Modi's Global Push :: How 'Brand India' was promoted internationally in 2016
In 2016, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continued to enlarge its foreign policy options and generally pursue the goal of raising the country's international profile.
Over the year India exhibited more self-confidence in dealing with challenges, showed more assertiveness in defending its interests, and displayed far more flexibility in exploring compromises on issues of global concern.
Diplomacy ::
The consolidation of the India-US relationship continued in 2016.
Modi met Barack Obama five times during the year. The invitation in June to address the US Congress signified growing bi-partisan support for the India-US relationship.
Modi worked constructively with the US on climate change negotiations, leading to the Paris Agreement.
Defence ties with the US continued to expand, with additional equipment orders, the signing of the awkwardly named Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and India's designation as a Major Defence Partner of the US.
India's push for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 2016 led by Modi himself failed because of China's opposition and lack of adequate US effort in a body founded by it in response to India's 1974 nuclear explosion.
India, however, obtained membership of the Missile Technology Control Group during the year.
In 2016, India continued to grapple with the difficulty of finding a balance between dealing with China as a security threat and as an economic partner.
Modi engaged Chinese president Xi Jinping three times in 2016 - at the SCO, G-20 and BRICS summits.
Despite this, the atmosphere of India-China relations deteriorated.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China's persistent opposition to India's NSG membership and blocking the designation of Masood Azhar of the Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) as an international terrorist by the relevant UN Security Council Committee hardened negative perceptions in India about China.
As part of this dynamic, India disregarded China's position on maritime issues in the South China Sea and in joint statements with the US, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia underlined the need to show utmost respect to UNCLOS in addressing them.
To increase its political space in dealing with China, India allowed the Karmapa to visit Tawang in November and, earlier, the US ambassador in Delhi in October.
The Dalai Lama's planned visit to Arunachal Pradesh in March 2017 was announced.
The invitation to him to attend a Rashtrapati Bhawan event this month was a signal to China that it should not expect only one side to show sensitivity to the core concerns of the other.
At the same time, the economic engagement of China continued with growth in Chinese investments in the country.
Terrorism ::
With Pakistan relations acquired a new confrontational edge in 2016 with Islamabad- sponsored terrorist attacks against the Pathankot airbase in January and against Army units in Uri (September) and Nagrota (November).
Following the killing of Burhan Wani in July, Pakistan chose to fuel disturbances in J&K, with Nawaz Sharif lauding him as a martyr and fulminating against India at the UNGA.
India decided to create more space for itself by changing the nature of its traditional response to Pakistani provocations.
Modi alluded to the Baloch issue in his Independence Day speech, which was unprecedented.
He created another point of pressure by announcing our intention to exercise India's full rights under the Indus Waters Treaty.
The publicly announced 'surgical strikes' by India across the LoC in response to the Uri attack was intended to upset Pakistani calculations about past Indian reactions to such provocations.
Over the year India exhibited more self-confidence in dealing with challenges, showed more assertiveness in defending its interests, and displayed far more flexibility in exploring compromises on issues of global concern.
Diplomacy ::
The consolidation of the India-US relationship continued in 2016.
Modi met Barack Obama five times during the year. The invitation in June to address the US Congress signified growing bi-partisan support for the India-US relationship.
Modi worked constructively with the US on climate change negotiations, leading to the Paris Agreement.
Defence ties with the US continued to expand, with additional equipment orders, the signing of the awkwardly named Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and India's designation as a Major Defence Partner of the US.
India's push for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 2016 led by Modi himself failed because of China's opposition and lack of adequate US effort in a body founded by it in response to India's 1974 nuclear explosion.
India, however, obtained membership of the Missile Technology Control Group during the year.
In 2016, India continued to grapple with the difficulty of finding a balance between dealing with China as a security threat and as an economic partner.
Modi engaged Chinese president Xi Jinping three times in 2016 - at the SCO, G-20 and BRICS summits.
Despite this, the atmosphere of India-China relations deteriorated.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China's persistent opposition to India's NSG membership and blocking the designation of Masood Azhar of the Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) as an international terrorist by the relevant UN Security Council Committee hardened negative perceptions in India about China.
As part of this dynamic, India disregarded China's position on maritime issues in the South China Sea and in joint statements with the US, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia underlined the need to show utmost respect to UNCLOS in addressing them.
To increase its political space in dealing with China, India allowed the Karmapa to visit Tawang in November and, earlier, the US ambassador in Delhi in October.
The Dalai Lama's planned visit to Arunachal Pradesh in March 2017 was announced.
The invitation to him to attend a Rashtrapati Bhawan event this month was a signal to China that it should not expect only one side to show sensitivity to the core concerns of the other.
At the same time, the economic engagement of China continued with growth in Chinese investments in the country.
Terrorism ::
With Pakistan relations acquired a new confrontational edge in 2016 with Islamabad- sponsored terrorist attacks against the Pathankot airbase in January and against Army units in Uri (September) and Nagrota (November).
Following the killing of Burhan Wani in July, Pakistan chose to fuel disturbances in J&K, with Nawaz Sharif lauding him as a martyr and fulminating against India at the UNGA.
India decided to create more space for itself by changing the nature of its traditional response to Pakistani provocations.
Modi alluded to the Baloch issue in his Independence Day speech, which was unprecedented.
He created another point of pressure by announcing our intention to exercise India's full rights under the Indus Waters Treaty.
The publicly announced 'surgical strikes' by India across the LoC in response to the Uri attack was intended to upset Pakistani calculations about past Indian reactions to such provocations.
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