India’s Withdrawal from Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Sino-US competition in the Indo-Pacific has become a central issue in international relations and how the competition of both countries affects state behavior. This article attempts to provide explanations of India's behavior in deciding to leave the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement by using the neoclassical realism theory. Neoclassical realism believes that the actors' behavior is influenced by the constellation of international structures and domestic constellations. India's exit from RCEP was influenced by structural changes in the Indo-Pacific region, with the loss of China's balance of power marked by the withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Moreover, the condition has been exacerbated by the pressure received by Narendra Modi at the domestic level with the emergence of rejection of India's involvement in RCEP. It has influenced Narendra Modi's perception, who was active in the region with the two factors above, decided to resign from RCEP.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
BBC. (2019) India Job Data Spells TroublFor Narendra Modi (Online). Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47068223 (Accessed: 22 November 2019).
Business Today. (2019) Congress Calls India’s Decision Not To Join RCEP Victory for National Interest, credits for forceful opposition (Online). Available at: https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/congress-calls-india-decision-to-not-join-rcep-victory-national-interest-credits-forceful-opposition/story/388525.html (Accessed: 9 November 2019).
Cheong. I & Thongzon. J. (2013) “Comparing the economic impact of the trans-Pacific partnership and the regional Comprehensive economic partnership”, Isian Economic Papers, 12(2), pp. 144-164.
Das. SB (2015) “The regional comprehensive economic Partnership: New Paradigm or Old Wine in A New Bottle?”, Asian?Pacific Economic Literature, 29(2), pp. 68-84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/apel.12111.
Deo, A. (2021) A New Delhi Consensus: India’s Imagination and Global Expectations (Online). Available at: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/a-new-delhi-consensus-indias-imagination-and-global-expectations/ (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
Gosh, I. (2021) RCEP Explained: The World’s Biggest Trading Bloc Will Soon be In Asia Pacific (Online). Available at: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/rcep-explained-the-worlds-biggest-trading-bloc-will-soon-be-in-asia-pacific/ (Accessed: 22 November 2019).
Health, TR. (2017) Strategic Consequences of US Withdrawal From TPP (Online). Available at: <https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/03/strategic-consequences-of-us-withdrawal-from-tpp.htm (Accessed: 22 November 2019).
Hsu, K. (2013) “The RCEP: Integrating India into the Asian”, Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, pp. 41-51. http://www.associationdiplomats.org/publications/ifaj/Vol8/8.1/ARTICLE%201.pdf.
Hu, W. (2020) “The United States, China, and the Indo-Pacific Strategy: The Rise and Return of Strategic Competition”, China Review, 20(3), pp. 127–142. DOI: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26928114.
James,B. & Chatzky. (2019) What Is Trans-Pacific Partnership (Online). Available at: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp (Accessed: 22 November 2019).
Kaura. V. (2018) “Securing India’s Economic and Security Interests in the Indo-Pacific”, Indian Journal of Asian Affairs, 31(1/2), pp. 37-52. DOI: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26608822.
Kawai, M., & Wignaraja, G. (2008) “EAFTA or CEPEA: Which way forward?”, ASEAN Economic Bulletin, pp.113-139. DOI: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41220044.
Kumar, R. (2015) “India's Foreign Policy under Modi Government”, Marmara Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilimler Dergisi, 2 (2), pp. 101-117. DOI: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/marusbd/issue/291/1393.
Li, M. (2020) “he Belt and Road Initiative, geo-economics and Indo-Pacific security competition”, International Affairs, 96(1), pp. 169-187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiz240.
Matheswaran, M. (2021) US-China Strategic Competition in the Asia-Pacific (Online). Available at: https://trendsresearch.org/insight/us-china-strategic-competition-in-the-asia-pacific/ (Accessed: 1 December 2021).
Mc Daniel, D. (2012) “India, China and The United States In the Indo-Pacific Region: Coalition, Coexistence or Clash”, Australia Defense College. pp.1-54 (Online). Available at: http://www.defence.gov.au/ADC/Publications/Comma nders/2012/09_US_China_India_in_the_Indo- Pacific_Region_Coalition_Co- existence_or_Clash_McDaniel%20_2_.pdf (Accessed: 17 November 2020).
Mukherjee, R. & Malone, M. D. (2011) “From High Ground to High Tables: Indian Multilateralism”, Global Governance, pp. 311-329. DOI: 10.1163/19426720-01703004.
New Development Bank. (2021) Essence History of New Development Bank (Online). Available at: https://www.ndb.int/about-us/essence/history// (Accessed: 1 December 2021).
