ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific
Also called: AOIP · Topic: India's External Relations, 1947-1999: Non-alignment, Wars and Nuclear Policy · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) is ASEAN's own statement of how it sees the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific is the large sea region that joins the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The AOIP says the region should be open to all and built on cooperation, not rivalry. It also says ASEAN should stay at the centre and set the agenda. This idea is called ASEAN centrality. The AOIP matters for India because India's own Indo-Pacific vision also puts ASEAN at its core. This is where the two views meet.
Example
The year 2026 is the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation. It links India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision with ASEAN's outlook. Its focus areas include the Blue Economy, which means using the sea's resources in a lasting way. At the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit in Manila (November 2026), this shared maritime focus is a key theme.
Don't confuse with
- Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): this is led by India and is about maritime cooperation. The AOIP is ASEAN's own document, written from ASEAN's point of view.
- Act East Policy: this is India's policy for building ties with South-East Asia. It grew out of the Look East Policy (1991) and was renamed Act East in 2014. The AOIP is ASEAN's outlook, not an Indian policy.