{"id":4179,"date":"2018-04-19T14:42:21","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T04:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?p=4179"},"modified":"2018-04-19T15:10:33","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T05:10:33","slug":"regional-wrap-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/regional-wrap-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Regional wrap"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the most important global development this fortnight was the US, UK and France\u2019s precision missile strikes in Syria in response to Assad\u2019s use of chemical weapons in Douma, the Asia Pacific region witnessed some interesting happenings too. News agencies and strategic thinkers in Australia and the region were stirred with Fairfax Media\u2019s revelations<\/a> that China was in talks with Vanuatu over a proposed naval military base at the small Pacific island. While these reports of a military base were immediately dismissed both by the Chinese<\/a> and Vanuatu<\/a> government officials as false, they generated much discussion and debate. Vanuatu has been a beneficiary of Chinese aid and loans over the last decade and is now facing a debt-repayment crisis<\/a>. Echoing Sri Lanka\u2019s Hambantota dilemma<\/a>, there are speculations that the small island state may cave into Chinese pressure and demands for rights in exchange for its loan-waiver. Notably, this is China\u2019s modus operandi in gaining a strategic toehold in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and points to a trend in Beijing\u2019s larger naval strategy in its bid to reassert its position as the Middle Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Understandably, Australians are most concerned about this development as the Pacific Islands have long been seen as Australia\u2019s first ring of defence. Any infringement of the islands\u2019 sovereignty poses a direct threat to Canberra\u2019s security and rekindles World War II memories and anxiety about a foreign, and possibly hostile, power in its backyard. Moreover, analysts are puzzled<\/a> over the logic of China\u2019s interest<\/a> in what is essentially a strategic backwater for the rising superpower, with no direct trading routes or security threats emanating to the PRC from the region. Critics also opine that China has benefited at the expense of Australia\u2019s neglect<\/a> of these small island nations in the South Pacific, a mistake that is likely to cost the island-continent dearly in the years to come. Meanwhile, further reports continue to emerge of growing Chinese influence and links with politicians<\/a> in Vanuatu.<\/p>\n

On another front, India\u2019s woes in the IOR continue to deepen, as Maldives and Pakistan were reported to have discussed joint patrolling<\/a> of the island-state\u2019s Exclusive Economic Zone during the visit of Pakistani Army chief Q. J. Bajwa. A few days after the visit, in what was quite clearly an embarrassing snub for New Delhi, Maldives returned<\/a> an Advance Light Helicopter, used for maritime surveillance, that India had gifted to the former. Given that India has projected itself as the region\u2019s net security provider, especially in the last decade, Maldives\u2019 growing affinity towards arch-rivals Pakistan and China is ringing alarm bells in New Delhi.<\/p>\n

Pakistan tested an improved version of the Babur-3 nuclear-capable submarine launched cruise missile, which the country\u2019s Inter-Services Public Relations describes as providing Pakistan with a \u2018credible second strike capability, augmenting the existing deterrence regime.\u2019 However, experts have raised questions<\/a> about the nuclear security implications of Pakistan\u2019s sea-based nuclear deterrent.<\/p>\n

The Indian defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, visited Russia earlier this month and discussed defence cooperation between the two countries, including New Delhi\u2019s plans<\/a> to acquire the S-400 air missile defence system from Moscow. This could lead to irritations<\/a> in the Indo-US relationship as the deal would violate US sanctions on Russia, coming at a time when the Trump administration is trying to increase punitive measures on Moscow and build a strong defence arrangement with India.<\/p>\n

Amidst the rapidly changing geopolitical dynamics in the region and with a view to set the agenda for the Abe-Trump summit in Washington this week, India, Japan and the United States held a senior bureaucratic trilateral dialogue<\/a> in New Delhi earlier this month and reaffirmed the nations\u2019 commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n

The ongoing trade crisis between the US and China became more intense with each side escalating punitive tariffs on the other and is threatening to become a much wider economic conflict<\/a>. In the latest salvo<\/a>, Trump proposed a twenty-five per cent tariff on $46 billion of US imports from the PRC, which the latter matched in kind, instigating the US President to announce plans to impose the tariffs on a further $100 billion worth of imports. Critics argue that Trump\u2019s confidence in winning this battle of wills with China is misplaced<\/a>; any trade war with the Asian giant would be detrimental to the US and the world economy, they warn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finds himself in a sort of a political quagmire with the latest polls<\/a> showing a considerable dip in his popularity, in light of the scandals of cronyism, corruption and sexual harassment that have rocked his Cabinet in recent months. His predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, in an interview<\/a> is said to have revealed that Abe may resign in June this year, ahead of the internal LDP party vote scheduled to take place in September.<\/p>\n

Disgraced former South Korean Prime Minister Park Geun-hye was sentenced<\/a> to twenty-four years in prison on charges of massive corruption and other criminal offences, a sentence, it is reported, she will not appeal.<\/p>\n

In other news, the Narendra Modi-government in India is facing fiery criticism<\/a> and protest at home and abroad over its handling of two gruesome instances of rape this fortnight. One of the cases revolves around an eight-year old child, who became a victim of religious and demographic tensions in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir. The inhumanity of this crime drew the attention of UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who called<\/a> upon the Indian government to bring the perpetrators to justice.<\/p>\n

Significance for Australia<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This fortnight has reopened discussions on Australia\u2019s policies towards the small-island states of the South Pacific and led to a stark realisation of its significance to the country\u2019s defence and security. Australia has a vested interest in ensuring peace, prosperity and independence within the Pacific islands and any infringement of their sovereignty could lead to a nightmarish situation for Canberra. Rumours of a Chinese naval base in Australia\u2019s vicinity have been a sort of a wake-up call for Australia to take its aid and other commitments to its neighbours seriously.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, if these reports do turn out to be true, this would be a direct challenge to US primacy in the region. Already, growing Chinese influence in the South Pacific is being regarded<\/a> as pivoting towards driving a wedge in the ANZUS alliance and forcing Australia to \u2018wean off\u2019 its strategic reliance on the United States. The situation, Canberra realises, is even more precarious because it has echoes of Chinese behaviour in the island-states of the IOR and if indeed the pattern is repeated in the Pacific, Australia would need to revisit its strategy to deal with an assertive China, which is also its biggest economic partner.<\/p>\n

AUTHOR<\/div>\n
Aakriti Bachhawat<\/strong>\u00a0is a Research Assistant at the Griffith Asia Institute and the Book Review Editor of the Australian Journal of International Affairs.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the most important global development this fortnight was the US, UK and France\u2019s precision missile strikes in Syria in response to Assad\u2019s use of chemical weapons in Douma, the Asia Pacific region witnessed some interesting happenings too. News agencies and strategic thinkers in Australia and the region were stirred with Fairfax Media\u2019s revelations that 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