Panda, Jagannath P. (2014) “Factoring the RCEP and the TPP: China, India and the Politics of Regional Integration”, Strategic Analysis, 38:1, pp. 49-67. DOI: 10.1080/09700161.2014.863462.
Pant, HV & Taneja, K. (2019) Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Foreign Policy In Transition Under Modi (Online). Available at: https://www.orfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ORF_SpecialReport_93_ForeignPolicy-Modi_NEW25July.pdf (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
PhD Research Bureau. (2018). India-China Trade Relationship: The Trade Giants of Pasr, Present and Future (Online). Available at: https://www.phdcci.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/India-China-Trade-Relationship_The-Trade-Giants-of-Past-Present-and-Future.pdf (Accessed: 7 Desember 2019).
Rajendam, D. (2014) “India’s New Asia Pacific Strategy: Mod Acts East”, Lowy Institute. pp.1-20 (Online). Available at: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/indias-new-asia-pacific-strategy-modi-acts-east.pdf (Accessed: 3 November 2020).
Rosenbaum, CM. (2018) “RCEP or TPP? An Empirical Analysis Based on Global Experience”, Asian Politics and Policy, 10 (3). pp. 427-441. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aspp.12404.
Saran, S. (2018) As a rising global power, what is India’s vision for the world? (Online). Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/08/what-is-indias-vision-for-the-world-modi/ (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
Schweller, R. (2004) “Unanswered Threats: A Neoclassical Realist Theory of Under balancing”, International Security, 29(2). pp. 159-201. DOI: http:// dx.doi.org/10.1162/0162288042879913.
Sharma, A. (2019) Indian Economy: An Overview (Online). Available at: https://www.investindia.gov.in/team-india-blogs/indian-economy-overview (Accessed: 17 November 2020).
Solis, M., & Wilson, J. D. (2017). From APEC to mega-regionals: the evolution of the Asia-Pacific trade architecture. The Pacific Review, 30(6), pp. 923-937. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2017.1305438.
South China Morning Post (2019) India’s Concern About RCEP Remain The Major Obstacle to World’s Largest Trade Deal (Online). Available at: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3032728/indias-concerns-about-rcep-remain-major-obstacle-worlds-largest (Accessed: 7 December 2020).
Taliaferro,J, Lobell, SE. & Ripsman, Norin. (2009) Neoclassical Realism: the States and Foreign Policy: Cambridge University Press.
Terada, T. (2018) RCEP Negotiations and The Implications for The United States (Online). Available at: https://www.nbr.org/publication/rcep-negotiations-and-the-implications-for-the-united-states/ (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
Tharoor, S. (2019) India’s Modi Slowdown (Online). Available at: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/modi-inept-policies-slow-indian-growth-by-shashi-tharoor-2019-10 (Accessed: 4 December 2020).
The Economic Times. (2019) SJM to Hold Nationwide Protest from October 10-20 October Against RCEP (Online). Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/sjm-to-hold-nationwide-protests-from-october-10-20-against-rcep/articleshow/71517485.cms?from=mdr(Accessed: 3 December 2021).
The Economic Times. (2020) Why did India opt out of RCEP, one of the world's largest free trade agreement? (Online). Available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/why-did-india-opt-out-of-rcep-one-of-the-worlds-largest-free-trade-agreements/massive-free-trade-agreement/slideshow/79246185.cms (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
The Indian Express (2019) Explained: The economic implications of India opting out of RCEP (Online). Available at: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/india-out-of-rcep-china-economy-trade-angle-7053877/ (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
The Print. (2019) India opts out of RCEP for now but to continue negotiating over differences (Online). Available at: https://theprint.in/diplomacy/india-opts-out-rcep-now-but-continue-negotiating-over-differences/315676/ (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
The Wire. (2019) India Was Right to Walk Away from RCEP, But What Comes Next? (Online). Available at: https://thewire.in/economy/rcep-india-future (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
US Trade Representative. (2017) The United States Officially Withdraws from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Online). Available at: https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2017/january/US-Withdraws-From-TPP (Accessed: 3 December 2021).
Wilson, J. D. (2015) “Mega regional trade deals in the Asia-Pasifik: choosing between the TPP and RCEP”, Journal of Contemporary Asia, 45(22), pp. 345-353. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09512748.2017.1305438.
World Bank. (2019) GDP Annual Growth (Online). Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?end=2018&locations=IN&start=2018&view=map (Accessed: 17 November 2019).
Zhengduo, H. (2014) The Success and Limitations of India’s Multilateral Diplomacy (Online). Available at: http://www.ciis.org.cn/english/2014-01/26/content_6640234.htm (Accessed: 17 November 2019).