Commentator on "India insists on doing its own thing" | Author | India
On August 8, Nihon Keizai Shimbun published an article entitled "India Insists on" Going Our Own Way "by Hiroyuki Akita, a commentator of the newspaper. The article excerpt is as follows:
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has led to deepening cracks in the international community, and India's attitude has received increasing attention. This is because the position of India, the world's most populous country, will largely influence the balance of international power.
Indian Prime Minister Modi is also strongly aware of the increasing presence in India. In late July, the author visited the Indian capital New Delhi and saw billboards adorned with the logo of the G20 summit all over the streets. This is a promotion for the G20 summit to be held in New Delhi in early September.
India hopes to use the successful hosting of the G20 as a springboard to consolidate the position of leaders in emerging and developing countries. The question is what kind of diplomatic route India will take in the future.
India has not yet accused Russia of taking special military actions against Ukraine and maintains friendly relations with Russia. India cooperates with Japan, the United States, and Australia through the "Four Party Security Dialogue" mechanism, but overall, it regards itself as a neutral player between the West and Russia.
However, there seem to be significant signs of change recently. Modi visited the United States in late June and decided to engage in large-scale military cooperation with the United States. The two countries jointly produce fighter jet engines, and India increases US naval maintenance bases. In July, Modi visited France and decided to purchase 26 fighter jets and three submarines.
The reason why India is intensifying military cooperation with the United States and France is due to its crisis awareness: if it continues to develop as it is now, the military balance with China will collapse. More than half of India's weapons come from Russia.
India also has high expectations for Japan to promote military modernization. From July 28th to 29th, the "Japan India Forum" was held in New Delhi, where foreign ministers, senior government officials, and experts from the two countries gathered to hold consultations on economic and security issues.
Indian Foreign Minister Su Jiesheng called for "strengthening cooperation in various fields such as economy, supply chain, digital, important technology, and maritime security." India's call for defense cooperation, including building ships, has been particularly loud.
However, it would be a big mistake to expect India to approach the United States, Europe, and Japan in all aspects and become a quasi alliance. This is because in India's view, this route is absolutely not in line with its national interests.
There are at least three reasons. Firstly, drawing on the historical lessons of being a British colony, India firmly believes that "building a mechanism for independent defense on its own is a necessary condition for national policy.". India still has a sense of distrust towards Europe, which was once under colonial rule.
Secondly, India values independence and does not want to be constrained by alliances with other countries. If forming an alliance with other countries, one may be required to intervene in disputes they do not wish to be involved in, resulting in reduced policy freedom. Former Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy, Kalanbir Singh, said, "An alliance similar to the Cold War era does not meet the requirements of today's world. A cooperative approach that focuses on practical partnerships and specific issues is easier to deal with geopolitical issues."
Thirdly, if India forms an alliance with the United States and other countries, the tension may escalate to an uncontrollable level.
However, even under this premise, there is still a lot of room for the United States, Europe, and Japan to strengthen cooperation with India. Dealing with India, which insists on going its own way, requires patience.
