Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs met Canadian Foreign Ministry’s Assistant Deputy Ministers Weldon Epp and Alexandre Leveque and shared a vision for a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region.
“Secy (East) @AmbSaurabhKumar met Assistant Deputy Ministers in the Canadian Foreign Ministry, Weldon Epp & Alexandre Leveque. Discussed ways to strengthen India-Canada relations & our shared vision for a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
Last month, on April 11, India-Canada Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on April 11 in Ottawa during which both sides discussed contemporary regional issues including the Indo-Pacific region and cooperation in multilateral organizations a statement by the MEA read.
The Indian delegation was led by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the MEA while the Canadian side was headed by David Morrison, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Global Affairs Canada.
“They welcomed regular dialogue and meetings of bilateral mechanisms, including upcoming Ministerial visits which would help broaden the bilateral agenda,” the MEA said.
“In the context of India’s ongoing G20 Presidency, Canada expressed support for India’s leadership. Both sides will work together to ensure G20’s success,” it added.
The last FOCs were held in March 2022 and according to the official statement, the next FOC will take place in India. Before that the FOCs were held in March 2021 in a virtual mode.
India and Canada share warm relations. In February, Canada’s External Affairs Minister Melanie Joly visited India and met her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar.
During the India-Canada Strategic Dialogue, both ministers expressed interest in deepening collaboration across domains and looking forward to the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA).
Canada and India have deep ties built on shared democratic values and a long-standing friendship. The wide-ranging bilateral cooperation between Canada and India spans the fields of science and technology, finance, education, defence, and security.
The deep people-to-people connections between Canada and India are at the heart of our relationship. There are 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin in Canada, and India is the primary source of new immigrants to Canada, the release said.
India and Canada are engaged in technical negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) including trade in goods, services, investment, trade facilitation etc. Separate MOUs exist with implementation mechanisms to advance relations in the fields of energy, mining, agriculture etc. (ANI)
Participation in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy would bring Bangladesh closer to key trade and investment partners, writes Saleem Samad
Bangladesh is visibly and invisibly leaning towards the superpowers including the United States, China and Russia. But it also has friends and allies in the Middle East. India has been a proven friend, which has partnered Bangladesh’s development.
Bangladesh is now inching closer to embracing the Indo-Pacific Strategy, despite the country’s professed non aligned foreign policy.
However, Bangladesh has never strayed from its founding principle of nonalignment and wisdom drawn from its independence hero Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which can be summed up as Friendship to all and malice toward none.
Bangladesh essentially aims to balance relations with rival states. Many explain that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not keep eggs in one basket. Thus, she wants to maintain diplomatic, economic and strategic partnerships albeit “unequally” with the United States, Russia, China, European Union, Arabs and of course India.
A month ago, the private news agency United News of Bangladesh (UNB) wrote that Dhaka has finalised a draft of its Indo-Pacific Outlook focused on objectives that mirror those of the Indo-Pacific Strategy. The draft plan dwells upon the need for a free, secure, and peaceful region, according to Foreign Policy’s South Asia brief prepared by Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Programme and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Centre, a nonpartisan research enterprise based in Washington DC.
Bangladesh It appears is moving closer to a full embrace of the Indo-Pacific Strategy pursued by the Americans and its partners in the region, which revolves around countering China. This move comes as the US and a few key allies have signalled that Bangladesh should be a part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, according to the brief.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New Delhi recently unveiled a new plan for the region, calling for strategic collaborations with Bangladesh, including a new economic partnership agreement.
A deep-sea port under construction in southern Bangladesh is shaping up to be a strategic linchpin for Japan and India as the Quad partners aim to counter Chinese influence, writes Nikkei Asia, an influential Japanese economic and finance media outlet.
Dhaka has friendly ties with the USA, and other members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (known as the Quad) including India, and Europe.
Development of the deep-sea port of Matarbari – a natural gateway to both South and Southeast Asia will put a Japan-backed facility just north of Sonadia, another prime location on the Bay of Bengal where China was expected to develop a port. But the Chinese facility did not materialise. Dhaka silently dropped the idea a few years ago, which caused diplomatic hullabaloo with Beijing.
