About One Belt One Road: Bring back the dhow route

Source: The post is based on the article “Bring back the dhow route” published in The Hindu on 4^th August 2022.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

Relevance: About the One Belt One Road initiative.

News: China’s interests in the Indian Ocean grew in the context of the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative. The OBOR constitutes massive geopolitical projects that aims to promote economic cooperation and connectivity between Asia, West Asia, Africa, and Europe.

But recently, a Chinese military vessel been scheduled to the Sri Lankan Port of Hambantota. This is because the Sri Lankan government is heavily in debt and distress partly due to the mega infrastructure of the Hambantota port and many other such projects under OBOR.

About the past trade routes

Indian Ocean trade routes since the old times include countries in the Arabian Gulf, East Africa, the Indian Peninsula, Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and other small island states. From the ports and harbours on Bahr Faris (Arabian Gulf) and down to the Swahili Coast on the west to the ports and harbours on the far east to Malacca.

For centuries, Indian Ocean navigators, shipowners and merchants were the custodians of all trade routes that crisscrossed the Indian Ocean.

Ibn Battuta in his book The Rihla talks of his travels in the Maldives and all throughout the Indian Ocean trading ports.

In the last one thousand years, many emerging powers have frequently attempted to capture and centralise these trade routes.

The Portuguese rule immensely improved the boat-building capabilities of the Indian Ocean port cities, but they took away the trade from the local families.

The British colonial rule consolidated cargo in several bigger port cities. Britain’s advocacy of free trade also gave an opportunity for the local traders to freely trade within the Indian Ocean states.

What is the status of OBOR in reviving trade routes?

The recent Chinese attempts to consolidate the Indian Ocean trade routes under OBOR are yet to materialise. But the host countries of the Belt and Road ports have gone or are going bankrupt, defaulting on their sovereign debt. For instance, Pakistan stands on the brink of sovereign default.

Robust small units with more flexibility and agility can produce more inclusive and sustainable returns. Attempts to restructure the debt of the Indian Ocean countries and proceed with the same mega infrastructure programmes might not be the future vision of the Indian Ocean states.

So, in one form or another, the Indian Ocean states still maintain their maritime heritage. Revitalising regional trade networks will maintain peace and stability in the Indian Ocean.