Petrapole : A step towards integrated South Asia

New Delhi, July 21: In a major push towards improving economic interlinking of South Asia, India and Bangladesh on Thursday inaugurated the Petrapole Integrated checkpost – the biggest land port in South Asia.

The Petrapole-Benapole border crossing is an important trade point for both the countries with 50 percent of the total trade passing through it. Trade worth over Rs 15,000 crore is conducted through Petrapole ICP and is more that all the Indian Land Ports and Land Customs Stations combined together.

“Eight such integrated check posts along Indo-Bangladesh border to be set up in times to come,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after jointly inaugurating the check post through video-conferencing with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the ICP was important not only for the bilateral trade but also in giving an impetus to the economic growth of the two countries. The check post will also trigger economic integration and connectivity between both countries. “Petrapole ICP will aim to provide better facilities for effective and efficient discharge of functions such as security, immigration and customs. It will also provide support facilities for smooth cross-border movement of people, goods and transport,” Modi added.

According to The World Bank, South Asia is the least integrated region region in the world. The intra-regional trade in South Asia is less than 5 percent as against 35 percent in East Asia and 60 percent in Europe. Due to lack of connecting facilities the cost of trading across borders in South Asia is one of the highest in the world. It is 20 percent cheaper for India to trade with Brazil than with Pakistan. And the estimates see a potential of 300 percent increase in Bangladesh’s exports to India.

Modi also reiterated India’s support to Bangladesh to fight terrorism. “India stands with Bangladesh in its fight against terrorism and will extend all possible help in this regard,” said the Prime Minister.

China remains intransigent, issues White Paper on South China Sea

New Delhi, July 13: A day after the International Court’s judgment favoured Philippines’ claim in the South China Sea, an intransigent China issued a White Paper contending that its sovereignty over the region has been established in the course of 2000 years of history. Beijing also pointed fingers at the United States for stoking tension in the region.

China also threatened that if pushed to a corner it will set up an air defence zone over the South China Sea. "On whether China will set up an air defense zone over the South China Sea, what we have to make clear first is that China has the right to... But whether we need one in the South China Sea depends on the level of threats we face," Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters in Beijing, adding that China hoped to return to bilateral talks with Manila.

On Tuesday the International Tribunal at Hague dealt a blow to China’s maritime aspirations as it held Beijing guilty for breaching the archipelago country’s sovereignty; and also of damaging the marine environment by building artificial islands. The International Court’s are legally binding, but China has made it clear that it does not have any intentions of complying with the decision even at the risk of becoming an international outlaw.

"China will take all necessary measures to protect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily said in a front page commentary on Wednesday.

South China Sea has overlapping territorial claims from Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The smaller countries have been afraid that China would turn South China Sea – comprising one of the busiest sea lines of communications (SLOCs) - into “Chinese Lake”. The economic and strategic importance of the region can be gauged from the US’ decision to deploy 60 percent of its forces in the region. It will also remains to be seen what course of action will be taken by the US- itself a non-signatory to the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The present judgement of the international court is only about the nature of the biological features in the region, it does not resolve the issue of the ownership of the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which face multiple claims from different parties. The island groups remain the main bone of contention in the South China Sea.

Contrary to the Hague-based court’s ruling invalidating Chinese “historic” claims on the region, the White Paper said: “China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao (the islands of South China Sea) and relevant waters, and the first to have continuously, peacefully and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them, thus establishing sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and the relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea.” The White Paper issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was titled, “China adheres to the Position of Settling through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea”.

The Chinese established also accused Philippines of acting in the bad faith and its armed personnel of often using “excessive force against Chinese fishermen in utter disregard of the safety of their lives”.