South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

About SAARC
  • The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
  • The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu on 17 January 1987.
  • SAARC comprises of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
    • Important objectives of the Association as outlined in the SAARC Charter are:
    • to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life;
    • to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials;
    • to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia.

China’s demand to be a member in SAARC

  • China has a status of an observer state in SAARC.
  • However, an observer state can get involve with SAARC members on specific initiatives and they do not have voting rights.
  • China entered SAARC as an observer in 2005, supported by most member states.
  • China’s entry to the SAARC is both a threat and opportunity for India.
  • It can either help in bring in more integration in the region or may dilute the very purpose of SAARC by initiating partisan blocks within the groupings.

India’s concerns and fears

  • If China is given a greater role, India fears that its neighbours will come together to oppose the country’s interests, particularly under the influence of Pakistan and China.
  • India’s neighbours are attracted to China, because of its greater economic resources, as also it has the potential to counter India. China’s influence can be witnessed even in Nepal.
  • To enhance strategic ties with Nepal, China has been investing heavily in that country; it has opened land-port between Nepal and Tibet named as Kyirong which will affect the regional strategic balance.
  • The growing friendship with China and Pakistan is viewed by many as a joint tactic to offset India’s dominance in the South Asian region.
  • One of the most famous project, is China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which strategically aims at providing links between the overland Silk Road and maritime Silk Road. Due to this project, China becomes one of the major investors in Pakistan by undermining India’s sovereignty over PoK.
  • It has been agreed that China’s entry in SAARC as a full-member can give a push to SAARC to grow as a regional bloc as China’s global economic influence can help SAARC in international forum.
  • But, growing alliances between China and Pakistan may work against India and which will hamper the regional progress.
  • It has also been feared that China may block the projects which are both strategically and economically important for India.

Issues within SAARC

  • SAARC’s emphasis on the principle of unanimity for decision making and exclusion of contentious bilateral issues from deliberations makes the organisation fragile and vulnerable.
  • In the last 33 years, SAARC has held only 18 Summits, and many have been postponed or canceled due to various issues.
  • The cancellation and postponement of regular meetings embody the persistence of this indifference today as well.

Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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