Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Hindu
The Hindu
National
AP

India, ASEAN seek to boost ties amid U. S.-China rivalry

A special meeting between India and Southeast Asian Foreign Ministers opened on June 16 with co-chairs India and Singapore calling for strengthening ties amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a heightened rivalry between the United States and China that threatens peace and stability in the region.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) face geopolitical headwinds from the war in Ukraine and its knock-on effects on food and energy security as well as fertilizer and commodities prices and logistics and supply chain disruptions.

"India fully supports a strong, unified, prosperous ASEAN whose centrality in the Indo-Pacific is fully recognised," he said. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Russia’s actions have "upended the international system of rules and norms.”

Mr. Balakrishnan added that the rivalry between the U. S. and China has direct implications for all of Asia.

"These developments, if unchecked, can threaten the sole system of peace and stability which we have depended on for the basis of our growth and development and prosperity over many decades,” he said.

The two-day meeting marks the 30th anniversary of India’s dialogue relations with the 10-member regional bloc that includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Jaishankar emphasised the need for strengthening land and sea connectivity with ASEAN member states. The upgrade of the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway is part of the ASEAN-India Connectivity initiative. Trade between India and the ASEAN region amounted to more than $78 billion in 2021.

India mainly exports organic chemicals, minerals, ships and boats, iron and steel, pharmaceuticals, cotton and tobacco to ASEAN countries, according to India’s Commerce Ministry. Top products imported by India from ASEAN include coal, palm oil, telephones, light vessels and electronic circuits.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.