No forum on Indian Ocean is conceivable without India

China held a meeting with 19 countries to discuss issues related to the Indian Ocean, but did not invite India. It makes little sense as the name 'Indian Ocean' itself clearly reveals how central India is to this region.

New Delhi, Dec 01: The other day, the China International Development Cooperation Agency held a meeting on the theme, "Shared Development: Theory and Practice from the Perspective of the Blue Economy," in Kunming (Yunnan Province). The agency invited representatives of 19 countries, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, Australia, from the Indian Ocean region; it did not invite India.

Observers say China's non-invitation to India to this meeting makes little sense. No forum to discuss the issues related to the Indian Ocean can even be conceived without the presence of India therein. The nomenclature 'Indian Ocean' itself clearly reveals how central India is to this region. True to its golden tradition of advancing all-inclusive world development, India has always been for the growth of the entire region. For this, it has taken several initiatives from time to time.

The India-backed Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) has a membership of 23 countries in the region. The Indian Navy-backed 'Indian Ocean Naval Symposium' (IONS) seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the region. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed "Security and Growth for All in the Region" (SAGAR). The grand idea of India has been to foster active cooperation among all the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean region for their development.

Regrettably, China does not seem to have ever been appreciative of the Indian vision. CIDCA is headed by former Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui. But it did not care to invite India to the Kunming meeting. Communist China seems to be determined to counter democratic India's traditional influence in the Indian Ocean region and establish its own hegemony herein.

In order to spread its influence in the region, China has, in the recent years, made substantial investments in ports and infrastructure investments in several countries in the Indian Ocean region. It has established a full-fledged naval base in Djibouti. It has acquired the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka. Besides, it has built the port at Pakistan's Gwadar in the Arabian Sea.

During his tour of Sri Lanka in January this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed to establish a "forum on the development of Indian Ocean Island Countries." He made no effort to reach out to India for the development of the entire region.