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New Delhi: India has the fastest growing diplomatic network of any country, with 11 diplomatic posts added around the world since 2021, according to the World Diplomacy Index released by Sydney’s Lowy Institute on Sunday. It was done.
Almost three-quarters of India’s new diplomatic posts (8) will be in Africa, as India seeks to expand its economic ties with the region and position itself as a leader in the Global South. It reflects ambition.
India’s diplomatic footprint is most prominent in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and is represented by all countries in Asia, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean region.
indian foreign policy
Although India is pursuing several foreign policies to expand its global influence, it has adopted the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, ‘Act East Policy’, and SAGAR to ensure the security of its global interests. is focused on.
The Neighborhood First Policy guides India’s approach to managing its relations with its neighbors, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The policy aims to strengthen physical, digital and people-to-people connectivity across the region and expand trade and commerce.
The Act East policy emphasizes an aggressive and pragmatic focus on neighboring regions in the Indo-Pacific region. Its objective is to foster the development of economic cooperation, cultural ties, and strategic relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, while monitoring China’s ambitions.
India’s relationship with the Association of Southeastern Nations (ASEAN) is at the core of India’s Act East Policy. Additionally, India will strengthen its bilateral relations with regional countries as well as participate in various multilateral and multilateral institutions in the region such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Regional Forum, etc. We are also strengthening our involvement. ASEAN Maritime Forum, Indian Ocean Rim Association, Indian Ocean Commission, Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, QUAD, etc.
The SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy was first articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Mauritius in 2015.
Based on this concept, India envisions a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region built on a rules-based international order, freedom of navigation and overflight, and mutual respect for sovereignty. doing.
The 2024 Global Diplomacy Index further noted that India has limited diplomatic representation in the Pacific, operating only two posts among members of the Pacific Islands Forum (excluding Australia and New Zealand).
super power neck and neck
Meanwhile, the report said China and the United States lead the world by a small margin in the size of their diplomatic networks.
Beijing tops the index with 274 posts on its global network, followed closely by Washington with 271 posts.
China has the upper hand in Africa, East Asia, and the Pacific, while the United States has the upper hand in the Americas, Europe, and South Asia.
China’s rise to the top was rapid. In 2011, Beijing trailed Washington by 23 diplomatic posts. By 2019, China had surpassed the United States to have the world’s largest diplomatic network.
In 2021, China took a further lead, surpassing the US by eight posts, but in 2023 the gap with China narrowed again to just three posts.
Since China took the top spot, both countries have almost reached a plateau, with China dropping two spots overall compared to 2019 (276th place), and the US moving slightly to its 2016 level (271st place). I’m back.
China focuses on Africa, East Asia and the Pacific
The report points out that such a plateau is expected. Once a diplomatic network reaches critical mass, options for opening new ones will be narrowed down to second-tier or third-tier cities, or countries considered more peripheral and with riskier operating environments, the report said.
In this regard, it is obvious to consider the relative regional focus of Chinese and American diplomacy to date. After the US withdrawal, China has greater diplomatic influence than the US in Africa (60:56), East Asia (44:27), Pacific Island Countries (9:8), and Central Asia (7:6). ing. Afghanistan.
The United States still leads China diplomatically in Europe (78:73), North and Central America (40:24), and South Asia (12:10). Both countries have the same number of posts in the Middle East (17) and South America (15).
Almost three-quarters of India’s new diplomatic posts (8) will be in Africa, as India seeks to expand its economic ties with the region and position itself as a leader in the Global South. It reflects ambition.
India’s diplomatic footprint is most prominent in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and is represented by all countries in Asia, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean region.
indian foreign policy
Although India is pursuing several foreign policies to expand its global influence, it has adopted the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, ‘Act East Policy’, and SAGAR to ensure the security of its global interests. is focused on.
The Neighborhood First Policy guides India’s approach to managing its relations with its neighbors, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The policy aims to strengthen physical, digital and people-to-people connectivity across the region and expand trade and commerce.
The Act East policy emphasizes an aggressive and pragmatic focus on neighboring regions in the Indo-Pacific region. Its objective is to foster the development of economic cooperation, cultural ties, and strategic relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, while monitoring China’s ambitions.
Expanding
The SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy was first articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Mauritius in 2015.
Based on this concept, India envisions a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region built on a rules-based international order, freedom of navigation and overflight, and mutual respect for sovereignty. doing.
The 2024 Global Diplomacy Index further noted that India has limited diplomatic representation in the Pacific, operating only two posts among members of the Pacific Islands Forum (excluding Australia and New Zealand).
super power neck and neck
Meanwhile, the report said China and the United States lead the world by a small margin in the size of their diplomatic networks.
Beijing tops the index with 274 posts on its global network, followed closely by Washington with 271 posts.
China has the upper hand in Africa, East Asia, and the Pacific, while the United States has the upper hand in the Americas, Europe, and South Asia.
China’s rise to the top was rapid. In 2011, Beijing trailed Washington by 23 diplomatic posts. By 2019, China had surpassed the United States to have the world’s largest diplomatic network.
In 2021, China took a further lead, surpassing the US by eight posts, but in 2023 the gap with China narrowed again to just three posts.
Since China took the top spot, both countries have almost reached a plateau, with China dropping two spots overall compared to 2019 (276th place), and the US moving slightly to its 2016 level (271st place). I’m back.
China focuses on Africa, East Asia and the Pacific
The report points out that such a plateau is expected. Once a diplomatic network reaches critical mass, options for opening new ones will be narrowed down to second-tier or third-tier cities, or countries considered more peripheral and with riskier operating environments, the report said.
In this regard, it is obvious to consider the relative regional focus of Chinese and American diplomacy to date. After the US withdrawal, China has greater diplomatic influence than the US in Africa (60:56), East Asia (44:27), Pacific Island Countries (9:8), and Central Asia (7:6). ing. Afghanistan.
The United States still leads China diplomatically in Europe (78:73), North and Central America (40:24), and South Asia (12:10). Both countries have the same number of posts in the Middle East (17) and South America (15).
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