In the new world order, every country and continent is rediscovering. It is trying to find roots, understand its people, culture, society, and economy, and work towards taking the region to a competitive level. Each Asian country, irrespective of its size, population and economy, is looking for opportunities within and outside for mutual growth and cooperation.
Asia is the world’s largest and most populated of the seven continents. It has been the home to many ancient civilizations. Some of them are intricately connected, and each country on the continent has traces of similarity in social, cultural, and religious aspects, followed by the people.
Politically, the countries on this continent have made an impact through effective governance. It is a great political history that explains the resilience of Asian countries to withstand all kinds of attacks on their lands. However, the people of Asia are so strongly rooted in their customs, culture, and traditions that they amalgamate the customs and traditions of their attackers. Still, they never let the importance of their fundamentals get diluted.
“Asia is increasingly the centre of the world economy. By 2040, the region could account for more than half of the global GDP and about 40 per cent of global consumption. Global cross-border flows are shifting towards Asia on seven of eight dimensions, and the region’s growth is becoming more broad-based and sustainable as its constituent economies increasingly integrate with each other,” according to a study conducted by Oliver Tonby, Lola Woetzel, onsik Choi, Karel Eloot, Rajat Dhawan, Jeongmin Seong, and Patti Wang and published in a report of McKinsey & Company.
Asian Power and Politics, The Cultural Dimensions of Authority, authored by Lucian W. Pye With Mary W. Pye is an interesting book for anyone interested in enhancing their knowledge about this interesting topic. In this book, the authors reconceptualize Asian political development as a product of cultural attitudes about power and authority. He contrasts the great traditions of Confucian East Asia with the Southeast Asian cultures and the South Asian traditions of Hinduism and Islam. He explores the national differences within these larger civilizations. This book, published by Harvard University Press, revitalizes Asian political studies on a plane that comprehends the large differences between Asia and the West and, at the same time, is sensitive to the subtle variations among the many Asian cultures. Its comparative perspective will provide indispensable insights to anyone who wishes to think more deeply about the modern Asian states.
Asia in the World War I and II had a significant impact on world politics. Japan hoped to emerge as a strong power in Asia and China, harbouring that ambition and securing a permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council. This was a major recognition for an Asian country. Academically and politically, a lot of debate still exists about whether this should be changed in new geopolitics in Asia.
During the Cold War period, many Asian countries were struggling economically and had to depend on either the USA or the USSR for financial aid. India, emerging from the colonial rule of the British Empire, faced a similar conundrum. The political brains of that period in India opted to create a third block called the Non- Aligned, later termed the Non-Aligned Moment (NAM).
NAM-ASIA-INDIA
NAM was a game-changer in the world politics. However, it was born amidst strong opposition, and few gave it a chance. However, the Asian political leaders saw a better economic and political bargaining platform. It is debatable that NAM could not reinvent itself following the crumbling of the USSR and the bitter Cold War. While one school of thought argues that the organization had fulfilled its objective, another school felt that the Asian leaders were unwilling to invest time in introspection of NAM and, hence, its weak status. A third school of thought believes that NAM is dormant and is waiting for the correct geopolitical situation to emerge as a major regional force. Are Asian countries moving closer to such a situation?
With a membership of 118 nations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is one of the largest groupings of developing countries. The first Conference of Non-Aligned Nations was held in Belgrade in September 1961. It was attended by 28 countries, including 5 from Europe and Latin America. This Conference contributed substantially to the clarification of the principles of non-alignment and the coordination of the policies of the nonaligned countries. This meeting of countries led by Asian countries, outside the framework of the ‘cold war’, devoted to the pursuit of peace by methods of conciliation, helped in the relaxation of tensions at a time of great international peril. It plays an important and active role in articulating an independent point of view of developing countries on international issues. NAM also articulates its position on issues within the United Nations. As a founder member of NAM, India is strongly committed to its principles and objectives. India contributes actively to its deliberations, including at the Summit level, with the aim of strengthening NAM’s capabilities to deal with contemporary challenges faced by developing countries. India continues to attach high importance to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). As a founding member of NAM, India remains committed to the purposes and principles of the Movement. Over the years, India has maintained its active and constructive engagement with the NAM with the objective of further strengthening sol idarity and cooperation among its Member States.
This approach is also reflected in India’s regular high-level participation in the meetings of the NAM including NAM Summits. According to public documents on NAM in the Library of Ministry of External Affairs, the essence of nonalignment lies in the freedom and independence of each country to judge every question on its merits and not on the basis of a predetermined attitude arising out of alignment with other countries.