Some leading pundits tend to declare a strategic victory for India in a South Asian great game between big powers. Anu Anwar, a research associate at the Fairbank Centre for Chinese Studies at Harvard University, told Nikkei Asia the Sonadia port deal with China did not succeed because of India’s opposition, which the [government] in Dhaka could not simply override due to its overreliance on Delhi. Also, India’s tag-team partner, Japan is also considered a winner in this scenario, though some observers see no game at all, says Faisal Mahmud and Ryohtaroh Satoh in a joint article in Nikkei Asia.
In New Delhi, Kishida said the industrial value chain from the deep-sea port in the Bay of Bengal and the hinterland of landlocked northeast states [so-called Seven Sisters] of India which neighbours China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, will be immensely beneficial from “the growth of the entire region. Japanese, Indian and Bangladeshi officials also discussed the plans with G. Kishan Reddy, India’s federal minister for the northeast, welcoming Japan’s initiative, Reuters reported.
An Independence Day message from US chief executive Joseph R. Biden to Sheikh Hasina has caught the attention of many political observers. Bangladesh is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in January next year, Biden “reminded of the deep value both of our nations’ people place on democracy, equality, respect for human rights, and free and fair elections.” The message ended with the slogan ‘Joy Bangla’ (Victory for Bangladesh), which enthralled masses in Bangladesh.
A series of statements from the chief executive of the United States and other bigwigs of the country demonstrates that the stars are shining brightly over Bangladesh’s sky. In fact, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken flattered Bangladesh and said the country is “quickly becoming a regional leader.”
On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the Independence of Bangladesh, the United States Congress introduced a resolution on 29 March recognising and commending Bangladesh and its remarkable socioeconomic progress under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, official news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported. The resolution said Bangladesh has successfully maintained a moderate Muslim society and curbed extremism in the country, but falls short of describing Bangladesh as a secular and pluralistic nation.
Despite the heart-warming tete-a-tete messages, Sheikh Hasina last week in the parliament in Dhaka did not hesitate to lambast America: “They are lecturing us on democracy and human rights. What’s the situation in their country?”
Amid the dilemma to decide or not to decide on a strategic partnership, China has stepped up its influence in Bangladesh through mega-infrastructure loans, which US officials have privately described as “bad deals” for the country.
It’s indeed an intriguing question as to why Bangladesh wishes to be associated with the Indo-Pacific Strategy and its goal of countering China. No doubt, participation in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy would bring Bangladesh closer to key trade and investment partners.
China is also a major supplier of arms to Bangladesh. So, getting Dhaka’s buy-in to the US-sponsored Indo-Pacific vision would be a strategic victory.
The current governments in Bangladesh and India are very close, and New Delhi is likely to have encouraged Dhaka to embrace the strategy, according to the brief by Wilson Centre.
Even as Bangladesh embraces the Indo-Pacific Strategy, it is still trying to placate China. Dhaka’s draft Indo-Pacific Outlook stipulates that it seeks to avoid rivalries and has no security goals, read the brief.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – includes many states that have cordial relations with China – opted for the same term in its Indo-Pacific coalition. Dhaka has also not indicated that it would join the Quad. Several visits of high-profile dignitaries in recent times from the United States, United Kingdom and European Union enforce that “these countries would want Bangladesh to take part in the Indo-Pacific Strategy read the brief.
Kugelman said Bangladesh has become a battleground for great power competition. It is strategically located, bordering India and serving as a gateway to both South and Southeast Asia. China is definitely concerned about the development of a regional strategic alliance. A few weeks ago, the Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen to Bangladesh squarely blamed Washington for pushing Dhaka into the US-backed Quad against China.
To deepen relations with China, Bangladesh could certainly back off from the US Indo-Pacific Strategy. Bangladesh appears to believe its interests aren’t compromised by stretching the limits of nonalignment, according to the brief.
In the coming years, when the dozens of mega-projects funded by Japan, China, Russia and India are finally implemented, it could be understood which superpower and regional powers wins the heart and minds of Bangladesh.
(Saleem Samad is an award-winning independent journalist based in Bangladesh. Views expressed are personal. Twitter: @saleemsamad)
The comments came on the last day of the foreign ministers meeting held in Japan and comes ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit to be held in Hiroshima…reports Asian Lite News
Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations on Tuesday reiterated the importance of a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and cooperating with India as well as reaffirmed their commitment to promoting cooperation in line with the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
The comments mark the culmination of a three-day long meeting that were held in Karuizawa, Nagano in central Japan and comes ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit to be held in Hiroshima this May. “We reiterate the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, prosperous, secure, based on the rule of law, and that protects shared principles including sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes, fundamental freedoms and human rights,” the joint comminique stated.
