Asia Africa Growth Corridor: Towards a Shared Philosophy

Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), a fresh initiative led by India and Japan to enhance connectivity between the two continents, was unveiled by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi during the African Development Bank annual meeting in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat on May 16, 2017. According to the AAGC Vision Document, the corridor will focus on four areas:

• Development Cooperation Projects
• Quality Infrastructure and Institutional Connectivity
• Enhancing Skills
• People-to-People Partnership.1

This venture reflects the shared philosophy and priorities of countries in Asia, particularly India and Japan on one hand and Africa on the other.

India: Development and Security for All

The AAGC echoes India‘s current development agenda based on promoting sustainable and inclusive growth. This is reflected in Prime Minister Modi’s philosophy of Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas (in Hindi) – together with all, development for all. At the same time, India’s proposed long term development strategy, the India 2031-32 Vision by National Institution for Transforming India ( NITI Aayog ) calls for “transformation of India into a prosperous, highly educated, healthy, secure, corruption free, energy abundant, environmentally clean and globally influential nation”.2 It foresees India’s positive role in shaping the global agenda on sustainable development and international cooperation based on principles of solidarity, equity and sharing. At the same time AAGC acknowledges the symbiotic relationship between security and growth endorsed through Prime Minister Modi’s policy of SAGAR– Security and Growth for All. This was announced during his visit to Mauritius in 2016 where he spoke of ensuring “a safe, secure and stable Indian Ocean region that delivers…prosperity.”3 The policy emphasises India’s determination to support the local initiatives to promote economic development and security in the Indian Ocean region.

The AAGC also calls for maritime connectivity across the Indian Ocean region through India’s Sagarmala policy.4 This initiative was initially launched to promote port modernisation, connectivity improvement, industrial and port led community development in the coastal regions in India. So far it involves 73 projects with a total value of $ 60 billion. However, India has also extended this policy to all Indian Ocean littoral countries. The idea is to “fuel their economic growth and bring sustainability to the IOR.”5

Japan: Free and Open Indo- Pacific and Building Quality Infrastructure

The Asia Africa Growth Corridor highlights Japan’s policy of promoting Free and Open Indo- Pacific. Some elements of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Free and Open Indo- Pacific Strategy can be traced back to his first stint as a Prime Minister, to a speech titled “Confluence of the Two Seas” delivered to the Indian parliament in August 2007. Abe advocated that Japan and India being like-minded maritime democracies, should promote freedom and prosperity in “broader Asia”, at the confluence of two seas- the Indian and Pacific Ocean. He also proposed an “arch of freedom and prosperity”. 6 However the strategy of Free and Open Indo-Pacific was officially announced in a speech at the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) in 2016. He said, “Japan bears the responsibility of fostering the confluence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and of Asia and Africa into a place that values freedom, the rule of law, and the market economy, free from force or coercion, and making it prosperous…Let us make this stretch that is from Asia to Africa a main artery for growth and prosperity.”7 This strategy aims at combining the dynamics of Asia and Africa and envisions a greater regional integration along the coastlines of the Indian Ocean / Pacific Ocean. The aim is to improve connectivity, growth and stability in the region.

Like India, Japan too, has called for connecting Asia and Africa through development of infrastructure. This approach is clearly visible in Abe’s Partnership for Quality Infrastructure (PQI). The initiative was launched in 2015 and was later upgraded as Expanded Partnership for Quality Infrastructure (EPQI) in 2016.8 Under this policy Japan has pledged $200 billion for development of infrastructure projects across the world. The AAGC seeks to reiterate Japan’s focus on promoting quality infrastructure is diverse areas such as power, transport, port development etc.

Tokyo’s promotion of values of freedom in the maritime context and rule of law have been echoed by New Delhi. Indian leadership has reiterated that “respecting freedom of navigation and adhering to international norms is essential to peace and economic growth … in the Indo- Pacific.”9

Africa: Fulfilling the Aspirations of All

Over the years African countries have developed several plans to accelerate growth in continent. They include, Lagos Plan of Action, the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Program for Infrastructure Development of Africa (PIDA) and the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy ( 2050 AIM Strategy). Here it is important to mention that like the EPQI promoted by Japan, PIDA aims to accelerate infrastructure development, though it is limited to the African region. The PIDA features large-scale development programmes in enhancing infrastructure in the energy, transport, information and communication technology, and water sectors.10 Similarly the 2050 AIM Strategy proposes to enhance the security and development of blue economy in the Atlantic or the Indian Ocean littoral countries in Africa.11 This maritime vision is quite similar to that projected by India.