Non-alignment implies an attitude of impartiality based on larger world interests rather than on the narrow and limited interests of one power or group of powers. Despite its detractors, the policy and practice of non-alignment has steadily developed into a major factor in international affairs, with the emergence of a large number of countries of Asia and Africa into independence . The gradual crystallization and evolution of nonalignment, as it later came to be called, was perhaps the late Jawaharlal Nehru’s greatest and most significant contribution in the field of international affairs.
The Non-Aligned Movement, faced with the goals yet to be reached and the many new challenges that are arising, is called upon to maintain a prominent and leading role in current international relations in defence of the interests and priorities of its Member States. The Asian and developing countries will be marginalized if they are unable to define their priorities, share their concerns and efficiently design their own actions so as to ensure that their interests are taken duly into consideration. Thus, it is imperative that the Movement continues to be in the front-line in the struggle to change and transform the present unjust international order.
ASIAN ECONOMY
Asia has been the fastest growing region of the world for several decades. The speed and extent of Asia’s economic and social progress has been inspiring and these emerging economies are now advancing at an impressive pace as a major global economic power. The feat of Japan’s dramatic transformation has been followed by the Republic of Korea; Taipei, China; Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Once among the poorest of the nations, they have solidly established themselves as rapidly growing upper middle income countries. And now two of the region’s largest countries, China and India, are advancing at an impressive pace as major global economic powers and Indonesia and Vietnam are also growing steady. The rest of Asia, and perhaps the rest of the world, now aspires to emulate these success stories.
Asian countries are serving as a major engine for global growth by way of increasing its exports as well as attracting foreign direct investments. The economic success has translated to social reforms as well, poverty rates have fallen, life expectancy has risen, and the quality of life has improved significantly over the past half century, highlights a report by PHD Chamber of Commerce.
Besides being the fastest growing region of the world for several decades, the Asian region comprises more than 60% of the global population and it accounts for almost a quarter of global output (more than 25%). Even during the dark days of the global financial crisis and Covid epidemic, it was Asia that kept the flame alive, accounting for about two-thirds of global growth. Asian region is emerging with strong demographics and making it lucrative for investment and trade.
Going forward, Asia faces better prospects.
INDIA’S LEADERSHIP IN ASIA
India has played an important role in the Asian politics and Economy and continues to hold a preminent position. Many countries in Asia are looking towards India to take the lead that had been held till now by China and Japan, both in political and trade spehere. Lets look briefly at the potential that India has and how it can help Asia.
Political
The geopolitics in the region has changed tremendously for any country to remain static with its policies. However, it is imperative that India, as a the larget thriving democracy, sets the agend for the countries in Asia for fostering democracy in its true sense, where the voice of every citizen matter. It is a hallenge, no doubt, but over the seven decades since its Indpendence, its political class has demonstrated, how to preserve the democracy as described in the Constitution. India’s politics with Asian countries is based on development partnership. The origin of which has been shaped by India’s struggle for independence and solidarity with other colonized and developing countries and the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi who said “I do want to think in terms of the whole world. My patriotism includes the good of mankind in general. Therefore, my service to India includes the service of humanity”. Despite its own resource constraints, India has been sharing its developmental experiences and technical expertise with other countries in the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.
India’s approach to development is mainly human-centric and is marked by Respect, Diversity, Care for the future, and Sustainable development. For India, the most fundamental principle in cooperation is respecting development partners and be guided by their development priorities.
Econmy and Trade
The pace of trade and investment integration between India and Asian economies during the recent years has been driven by deepening production networks, falling trade barriers and logistics costs, and improvements in infrastructure. It is felt that exploration of further trading opportunities between Asian economies and India will improve economic welfare for both developed and developing economies. Indeed, this strong trade relation may form the lynchpin for sustained inclusive growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
The share of Asia in India’s exports has remained consistently above 50% while its share in India’s imports has remained close to 60% over the last many years. The success story of India’s trade diversification over the recent years is well known. In fact, in recent years, due to export diversification efforts, the share of developing Asian economies in India’s total exports witnessed a gradual increase. Increased diversification in trade destinations from the advanced economies to the emerging economies have led to shift in trade from the low growth to high growth economies.
This might open up fresh avenues for progress in this area, going forward. Among the goods traded between India and Asia are petroleum, gems & jewelry, transport equipment’s, machinery and instruments, drugs, pharmaceuticals & fine chemicals, RMG cotton including accessories, manufactures of metals, electronic goods, cotton yarn, fabrics & made ups, gold, pearls & precious stones, coal, coke & briquettes, transport equipments, organic chemicals, metalifers ores & metal scrap etc.. The emerging Asian economies have been majorly trade centric economies. Which makes it a sought after market for US and European Countries and a low cost continent to do business for countries of Africa.