“We reaffirm individual initiatives of the G7 members and welcome those of our partners to enhance their engagement with the region. We underscore our commitment to further strengthening our 3 coordination among the G7 on the region, to working with regional partners, including ASEAN and its member states,” it read.
The G7 ministers said they reaffirmed their unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity and our commitment to promoting cooperation in line with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
The ministers also reaffirmed their partnership with Pacific Island countries and reiterate the importance of supporting their priorities and needs, in accordance with the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, including through the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in 2024.
“We welcome and further encourage efforts made by the private sector, universities and think tanks, which contribute to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” they said.
On April 17, the second day of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, Japan’s foreign minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, hosted the “Indo-Pacific” session which he explained his country’s views “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” and the New Plan for a FOIP. The G7 Foreign Ministers expressed their support, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Hayashi also stated that, with the emerging and developing countries known as the “Global South” facing a variety of issues, the G7 intends to work together with them to tackle these issues.
“Furthermore, in addition to underscoring the importance of cooperating with India, the G7 Foreign Ministers shared the view to increase engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, including ASEAN and the Pacific Island countries, and, as part of the G7 framework, to regularize discussions and strengthen cooperation in relation to the Indo-Pacific,” the statement by Japanese ministry of foreign affairs read.
Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida had unveiled the Japanese plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) while delivering a speech entitled “The Future of the Indo-Pacific-Japan’s New Plan for a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific-Together with India, as an Indispensable Partner” at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in New Delhi on March 20 this year. He had said “India is an indispensable partner” to achieve the objectives of FOIP.
Great to see Japanese Prime Minister @kishida230 here in Tokyo. We stand united with Japan and the rest of our @G7 partners in promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world. pic.twitter.com/tg725W7hH7
Meanwhile, at the G-7 ministers’ meeting in Karuizawa, regarding Southeast Asia, Japanese foreign minister Hayashi stated the need for the G7 to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in the medium and long term, while supporting ASEAN centrality and unity, and the importance of cooperating with ASEAN in line with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
The G7 Foreign Ministers meeting was presided by Yoshimasa and attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Candian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora. (ANI)
During his visit, the South Korean Foreign Minister held a meeting with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar….reports Asian Lite News
Marking 50 years of India- South Korea relations, Foreign Minister Park Jin arrived in New Delhi on Friday on his first official visit to the country.
“A warm welcome to FM Park Jin of the Republic of Korea on his first official visit to India. As India and South Korea celebrate 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the visit will strengthen our Special Strategic Partnership,” Ministry of External Affairs’ Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in his tweet.
During his visit, the South Korean Foreign Minister held a meeting with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar.
In his opening remarks during the bilateral meeting with the visiting South Korean Foreign Minister, EAM Jaishankar said, “I know this is your first visit to India as Foreign Minister, I hope there will be many more; and I certainly assure you this will be a very productive visit.”
This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and India. During my meeting with @DrSJaishankar yesterday, I tried to express in Hindi the significance of the "Special Strategic Partnership" that we have with India.#KoreanEmbassyIndia#MOFA_Koreapic.twitter.com/Jc6tTnRovP
In recent years, India and South Korea relations have become truly multidimensional, spurred by a significant convergence of interests, mutual goodwill, and high-level exchanges.
At the bilateral meeting, EAM S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his South Korean counterpart Park Jin and discussed issues of bilateral interests. “I am really glad today to have the opportunity to take forward our special strategic partnership. This is also the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations,” Jaishankar said.
In his opening remarks, the South Korean Foreign Minister highlighted the commonalities between the two countries and their commitment to the Indo-Pacific. “We are both exemplary democracies, vibrant economies and cultural powers and we are both committed to contributing to a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Park Jin said.
“South Korea and India are natural partners and I have a strong belief that the special strategic partnership between our countries is the strongest partnership in the Indo-Pacific region,” the South Korean Foreign Minister said.
