Cotton route to counter China’s Silk route

Uncertainty in US’s approach following President-Elect Donald Trump’s announcement to walk out from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is forcing India to reassess its dependence on the new US Administration.

The Narendra Modi Government has taken lead to push country’s own Act East policy and also to reach out to Central Asian nations by hosting leaders of Indonesia, Vietnam, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to fortify strategic ties. President Obama had outlined a pivot of rebalancing Asia by entering into the TPP that would have given an anchoring role to India and Japan. On Monday, the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo held bilateral a meeting with Modi. Earlier, the defence minister and president of the National Assembly of Vietnam also visited India.

Later this week, Tajikistan President, Emomali Rahmon is arriving in India to hold bilateral discussions. The plans are also afoot to host President of Kyrgyzstan. Post-Kargil and IC-814 hijacking, India had acquired Ayni airbase in Tajikistan. In 2007, he refurbished it at the cost of $70 million, but could not base fighters and helicopters there because of Russian pressure.

GV Srinivas, Joint Secretary (Eurasia), who heads the Central Asia desk at the Ministry of External Affairs believes a remarkable commonality between India and Central Asian Republics — including Tajikistan — is the production of cotton. “Unfortunately there is little dialogue and coordination between India and Central Asian Republics as cotton producers,” he said. 

The officer suggested that there could be a “cotton route” connecting India with the region. Experts say this could be an effective answer to China’s ‘Silk Route’ plans. The cotton route could be the policy formulation in the area of cotton farming, development of cotton seeds, coordination of marketing of cotton and development of upstream and downstream industries surrounding cotton,” he added.

China has invested in building the Silk Road Economic Belt, also known as One Belt, One Road (OBOR) that focuses on connectivity and cooperation with Eurasian countries. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is part of this initiative. The strategy underlines China’s push to take a bigger role in global affairs, and vying for a strategic space in Indian Ocean region.

After the bilateral talks with the Indonesian President on Monday, Modi described the country as the most valued partner in his Act East Policy. The issue of South China Sea figured prominently in the talks, and in a veiled message to Beijing, both sides asserted that the dispute must be resolved.“We agreed to prioritise defence and security cooperation. As two important maritime nations that are also neighbours, we agreed to cooperate to ensure the safety and security of the sea lanes, in disaster response and environmental protection,” he said.