“Right now the key issue affecting Mauritius is not getting a new (parliament) building,” says Kwang Poon, geo-strategist based in Port Louis, the capital of the island republic of Mauritius. “There are other more urgent issues like water supply … is India helping us resolve issues … build some new reservoirs or water treatment plant … I think if we emphasise this the parliament building can be a kind of cherry on the cake.”
In his view, the enhanced strategic partnership announced at the end of Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius, suggests India is asserting its interests at a time when the Indian Ocean region is seeing an intensification of great power rivalries.
Kwang Poon was a guest on The Gist. He says Mauritius, because of its location in the south-west Indian Ocean, has always seen competition and rivalry between different powers. These include the US, France, China and even Japan.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron is due in Port Louis next month and is expected to double down on the old French connection dating back to the 18th century, when the island was its colony. French is widely spoken on the island and tourists from that country frequently visit.
China is a key player with Chinese products flooding Mauritius’ markets. Kwang Poon notes that unlike many African countries that have signed onto China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), Mauritius has not evidently been guided by India’s distaste for the initiative.
Given the recent thaw in India-China relations, he wonders how this could impact on Mauritius. Also, with Donald Trump’s tariff war on China, he sees trade between China and Africa (of which Mauritius is a part) increasing, even accelerating.
He believes that “Mauritius geo-strategic location, it’s a natural trans-shipment point for trade between Africa and China. Mauritius is on the optimal (sea) route,” which gives it a natural advantage compared to Mombasa in Kenya or even ports in Tanzania.
As a trans-shipment hub, Mauritius hopes to come somewhere close to Singapore port which handled over 40 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) last year.
A word about the US. Kwang Poon points to the vast US embassy complex coming up in Port Louis as evidence of that country’s interest in Mauritius. This is also closely tied to the US hold over Diego Garcia, the military base which the US has operated since the 1970s, and will continue to do so for the next 99 years.
Could the US end up diluting India’s position in the years ahead? Hard to say, but as Kwang Poon notes, there is no American diaspora on Mauritius, only a heavy Indian diaspora, but India will have to be nimble going forward to ensure it remains aligned with Mauritius’ interests.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Kwang Poon, geo-strategist based in Port Louis, Mauritius.
