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China mulls national military training for children, college students

China’s National People’s Congress is currently considering legal amendments to expand compulsory military training in universities and introduce ‘national defence education’ in high schools, a report by Rakesh Sharma

For an extended period, China enforced a one-child policy, which has now begun to create significant challenges within its society and economy. Consequently, the People’s Liberation Army of China is encountering substantial difficulties in its recruitment efforts. In reality, Chinese families are reluctant to send their sole offspring to the military. These only children, nurtured with immense care and affection, have become mentally, psychologically, and physically fragile. The Communist Party of China is struggling to find young recruits for the army. As a result, the CPC is planning to amend the law by introducing a new ordinance that mandates all students in the country to serve in the military.

The National People’s Congress of China is deliberating on legal amendments to broaden mandatory military training in universities and introduce ‘National Defence Education’ in high schools. According to the proposed changes, units of the People’s Liberation Army will be deployed in educational institutions nationwide, including colleges, universities, and high schools. This initiative aims to enhance a comprehensive program of sanctioned military education and physical training, preparing the youth for potential recruitment. This development was reported by the state news agency Xinhua on September 10.

China’s National People’s Congress is currently considering legal amendments to expand compulsory military training in universities and introduce ‘national defence education’ in high schools. The proposed changes would see units of the People’s Liberation Army stationed in educational institutions across the country, including colleges, universities, and high schools. This initiative is designed to bolster a nationwide program of approved military education and physical training, aimed at preparing young people for potential recruitment. This development was reported by the state news agency Xinhua on September 10.

Departments of the People’s Armed Forces are already embedded at every level of government, as well as in schools, universities, and state-owned enterprises, to reinforce the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) control over local militias, safeguard weapons caches, and provide employment for veterans. After being relatively inconspicuous during the post-Mao economic boom, these departments are now actively mobilizing to establish militias within large state-owned companies and strengthen party leadership over local military operations.

Analysts suggest that if the proposed amendments are adopted, they will standardize these activities under the CCP’s military guidelines, aiming to generate more potential recruits in preparation for conflict. Although Chinese citizens are theoretically required to serve in the People’s Liberation Army, this mandate has not been enforced since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

According to Xinhua, the proposed amendments will require high schools to educate students about military service and foster a perception of it as ‘glorious.’ The plan also includes primary and junior high schools, urging them to integrate classroom instruction with extracurricular activities, as reported by China News Service.

The report states that college and high school students will be mandated to undergo basic military training, while junior high schools may also organize similar activities. As per the Legal Daily newspaper, the amendments aim to establish a comprehensive national military training program that links schools of all levels and types. Additionally, the amendments ensure funding for these activities, which will encompass military camps and ‘national defence education bases.

Shan-Son Kung, an associate researcher at Taiwan’s Institute for National Defence and Security Research, explained to RFA Mandarin that the goal is to instill national defence awareness and identify potential enemies at a younger age. He noted that basic military training is being introduced earlier in the education system to ensure widespread military knowledge. The objective is to enhance preparations for future conflicts, thereby increasing the number of conscripts available after the Mobilization Law is enacted. The National Defence Mobilization Law of the People’s Republic of China, which came into effect on July 1, 2010, aims to establish a comprehensive national defence mobilization framework.

Kung observed that the Chinese military relies heavily on recruitment, with a significant portion of its standing army being professional soldiers. He indicated that escalating tensions between China and the United States might lead China to bolster its economic and military mobilization efforts. This could involve increasing the frequency and scope of military exercises. Such measures may be seen as proactive steps to prepare for a potential large-scale conflict in the future.

China mandates that graduates in fields such as fluid mechanics, machinery, chemistry, missile technology, radar, science and engineering, and weapons science join the People’s Liberation Army. Taiwan-based Chinese dissident Gong Yujian highlighted that the Chinese Communist Party recognizes the challenge of recruiting young people due to the one-child policy’s impact on the age group. To address this, the CCP is intensifying pro-military propaganda targeting the youth.

