Democratic Party manifesto calls India a ‘Pacific’ power ahead of Indian Ocean primacy
WASHINGTON: A draft Democratic Party “platform” – American for manifesto – has described India as an “important Pacific power,” while pledging that it will continue to invest in a long-term strategic partnership with New Delhi if Hillary Clinton wins the White House.
The description of India as a “Pacific” power appears to buttress the increasingly important role the US sees for India as a counterweight to China in its own assertion of Asia-Pacific primacy. In bluntly ascribing a “Pacific” association to Indian — without reference to “Asia-Pacific” or even New Delhi’s own backyard, the Indian Ocean — the manifesto pushes the geo-strategic envelope involving the US, China, and India even further.
“From the Asia Pacific to the Indian Ocean, we will deepen our alliances in the region with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. Democrats will continue to invest in a long-term strategic partnership with India — the world’s largest democracy, a nation of great diversity, and an important Pacific power. We will work with our allies and partners to fortify regional institutions and norms as well as protect freedom of the seas in the South China Sea,” the draft of the platform, which will be finalized next week, states.
The manifesto is replete with tough references to Beijing, particularly on trade issues, and avows the Democratic Party will do more to do “to keep our country prosperous and safe, from defeating terrorism and combating climate change to managing China’s rise.” It pledges to push back against North Korean aggression and “press China to play by the rules.”
“We will stand up to Beijing on unfair trade practices, currency manipulation, and cyberattacks. And we will promote greater respect for human rights, including the rights of Tibetans. Democrats are committed to a ‘One China’ policy and the Taiwan Relations Act and will continue to support a peaceful resolution of Cross-Strait issues that is consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people of Taiwan,” the draft states.
Democrats, it asserts, will fight to significantly strengthen enforcement of existing trade rules and the tools the US has including by holding countries accountable on currency manipulation and significantly expanding enforcement resources.”China and other countries are using unfair trade practices to tilt the playing field against American workers and businesses. When they dump cheap products into our markets, subsidize state-owned enterprises, devalue currencies, and discriminate against American companies, our middle class pays the price. That has to stop,” the platform states, seemingly as a countner to Donald Trump’s charges that Hillary Clinton and the Democrats have been week-kneed against China, and even complicit in its rise against the United States for personal considerations.
The manifesto also promises to push for an Afghan-led peace process and press Pakistan to deny all terrorists sanctuary on its soil. “We support President Obama’s decision to maintain a limited troop presence in Afghanistan and ensure that it never again serves as a haven for terrorists to plan and launch attacks on our homeland,” it pledges.
In a withering attack on Donald Trump, whose campaign attacks has evidently rattled the Democratic Party into tough posture, the platform says there has never been a major party candidate less qualified or less fit for the office of President than Donald Trump.”He wants more countries to have nuclear weapons. He thinks our military should engage in war crimes. He wants to build walls and keep people — including Americans — from entering the country based on their race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. He has no strategy for dealing with key threats facing our country, including climate change and ISIS. He wants to abandon our allies and empower our adversaries. His dangerous, incoherent policies would undo the progress we have made,” according to the draft platform.
The Republican Party has yet to release its platform amid confusion and uncertainly about what exactly Trump’s positions on various key issues are and whether he cares of about the platform at all. On many issues, Trump just wings it with incoherent, off-the-cuff remarks.
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