The South Korean Foreign Minister spoke in Hindi in his opening remarks during the meeting with EAM S Jaishankar. He expressed his gratitude towards India for giving him and his delegates a warm welcome. “Muje India aakar aur aapse milkar bahut kushi ho rahi hai. Aapke swagat ke liye bahut-bahut dhanyawad (I am very happy with my visit to India and thereafter, my meeting with you. Thanks for the warm welcome).”
Following the implementation of CEPA in 2010, India and South Korea enjoy strong economic relations. Bilateral trade in 2021 reached record level at US $23.7 billion despite a pandemic year.
Major items of India’s exports to Korea are mineral fuels/oil distillates (mainly naphtha), cereals, iron, and steel.
On the other hand, Korea’s main export items are automobile parts, telecommunication equipment, hot rolled iron products, petroleum refined products, base lubricating oils, mechanical appliances, electrical machinery and parts and iron and steel products.
India and ROK launched an initiative ‘Korea Plus’, as proposed by Prime Minister Modi in June 2016 in India to promote and facilitate Korean Investments in India. A Korea India SME and Start-up Centre was launched in September 2019. According to data from Korea Exim Bank, ROK’s total FDI to India up to December 2021 stands at US$ 7.27 billion.
Investment from India to Korea is to the tune of approximately US$ 3 billion led by Tata Daewoo, Ssangyong and Novelis. In total, there are more than 603 large and small Korean firms operating in India.
This makes the UK the first nonfounding member welcomed into the CPTPP fold, demonstrating the allure of a grouping that spans the Asia-Pacific region…reports Asian Lite News
The 11 members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership are expected to allow the U.K.’s accession to the free trade bloc this week, taking a step to expand the group to include a European nation.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, member states are set to give the green light at an online ministerial meeting on Friday. Further processes will then follow to formalize the entry.
This makes the U.K. the first nonfounding member welcomed into the CPTPP fold, demonstrating the allure of a grouping that spans the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are making great progress on the U.K.’s accession to CPTPP, and aim to conclude talks at the earliest opportunity,” a spokesperson for the country’s Business and Trade Department said. “The government is working to ensure that the U.K. joins on terms that work for British business and are in line with domestic priorities.”
The members will next have to face the far more complicated and geopolitically charged task of considering the applications of China and Taiwan.
On its own, the U.K.’s entry is not expected to have much of an economic impact, considering current levels of trade coupled with the distance between the U.K. and most CPTPP members — Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.
Britain already has bilateral free trade agreements with nine of them, at varying levels of implementation.
For the U.K., “The long-term economic gains from the CPTPP are likely to be limited in comparison to economic losses from leaving the [European Union], as the U.K. government itself predicted,” said Minako Morita-Jaeger, senior research fellow in international trade at the University of Sussex Business School and the U.K. Trade Policy Observatory.
She noted the U.K.’s existing deals with major partners and explained that Japan, Canada, Singapore and Australia cover a large majority of its trade in goods and services with the bloc.
The CPTPP was formed by the 11 countries in 2018 after the U.S. withdrew from what had been known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Any new member wanting to accede must meet strict rules and standards, and all existing members have to unanimously endorse the new entrant.
This framework does promise to further open up some markets for the U.K., with other benefits related to data flows and shared standards. Now that it has the green light, the British government will have to implement any reforms deemed necessary to meet the CPTPP standards within a set period.
David Henig, director of the U.K. Trade Policy Project at the European Center for International Political Economy, reckons the move to join the CPTPP is “more about the politics than economics.”
He suggested that the bloc, which does not currently include any of the world’s top powers, could have an important role to play “at a time when the future of the [World Trade Organization] is under strain from U.S., EU and Chinese actions.”
“This could be an important gathering to consider a response,” he stated.
The British government, too, has emphasized that the true value of joining lies in the ability to influence international structures.
Having left the 14.5 trillion euro ($15.4 trillion) European trading bloc on its doorstep, U.K. officials are also under pressure to fulfill successive prime ministers’ promises that leaving the EU would allow the country to sign major trade deals worldwide. CPTPP countries combined have a population of around 500 million, largely in the growing economies of Asia.
“In March 2021, recognizing the Indo-Pacific as the world’s new economic center of gravity the U.K. set out a policy to “tilt” to the region, updating this recently to promise an “enduring engagement.” Joining the CPTPP has been touted as a key pillar within that framework as London seeks to engage with Asia more deeply in not only trade but also defense and diplomacy.