The AAGC also reflects the current African plan for the transformation of the continent in the next 50 years- the Agenda 2063. This plan seeks to accelerate the implementation of past and existing continental policies for growth and sustainable development. Agenda 2063 calls for achieving seven African aspirations over the fifty year period:

• A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development
• An integrated continent politically united based on the ideals of pan Africanism and the vision of African Renaissance
• An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and rule of law
• A peaceful and secure Africa
• Africa with strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics
• An Africa whose development is people driven
• An Africa as a united, resilient and influential global player.12

These aspirations reflect the norms and values that are similar to those championed by India and Japan. The Agenda 2063 also highlights African countries’ aim to partner with like-minded external partners for promoting African growth and development. Over the years, African countries have acknowledge the role played by India and Japan in Africa’s development. India has a historic relationship with African countries that is hinged on skills enhancement, capacity building and mutual development. The India-Africa Framework for Strategic Cooperation released at the end of the Third India Africa Forum Summit held in 2015 notes the importance of Agenda 2063.13 Similarly the AAGC dovetails African priorities with those of India and Japan.

AAGC: Transparent and Inclusive

The foregoing discussion makes it clear that AAGC projects a shared vision of development and growth across Africa and Asia. At the same time, although denied by Japan, the Free and Open Indo- Pacific policy as enshrined in the AAGC also provides a counter narrative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI like the AAGC, seeks to connect Asia and Africa through large scale infrastructure projects. Japan with its emphasis on freedom and openness is attempting to differentiate from China’s opaque and hegemonic strategy. Similarly, there is no doubt that India’s hesitation to join the Belt and Road project is primarily due to transparency and sovereignty issues. India has often rebuked China for its blatant violation of India’s sovereignty in the context of China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Asia Africa Growth Corridor provides a transparent and inclusive alternate to the countries of Africa. It builds on Japanese ethos of working with quality and India’s long and historic people- centric partnership with African countries.

Ms. Ruchita Beri is Senior Research Associate and Coordinator, ALACUN Centre, IDSA.

• 1. African Development Bank Meeting, Asian Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC): Partnership for Sustainable and Innovative Development, A Vision Document, Ahmedabad, India, May 22-26, 2017, at http://www.eria.org/Asia-Africa-Growth-Corridor-Vision-Document.pdf (Accessed June 2, 2017).
• 2. Arvind Panagariya, India 2031-32: Vision, Strategy and Action Agenda, NITI Aayog, April 23, 2017, at http://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/new_initiatives/Revised_Presentat… (Accessed June 2, 2017).
• 3. Ibid.
• 4. “Sagarmala: Concept and implementation towards Blue Revolution”, March 25, 2015, at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=117691 (Accessed May 25, 2017).
• 5. “Text of Shri Nitin Gadkari’s Address at the Indian Ocean Conference in Singapore Today”, September 1, 2016, at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=149454 (Accessed May 21, 2017).
• 6. “Confluence of two Seas” Speech by H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan

  at the Parliament of the Republic of India, August 22, 2007, at https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/pmv0708/speech-2.html (Accessed May 19, 2017).

• 7. Address by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the opening session of the 6th Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD VI), August 27, 2016, at https://www.mofa.go.jp/afr/af2/page4e_000496.html, Accessed May 22, 2017).
• 8. “The “Expanded Partnership for Quality Infrastructure” initiative directed toward the G7 Ise-Shima Summit Meeting Announced”, May 23, 2016, at http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2016/0523_01.html (Accessed May 20, 2017).
• 9. Inaugural Address by Prime Minister at Second Raisina Dialogue, New Delhi, January 17, 2017, at http://mea.gov.in/Speeches-statements.htm?dtl/27948/Inaugural_Address_by… (Accessed 22 May 2017) .
• 10. Africa Union, Program Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA), 2012, at https://au.int/en/ie/pida
• 11. Africa Union, 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIM Strategy), 2012, at https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/11151/2050_aims_sr… (Accessed May 24, 2017).
• 12. African Union Commission, Agenda 2063: Africa We Want, 2015, at http://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/pdf/au/agenda2063.pdf (Accessed May 24, 2017).
• 13. Third India-Africa Forum Summit, India-Africa Framework for Strategic Cooperation, October 29, 2015, at http://www.mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/25981_framework.pdf (Accessed May 22, 2017).