[Diplomacy] East Asia Summit, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Nalanda Project, Issues, Challanges India-China-US

1. Who are EAS Members?
2. What are EAS priority areas?
3. What is Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)?
4. Why is RCEP important?
5. Mohan’s Address to 7^th East Asia Summit
6. What is EAS Declaration on ASEAN connectivity?
7. What is Nalanda University Project?
8. What is EAS declaration on Malaria?
9. Concerns/Issues
10. #1 Maritime Disputes Discussion
11. #2: US-Pacific Free Trade (TPP)
12. #3: New Cold War Theater
13. #4: India, the New NAM
14. Mock Questions
15. General Studies (Mains) Mock Question Paper II

Who are EAS Members?

All 10 ASEAN members	Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam	10
6 Regional partners	China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.	6
2 Superpowers	US, Russia (from 2011 onwards)	2
Total Members of East Asia Summit=		18

• Both East Asia Summit EAS (7^th) and ASEAN-India (10^th) summit were held @ Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Nov-2012).

What are EAS priority areas?

1. Energy
2. Economy
3. Education
4. Disaster Management
5. Pandemics+Health (Malaria this year)
6. Connectivity

What is Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)?

• An Asia-wide free trade agreement .
• This agreement will bind the 10 nations of the ASEAN, + 6 regional partners into a massive framework for economic integration.

10 ASEAN nations	6 regional partners
Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam	Australia China India South Korea Japan New Zealand

Why is RCEP important?

• RCEP would be the largest regional trading arrangement in the world so far.
• It’ll combined market population of more than 3 billion people and a combined GDP of about 20 trillion dollars.
• A successful RCEP would significantly boost global trade and investment for India as well.

Mohan’s Address to 7^th East Asia Summit

1. India’s security + prosperity = vitally linked to the Asia Pacific region.
2. East Asia Summit can help create a large economic community.
3. We welcome the launch of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.
4. We want to increase commerce, contact and cooperation (CCC) with the region
5. We must quickly implement the EAS Declaration on ASEAN Connectivity.
6. We support EAS Declaration on Malaria Control
7. cooperation in natural disaster  Management.
8. Framework for Earthquake Risk Management in New Delhi.
9. We want your support in Nalanda University project.

What is EAS Declaration on ASEAN connectivity?

• It seek cooperation between ASEAN and its EAS partners on physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity,
• For education, human resource development, innovation and entrepreneurship, cultural exchanges and tourism.

What is Nalanda University Project?

• Nalanda was a renowned Buddhist centre of learning, in Ancient India. It taught students in medicine, mathematics, astronomy and politics.
• The Modern Day Nalanda Univ. project = brain child of Dr.Kalam. and was endorsed by East Asia Summit members.
• 2010: Indian parliament passed an Act to rebuild the university.
• Aim: to attract thousands of the finest teachers and students from around the globe, just as the university did centuries ago.
• 2012: Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen was appointed first Chancellor of this univ.
• first two schools on ecology and environment and historical studies will start in 2014.

What is EAS declaration on Malaria?

• Malaria is a wholly preventable and treatable disease. Yet it kills thousands of people in the Asia-Pacific every year.
• East Asian leaders have agreed to form an alliance with Pacific nations to

1. fight against malaria and
2. Deal with the drug-resistant strains of Malaria.

Concerns/Issues

This is the first Issue @EAS

#1 Maritime Disputes Discussion

• China insisted that Diaoyu /Senkaku island conflict (click me), along with its other maritime disputes in the region, should not be discussed at the East Asia summit
• but rather deal with these issues on a bilateral basis (two countries talking to each other).
• The Asian countries involved in these disputes have expressed an unwillingness to engage in heated debate over disputes during the EAS summit, Because of China’s powerful geopolitical position + their dependence on trade with China.

#2: US-Pacific Free Trade (TPP)

• During the EAS summit, Obama discussed a the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) – a type of Free Trade Agreement between USA  vs Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore etc.
• This is a US invasion on China’s economic turf.
• If signed, the agreement could pose a great challenge to Chinese products.

