When Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Brunei Darussalam on Tuesday, he will be the first Indian head of government to do so.
For whatever reason, Brunei was never deemed important enough to merit a prime ministerial visit.
Modi is therefore correcting a perception that may have built up among the leadership there including Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Notably, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has been to India on no less than two state visits and has signalled outreach.
What MEA Said?
The External Affairs Ministry briefing on Modi’s visit on Monday, was along standard lines.
Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary East, said, “Our engagements cover multiple areas such as defence, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health, capacity building, culture, and vibrant people-to-people exchanges.”
While acknowledging valuable support from Brunei for India’s space programme, Mazumdar said that defence is an important pillar of bilateral cooperation.
“We have three MoUs with Brunei in this area,” he noted, adding, “We established a telemetry tracking and command station in Brunei in 2000.’’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit will cover discussions in critical areas.
These areas include semiconductor collaboration, hydrocarbon and natural gas imports and Space and Technology Cooperation.
India And Asean Navigating Many Challenges
Shruti Pandalai, Fellow at the South-East Asia and Oceania Centre at MPIDSA, views the visit from a different prism.
She said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brunei (and Singapore) must be analysed in the context of current geopolitics and India ASEAN ties.
She added, “Today, India and ASEAN are navigating many challenges.’’
These include the polarizing U.S.-China strategic competition, the fragmentation of the global economy by the protracted Ukraine crisis, stagnated inflation and supply chain disruptions.
“India and ASEAN have always rejected bloc style competition and are increasingly finding value in diversifying their relationships to secure their interests.’’
Ambassador Pankaj Saran’s Viewpoint
Former Deputy National Security Advisor, Ambassador Pankaj Saran said that Modi’s visit will seek to expand India’s footprint and attract FDI from Brunei.
Brunei also has a small Indian diaspora of about 14000.
Notably, Modi enjoys meeting India’s non-resident communities whenever he travels overseas.
Why Is Brunei Important?
But Brunei is important for other reasons.
Brunei occupies a strategically crucial position off the western coast of the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
It overlooks the contested waters of the South China sea.
It would have a view on the disputes that roil these waters but curiously enough, rarely voices them.
Rather it is described as a “silent claimant” to the waters.
It is heavily beholden to China for trade, investment and joint development of petrochemical facilities and gas exploration.
Brunei-Guanxi Economic Corridor
The Brunei-Guanxi Economic Corridor with over $300 million in investments, is generating jobs and growth.
The corridor is also helping the country diversify away from oil.
China Is There To Stay
Like it or not, China is there to stay.
Outreach To Brunei
It is important to understand why the outreach is important for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The outreach will establishe another channel to exchange information on Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea.