With the U.K.’s accession settled, the CPTPP members will need to turn their attention to the next set of applicants.
In September 2021, China and Taiwan in quick succession filed formal applications to join the bloc. This could make for some awkward decisions given Beijing’s claims that self-ruled and democratic Taiwan is part of its territory, and its insistence on Taipei’s exclusion from most international forums.
Sophia University’s Kawase said that members will have to face China’s application. “There will need to be an alliance of strong nations to stand up against China, and the U.K. does not fall short in this respect,” he said, adding that Britain’s inclusion could create a “foothold” for connecting the CPTPP to Europe.
“Looking to the future, I think the possibility of EU’s accession to CPTPP or connecting the CPTPP and the EU in some other form should be considered,” he said.
Even if China’s accession process starts, however, experts say it is unlikely to be speedy.
“Existing members have indicated they are in no hurry to expedite future applicants after the U.K. joins, having found the process somewhat more onerous than expected to date,” the U.K. Trade Policy Project’s Henig said.
The Navy chief pointed out that the rivalry has led to jostling for space in the region, where many external powers want to come in…reports Asian Lite News
Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Monday raised concerns over growing geo-political power play in the Indo-Pacific, noting that the US-China rivalry in the region is likely to be a “marathon.”
In an address at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) at “Vimarsh on National Security Challenges in the Maritime Domain,” he said, “US-China rivalry is here to stay and it isn’t short spin but it will be a long marathon they are engaged in. It has led inevitably to a naval arms race between the West and China similar to the World War-1 era between the allied and the central powers.” The Navy chief said the US-China rivalry in the region has led to an arms race. “For instance, China has inducted 148 warships in the last 10 years which I would say is perhaps the entire Indian navy size and the process still continues,” he said.
“So this arms race has made our resource-rich region an arena for jostling for influence, markets, resources and energy among others,” added Kumar.
The Navy chief pointed out that the rivalry has led to jostling for space in the region, where many external powers want to come in.
“A large number of countries have come out with their Indo-Pacific strategy and many of them do not belong to the region as well. The Indo-Pacific as a geostrategic reality is also accompanied by the return of great power competition,” he said.
“The simultaneous competition and cooperation accentuate the complexities of security. While much has been said about the ongoing conflict in Europe, the fact is that despite extensive sanctions by the West on Russia most of Europe continues to receive Russian energy which underscores that even during conflicts, it is unlikely that states can be completely devoid of mutual dependencies,” added Kumar.
He also highlighted the significant achievement made by the country in the construction of the ‘Made in India’ INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, saying it had a very high percentage of indigenous equipment including steel which the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and local steel companies have developed.
“I feel the maritime character of our nation is now shaping our overall outlook and is probably gaining the recognition that it deserves. The interplay between maritime security and India’s prosperity is becoming probably more clear to the polity, policymakers and the people of India. Thus maritime India is on the rise and the tides of time demand that we grab this opportunity to sail out in these high waters,” added the Navy Chief.
He also pointed out that out of the 43 warships and submarines being constructed by the Navy, 41 are being made in India only. (ANI)
Bob Menendez, the chair of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee. (Photo Source: Senator's website).
It is substantially in the hands of Bob Menendez whether or not the resolution recognizing Arunachal Pradesh as part of India passes the US Senate, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat
The Achilles Heel of the Biden Administration is that the President of the United States has stuffed the higher echelons of his administration with wannabe Europeans. Among policymakers, Europeanists act as though Europe and the US were a single entity separated only by the waters of the North Atlantic.
Paraphrasing EAM Jaishankar, while the rest of the world’s problems (barring of course the US itself) are usually not considered America’s problems, Europe’s problems immediately are seen as America’s problem. Donald J. Trump may not be the most popular person in Senator Bob Menendez’s party (or, less openly, in its main rival in the political arena), but he was the first US President in a long while to call out the Europeans for putting in a mere penny to assist Washington in its geopolitical forays, but always expecting a dollar from the US where their own issues were concerned.
