All about Resolving Geopolitical Crisis

All words have histories and geographies and the term ‘geopolitics’ is no exception. Rudolf Kjellen coined the term ‘geopolitics’ in 1899. The word geopolitics had a 20th-century history that was intimately connected with the belligerent dramas of that century. A geopolitical crisis can be described as the result arising out of the dispute and conflict between the states and political actors or political spatial groups that are organised over territorial control. Both land and water and also over the human geographic values and factors. Wheat and other grains, difficulties in the trade of diamonds etc.

In a globalised world where economics and civil society are linked any sort of geopolitical crisis arises, its effect can be seen in our everyday lives in the form of rising prices of commodities, climatic change, food security, etc. Current Ukraine-Russia crisis has once again proved this fact. Increase in fuel prices, edible oils, shortage. However, the Indo-Pacific conflict has had a great effect on India. In south-Asia, expansionism of Chinese is a concern for all in the region, US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Srilanka’s debt crisis and Myanmar military coup and Pakistan internal political turmoil.

Indo-Pacific strategy

The Indo-Pacific region consists of the area from west of America to the east of Africa.

The strategic discourse of the Indo-pacific region has been gaining attention, both from the perspective of the global strategic outlook as well as from an indo-centric perspective. 

The region is important with respect to biodiversity, which supports great scientific research and deep ocean missions. Half of the world’s maritime trade happens through this route. 44% of the world’s land area is present in the region. Mixed economies are present in the region: advanced, developed countries, developing countries and small island nations.

The Indo-Pacific conflict poses a major threat to the sovereignty of small island nations, in the times of the Second World War even Japan has tried to prove its supremacy in the region. The Indo-Pacific region has always been an area of interest for countries that exercise extension policies. Since ancient times the region was known to be the Asia-Pacific region, but with the rise of the global active participation of India and its strategic location in the region, east Asian countries, and ASEAN countries gradually accepted the resolutions resulting in the recognition of the region as Indo-pacific region.

Donald Trump, in his visit to India in 2017, mentioned the region as the Indo-pacific region.

The Indo-Pacific region plays an important role in maritime trade as most of the trade happens in the trade route that passes through the Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Malacca, in between which India acts as a significant strategic point for resting of the ships etc.. China has been continuously violating the UN resolutions and UNCLOS rules that regulate sea territories of countries and has been occupying the small island nations and the parts of other island countries presenting its historical claims, which is a major Indo-pacific conflict. Eg: Occupying 9-line, the International Court of Justice in Response to the petition filed by the Philippines gave a judgement in 2016 declaring it as an illegal occupation of China. However, China denied it and didn’t step back from its position. Aggression in the South China Sea in violation of the UNCLOS rules, standing military in the region. 

Several European countries like the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands have released their indo-pacific strategies with an objective to establish a free and open indo- pacific region. 

Recent country being the USA which has published the Indo-pacific strategy in 2022. It recognized India as the centre of the Indo-Pacific region. The objective is to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region by making more partners in the region and strengthening relations with existing partners in the region. 

Indo-pacific strategy, India

India’s strategy is to have a “free, open and inclusive, ocean and to move ahead with the object of pursuing the progress and prosperity of all stakeholders in the region and beyond.” 

This has been reiterated on several occasions: 2018 – Singapore summit, Prime minister Modi raised some Beijing-related sensitive issues that have caught the attention of the Asia-Pacific region and ASEAN member states. He did not mention China, nor the South China Sea disputes or the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but instead called for a free and open region with a rules-based order that does not rely on violence. He said there should be equal access, freedom of navigation and the peaceful resolution of disputes – an explicit reference to the South China Sea, where Beijing has established a military presence on disputed islands.

In these lines:
1. The Indo-Pacific ocean initiative was launched in 2019 during the East Asian Meet by the Indian government.

2. The Ministry of External Affairs has launched an Oceania programme to safeguard the region between the Andaman sea and the western pacific.

3. QUAD: The grouping of four import countries in the region – U. S. Japan, India and Australia were formed in 2021. ( in the first meeting once again P. M. reiterated that India believes in maintaining peace and cooperation in the region and works as a ‘ Force for Global Good ‘). China has been trying to establish its hegemony in the region since as early as the 1st century.

Conclusion

Though there are many countries in the Indo Pacific region, India is the largest democratic country present. This makes India an important strategic player in the region and India believes in free and fair open waters to everyone in the region, which it has been reiterating on several occasions. Chinese aggression has become a major problem resulting in the Indo-pacific conflict, in order to resist these strategic groupings like QUAD, operations like Oceania have been launched. India is participating actively in the global affairs recently and this can be a great time for India to strengthen even more its presence in the Indo-pacific region through maritime cooperation with other countries, establishing friendly Ties with smaller islands like Maldives, Seychelles, Philippines etc. and participating actively in trade and commerce, putting more weight upon its act east policy.

Recent developments in the Sri Lanka crisis may also be a good chance for India to refurbish its Ties with the country, as earlier there were fluctuations in the relationship between both the countries because of the Chinese presence.
Though geopolitical crises can be tackled through strategic groupings, operations and partnerships, international laws and peaceful settlements act as major tools in resolving the crisis.