The recent image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s counterpart in Papua New Guinea James Marape receiving him at the airport and graciously touching the PM’s feet was widely circulated and talked about across India. For days, it dominated social media and news channels, probably the first introduction for many lay observers to the island country of Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Ocean, which is north of Australia.
After what was hailed as a very successful trip to Papua New Guinea, PM Modi continued his outreach and visited Australia where the reception was equally enthusiastic.
Addressing the third India- Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit which was co-chaired by PM Modi in Papua New Guinea, PM Marape hailed the Indian PM as the leader of the Global South and extended full support to his leadership at global forums. It was considered a landmark statement.
In Australia, too, the excitement at the arrival of PM Modi was evident with PM Albanese extolling that he had not seen the welcome that PM Modi has received since Bruce Springsteen was in the same arena.
The popularity of PM Modi and through him India’s positioning as a global leader has once again reminded the world that is swiftly tiring from the turbulence that it has witnessed, the need for a balancing power. With the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine war, the world has recognised the fragility that exists in the world order as evinced by the war that threatens world peace. Unfortunately, we see a similar fragility playing out in the Indo Pacific region, where Chinese aggression is impacting the littoral nations in the South China Sea as well as in the Indian Ocean. For some time there has been a need for the world’s democracies to come together on a common platform to create conditions which obviate the need for war to settle disputes.
In these uncertain times, the fast developing India-Australia relationship as well as the importance of India to key littoral states has been one of positive transformation in response to common challenges faced by the region. These relationships have been revived to hitherto unknown heights including with a historic free trade agreement with Australia as part of the Quad format with the US and Japan and the recent “12 point development initiative” for Papua New Guinea by India . But what is less discussed is that India’s upwardly mobile ties are becoming the country’s gateway to a rejuvenated diplomatic push in the whole of the Pacific. And these relationships are the pivot to India’s move in the Pacific to counter Chinese interests.
After the Solomon Islands’s secret agreement with China, the reality of Chinese revisionism came as a shock to not just the littoral states in the Indo Pacific but to key stakeholders like India and Australia encouraging them to cement relationships basis on the shared values of the rule of law and a free and open Indo Pacific.
To this end and agenda, India will as a part of its 12-point agenda create a range of development initiatives for Papua New Guinea ranging from healthcare to creating an emergency help line like India has already done in Fiji and the development of SMEs. In addition to these initiatives, the island nation’s Governor-General Bob Dadae discussed strengthening partnerships in multiple sectors, climate action as well as promoting people-to-people ties. Papua New Guinea is critically located in a region where China is making large investments. China has funded infrastructure and schools, in what many believe is an attempt to gain military and diplomatic leverage. It was only in 2018 that Beijing had offered to develop Papua New Guinea’s Lombrum naval base on Manus Island. However, the contract was awarded to Australia. On the other hand, even though India has had diplomatic relations with Papua New Guinea since 1975 when the island attained Independence from Australia, it is only under PM Modi’s leadership that the bilateral relationship has turned into a multi-layered one.
Cementing Ties
The India-Australia relationship, too, has taken a new turn under the present dispensation. A friendship that was based largely on the common love for cricket today has become one of the strongest relationships in the Indo Pacific region. PM Modi, in his speech in Australia, reiterated that the India–Australia relationship was defined by Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry but today these 3C’s have been followed by the 3 Ds- Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti in addition to the 3E’s of Energy, Economy and Education. In an exclusive interview to Cameron Stewart of ‘The Australian’, PM Modi said that he would elevate India-Australia relations which would entail deeper defence ties to support a free and open Indo Pacific. In the recently concluded trip, both heads of state welcomed the signing of the India-Australia Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA), which will further facilitate mobility of students professionals, researchers, academics and others, including a new skilled pathway named MATES (Mobility Arrangement for Talented early Professionals scheme). They also welcomed finalisation of Terms of Reference of the India Australia Hydrogen Task Force which will advise on opportunities to accelerate manufacture and deployment of clean hydrogen, focusing on hydrogen electrolysers, fuel cells as well as supporting infrastructure and standards and regulation.
However, it is interesting to note that this meeting comes in the backdrop of Australia and China relations thawing with Trade Ministers from both the countries meeting in February 2023. The relationship between both the countries had remained strained since 2018 when Australia barred Huawei from building its 5G network . To add to the tense relationship, in 2020 the then PM Scott Morrison called for an independent assessment of the origins of the Wuhan virus to which Beijing reacted very strongly with the threat of “economic coercion”.
Decreasing Dependency on China
However, India and Australia have also previously cooperated through the pandemic, Australia recognised the Indian manufactured Covishield as well as the indigenous Covaxin. Tourism since then has also picked up for Australia with India being one of its top five markets and Indian arrivals the quickest to recover to pre– COVID-19. The Economic Cooperation and Trade Deal ( ECTA) that was signed between the two countries is also a historic one. It is the first such trade deal for India in over a decade after the one with Japan in 2011. It aims at doubling the trade between the two countries in the next 5 years by providing supply chain support in critical minerals from Australia to India. These bilateral meetings may fast track this agenda in order to decrease dependency on China for critical minerals. For India, securing a sustainable critical minerals supply chain is also a step towards its goal of becoming a renewable energy superpower.
It is apparent that China’s interests are pursued through the creation of economic pathways and the promises of development. India is perhaps the only country in a position to counter China’s economic movements not just in the smaller littoral states in the Indo Pacific but also in larger democracies like Australia. India offers the balance that could crucially aid in maintaining a free and open Indo Pacific with strong partners like Papua New Guinea and Australia. It is through response to concerns and open channels of diplomatic communication that India can serve as a positive example for the rest of the world. Through strong messaging and continued engagement India can play a pivotal role in ushering the idea of this being the age of cooperation and not competition, especially when the stakes are high, in this case to counter any dominance on the Indo Pacific.
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