The South East Asian group of nations, ASEAN engages economically and strategically with India and China, which has given rise to a sense of suspicion in both countries. The relationship between India and China is one of cooperation and competition. On the other hand, some ASEAN nations share complementary relations and others of conflict with China, which has made balancing their relations with China difficult.

This view was highlighted here today by the panelists while speaking on ‘India-ASEAN Security Cooperation: Towards Peace and Stability’ on Day 2 of Delhi Dialogue V here on Wednesday.

The Dialogue was organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and supported by the SAEA Group Research, Singapore and Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta.

The session Chair and India’s Deputy National Security Advisor, Latha Reddy pointed out that when it comes to India and China, ASEAN should not look at it as a zero sum game but as a positive sum game. Also, greater interaction on security and issues such as Myanmar’s political transition, North Korea’s positioning, engaging in peacekeeping missions, border security and cooperation in the area of defence training demand attention.

Also, the shifting of the US pivot towards the Asia-Pacific region is a major geopolitical and geo-strategic development that is shaping the regional security environment. The growing Chinese assertiveness coupled with its military strength, especially its naval power projection capabilities, has set off varied reaction among its neighbours in East and Southeast Asia.

Clearing India’s position on Kashmir, Ms Reddy said, “Kashmir is an integral part of India and cannot be treated same as Myanmar and North Korea. To resolve the issues arising in Kashmir, India does not need any external intervention.”

Professor Kanti P Bajpai from the LYK School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore emphasized that India and ASEAN are natural partners, but China should not be polarized beyond a point. He observed that the Asian nations have been adopting the strategy of hedging vis-à-vis China.

But with the US economy on a decline, it is possible that it will slowly depart from Asia and then India and ASEAN will have to deal with China’s growing power. Hence, it is advisable for both to engage with side powers such as Australia and build link ups.

At this stage, it is critical for India and ASEAN to engage with Myanmar, which is undergoing a political transition and also with North Korea which is facing a lot of difficulties. The Indian Ocean region must also be taken into consideration and India and ASEAN should bear in mind that China has economic interest in that region. Therefore, they need to determine what strategy to adopt when dealing with China in that region.

Chairman and Executive Director, Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR), Manila, Professor Rommel C. Banlaoi said that India has an economic interest in South China Sea and when India’s visibility increases in the sea and she develops its ships, suspicions are bound to arise in China. Also, when a country begins to procure arms and builds its military capabilities, other nations become wary whether to consider it as a defensive move or an offensive.

He remarked that regular dialogues and exchange of views has helped in arriving at consensus and mutual understanding on some key matters but actual collaboration is still to come.

Dr K S Balakrishnan, Head, Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Dr K S Balakrishnan highlighted that cooperation in defence and security is of utmost importance for India and ASEAN. Maritime domain awareness must become a top priority and focus should be on submarine cooperation, joint exercises, humanitarian diplomacy and port security.

“Border management, terrorism, combating piracy, money laundering, human trafficking, law enforcement, militant extremism, food security and cyber security are some of the other issues that India and ASEAN have to deal with in time,” Dr. Balakrishnan said.

Head, International Relations Department, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Dr. Evi Fitriani underlined some of the challenges such as problems of defection like setting a clear payoff; China is also ASEAN Dialogue Partner like India and intervention of external powers.

She suggested, “India and ASEAN should build more genuine trust and handle China with a just right dose neither too soft nor to hard. Avoid being the vehicle of other’s power and focus should be on real common threat which is non-traditional security issues.”

In the session on ‘Non-Traditional Security Challenges: Food Security, Water Management and Pandemics’, the Chair and the former Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, H K Singh said the three-fold challenges have come into sharp focus following the 2007-08 rise on global food prices, estimates by experts globally of a massive water shortage by 2035 and the devastation casued by SAARS and avian flu pandemics in many ASEAN countries.

Head of Department of Water Resource Development & Management, IIT, Roorkee, Prof. Nayan Sharma underlined the need for scientific study to address potential environmental, socio-economic and safety concerns in the immediate downstream Assam valley of the Brahmaputra in India, following damming of the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet (China). Further a 116 metre high Zangmu dam (510mw) is in advanced stage of construction and another three more dams (Jiexu, Jiacha and Lengda) downstream of it have recently been approved for construction by Chinese Government.

He cautioned that In the event of major earthquakes, any possible structural failure of these dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo sited in Eastern Tibet at an altitude of about 3KM above Assam plains may pose very serious hazard for the populous Brahmaputra valley in North East India. Therefore, planners need to conduct comprehensive dam break analysis to assess the possible consequences in the downstream areas in India resulting from any unforeseen dam failure.

He suggested that the four co-basin nations – China, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh – need to forge a comprehensive water management cooperation agreement for sustainable, equitable, safe exploitation of the water resources of the Brahmaputra river in a climate of cooperation and harmony.

For economic growth of the South Asian and the ASEAN region, water management cooperation agreement be equipped with mechanism for sharing data & research, joint project investigation, joint project planning, exchange of technical information for safe designs and construction of dams in seismic prone region.

Trade and commerce will receive a boost by the economic growth pulses emanating from water management of the trans-boundary river systems in South Asia and the ASEAN region, Prof. Sharma pointed.

Director, Paramadina Graduate Scholl of Diplomacy, Paramadina University, Jakarta, Dr. Dinna Wisnu said that it was a paradox that while food security is acknowledged as urgent, the numbers of those afflicted with hunger and malnutrition still high.

“Our thinking on food security is quite obsolete . We only look at food demand and supply and tend to concentrate on the behavior and choices of farmers alone such as issues of climate effect, lack of technology, gaps in capacity – education, knowledge, skills and productivity, ”she said.

On the question of food supply, the approach is to look at the consumers in terms of impact on lifestyles, food safety and price.

The Government’s approach is based on importing food in times of scarcity or import tariff and quota in times of plenty or to offer subsidy on fertilizers and loans to farmers.

She said that the key to food security lies on the political willingness of Governments to manage limited resources and provide Instruments to work together. She recommended the setting up of R&D Centers attached to academias and civil society, synergy between chambers of commerce, employers associations, farmers, fishermen, agribusiness, a network of communities in ASEAN-India, tools for sustainable development for adapting to climate change, maritime cooperation and digital cooperation.

Dr. Termsak Challermpalanupap of the ASEAN Studies Centre, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, lamented the fact that in ASEAN there wasn’t a single body handling water resources. And China’s refusal to join the Mekong Delta Management Board has not help the cause. He suggested this issue could be taken up at the East Asia Summit.

As regards pandemics, he said the ASEAN’s successful response in dealing with avian flu should be a big reason for the entire ASEAN community to come together to fight pandemics and its other mutated forms.

Food security, he said, was major challenge even though the ASEAN was a net food exporting region. The issue was linked to food prices and poverty reduction. Although ASEAN has built up a rice emergency reserve of 87,000 tonnes, it was not enough.