What is the issue?
- Varied but simultaneous developments took place in the recent period in different corners of the Indo-Pacific.
- They are indicative of the renewed geopolitical importance of the island states.
Why are island states significant?
- At the dawn of the modern maritime age four centuries ago, control of critically-located islands became important.
- It was part of the rivalry between European powers in the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.
- Islands helped the replenishment of supplies, positioning of troops and ammunition, and the host ship to do repair and maintenance.
- Island dominance became the key to securing the sea lines of communication.
- The Anglo-American maritime dominance over the last two centuries helped limit the contestation for the islands.
- An exception was imperial Japan’s challenge in the decades before the Second World War.
- Today, the rise of China has brought the island states back to the centre stage of major power politics.
What are the recent developments?
- Maldives - The Indian PM visited Maldives recently for the swearing-in of its new president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
- The visit underlined the renewed warmth in the relations between the two countries.
- Under Solih’s predecessor, Abdulla Yameen, India’s relations with the Maldives rapidly deteriorated.
- The contestation between India and China in the Maldives got intertwined with the democratic struggle of the opposition parties to end Yameen’s autocracy.
- They kept demanding an Indian intervention as Yameen trampled over the parliament and judiciary, but Delhi held back.
- Sri Lanka - The intersection of Sino-Indian rivalry with domestic politics is also witnessed in the neighbouring Sri Lanka.
- The international community and India too was surprised at the recent decision of the Sri Lankan President to dismiss Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
- India, the US and EU, emphasised the importance of due constitutional process and supported parliament test.
- But the Chinese ambassador in Colombo was quick to show up at the newly-installed PM Rajapaksa's office to congratulate him.
- Notably, during the decade-long rule (2004-15) by Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka seemed to steadily move closer to China’s orbit.
- Symbolising its influence, China won the strategic contracts to build the Colombo port city.
- It also got the contract for the construction of a new port at Hambantota in the southern part of the island.
- India, in turn, appeared to lose its historic primacy in the island state.
- Papua New Guinea - Further east, Papua New Guinea very recently hosted the forum for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's annual summit.
- It brought leaders from 20-odd countries from America to China, Malaysia to Japan and Canada to Chile to this island state.
- Here too, there is rise in Chinese commercial and political presence in the last few years.
- There was also a speculation that China might be in quest of a military base in Papua New Guinea.
- So Australia and the US moved in to announce that they will fund the development of the port facilities.
- This would be developed in the Manus Island to the north-east of the main island.
- Notably, Imperial Japan had occupied Manus and built a military base there in 1942.
- Australia also joined the US, Japan and New Zealand in unveiling a project to provide electricity to 70% of the island population by 2030.
- But countries have largely failed to anticipate the intensity of China’s power projection.
How does the future look for the Indo-Pacific?
- Contestation for influence in the island states of the Indo-Pacific has just begun.
- The European colonial powers could easily prevail over natives of the strategic island territories.
- But unlike then, in Indo-Pacific, today’s major powers have to deal with the more complex domestic politics of the island nations.
- The ruling regimes in these islands have agency and the capacity to play one power against the other.
Source: Indian Express
