Amity Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (AIDSS), Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Noida, organized a strategically important and insightful Panel Discussion on “Resurgence of China: Geo-Strategic and Security Challenges for South & South East Asia and Indo Pacific Region” on Virtual Platform.
The primary aim of the Panel discussion was to provide the Research Scholars an opportunity to enhance their Research Domain base, improve Research Content Qualitatively and encourage prolific intellectual interaction among researchers.
Expressing his views on the occasion, the Keynote Speaker, Lt. Gen (Dr) J S Negi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM**, Former Commandant Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, averred, “I would like to thank Amity University for giving me this opportunity today and the subject of today’s discussion is contemporary, very relevant and likely to shape the future of the region. We have been influenced by the rise and actions of China and its actions will also have an impact on our relationship with Pakistan as well as other countries of the region. Napolean had said China is a sleeping child so let it sleep for when it wakes up, it will shake the world. I think this is becoming true with the passage of time. How China’s rise has come about is yet another very interesting subject and is a study in itself. There have been several terms which have been coined with the current status of China-rise, resurgence, assertiveness, coerciveness and a combination of all these factors.”
Highlighting the factors responsible for the rise of China, he further, elaborated, “China is the second largest in terms of the GDP, it is a rising military power and has got a huge Foreign Direct Investment. It has shown remarkable advancement in technology, and it has immense power to influence the world. Chinese trade, both in terms of imports and exports, has gone up inspite of the current Covid situation. The areas that have been under the influence of China are the European Union, Africa, Middle-East, South and South-East Asia and the Indo-Pacific regions. The various initiatives taken by China have led to its commendable growth being One Belt and One Road(OBOR) Project, the Maritime Silk Road to connect the various countries and different continents, the BCIM (Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar) Corridor amongst other significant initiatives. China has also built strategic partnerships with European Union, Russia and the important South Asian countries to balance the US Power in the region. China has increased trade with Asia Pacific regions and has adopted a good neighbour policy and maintained harmonious relations with its neighboring countries which is very crucial for the growth of a country. China has also improved its relations with Pakistan by providing support, assistance and mutual cooperation to Pakistan. It has also invested heavily in CPAC Projects to ensure its rise in the world.” Speaking about India-China relations, Lt. Gen (Dr) J S Negi, averred, “China – India relations are likely to become more concrete as Asia’s two biggest powers, they struggle to cooperate and compete through the Indo-Pacific region. China wants to expand its influence in South Asia for its own sake and seeks access to India’s large domestic market as a potential for economic growth, which will further strengthen the relations between the two nations.”
Welcoming the guests on this occasion, Lt. Gen (Dr.) SK Gadeock, AVSM (Retd), DG AIDSS, VP ASTIF, VC AIDT, Commandant AIET, stated, “This discussion is the brainchild of our Honorable Founder President, Dr. Ashok Chauhan, which again testifies his vision of making India a superpower. China has achieved tremendous economic development in the last few decades and has been leveraging it through its political and diplomatic presence in its neighborhood to achieve its strategic ambitions in Asia. In fact, the depth of its economic presence in Asia has led it to underscore its cooperation through multilateral and global initiatives. From its role in helping establish new financial institutions to introducing grand initiatives, Chinese engagement in the region is continuously increasing. As a result, China’s interaction with the region’s political elite has been growing to convince the Asian countries the benefits of tying their developmental agendas with the Chinese economic policies, and simultaneously to assure them of the benign nature of its rise. This discussion will be highly beneficial for the Research Scholars to enhance their knowledge which will help them in addressing the challenges of South East Asian and Indo-Pacific regions.”
Delivering the special address, Dr W Selvamurthy, President ASTIF, DG ADSI, VP AIDSS, Chancellor Amity University, Chhattisgarh, said, “India is emerging as a strong Military power, the professionalism, military motivation, the passion amongst our soldiers and the modernization of technology are indicative of the same. With all the indigenous systems, Prithvi, Aakash, Naag, Trishul, Brahmos and all the missile systems being inducted, India’s rise is humungous. India is also a knowledge power, with innumerable Universities, colleges and institutions such as Amity University contributing to the educational development, and this is what we need to harness. We must improve the relationship with our neighbors as there are compulsions and frustrations which hamper smooth relationships. Another important step is to create multi- lateral forums, to benefit all the other countries and emphasize on civil-military fusion which is the only way to balance China. It is highly crucial to look at a new military doctrine, comprehensive national security policy, internal security, military and economic security and also to introduce and imply a new paradigm for foreign relations.”
A galaxy of 11 brilliant PhD Scholars covered the wide canvas of CAR Nations, South Asia, ASEAN, Indo Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and shared their views on various topics, such as “China’s Design in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan: Cause of Concern for India”, “China – Nepal Bilateral Cooperation: India’s Concern”, “China’s Debt Trap Diplomacy in South Asia with special reference to Sri Lanka and Maldives: Policy Option for India”, amongst many other topics of relevance.
The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Col. Dr. Rajan Bakshi (Retd) Associate Professor, AIDSS and the event witnessed a huge attendance by the faculty, student fraternity and research scholars of Amity University in large numbers.