 “They aim to in still loyalty to the party and patriotism in high school students, encouraging them to revere the People’s Liberation Army,” Gong explained. “It’s a form of educational indoctrination.” This strategy aims to boost recruitment figures by encouraging students to enlist after graduation. Gong recalled his own experiences with military training exercises during his high school years.

 “When we were in school, we underwent a seven-day military training, but it was merely a formality,” he recalled. “Soldiers from the local armed police force came to our school to instruct us on marching and folding blankets.” He added, “We never even got to handle a firearm.” China’s consideration of mandatory military training for children and college students reflects its strategic move to bolster national defence readiness. By instilling military values and skills from a young age, the country aims to ensure a steady stream of recruits and enhance its overall military capabilities but in present scenario this herculean task seems to be impossible.

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UK military personnel’s data accessed in hack

Ministers will blame hostile and malign actors, but will not name the country behind the hacking…reports Asian Lite News

The Ministry of Defence has suffered a significant data breach and the personal information of UK military personnel has been hacked.

A third-party payroll system used by the MoD, which includes names and bank details of current and past members of the armed forces, was targeted in the attack. A very small number of addresses may also have been accessed.

The department took immediate action and took the external network, operated by a contractor, offline.

Initial investigations have found no evidence that data had been removed, according to the BBC and Sky, who first reported the story. The Guardian understands MPs will be addressed on the matter in the Commons on Tuesday, with Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, expected to make a statement in the afternoon.

Ministers will blame hostile and malign actors, but will not name the country behind the hacking.

Affected service personnel will be alerted as a precaution and provided with specialist advice. They will be able to use a personal data protection service to check whether their information is being used or an attempt is being made to use it.

All salaries were paid at the last payday, with no issues expected at the next one at the end of this month, although there may be a slight delay in the payment of expenses in a small number of cases.

The shadow defence secretary, John Healey, said: “So many serious questions for the defence secretary on this, especially from forces personnel whose details were targeted.

The MoD first discovered the attack several days ago and has since been working to understand its scale and impact. In March the UK and the US accused China of a global campaign of “malicious” cyber-attacks, in an unprecedented joint operation to reveal Beijing’s espionage.

Britain blamed Beijing for targeting the Electoral Commission watchdog in 2021 and for being behind a campaign of online “reconnaissance” aimed at the email accounts of MPs and peers.

In response to the Beijing-linked hacks on the Electoral Commission and 43 individuals, a front company, Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, and two people linked to the APT31 hacking group were sanctioned.

But some of the MPs targeted by the Chinese state said the response did not go far enough, urging the government to toughen its stance on China by labelling it a “threat” to national security rather than an “epoch-defining challenge”.

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War, fear of war spur global military spending to new record

The increased spending exactly matched the global rate of inflation of 6.8 percent, so it doesn’t necessarily translate into greater military efficacy everywhere…reports Asian Lite News

The world spent $2.4 trillion on military forces last year, the highest amount ever recorded by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

SIPRI has been monitoring military expenditures since 1949 and found in its annual report released on Monday that in 2023 they rose to 2.3 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) from 2.2 percent the year before.

It meant that every man, woman and child on the planet was taxed an average of $306 for military spending last year – the highest rate since the Cold War.

The increased spending exactly matched the global rate of inflation of 6.8 percent, so it doesn’t necessarily translate into greater military efficacy everywhere.

But as SIPRI said, spending was not evenly spread out because “world military expenditure is highly concentrated among a very small group of states”.

The United States remained the biggest spender at $916bn, representing 37 percent of the world’s military outlays. China came second with an estimated $296bn.

Russia was third at $109bn although SIPRI considers this an underestimation “due to the increasing opaqueness of Russian financial authorities since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022”. India came fourth at $83.6bn.

The rate of increase in military spending was also uneven with European budgets ballooning due to the war in Ukraine.

The belligerents

Ukraine increased its defence spending by 51 percent to $64.8bn – not including $35bn in military donations from allies. That meant it was devoting 37 percent of its GDP and nearly 60 percent of all government spending to defence, SIPRI said.

