Second India-New Zealand Track II dialogue

Three academics from India’s renowned Institute of Defense and Strategic Analyses travelled to Wellington in September 2010 for the second India-New Zealand Track II dialogue hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation. This was a return visit following the inaugural dialogue which took place in Delhi in December 2009.

The sessions covered four areas over two days: India and the South Pacific, including diaspora; regional security architecture; the China factor in Asia-Pacific security; and non-traditional security threats (NTS), including pandemics. Within this broad agenda, the discussion was robust, frank and wide-ranging.

Update (October 2010)

The full papers from the session are available to download.

India and New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific

Concerns about the rise and role of China in the Asia-Pacific were a recurring theme throughout the dialogue.

This presented itself in various ways: bilateral tensions between India and China, concerns about China’s ambitions for its own role in the Asia-Pacific region, the growth of nationalism in China and whether this was being driven by the leadership or by the people, worsening relations between China and the US (and other countries) in the South China Sea, and China’s use of natural and energy resources in the region to meet its “national interests”.

Similar attention was paid to the relatively subdued role of India in the Asia-Pacific (the Pacific in particular), given what we might expect of a major world power.

Remarks were also made about the role of New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific, in that New Zealand was not just a ‘Western’ country but a country with its unique place in the Asia-Pacific region.

This is partly a result of the many diaspora communities within New Zealand and the large New Zealand diaspora throughout the world, with a growing proportion in Asia (see the first two Asia:NZ reports on the diaspora, Outlook 11 and Outlook 12).

For its part, India too has a sizeable diaspora population, including its own Ministry of Overseas Indians. The Indian communities in the Pacific and in New Zealand represent one way in which India is visible in this part of the world.

The success of the Indian diaspora in the US is bringing greater focus to the way that India successfully and effectively engages with its Indian diaspora. Within this, the role of remittances is contributing on a very large scale to economic development.

Regional security - traditional and non-traditional issues

Discussion on regional security architecture began with a consideration of regional economic integration, with particular reference to Japan.

The continued role of ASEAN in the “driver’s seat” of this regional security architecture was emphasised.

It was noted that various recent attempts toward exclusive regionalism had failed. There was also recognition that exclusive regionalism is rarely in New Zealand’s interests; nor would “Great Power” exclusivity necessarily include India.

A note of caution was sounded that while the architecture symbolises the region, it doesn’t create it. Political, social and economic realities can drive the agenda.

To that end, discussion turned to the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the new role of Russia and the US in that context, along with the pace of China’s rise, competition between the US and China, the distractions for India in its own region which prevent it from playing a more active role in the wider Asia-Pacific region, and the failure of global economic dialogue, notably the WTO Doha round.

The inclusion of a session on non-traditional security threats (NTS) was an indication of the degree in which these issues have moved in the foreground of global strategic dialogues over the past decade.

Consideration of non-traditional security threats identified that the line between “traditional” and “non-traditional” is increasingly blurred, partly because a plethora of non-security threats are being “securitised” and partly because NTS issues are presenting tangible security concerns.

In this regard, particular attention was paid to pandemics and the need for adequate surveillance and reporting systems in the region.

Climate change naturally featured as a growing NTS concern, with a special significance in South Asia where rising waters in Bangladesh could lead to massive migration from that country to India. It was recognised that water was going to become a major source of tension and conflict for many parts of the world.

The porous borders in South Asia and the rise of people smuggling and boat refugees in the Pacific highlighted that migration itself is an important security issue. All of these non-traditional security threats also have the potential to be used malevolently, either by nation-states or by anarchic groups, within countries or regions.

Of particular concern in South Asia is the negative impact the massive floods in Pakistan will have for both the political stability of that country and the increased potential for terrorist organisations to recruit and carry out attacks.   

Remarks were made on the perception that a lot of NTS arise as asymmetrical responses to the vast discrepancy in global strategic power distribution. In other words, the existing Westphalian primacy of nation-states is not conducive to a global security approach that places a greater emphasis on human equity. Following on from that, the discussion touched upon the role of emerging economic powers (BRIC, IBSA) in challenging the bipolar North-South global status quo.

The stimulating discussion concluded on friendly terms, with plans for continued contact in future.

Representing India’s Institute of Defense and Strategic Analyses were Dr Arvind Gupta, Dr Pankaj Jha and Dr Rajaram Panda.

The New Zealand side included Dr Richard Grant and Dr Andrew Butcher (Asia:NZ), Brian Lynch (NZIIA), Terence O’Brien (Centre for Strategic Studies, VUW and former NZ Ambassador to the UN), Professor Xiaoming Huang (Contemporary China Centre, VUW), Professor Robert Ayson (Centre for Strategic Studies, VUW), Dr David Capie (Politics and International Relations Programme, VUW), Dr Mark Rolls (Politics and International Relations Programme, University of Waikato), Dr Robert Didham (Statistics New Zealand), Professor Roger Morris (Massey University) and  Mr Michael Powles (Centre for Strategic Studies and former NZ Ambassador to Beijing and Suva). Observers included staff of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Ministry of Defence, along with two Asia:NZ young leaders, Callum Martin and Richard Evans.

Papers tabled at the India-New Zealand Track II dialogue in Wellington - PDF

Papers are listed in alphabetical order according to the author's name.

Related pages

Last updated: 15 October 2010