Economic Highlights
New
Delhi, 13 November 2023
US Extends Garcia To Lanka!
INDIA BRACES OCEAN DEFENCE
By Shivaji Sarkar
Amid
global turmoil of the Ukraine and Israel wars, a new strategic front opens up
in Sri Lanka with $553 million US investment at joint venture of India’s Adani
group and a Sri Lanka company and a string of moves for Indian ports across the
Indian Ocean region.
The US
suspects China’s involvement in the recent Hamas attack on Israel. Its
geo-strategic investment in Sri Lanka is an effort to keep China off the island
nation, an objective that suits India as well. The US placates India and gets
foothold to keep its eyes around the Ocean, an expansion of the Diego Garcia
base without a murmur.
The US
International Development Finance Corporation invests equivalent of Rs 4600
crore at the shipping container terminal in the port of Colombo known as West
Container Terminal (WCT) which is being developed by a consortium of Adani
Ports and SE; Sri Lankan group John Keels Holdings and the Sri Lanka Ports
Authority. Adani Ports has 51 percent stake, John Keels 34 percent and Sri
Lanka Ports 15 percent. Interestingly China Merchants Port Holdings also has a
venture at the WCT.
The US
DFC says that it would transform Colombo into a “world class logistics hub” as
its high priority in the Indo-Pacific region. The DFC was set up five years ago
in response to Beijing’s massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).Sri Lanka is
stated to have gone into multi-billion-dollar debts to BRI for the Hambantota
port, which was leased out to China in 2017. Sri Lanka is yet to come out of
the debt trap.
The
Indo-US move opens up a strategic relationship. India is jostling for influence
in the island nation as it is concerned of increasing Chinese presence at one
of the key shipping routes at its backyard for over a decade. How the new
venture could stem that is situated next to a Chinese terminal would be
interesting to watch. For the past two decades, China has dominated global
infrastructure finance with faster and bigger projects.
India
has taken up a larger plan to counter China in the Ocean. The Sagarmala project
aims at going beyond its shores to secure Indian maritime and security
interests. It has strengthened its facilities at the Andaman Islands and
neighbouring countries. The UK transferred Diego Garcia illegally to the US
ceding it from Mauritius in 1965 causing quite a consternation for India during
the last many decades. Despite India signing Logistics Exchange Memorandum of
Agreement (LEMOA) the US in 2016, its Indian military use remains on paper,
says analyst Abhijit Singh, heading maritime initiative at the New Delhi-based Observer
Research Foundation.The Garcia base is an anchor of US predominance in the
Indian Ocean and its littoral states in Africa, West Asia and around the Indian
subcontinent extending up to Pacific.
The Sri
Lanka terminal is another move to keep the US engaged but India’s concern
extends far beyond. About a quarter of India’s trade is handled through ports
in other countries. Major part of trans-shipment is done through ports in
Singapore, Colombo and Klang in Malaysia, Sittwe in Myanmar, Chattogram and
Mongla in Bangladesh. Along with this various land routes are being opened
through Bangladesh like the recent Akhoura-Agartala train route, and extending
it to Kolkata for a trans-subcontinental transportation mode. It reduces
distances by about 1200 km.The Sittwe port links India’s northeast, as an
alternate route to the Siliguri corridor and decreases transportation cost to
many areas, including landlocked Mizoram.
India is building a deep-sea port at Sabang in Indonesia. It lies close to
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2002, Indian Navy and Indonesian Navy signed an
“India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol” agreement. Sabang is strategically
important due to its access to crucial maritime trade route, Malacca Straits
though which 40m percent of world trade is carried out. It also improves ties
with ASEAN countries. The Sabang is estimated to have initial cost of $1
billion and is being built by Adani Ports (APSEZ).
A few
months back in May 2023, India and Indonesia conducted bilateral naval exercise
called Samudra Shakti-23 in the South China Sea. It included anti-submarine
warfare with INS Kavaratti, Chetak helicopters and Dornier maritime patrol
aircraft. Another trilateral maritime partnership took place with India,
Indonesia and Australia in September. So far 37 such exercises have been held
with Indonesia.The land routes to Thailand are being worked out through Myanmar
by National Highway Authority of India.
The
Chabahar port in Iran has been developed for a new land-sea route to Central
Asia bypassing Pakistan. Despite some thaw, Chabahar is one of the few regions
in Iran that is not subject to American sanctions. It streamlines trade
processes with other countries.
The
latest G-20 move for India-Middle East-Europe multi-modal trade corridor
through Haifa port in Israel is another major move. Though it may have gone
into some trouble owing to the Israel-Gaza war despite support by Saudi Arabia
and UAE. This is also counter to China’s BRI. The US supports it.
The
Haifa port is also now under the Adani Ports and is aimed at being developed as
a major port as gateway to Europe, Turkey and Russia. If the Middle East-Europe
corridor comes up, it might become one of the thriving routes and a strategic
alliance. The regional conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine-Russia could pose
problems, however.India has worked out alternate routes in the region. It has
strong relationship with Oman and gives India access to Duqm port on the
Arabian Sea.
India
has plans for having similar arrangements for ports in Africa as well. The move
to create alliance with Indian Ocean littoral states was conceived in 1974. It
is evolving and India is developing relationships with many African countries.
China, however, is more active.
India is
actively making efforts for having strategic advantages in the Indian Ocean –
Pacific region. The Colombo port move is significant for its counter-Chinese
BRI move, close ties with the US as also as a process of moving out from any
super power shadow by aligning with a number of countries around the
Ocean.---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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