The
Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute is the
training ground for our future ambassadors to the world. Started twenty
one years ago, its courses have rightly emphasized the importance of
professional competence in our diplomatic corps - focussing on training
in negotiations, public speaking, economic diplomacy and policy
analysis.
These are key tools that every diplomat aspires to perfect. It is with
this in mind that I’d like to briefly outline some ideas on the theme
“Sri Lanka at the cross-roads of the Asian Century” that could serve as
an opportunity for you to exercise your newly acquired skills.
But before we can begin to consider policy, we must first survey our
context. One of the sweeping changes of this epoch is the rise of Asia.
On almost every measure the world’s centre of gravity is shifting
towards the East, so there can be no doubt that this is the Asian
Century: by 2030 Asia is projected to become world’s largest economic
region and in 2013, for the first time in modern history, Asian defence
spending exceeded Europe’s.
Any period of change generates new opportunities annew risks. And a
historic shift of this magnitude is no exception. But it is timely to
remember that changes around us, and even changes within, do not
profoundly alter our fundamental foreign policy objectives. Ensuring the
security of all Sri Lankans and advancing their development will always
be at the core of a government’s duties in the foreign policy realm.
Over the last few years, Sri Lanka’s foreign relations were not aligned
to our country’s needs - the interests of the few were served, while the
needs of the many were ignored. As we reset our foreign policy, we
should gear our strategy and policies towards harnessing the
opportunities the Asian Century has to offer, while navigating and
minimizing the risks that will inevitably accompany her rise. In this
speech I will offer a few ideas to start a broader discussion on how
this can be done, starting with the risks and then suggesting three
policies we can adopt to begin tapping this Century’s potential.
Asia’s rise has heralded the end of the post-Cold War unipolar world
order. The United States will remain the preponderant power for the
foreseeable future but the balance of power is shifting in Asia’s
favour. China and India are emerging as global power centres and Japan
remains an important power. Together they are home to just over a third
of the world’s population, generate an estimated 26 percent of global
output and are among the top ten defence spenders. Historically, the the
rise of new powers has almost always led to a period of flux and
instability - the old order gives way, but the new order is yet
toharden. In these fluid decades Sri Lanka will have no choice but to
make strategic choices in her global positioning.
Both ancient history and contemporary experience suggest that Sri
Lanka’s success will depend on maintaining friendly and intimate ties
with India. India is our closest neighbour, one of the world’s largest
and fastest growing economies, the world’s most populous democracy, our
largest source of tourists and a country with whom we share ancient and
contemporary civilizational ties. Thus the imperatives of security and
economic development both make the late Foreign Minister Lakshman
Kadirgamar’s thesis that Indo-Lanka relations must be that of
“irreversible excellence” almost self-evident.
Similarly, China is rapidly becoming the world’s economic powerhouse.
Experiencing rapid growth over the past few decades on some measures she
is now the world’s largest economy - a position China has held for much
of the last 2000 years. China’s export-driven rise means that it has
large surpluses of capital which enables it to invest abroad and play an
increasingly important role in determining the architecture of global
capital allocation. China is also now the world’s largest source of
tourists. So Sri Lanka’s relationship with China needs to build on
existing relations to zero-in on securing Chinese FDI, enabling access
to Chinese markets and promoting Sri Lanka’s tourism.
The rise of a multipolar world system also makes preserving and
developing the system of international rules and norms essential. This
is especially true for a small island state. As a small state,
international norms and the multilateral system of institutions help
protect our sovereignty, security and give us a voice in global affairs.
Similarly, as an island highly dependent on external trade, remittances
and energy: ensuring open sea lanes, free financial flows and stable
energy supplies is critical. While India is becoming a nett security
provider in the region, it is the United States that is the primary
architect, underwriter and sustainer of this rules based global order.
Having outlined the main risks and broad response strategies to them, we
can now move on to the question of how we can leverage and harness the
great potential of the Asian Century. While we must first put our own
house in order, and there is a great deal of work that needs to be done
on that score, it is also important to devote some time for blue-sky
reflection. There are three main ideas I’d like to focus on today. The
first involves the reconceptualisation of Sri Lanka as an Indian Ocean
country, the second is exploring the use of paradiplomacy and the third
is leveraging the tremendous resource of the Sri Lankan diaspora.
Throughout its ancient history, Sri Lanka had close links with the
entire Indian Ocean rim spanning from Africa, the Arab Gulf, Persia,
South Asia, South East Asia and Australia. Sri Lanka, geographically
located the centre of the Indian Ocean and sitting astride major
East-West and South-South trade routes, was at the crossroads of the
Indian Ocean world. However, by and by, we came to be classified as a
South Asian country and our own imaginations and those of others turned
towards the Indian hinterland. Reclaiming our Indian Ocean identity
helps us and others unlock the tremendous opportunities for attracting
FDI, accessing markets and developing our tourism industry. For as a
middle income country Sri Lanka can no longer depend on aid to create
jobs, generate growth and improve our living standards. As a result, for
the modern Sri Lankan diplomat, salesmanship will be as important as
statesmanship. Securing foreign investment, encouraging exports,
promoting tourism and acquiring foreign expertise will be at the very
centre of the foreign ministry’s role. (Of course that does not mean
turning embassies into private tea trading centres as some Ambassadors
did under the previous administration).
While we look towards the sea, the Indian hinterland and further away
China also beckon. As study after study have noted, Sri Lanka’s failure
to integrate into Indian supply chains and into the Indian economy in
general has significantly hampered our economic development. In order to
reverse this trend, we will have to begin seriously engaging with
provinces and states that are playing an increasingly important economic
decision-making role in India and China. The acceleration of
paradiplomatic efforts by other countries has reflected these changes.
For example, in the last two years alone Singaporean ministers have
visited Indian states over a dozen times.The third idea is not new. Per
capita Sri Lanka probably has one of the largest diasporas in the world
and it is also one of the most illustrious diaspora communities. In
fact, the late Lee Kuan Yew once said, “In terms of numbers, the
Ceylonese, like the Eurasians, are among the smallest of our various
communities. Yet in terms of achievements and contributions to the
growth and development of the modern Singapore and Malaysia they have
done more than warranted by their numbers.”
But to our loss they have not featured prominently in our foreign policy
making, and as a country we have done little to harness their capital,
relationships and knowledge for our development.This is not true of many
other countries. India has an entire ministry dedicated to Overseas
Indian Affairs, while eight other countries also have diaspora affairs
ministerial portfolios. Sri Lanka would do well to have a systematic
approach and mechanism for harnessing the diaspora, which would also
enable them to participate directly in the Asian Century. Allow me to
sum up by reiterating that our foreign policy must be aligned to the
interests and welfare of all Sri Lankans. This of course means
cautiously navigating the emerging multipolar regional order, while
taking the initiative to harness the tremendous opportunities of the
Asian Century. I trust that you will see your training here at the
Bandaranaike Diplomatic Training Institute as an induction into a
community of thinkers and practitioners, and as a foundat on for
lifelong involvement in Sri Lanka’s foreign affairs. With your support
one day Sri Lanka can again be at the centre of theIndian Ocean world
and at the crossroads of Asia.
Thank you.