Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – International Relations
In news Recently, Bangladesh has invited India to join the China-led South Asian initiative for Covid-19 vaccines and poverty alleviation.
It includes the creation of the China-South Asian Countries Emergency Supplies Reserve, and a Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Centre set up in China.
About China-South Asian Initiative
Members: China, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
India, Bhutan and the Maldives are the other SAARC countries that are not part of this initiative.
China’s game plan: China has different kinds of strategic, maritime, political and ideological interests with different South Asian nations so it is increasing its engagements with each country on equal footing to counterbalance India. China is also building ports, roads and power stations as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
India’s Stand: Given continuing tensions over Chinese PLA aggression at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, India’s stand is that other bilateral relations cannot move ahead without a resolution of the boundary stand-off.
Some of the India’s Initiatives for South Asia
In early 2021, India – driven by its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and in its understanding of its role as the ‘net security provider’ of the region began providing Covid-19 vaccines on a priority basis to its immediate neighbours (Vaccine Diplomacy).
India is also helping with the training of health workers in some of these countries and the setting up of the infrastructure to administer the shots.
