Permeated by many turbulent events in May 2014, East
Asia served as the milieu for events from the coup
d'état in Thailand, to maritime cooperation for the
Indonesia-Vietnam boundary between President Susilo
and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, all on the backdrop
of the World Economic Forum in East Asia in Manila.
Indonesia, the largest Muslim democracy in Southeast
Asia, was at the center stage. During the forum,
outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received
the Statesmanship Award, and many of his
achievements during his decade of Presidency were
discussed. During his speech, President Susilo made
direct reference to China regarding the East China Sea
emphasising that “…any disputes including maritime
border tension can be resolved peacefully - not with the
use of military might which [may] endanger stability and
peace in our region.”
East Asia, with a population of 600 million, which is
roughly double the size of the US, is planning to build a
US$4.3 trillion economy with a single market in the next
several years. The challenges to achieve these targets,
however, are many. The infrastructure to link many
ASEAN countries is weak, poverty rates are high, and
rates of corruption are staggering. It is important to
move away from the present culture of high corruption,
to a better culture that fosters development of regional
framework to fight corruption. Countries should not
confine to their own boundaries but work
collaboratively. The point of intersection between
countries has to be improved. President Benigno Aquino
in his remarks stated his leadership to introduce good
governance to Philippines to dismantle corruption is
commendable with the improving positive economic
indicators.
In the Eurasian region, a Sino-Russian partnership for
US$400 billion for energy for the next three decades has
been signed, and the sophisticated Russian military
missile system has been given to the Chinese
government. There are signs of China and Russia
moving towards a strategic relationship in the very near
future.
There is now a tripolar world with US, Russia, and China
in the new equation. The Maritime Silk Road (MSR) to
the South China Sea, disputes with Japan, and the
placement of a Chinese oil rig in Vietnamese waters, are
a few of the events that have raised many eyebrows.
According to geopolitical analyst Robert Kaplan, “This is
a region that’s going to be on the boil for years and
years to come. Seas crowded with warships,
submarines, merchant shipping, fifth generation fighter
jets – that can easily create incidents that in turn could
enable a crisis.” In Seoul during his Asia visit, President
Obama said that China “has to abide by certain norms”
when it comes to its quarrels with neighbours. With all
the notable events that have taken place in this part of
the region, the US pivot to Southeast Asia cannot be
negated.
In India, Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister. The
Indian public believes that he can deliver rapid growth
in the country as he did in his 13-year tenure as Chief
Minister of Gujrat. However, India has many internal
challenges to consider first. Nearly half the country’s
households lack basic access to electricity. Modern
infrastructure is underdeveloped. Creation of job
opportunities through a large manufacturing sector,
especially for its young population aged 15-34 – which
is around 400 million people making up one-third of the
population – amidst rising corruption, is an obstacle.
These are some of the major challenges for the new
government. The question is, does India need a total
reset on its many internal and external challenges?
Sri Lanka, with whom India’s has had a love affair since
the days of the Mahabharata, always sends a tiny ripple
towards India. A line in an Indian newspaper before the
Geneva HR Council vote on Sri Lanka was, “Will Ceylon
become a Cyclone to India?” The Sri Lankan President’s
visit for the swearing-in ceremony created certain
political turmoil in South India and Sri Lanka’s Northern
Province Chief Minister Vigneswaran. Despite the stormy
atmosphere, both leaders, PM Modi and President
Rajapaksa, held successful talks as both possess high
resilience levels when facing challenges. Hopefully, an
improved and stronger relationship between both
countries is on the cards in the coming years, not
cyclones.
All of these episodes, however, have failed to address
one fundamental issue: bringing qualitative change to
the people living around the world. How can one thrive
in a world where 1 billion people go to bed hungry each
night? Can progress be made in a global community
where 1.2 billion of the poorest people on the planet
account for just 1 per cent of global consumption? 1
billion people are without food and 1 billion who are
obese. 85 of the richest people in the world have as
much wealth as 3.5 billion of the poorest. The inequality
gap is widening every day. So, is a world of 9 billion
people to be catered to in the future? This is a topic
that should be looked at seriously. World leaders must
look to improve points of intersection between
countries, rather than focus on internal boundaries with
nationalism or hubris. Does every country need to reset
its strategies to bring that qualitative change?
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