India-China Maritime Affairs Dialogue | 14 Jul 2018

The second India-China Maritime affairs dialogue was held in Beijing, wherein both sides exchanged views on mutual interest, including perspectives on maritime security, blue economy and on ways to further boost practical cooperation.

  • India-China Maritime Affairs Dialogue is an annual mechanism held between the countries for consultations on maritime issues.

Key Highlights

  • Both the sides emphasized the need to further strengthen maritime cooperation as an important area of India-China bilateral relations.
  • Strengthen political and strategic mutual trust between the two countries.
  • India also elaborated on her vision for the Indo-pacific region as articulated by the Indian PM at the Shangri-La Dialogue at Singapore,  this may raise the question on the future of the “quad” group.
  • The “quad” or the “quadrilateral security dialogue” is an informal mechanism between India, the US, Australia and Japan, almost always interpreted as a joint effort to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Highlights of PM Modi's address at Shangri-La

  • By projecting an equivalence in ties with the US, Russia, and China – India reaffirmed its principle of strategic autonomy and cautioned against the return of the ‘great power rivalries’.
  • India’s Indo-Pacific strategy is not aimed at China’s containment.
  • India sees the Indo-Pacific as primarily a geographic domain — a “natural region”.
  • The Indo-pacific region is ultimately multi-polar, hence rejecting or contesting the idea that either China or the United States could be the one regional hegemonic power.
  • India is indispensable to the security of the Indian Ocean.
  • Signified the interconnectedness of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the importance of the oceans to security and commerce.

What is the Shangri-La Dialogue?

  • The Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) is an intergovernmental security forum held annually by an independent think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore.
  • The Shangri-La Dialogue has evolved into a key strategic gathering of the Asia-Pacific region.
  • It is attended by defense ministers, permanent heads of ministries and military chiefs of Asia-Pacific states.