#3: New Cold War Theater

• China is expanding its military clout (through Strings of Pearl + 5^th Generation stealth aircraft, as we saw in earlier article. click ME)
• On the other hand, to balance Chinese domination, America is strengthening its traditional military alliances in the region and building new partnerships.
• That’s why, Obama is also making trips to Myanmar and Thailand (in pretext of visiting EAS).
• USA  is also planning to deploy 60 per cent of its armed forces in the Pacific theater.
• In the coming year, For ASEAN, it will be difficult to keep political unity due to China’s rising power.
• The small Asian nations are looking towards the US to balance a rising China. So a new cold war theater is emerging.
• The fact that they invited the US itself was a recognition that if you are in a cage with an 800-pound gorilla, you should at least invite another one into it to provide a balance. (C Raja Mohan)

#4: India, the New NAM

• During the Cold War, India was a leading figure in the Non-Aligned Movement of countries that tried to avoid joining the U.S. or the Soviet Union.
• IF China unwilling to make reasonable solutions to settling the border dispute, then you can visualize a scenario where India may be non-aligned, but it does more things with the U.S.
• We want to expand our influence in Asia through so-called “Look East Policy.” But that opportunity is not without risk.
• ASEAN countries want to evolve a Code of Conduct for use of resources of South China Sea in the light of Chinese claims.
• In EAS and ASEAN summit, India will have to address the many questions on where India stands in the rapidly deteriorating regional security environment. And that cannot be done without annoying China. Although, we’ve already annoyed China.

1. We’ve gone nose-to-nose with China over an oil-drilling pact with Vietnam in the disputed South China Sea
2. We’ve deployed three Brahmos cruise-missile regiments on border with China following a number of Chinese provocations.
3. Soon, we will recruit 100,000 new soldiers for posting along the same frontier.

• Today We are one of the biggest economies and largest militaries in the region.
• So, we have the responsibility and opportunity to mitigate great power tensions (US-China) and defuse regional conflicts in Asia.
• After all, India’s independent foreign policy was always about shaping a sustainable order in Asia and beyond.

Mock Questions

Q1. Which of the following statements are correct, about the Summits held in 2012?

1. EAS summit was held in Combodia
2. ASEAN-India summit was held in Brunei.

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both
4. None

Q2. Which of the following statements are correct?

1. US and Russia are full time members of East Asia Summit
2. Pakistan is part of the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both
4. None

Q3. Which of the following statements are incorrect?

1. All members of EAS are members of ASEAN
2. All members of ASEAN are members of EAS

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both
4. None

Q4. During EAS summit 2012, a declaration was launched to combat a particular disease. What was that disease?

1. HIV AIDS
2. TB
3. Malaria
4. Swine Flu

Q5. Consider these three cities 1) Taipei 2) Hanoi 3) Phnom Penh

Arrange them from North to South

1. 213
2. 123
3. 321

Q6. Match following

Naypyidaw Ho Chi Minh City Vientiane

Laos Myanmar Vietnam Cambodia

1. 1a, 2b, 3c,
2. 1a, 2b, 3d
3. 1b, 2c, 3a
4. 1d, 2a ,3c

Q7. Observe this map

Match the numbers with A)Thailand B) Laos C) Vietnam D) Cambodia

1. 1a, 2b, 3c, 4d
2. 1a,  2d, 3c, 4b
3. 1c, 2a, 3b, 4d
4. 1b,  2d, 3b, 4a

General Studies (Mains) Mock Question Paper II

5 markers, 50 words

1. EAS declaration on Malaria
2. EAS declaration on ASEAN connectivity
3. Nalanda Univ. Project

Big questions

1. Discuss Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) 10m
2. Examine the areas of cooperation between India and East Asian nations. 10m
3. India at East Asia Summit: opportunities and Challenges ahead. 25m

Ref

1. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/india/111118/east-asian-summit-obamas-asia-reboot-puts-india-pivo
2. http://www.indianexpress.com/columnist/crajamohan/
3. http://nalandauniv.edu.in/press.html
4. http://atlanticsentinel.com/2012/11/obama-addresses-pressing-issues-at-east-asia-summit/