Whether it be in matters of defence or getting the US to act as the spearhead of European efforts to retain primacy in those parts of the world that had in the past been colonies of states in that continent, Washington has run an extra ten to each of Europe’s mile. The visit of every US President to Europe has been an exercise in unsubtle flattery from the hosts accompanied by a list of demands.
Ukraine is different, for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy skips the flattery while constantly upping his demands from the Atlantic Alliance. In days past, V.K. Krishna Menon used to say that if you wanted anything from the Americans, “don’t beg them, kick them”. Zelenskyy has shown that Menon was right, given how President Biden is showing the generosity of a trillionaire Santa Claus by shovelling ever more equipment and help to Ukraine free of cost.
This is in contrast to the much more meagre help given to other democracies endangered by an authoritarian state. Neither India or Taiwan has been given even a single artillery round gratis by Joe Biden. Instead of enough of the much-needed advanced—repeat, advanced—defensive and offensive (for the first is useless without the capabilities of the other) missile and aircraft systems, the US sent Taiwan House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and will soon send Speaker Kevin McCarthy. A wonderful pair, to be sure, but of limited value in case a kinetic conflict were to ensue across both sides of the Taiwan straits.
Why India must fast-track its railways in Arunachal to deter China(in)
Senator Bob Menendez needs to avoid showing that he is one with President Biden in subliminally considering himself to be a European who has swum across the pond, and not an American, or part of a people who are not European, Asian, South American or African but a blend of all four of these continents and its peoples. It was the wannabe European in the White House that would have motivated Senator Menendez to demand that the alliance with India be torn to shreds by President Biden through imposing CAATSA sanctions after S-400 systems were purchased by India from the Russian Federation.
Senator Menendez should instead have asked Donald Trump why the US THAAD defence system was not offered to India on concessional terms (given that they would be useful to US security as well) while the S-400 deal was being negotiated by Delhi with Moscow. Is it that “Panda Huggers” in both the Trump as well the Biden administration would fret that their friends in Beijing may pull a long face at any such offer of the THAAD system to India ?
After all, if Bob Menendez is so unhappy about Russia’s land grab in Ukraine as to have signed up to Victoria Nuland’s “Let’s Punish India” policy, why is the same anger missing at China’s land grabs in Asia? This is, after all, Cold War 2.0, not Cold War 1.0. In such a context, having India as an ally in the Indo-Pacific against the PRC is essential for the security of the US. Fortunately, there are others in the Biden administration who understand where the principal threat to the US is coming from, President Biden had their wiser counsel, and refused to do what would have delighted both Beijing and Moscow, which would have been to place CAATSA sanctions on India.
It is substantially in the hands of Bob Menendez whether or not the US Senate resolution recognizing Arunachal Pradesh as part of India passes the Senate, before being sent to the House of Representatives and finally to the White House for assent. Should the Arunachal bill get signed into law, it would be an affirmation that the US is with India in resisting the expansionism of the authoritarian superpower rampaging in the Indo-Pacific.
Both the Sino-Wahhabi and the Sino-Russian lobbies in Washington will seek to stifle that partnership against tyranny, including by following Nuland’s advice to make its passage conditional on India joining hands with those European powers who are committing hara-kiri on themselves by cutting off from the natural resources of Russia, which comprises half the land area of Europe and of Asia combined.
Given the times they lived in, a Zbigniew Brzezinski or a Bill Casey could be forgiven their pro-China tilt. During Cold War 1.0, the PRC was invaluable in assisting the US to stymie the USSR. In the era of Cold War 2.0, a partnership with India is even more of an essentiality for the US than that with China in the past, a memo the Nulands in the Biden administration appear to have ignored. The Arunachal bill, should it become law, promises to be a game changer in India-US relations. Both in the Senate and House, and even in the White House if not yet in Foggy Bottom, this needs to be understood and actioned. Over to you, Senator.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday met US counterpart Joe Biden at the White House
Prime Minister Kishida informed President Biden that Japan has changed its security strategy significantly and detailed the reforms, which include significant defence budget increases and planning counterstrikes, reports Asian Lite News
Amid China’s growing quest to take control over the Indo-Pacific, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday met US counterpart Joe Biden at the White House and agreed to strengthen the alliance between the two countries as the two sides discussed the security strategy, Japan’s NHK World reported.
