Published 6 Dec 2024
Author: Yanitha Meena
Yanitha Meena Louis argues that for the ASEAN-India relationship to reach its full potential, it must move beyond surface-level engagement and delve deeper into strategic issues that reflect the dynamic roles of both parties in a constantly evolving world.
The Eighth ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks (AINTT) Roundtable was held in Singapore from 7-8 November 2024. The theme “Navigating a World in Transition: Agenda for ASEAN-India Cooperation” aptly highlighted the mutual challenges faced by ASEAN and India, as well as their distinct roles and responsibilities in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
While the Roundtable aimed to generate tangible outcomes for ASEAN-India cooperation in areas such as trade, sustainability and digitalisation, it overlooked a critical dimension: India’s evolving role as a rising power and its engagement with Southeast Asia (SEA). This reinforces the argument that there is a lack of understanding of India’s aspiration and strategic positioning. India appears cautious about inadvertently positioning itself as another assertive actor in the region, whose actions such as promoting minilateralism and its own Indo-Pacific strategy could be misinterpreted as undermining ASEAN centrality.
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