatory financing is leaving smaller counties under enormous debt that puts in danger to their sovereignty.
Sri Lanka and the Maldives have borrowed heavily from Beijing in recent years for key infrastructure projects, which worries the United States and other countries concerned about China’s rise. These concerns are particularly relevant as the Indo-Pacific region focuses on the resilience and diversification of supply chains in the post-coronavirus period. India is part of several of those conversations. For example, he is working with his Japanese and Australian friends on the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, he said.
The senior official noted that in the 21st century, the interconnection of the Indo-Pacific is finally coming into full play, with the region emerging as an engine of international trade and well-being. He said: The Indo-Pacific ocean system carries about 65 percent of world trade and contributes 60 percent of world GDP. Ninety percent of India’s international trade travels through its waters.
For us, and for many others, the change in the economic trajectory from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific has had enormous consequences. The rise of China and the imperative of a global rebalancing have added to the mix. A rules-based international order can only be achieved with a rules-based Indo-Pacific. He referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s important speech in Singapore in 2018 as the basis for the Indo-Pacific vision embodied in the SAGAR doctrine.
He added: The Prime Minister used it as an acronym for “Security and Growth for All in the Region.” This aspiration depends on securing end-to-end supply chains in the region; no disproportionate dependence on a single country; and ensure prosperity for all nations concerned. A rule-driven and rule-driven Indo-Pacific, with freedom of navigation, open connectivity and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, is an article of faith for India.
Shringla is in the UK as part of the final leg of his European tour and is scheduled for bilateral talks and interactions during his two-day visit, which concludes on Wednesday.
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