Why is it in the news?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 10-point plan to enhance India-ASEAN ties during the 21st India-ASEAN Summit in Vientiane on October 10, 2024.
• He emphasized the critical role of this partnership in shaping Asia’s future, noting that India-ASEAN trade has doubled to over USD 130 billion in the past decade.
• Modi stated that a review of the trade in goods agreement is underway to maximize the economic potential of the relationship.

More about the news

• Highlighting the 10th anniversary of India’s Act East Policy, Modi mentioned that it has infused new energy and direction into the historic ties with ASEAN nations.
• He expressed optimism about the 21st century being the “Asian century” for India and its ASEAN partners, comprising Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, and Singapore.
• The proposed 10-point plan includes initiatives like designating 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism, doubling scholarships at Nalanda University, and providing new grants for ASEAN students at Indian agricultural universities.
• Modi also announced plans for various cultural and people-centric activities, such as a Youth Summit, Start-up Festival, Hackathon, and a Music Festival, alongside the ASEAN-India Women Scientists Conclave.
• Furthermore, he pledged $5 million to enhance disaster resilience and proposed a new Health Ministers’ track for building health resilience.
• The Prime Minister called for a regular ASEAN-India Cyber Policy Dialogue to bolster digital security and announced a workshop on Green Hydrogen.
• He invited ASEAN leaders to participate in the ‘Plant a Tree for Mother’ campaign to promote climate resilience, underscoring the importance of India-ASEAN cooperation amidst global conflicts and tensions.

ASEAN

About:

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on August 8, 1967, by five Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
• The founding leaders aimed to promote regional cooperation in various fields, including economic, social, and cultural aspects, while also emphasizing peace and stability.
• Over the decades, five more countries—Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam—joined, forming a ten-nation grouping.
• ASEAN has an anthem, a flag, and conducts biannual summits under a rotating chairmanship, guided by the motto “One Vision, One Identity, One Community.”
• Its major pillars include the Political-Security Community, Economic Community, and Socio-Cultural Community.

India’s Connection with ASEAN:

• ASEAN is pivotal to India’s ‘Act East’ policy, which evolved from the earlier ‘Look East’ Policy of the 1990s.
• As India sought to strengthen ties in the Asia-Pacific region post-USSR, the policy aimed to enhance economic and political relations, particularly with Southeast Asian nations.
• India’s engagement with ASEAN includes the establishment of institutional frameworks for dialogue and cooperation, as well as its participation in the ASEAN Plus Six grouping, which includes China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia.
• A Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2010, and while India initially engaged in discussions about the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2020, it ultimately opted out.

About East Asia Summit

• The East Asia Summit (EAS), initiated in 2005, comprises 16 countries: the ASEAN member states, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, with the United States and Russia joining later.
• The EAS is convened annually, bringing together heads of state to discuss regional issues.

ASEAN’s Significance amidst China’s Rise

• During the 20th ASEAN-India summit in Jakarta, PM Modi highlighted ASEAN as the “central pillar” of India’s Act East Policy, emphasizing support for the group’s role in the Indo-Pacific.
• This is crucial in light of China’s growing influence, particularly under President Xi Jinping, whose policies have raised concerns about authoritarianism and debt-trap diplomacy through infrastructure projects. China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea also challenge ASEAN member states.

Despite these challenges, ASEAN strives to maintain neutrality amid geopolitical rivalries. India seeks to deepen ties with ASEAN, leveraging shared cultural heritage, including Buddhism and the Ramayana, to strengthen bilateral relationships, particularly with Laos.