India's defense minister said his country's growing defense ties with Southeast Asia are not meant to counter China, ahead of a meeting yesterday with his Malaysian counterpart.
The defense links are part of India's "Look East" policy to expand trade and other ties with the 10-country ASEAN, Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told reporters after he arrived in Malaysia on Sunday for a three-day visit.
India, a former ally of the former Soviet Union, had long paid little attention to Southeast Asia in its foreign and defense policy. But with India becoming a major economic power, New Delhi has established closer defense ties with the US, as well as its allies in Asia.
Antony said India's trading activity has expanded hugely in Southeast Asia over the past few years.
Most of the trade -- including oil deliveries -- goes by sea, and maritime security is paramount for India and its neighbors, he said.
"We are all interdependent. To us, the sea is really important. The Indian Ocean is very important," Antony said.
"We feel there is immense potential for ASEAN countries and India to work together in many fields" including defense, he said.
However, he rejected suggestions that India's "Look East" policy was meant to counter its main rival China's immense political, economic and strategic influence over the region.
"We are not entering into any kind of military alliance with any country," said Antony, who was scheduled to meet with Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Razak and Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar on Monday. He leaves for India today.
"India's Look East policy is nothing against China," he said, adding that New Delhi's rapidly warming ties with Washington also are not "at the expense of any old friends."
Indian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Najib Razak said yesterday that Malaysia has awarded a US$1.08 billion railway contract to an Indian company.
While the contract awarded to the Indian Railway Construction Co is not related to defense, it is a reflection of the growing ties between the two countries in all fields, Antony said.
"This is a signal that they are encouraging Indian investment. That means all-round [cooperation]: defense, trade, commerce, education, health services," he told reporters.
The two sides said a 31-member Indian Air Force team will arrive in Malaysia next month to train pilots on Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 MKM fighter jets -- a rare foreign project by the Indian armed forces.
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