India reportedly not invited for China’s Forum on Indian Ocean

India was notably absent from a summit China hosted this week with 19 nations from the Indian Ocean region.

According to a news release from the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), a group affiliated with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation was held on November 21 with participation from 19 nations.

The meeting was held in a hybrid manner under the theme of “Shared Development: Theory and Practice from the Perspective of the Blue Economy” in Kunming, Yunnan Province, it said.

According to the report, attendees included representatives from 19 nations, including Australia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan, Iran, and Oman, as well as Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Djibouti, and three international organisations.

Apparently, India was not invited, according to reliable sources.

Without India present, China met with a few South Asian nations last year to discuss COVID-19 vaccine cooperation.

Luo Zhaohui, a former vice minister of foreign affairs and ambassador to India, is the director of CIDCA.

He is the Secretary of the CPC (the ruling Communist Party of China) Leadership Group of CIDCA, according to the organization’s official website.

According to the CIDCA’s official website, the organization’s goals are to develop strategic guidelines, plans, and policies for foreign aid, coordinate and provide advice on important foreign aid issues, advance national reforms with regard to such issues, and identify significant programmes, oversee, and evaluate their implementation.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi suggested creating a “conference on the development of Indian Ocean Island Countries” during his visit to Sri Lanka in January of this year. The Chinese Foreign Ministry here has made it clear to the media that the meeting on November 21 was not a part of the CIDCA meeting, in response to questions about whether it is the same as Wang’s proposal.

A marine disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation mechanism between China and nations in the Indian Ocean region was proposed by China at the summit on November 21.

China said it is prepared to offer the necessary material, technical, and financial support to nations in need.