During the meeting at the White House, Kishida and Biden held a two-hour-long conversation in which Kishida informed Biden that Japan has changed its security strategy significantly and detailed the reforms, which include significant defence budget increases and planning counterstrikes. In order to maintain regional peace and security, the Japanese Prime Minister said the security environment is more severe and complex than ever, as he laid emphasis on Japan’s security strategy, NHK World reported.
Taiwan Strait
President Biden and the Japanese PM also reiterated their commitment to avoid conflict across the Taiwan Strait, according to a joint statement released on Friday by the White House after a bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Washington.
A Taiwan military vessel seen from a warship of the navy of the Eastern Theater Command during the navy’s combat exercises around Taiwan. (Photo by Lin Jian Xinhua IANS)
“We emphasize that our basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged, and reiterate the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community,” the White House said in a statement posted on its website.
The situation around Taiwan escalated after former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August, angering China. In successive months, France, Japan and other western countries also sent their delegations to the island, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
According to the White House statement, Biden also praised Japan’s new National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program. “This investment will bolster security across the Indo-Pacific and beyond and modernize the US-Japan relationship for the 21st century,” the statement said.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday met US counterpart Joe Biden at the White House.
By providing adequate, transparent epidemiological and viral genomic sequence data regarding the disease’s progress, Biden and Kishida encouraged China to help public health officials throughout the world stop the spread of Covid-19 and find potential new variants.
“We also call on China to report adequate transparent epidemiological and viral genomic sequence data regarding the spread of Covid-19, to enable public health officials around the world to be prepared to reduce the spread and identify any potential new variants,” the statement read. (ANI)
The U.K. will be the first European country to join the CPTPP should it succeed in becoming a member…reports Asian Lite News
UK is “working intensely” with India to achieve the Free Trade Agreements soon, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.
This comes after Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had said the UK is keen to stick to the Diwali deadline for free trade agreements. “We have signed Free Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand – and we are working intensely to agree one with India soon”, the foreign secretary Cleverly said.
In a keynote speech at the 9th Annual Milken Asia Summit, while setting out the UK’s continued commitment in the Indo-Pacific region, the UK foreign secretary noted, “We were the first European country to secure a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India. And we intend to be the first European country to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. It will give the region access to the UK’s world-class financial services sector as well as, as well as the world’s sixth largest economy. That’s why engagement between the UK and Indo-Pacific needs to cover the broadest spectrum of activity.”
Earlier, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had said the UK is keen to stick to the Diwali deadline for India-UK free trade agreement and both countries are working towards it.
He referred to the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II and said “as we are expanding our engagements, the UK is at a cusp”. “I received a letter from the UK again reiterating that they want to stick to the Diwali deadline (for the India-UK Free Trade Agreement),” Goyal had said at an event in New Delhi.
Speaking of India’s engagements and the quest to become self-reliant, Goyal said, “If we don’t engage with the international market, we are the losers…Today the whole world is talking of Atmanirbhar…There is no power that can stop us from becoming a developed nation in the next 25 years…The world wants to engage with us, the world has more confidence in us than we have.”
British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis had also said that India and the United Kingdom have the high ambition of completing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by Diwali this year. He had said that the agreement will increase employment and bring economic development to India over the next 25 years.
“Both, India and UK need to grow because we have great ambitions from both prime ministers. FTA is one of the best ways we can support the growth and development of India’s economy and India’s employment over the next 25 years. Now is the time to write a new chapter in our history as partners and support each other in our growth,” the UK High Commissioner told ANI on the sidelines of an event held in New Delhi.
On being asked, if it could be a “Diwali Dhamaka”, the UK High Commissioner nodded, saying, “I hope so.”
“I think we have high ambition on completing the FTA by Diwali. The FTA will create more jobs, more growth, and more opportunities for India to grow and develop,” he added.
The two countries concluded the fifth round of talks for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) last month.
‘Strategic shift to Indo-Pacific is permanent’
Britain will commit itself more fully to the Indo-Pacific region, beyond its ongoing efforts to join a massive trade deal in the region, the country’s new foreign secretary said Thursday.
“The Indo-Pacific tilt is here to stay,” James Cleverly said at the Milken Institute Asia Summit. “It is permanent.”
That “tilt” toward the Indo-Pacific will include further cooperation on economic issues, security matters and “shared values,” Cleverly said.
