Russia-India-China Trailateral Meet

Context

In between the LAC tension with China and worldwide anger against China on CORONA Virus, significance of RIC meet.

Background

• On June 23, 2020, trilateral meet took place of Russia-India-China, amidst the tension between India and China on LAC. At a virtual meeting of Russia-India-China (RIC), a trilateral platform of the three countries of Foreign Affairs Minister level, India staunchly put forward her view on respect to international laws and recognizing the interests of partners.
• Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar gave voice to India’s injured feelings but did not name any nation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that India and China did not need any help in sorting out their differences. There is no official account of what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a meeting.

Russia-India-China Dialogue

• It came into existence in early 2000s.
• It was not an anti-U.S group, but to set up a joint platform to discuss various regional issues, including global order, to give emphasis on sovereignty and territorial integrity, impatience with homilies on social policies and opposition to regime change from abroad.
• Its primary purpose is to enhance the economic cooperation and democratization of financial architecture.
• The RIC platform brought much closer ties between Russia, India and China. Cooperation and efforts made by President Putin gave impetus to this partnership.
• Decision to bring a political approach to the boundary dispute and to develop other cooperation, encouraged a multi-sectoral surge in relations with China in 2003.
• In 2005, to settle the boundary dispute with China, an agreement was signed to implicitly recognized India’s interests in Arunachal Pradesh.

Influence of India-U.S. Relations

In parallel India had been strengthening its ties with America. Rising trade and investment, landmark Civil Nuclear deal, diversifying the basket of defence cooperation and strategic alliance.

Rising dominance of India as a global scale and emergence as world leader in almost all sectors, though India's relations with Russia has been continue at same pace, the China launched the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, worked to undermine India’s influence in its neighbourhood and expanded its military and economic presence in the Indian Ocean.

Russia-China Collaboration

Russia and China have been working in tandem to resist the global presence of America. Conducting joint military exercises, trade and commerce and on various other areas. Growing Chinese influence at economic front, the informal Russia-China understanding reflects that Russia handles the politico-security issues in the region and China extends economic support. It is important for India to shape the Russia-China dynamics in this region, to the extent possible.

Common Platform

Besides RIC, The three nations have been working in several other groups. One such is SCO, which has emerged as strong regional group, India's role is very crucial, as it includes other Central Asian Nations and these nations have much strong faith on India as compare to China. Pakistan’s membership of SCO and the potential admission of Iran and Afghanistan (as member states) heighten the significance of the SCO for India.

BRICS has over the years succeeded in institutionalizing its relationship among members through several initiatives (New Development Bank, Contingency Reserve Arrangement, regular ministerial meetings of various sectors, working groups). This has leant more stability to the organization that is currently grappling with setting up its future agenda and where it will face the greatest complication. The growing Sino-Indian rivalry is expected to limit the ‘range of issues’ where members will be able to find consensus.

Indo-Pacific Alliance

India will have a key role in defense cooperation and post-Covid-19 recovery efforts in the Indo-Pacific by the US and Australia, which plan to strengthen partnerships in the region to ensure it remains secure, inclusive and rules-based.

The QUAD (US, India, Japan and Australia) has also expressed serious concerns about China’s “recent coercive and destabilizing actions across the Indo-Pacific”, and the countries said the Covid-19 pandemic has “created incentives for some actors to pursue strategic gains in ways that undermine the rules-based international order and regional stability”. China sees our Indo-Pacific initiatives as part of a U.S.-led policy of containing China.

India wants Russia to join Indo-Pacific initiative to signal it’s not just a US-centric plan. India’s focus on economic links with the Russian Far East and activation of a Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor may help persuade Russia that its interests in the Pacific are compatible with our interest in diluting Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific this also accords with President Putin’s concept of a Greater Eurasia.

Way Forward

India is making full efforts to calm the tense situation at the India-China Border. Even though it is necessary to strengthen its ties with other powers including U.S., but national security cannot be fully outsourced. Hence India should build a strong fence of forces along the border.

The ongoing India-Iran-Russia project for a sea/ road/ rail link from western India through Iran to Afghanistan and Central Asia is an important initiative for achieving an effective Indian presence in Central Asia, alongside Russia and China.

The defence and energy pillars of India’s partnership with Russia remain strong. Access to Russia’s abundant natural resources can enhance our materials security, the importance of which has been highlighted by COVID-19.

With China too, while the recent developments should accelerate our efforts to bridge the bilateral asymmetries, disengagement is not an option. We have to work bilaterally and multilaterally on a range of issues, even while firmly protecting our interests on the border, in technology and the economy.

Connecting the Dots

Question for Prelims

With reference to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), consider the following statements:

1. It is an intergovernmental organization.
2. Russia and India both are its founding members.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question for Mains

The recent border conflict between India and China has weakened the confidence building between the two countries. Comment.