Maintaining U.S. Influence in South Asia: The Fy 2018 Budget

Maintaining U S Influence in South Asia The Fy Budget South Asia is an increasingly consequential part of the globe For a long time the world s center of gravity has been shifting to the East and the Indian Ocean region is a major part of this trend Ba

South Asia is an increasingly consequential part of the globe For a long time, the world s center of gravity has been shifting to the East, and the Indian Ocean region is a major part of this trend Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have about 1.5 billion residents combined, comprising nearly 20 percent of the world s population These nations are locaSouth Asia is an increasingly consequential part of the globe For a long time, the world s center of gravity has been shifting to the East, and the Indian Ocean region is a major part of this trend Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have about 1.5 billion residents combined, comprising nearly 20 percent of the world s population These nations are located along, or on top of, vital global sea lanes through the Indian Ocean which grows strategically important by the day Connecting vital straits and rising Asian economies in the East with the rest of the world and its energy to the West, the Indian Ocean has significant implications for security and trade across the globe Despite the immense strategic economic importance of these nations, this year s 2017 State and Foreign Operations Congressional Budget Justification shows the administration tends to slash our commitments to them by 48 percent Under the administration s request, this region is the hardest hit by cuts after Europe and Eurasia Dramatic cuts to foreign aid are not the way to rein in our out of control government spending, especially if they undermine U.S interests In Sri Lanka, for example, U.S foreign assistance will be cut by 92 percent, mostly from accounts that have supported programs to promote the rule of law, democratic reforms, post Civil War reconciliation, and related efforts These programs are cost effective ways to contribute to Sri Lanka s transformation while pursuing a partnership in strategically critical locations.