Topic- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
6) Vietnam is crucial to India’s Look East Policy and bilateral ties must build on common concerns among the two nations. Analyze.(250 words)
Why this question
Vietnam is an important regional player in SE Asia and its growing economic clout demands increased engagement with the country. Besides there are several common concerns among India and Vietnam which need to be used as foundations to build the bilateral relationship.
Directive word
Analyze-here we have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts, and present them as a whole in a summary.
Key demand of the question.
The question wants us to dig deep into the India-Vietnam relationship and bring out the importance of Vietnam in India’s look East policy. It wants us to discuss the concerns common to the two countries which demand closer cooperation.
Structure of the answer
Introduction- write a few introductory lines about the Look East (or Act East) policy of India. E.g briefly mention the main purpose of the policy.
Body-
- Discuss the growing importance of Vietnam in India’s look East policy. E.g A close ‘ally’ of India for over 70 years, and not limited to official diplomatic ties, Vietnam is critical for India’s foreign policy at the regional and systemic levels; Vietnam ratified the CPTPP, asserting its growing economic impact globally, with exports increasing to approximately $240 billion for the year 2018. Membership to the CPTPP, which accounts for nearly 14% of the global GDP, will boost Vietnam’s economic growth, from 6.8 % in 2017-18, by a further 1.1% to 3.5% by 2030 etc.
- Discuss the common concerns among the two countries which can be used to further strengthen the relationship. E.g An area of potential convergence for both Vietnam and India is health care. Vietnam has highlighted the importance of linking economic growth to universal health care, whereby 80% population would be covered by health insurance. India too, since 2011, has been focussing on the need to deliver accessible and affordable health insurance to weaker sections of society; A potential area of convergence in the realm of health care through joint public-private partnership agreements can be explored by the two countries; Internationally, Vietnam’s foreign policy is characterised by ‘multi-directionalism’, which addresses regional asymmetries of the power balance by engaging across a broad spectrum of states to achieve its interests. Increasingly, this asymmetrical power structure in the region, offset by the rise of China, is bringing regional and extra-regional states together to address the shifts in the normative order; Today there is increasing commonality of security concerns between Vietnam India particularly in the areas of maritime security and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea etc.
Conclusion– based on your discussion, form a fair and a balanced conclusion on the given issue.