Despite financial aid from Europe, the US and the International Monetary Fund, this was a remarkable feat given that Ukraine lost seven million taxpayers and, according to World Bank figures, a fifth of its economic output in 2022, the first year of the war.

The toll on Russian society was far lower.

Last year, Russia increased military spending by 24 percent to 6.9 percent of its GDP and 16 percent of all government spending. Even though this was the largest defence budget since the Soviet Union was dissolved three decades ago, Russia’s economy also grew by almost 22 percent, thanks to high energy export revenues, lending resilience to its economy.

Russia had already increased its military spending by 9 percent in 2022. The fact that it then budgeted a 21 percent increase in 2023 and actually increased spending by 24 percent suggests that it was continually surprised by the length of the war and the toll of Ukrainian resistance on its armed forces.

Its 2024 budget plans an even bigger increase – 70 percent on defence and security spending – to $157bn, the Reuters news agency reported

Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on October 7 and Israel’s war in Gaza led to a massive 24 percent defence budget increase in Israel last year to $27.5bn, or 5.3 percent of its GDP.

Saudi Arabia also significantly increased spending.

The two countries contributed to a 9 percent defence budget increase in the Middle East last year, the biggest annual increase in a decade. The Middle East also bears the biggest military burden in the world as a percentage of GDP. At 4.2 percent, it is nearly double the world average.

A transformation in Europe

Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine led Europe’s NATO members to increase military budgets by 16 percent last year to $588bn. This meant they were spending an average of 2.8 percent of GDP on defence, SIPRI said, surpassing the 2 percent threshold NATO set in 2014, although that level of spending wasn’t shared by all members.

This has led to some spectacular increases on the continent.

Poland led the pack with a 75 percent increase last year, pouring 3.9 percent of its GDP into defence. This was partly to pay for a comprehensive $2bn defence modernisation programme of its armed forces under US guidance but also to massively overhaul and increase its arsenal.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland has ordered 500 HIMARS rocket launchers from Lockheed Martin, 250 Abrams tanks from General Dynamics as well as rocket launchers, tanks, howitzers and fighter jets from South Korea. In 2020, it signed a $4.6bn deal for F-35 multirole fighter jets from Lockheed Martin.

Finland, which shares NATO’s longest border with Russia, also massively upped defence spending by 54 percent, to 2.4 percent of its GDP. It, too, bought the F-35 as its next generation jet as well as air defence systems, tripling procurement spending in a year.

Other Northern European and Baltic Sea states have massively increased spending in the past year with the United Kingdom leading the region with a 7.9 percent increase last year.

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UK govt to spend $5.7 bn on military drones

Britain is already supplying Ukraine with drones. It said it would spend 200 million pounds on uncrewed systems out of a total 2.5 billion pound support package, and has already donated 4,000 drones to Ukraine…reports Asian Lite News

Britain will spend 4.5 billion pounds ($5.7 billion) to provide its armed forces with drones over the next decade after the Ukraine war showed the importance of uncrewed systems in conflict, the government said on Thursday.

Drone warfare has opened up as a key battlefront two years into Russia’s war with Ukraine and both sides are striving for the upper hand in technology.

Drones – or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – are cheap to produce and can surveil enemy movements and drop ordnance with pinpoint accuracy.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the new investment would speed up delivery of drones to its army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, for use in intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, strike and logistics.

“The conflict in Ukraine has been an incubator for new ways of war and we need to learn and implement those hard-fought lessons,” defence procurement minister James Cartlidge said in a statement.

“Ultimately, this is about learning the lessons from the Ukrainian frontline to procure drones at scale for the United Kingdom’s Armed Forces.”

Britain is already supplying Ukraine with drones. It said it would spend 200 million pounds on uncrewed systems out of a total 2.5 billion pound support package, and has already donated 4,000 drones to Ukraine.

Drones already in use by British forces include the Evolve Dynamics Sky Mantis, which weighs 7.7 kg, and the Reaper MQ-9A which is used by the RAF for surveillance and attack missions.

