Joint action plan key to tackling challenges in Indo-Pacific

From the editor’s desk

The current world order economically, politically, and militarily is volatile and calls for alliances and agreements. The two world wars, followed by a highly-tensed era of Cold War, which saw localized wars and situations that could potentially lead to wars, have taught countries not to remain isolated insofar as defence matters are concerned. India has also tasted four wars, and it knows how it is when a country is left to fend for itself in the face of a war which may have been thrust upon it. And it is not just about real wars alone. Every country has to be war-ready in the modern era, and strategize with solid planning to deal a heavy blow to the morale of the enemy if the need arises. Therefore, there has to be a relentless effort to increase a country’s influence in strategic locations, and in modern times it is best done through joint action plans and forging alliances with other countries. In this regard, the Indo-Pacific region is of great significance, especially keeping in mind China’s interest and its aggressive posture in the region. China’s ambition to be present in strategic areas globally to establish itself as a global superpower is now apparent. The Chinese plan of action to thwart attempts to build any other power center or a collective power center of countries in the Indo-Pacific region is hurting the interests of many countries. Basically, the Indo-Pacific region is inhabited by some of the world’s most populous countries, which are characterized by highly dynamic countries that include Australia, India, Japan, China and Indonesia.

The presence of such economic and political ‘heavy weights’ makes this region a vital center of international geopolitics. All of these countries would like to see their footprints expand globally in terms of economic, political and their concomitant military might; but for that to happen, these countries need to have a strong presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Therefore, the recently concluded Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC) assumes significance. The Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC), which was organized by the Indian army with the US Army as the co-host, saw the 30 participating countries realizing the importance of and agreeing “to work towards a collaborative effort to address the challenges faced in the region.” Why would these countries reach an agreement to collaborate with a view to addressing the challenges in the region? A rising world power in the form of China is difficult to contain unless countries with collective interest in the region come together. China continues to show its aggressive intent in the Indo-Pacific. If China is able to establish its hegemony in the region, countries associated with this region will have to forget about a fair order that works for the benefit of all nations in this region. So the army chiefs and heads of delegations from 30 countries came together.

The Conference offered a democratic platform to the army chiefs and heads of delegations to hold free and frank talks related to the need for an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region that follows rules-based world order. This is important for a stable and peaceful IndoPacific. The dignitaries, quite rightly, focused on the aspect of diversity in the Indo-Pacific. This diversity, they reckoned, is at many levels, and therefore there was a consensus to work towards a collaborative effort to address the challenges faced in the region. Insofar as concrete takeaways are concerned, what did IPACC achieve?

The Conference achieved what the participating countries had already envisioned earlier. For instance, the concrete outcomes of the event related to evolving a shared vision for military cooperation, fostering a sense of collective responsibility, sharing best practices, appreciating areas and communities vulnerable to climate change, synergizing approach to disaster relief, increasing military exchange endeavours, progressing defence diplomacy initiatives and reinforcing the importance of open and sustained dialogue. All these outcomes would pave the way for jointly addressing issues that impact the Indo-Pacific countries. This is how collective potentialities are gathered for collective benefits in the form of security and well-being of the participating nations, as also the security and well-being of other nations, who may not be directly linked with this region, but are impacted by what happens here. IPACC also provided an opportunity for the participants to benefit from exchange of ideas and views on security and other contemporary issues of mutual interest. .

The fact that the Indo-Pacific Armies’ Management Seminar (IPAMS) was also conducted during the IPACC event on such significant themes as “Partnering for Sustainable Peace and Security in the Indo-Pacific”, “Cooperation to Enhance Interoperability”, and “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)Evolving Mechanisms for Crises Response'' shows the commitment and eagerness of the participating countries to focus on contemporary areas of mutual interest, with the emerging message that the countries need to work together to boost collective responses. Moreover, in a globalized world, nations understand the value of joining hands together in matters of resource mobilization and cooperation. This is to ensure they have the benefit of robust defence and security arrangements, which are significant for the overall development and progress of a country. In that context IPACC has a big role to play.