With uncertainty looming, challenges and opportunities for India’s Act East policy
Although the Trump administration is weaning away ‘Indo’ from the Indo-Pacific, the ground reality of hyphenation cannot be ignored in the long run, particularly in light of China’s increasing assertiveness
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the former's recent visit to Australia. (AP) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand is significant for India’s Act East Policy. India’s foreign policy witnessed a strategic shift when he declared at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit (2014): “Externally, India’s ‘Look East Policy’ has become ‘Act East Policy’.” The change, however, went beyond nomenclature, reflecting the new realpolitik underlying India’s approach to the east. The objective of the Act East Policy is to promote economic cooperation, strengthen cultural ties and develop strategic relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific. The engagement was to be at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
India has historical linkages to East Asia, especially in the domains of culture and trade. It was officially revived through the Look East Policy (1991), focusing mainly on Southeast Asia and on the economic sector. Geographically, it extended beyond Southeast Asia to include the wider Asia-Pacific. In the words of Prime Minister Modi himself, “For too long, India and the United States have looked at each other across Europe and the Atlantic. When I look towards the East, I see the western shores of the United States.” The sectoral scope went beyond economics to include issues of security, culture and connectivity. Both hard and soft power aspects of foreign policy were incorporated.
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