Of the £2.5 billion pounds to be spent on supporting Ukraine this coming financial year, more than £200 million will go towards supplying Ukraine with uncrewed systems. As the Defence Secretary announced last week, the UK will include work to scale up the Drone Capability Coalition’s provision of ‘first-person view’ (FPV) drones to Ukraine. This will help to scale the UK’s domestic drone industry across manufacturing and software development whilst giving Ukraine cutting-edge, battle-tested capabilities to defend their citizens and target the invading Russian forces.

Working with international partners and leading uncrewed systems designers, the UK’s ambition to be a world-leader in uncrewed systems will enable exports in a rapidly growing global market and create onshore investment opportunities, supporting UK jobs and backing the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.

Commander of UK Strategic Command, General Jim Hockenhull said, “This strategy, backed by significant investment, offers the opportunity to transform our approach to the acquisition, integration, and exploitation of uncrewed systems. The partnership with industry will be vital to ensure we harness innovation and generate world-leading capability. Integrating advanced uncrewed systems into our suite of capabilities will protect the force, deter our adversaries and, when necessary, help us to fight and win.”

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Indo-US Special Forces Wrap Up Joint Military Exercise

During the course of the next three weeks, both sides jointly planned and rehearsed a series of special operations, counter-terrorism operations, and airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain…reports Asian Lite News

In a significant display of military collaboration and shared expertise, the 14th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise, “Vajra Prahar 2023,” concluded successfully at the Joint Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya. The conclusion of this joint military endeavour was marked by a congratulatory message from US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, expressing gratitude to both the United States Army and the Indian Army Special Forces for their commendable efforts.

“Congratulations to @USArmy and @adgpi (India Army) Special Forces on the successful conclusion of the 14th edition of our joint military exercise #VajraPrahar at Umroi, Meghalaya,” said Garcetti in a post on X. Ambassador Garcetti emphasised the pivotal role of such bilateral joint military exercises in not only elevating the US-India defence partnership to new heights but also reinforcing interoperability through the exchange of top-notch practises. He extended special thanks to India for hosting this year’s edition of the exercise, highlighting the hospitality and cooperation that facilitated the success of the joint endeavour.

“Bilateral joint military exercises like these not only elevate the #USIndiaDefense partnership to new heights but also reinforce interoperability through the exchange of top-notch practises. Special thanks to India for hosting this year’s exercise,” his post added. The joint exercise “Vajra Prahar 2023” commenced at the Joint Training Node, Umroi, in November earlier this year, according to the Ministry of Defence. The US contingent was represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) of the US Special Forces. The Indian Army contingent was led by Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command.

Exercise Vajra Prahar is a joint exercise conducted between the Indian Army and US Army Special Forces, the ministry said in a press release. It aims at sharing best practises and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics. The first edition was conducted in 2010 in India and the 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise was conducted at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh (HP). The current edition is being conducted in Umroi Cantonment, Meghalaya, from November 21 to December 11. During the course of the next three weeks, both sides jointly planned and rehearsed a series of special operations, counter-terrorism operations, and airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

Key highlights included ‘Combat free fall insertion of troops from stand-off distances’, ‘Waterborne insertion of troops’, ‘Precision engagement of targets at long ranges’, ‘Combat air control of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft’ besides ‘Airborne insertion and sustenance of troops’, the release added. Exercise Vajra Prahar has evolved as a mechanism to exchange ideas and share best practises between the Special Forces of both nations. It is also a platform to enhance interoperability and strengthen defence cooperation between the armies of India and the United States of America, according to the Ministry of Defence. (ANI)

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Countdown to Imran’s arrest as military cleanses ranks

(Photo: ISPR)

At least 16 army officers including two Major Generals (GOCs) of Lahore, and some brigadiers are already undergoing court martial proceedings, reports Atul Aneja

The military purge in Pakistan has gathered steam to root out supporters of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan whose early arrest is now on the cards.