The foreign secretary pointed to “our commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity and freedom from economic coercion, and a shared belief in the value of democracy and open markets.”
Cleverly said that 1.7 million British citizens live in the region, and the United Kingdom has trade relationships worth $250 billion in the Indo-Pacific.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, is a trade pact that currently includes seven countries in Asia-Pacific and four in the Americas. It evolved out of the now-defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a trade bloc that was originated by the United States but which fell apart after former President Donald Trump scrapped U.S. involvement.
The United Kingdom is in the process of joining the CPTPP, a move that it hopes would help it diversify its trade partnerships, particularly since the country departed from the European Union.
The U.K. will be the first European country to join the CPTPP should it succeed in becoming a member.
China is also applying to join the CPTPP but has not made as much progress as the United Kingdom has. Cleverly said any discussion of the Indo-Pacific region had to include China, acknowledging that the country is a “driver of growth” that has successfully lifted millions of its citizens from poverty.
“But the lesson I take from watching China over my lifetime is that when China departs from global rules and norms, when it aligns itself with countries like Russia, its standing in the world suffers,” Cleverly said.
China President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin sealed a “no limits” partnership in February, only days before Russian troops stormed into Ukraine, starting a war that has taken tens of thousands of lives and continues to rage almost eight months later.
Cleverly has held his current role for only three weeks, but he said those three weeks had been “pretty intense.” Among other events, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II died in that period, and the United Nations General Assembly took place in New York City.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised creating stronger defence industrial collaboration and military exercises between India and US during the talks with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin
During his bilateral talks with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in the Pentagon, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the stability, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific should be secured as the global situation has become very challenging.
“So for me, our meeting today and my presence here today I do share with you that the global situation has become a far more challenging variety of reasons. Indo-Pacific in particular, it’s important that the stability, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific should be secured which is best done amongst others,” Jaishankar said during the opening remarks at Pentagon.
He also emphasised creating stronger defence industrial collaboration and military exercises between India and US during the talks.
Both the leaders expressed commitment to deepening bilateral defence cooperation and expanding information-sharing and logistics cooperation to drive deeper operational coordination between the US and Indian militaries, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder in a readout.
Austin and Jaishankar also discussed new opportunities for bilateral defence industrial cooperation in support of India’s contributions as a regional security provider.
The two sides are also looking forward to the launch of a new defence dialogue later this year as the United States and India work more closely across space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and other domains, the statement read.
Furthermore, Lloyd Austin and S Jaishankar underscored the value of the deepening collaboration between the United States, India, Australia, Japan, and European partners and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together as steadfast partners to advance the United States and India’s shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
During his opening remarks in Washington, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin sharply criticised China for “unprecedented provocations in the Taiwan Strait” during bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar at the Pentagon and said that India and US, the two great democracies are working together toward a brighter future for the Indo-Pacific as the world faces sustained challenges to peace, security and prosperity in the region and beyond.
“Our bilateral defence ties are just one way that our two great democracies are working together toward a brighter future for the Indo-Pacific. The United States In India, along with a dozen other Indo-Pacific partners, pushing to expand our region’s prosperity for the Indo-Pacific Economic framework,” Austin said.
Referring to QUAD- the strategic coalition of leading Indo-Pacific democracies comprising India, Australia, Japan and the US, Austin also underscored the current concerns over maritime security in Taiwan and Indo-Pacific.
Austin also lambasted China for supporting Russia’s invasion in Ukraine and said, “China (Peoples Republic of China) continues to support Russia amid its unprovoked and cruel invasion. So we face sustained challenges to peace, security and prosperity in the region and beyond.”
Defence and Security cooperation is a key pillar of the contemporary India-US partnership. We noted the steady progress in policy exchange, interoperability, defense trade, service exercises and military-industrial cooperation. pic.twitter.com/9AkvTkALGk
Notably, External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar was welcomed by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the Pentagon in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony on Thursday.
This meeting comes a day before Jaishankar meets his US counterpart Sec Anthony Blinken.
The External Affairs Minister concluded the high-level United Nations General Assembly debate in New York on Saturday. Jaishankar was in New York from September 18 to 24.
In Washington, Jaishankar is expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials of the Biden Administration. A round table focused on science and technology is also on the agenda for Washington.