Authoritative sources told India Narrative that at least 16 army officers including two Major Generals (GOCs) of Lahore, and some brigadiers are already undergoing court martial proceedings.

As of now, there is silence on the fate of ex-Corps Commander Lahore, who is suspected of involvement in the ransacking of Jinnah House, the corps commanders’ residence in Lahore by insurrectionists on May 9.

There is considerable speculation that former Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Faiz Hameed, is believed to be under house arrest. Some sections in Pakistan consider Gen. Hameed as the mastermind of the mutiny.

As a result of the on-going purge, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir has emerged strongest in the military establishment following to the May 9 incident.

Gen. Munir initiated the military purge soon after the failure of the rebellion marshalled by Khan and his vast network of supporters. It is learnt that the Pak Army Chief, furious at perpetrator of the May 9 mayhem, fully demonstrated his feelings during his visits to various corps and garrisons after the incident.

Pakistan’s former Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed (Photo Credit Twitter via ANI)

During these visits the Chief of Army Staff apparently exhorted the rank and file to behave professionally, and root out pro-PTI or any other kind of political inclination from their minds.

Gen. Munir’s line of thought was clear-no mercy would be shown towards those complicit in the May 9 attacks, irrespective of their elite status. Even families of retired and serving generals would be in the firing line.

The purge acquired institutional momentum after the four-day formation commanders conference that began on June 4. The press statement issued after the meeting further amplified the intent of the top military brass to root out Khan’s supporters in the military.

Regarding the ex-PM’s fate, India Narrative has learnt that after his arrest which is only a matter of time, Khan would be tried in a military court and is expected to be awarded long prison sentence.

Besides, at least 14 other leaders of Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including Ijaz Chaudhry, Yasmin Rashid, Murad Saeed, Ali Amin Gandapur, Mehmoodul Rashid, Ali Nawaz Awan, Hassan Niazi, Alia Hamza, Kanwal Shozab, Khadija Shah, Aleema Khan, Sheharyar Afridi are also expected to be tried under the Army Act.

The moves would be in tune with the declaration by the formation commanders that “while the legal trials of perpetrators and instigators have commenced, it is time that noose of law is also tightened around the planners and masterminds who mounted the hate ripened and politically driven rebellion against the state and state institutions to achieve their nefarious design of creating chaos in the country”.

By trying the kingpins of the May 9 rebellion under the Army, Khan and his coterie would be unable to seek relief from the judiciary including the Supreme Court, who would have no role in trials in the military courts.

As reported by IN the military is miffed by the role of Pakistani judiciary especially the Supreme Court of Pakistan, including Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and the Lahore High court, which has shielded Khan and his top lieutenants.

On the political front, the much-touted tigers of the PTI are gathering as herd under the umbrella of Jehangir Khan Tareen (JKT)’s Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP). The IPP includes Khan’s one-time loyalists including Ali Zaidi, Imran Ismail, Fawad Chaudhry, Murad Raas, and Kayani among others.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

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India govt to reform military attaches’ deployments

Officials said that the government is also going to allow the attaches to promote the sale of hardware manufactured by the private sector of the country…reports Asian Lite News

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to increase exports, the centre is carrying out a major change in their deployments as they would be posted to countries where they can help in expanding domestic defence exports.

The Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Defence are carrying out this reform soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the ways of increasing defence exports from the country at the combined commanders’ conference. “The military or the defence attaches will now be deployed in countries where they can mainly help in increasing defence exports of the country including products from both the public sector and the private sector,” senior defence officials told ANI here.

This would also lead to a reduction of military officers posted in countries from where we have been importing military hardware traditionally, they said.

“At a time when we have stopped importing weapon systems from abroad and are insisting on production in India under the Make in India scheme, there is no point in maintaining a significant number of attaches in countries which have been exporting weapon systems to us,” they said.

India has put a virtual ban on imports and is buying only highly essential equipment from external sources and insisting on make in India.

The officials said that while positing these officers, the focus would be on countries in Africa, middle eastern countries along with the friendly nations in south-east Asia which have shown interest in Indian equipment like the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

A number of Indian public sector units have also opened offices to support the Armenian military to help increase exports.

Officials said that the government is also going to allow the attaches to promote the sale of hardware manufactured by the private sector of the country.

The officials said when Western countries promote the sale of their hardware in India or other countries, their military personnel accompany their sales teams to make the pitch as it is in their national interest and the same can be followed here as well.

Indian side feels that the military hardware produced by it can find buyers in Africa or South East Asian countries who are looking at a constant supply at reasonable and affordable cost.

The DMA led by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan has been working towards increasing the defence exports along with reducing the import in the defence sector.

The DMA has already issued a negative list for imports and over 400 items are there in that.

India in the recent past has junked many import deals and r put them on hold like the plan to buy 33 fighter aircraft from Russia, buying high calibre guns for the Navy from the US, high altitude long endurance drones and many other items.

Relaxation’s have been given to the forces to import equipment at the highest level only in the defence ministry.

The Department of Defence Production under Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane has envisaged an export target of USD 5 billion by 2025.

They have also been planning to use the defence trachea to achieve the export target as it is felt that they can play a pivotal role as they understand the defence requirements of the respective country and can promote the export of Indian defence products in their respective countries. (By Ajit K Dubey/ANI)

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UK govt warns China secrecy over military expansion risks

Cleverly will say it would be a mistake to try to isolate China and engagement is needed in areas such as climate change, pandemic prevention, economic stability and nuclear proliferation…reports Asian Lite News

British foreign minister James Cleverly will urge China to be more open about the reasons behind what he called the biggest military build-up in peacetime history and said secrecy could lead to a “tragic miscalculation”.

Relations between Britain and China are the worst in decades as London has restricted Chinese investment over national security concerns and grown more worried about Beijing’s increasing military and economic assertiveness.

In a speech at Mansion House in London’s historic financial district on Tuesday evening, Cleverly will say Britain is open about seeking to deepen cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific and called for China to be clear about its intentions.

“I urge China to be equally open about the doctrine and intent behind its military expansion, because transparency is surely in everyone’s interests and secrecy can only increase the risk of tragic miscalculation,” Cleverly will say, according to extracts released by his office.

Britain is recalibrating its approach to China after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced in November the end to what was considered a golden era of relations under former prime minister David Cameron.

While the leaders of France, Germany and Spain have visited China in the last six months and called for engagement with the world’s second biggest economy, the United States and Britain are taking a tougher approach to what they consider a growing threat from Beijing to their interests and values.

Cleverly will say it would be a mistake to try to isolate China and engagement is needed in areas such as climate change, pandemic prevention, economic stability and nuclear proliferation.

“It would be clear and easy – perhaps even satisfying – for me to declare a new Cold War,” he will say. “Clear, easy, satisfying – and wrong.”

But Cleverly will say that Britain will protect its national security interests and call out Beijing if it breaks its international obligations or abuses human rights.

Cleverly will use his speech to condemn the treatment of the Uyghur people in China’s Xinjiang region.

He will accuse China of building “a 21st-century version of the gulag archipelago” and “locking up over a million people at the height of this campaign, often for doing nothing more than observing their religion”.

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‘If provoked India likely to give military response’

A report by the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community reveals that PM modi will respond with force against perceived or real Pakistani provocations…reports Asian Lite News

According to the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations.

The report said the crises between India and Pakistan are more conderning because both are nuclear-armed states. However, Pakistan has a long history of supporting anti-India terrorist groups But, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is more likely to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations, than it was in the past, the threat assessment report said.

“Crises between India and Pakistan are of particular concern because of the risk of an escalatory cycle between two nuclear-armed states. New Delhi and Islamabad probably are inclined to reinforce the current calm in their relationship following both sides’ renewal of a cease-fire along the Line of Control in early 2021,” the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community report said.

It further said, “Pakistan has a long history of supporting anti-India militant groups, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations.”

“Each side’s perception of heightened tensions raises the risk of conflict, with violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant attack in India being potential flashpoints,” it said.

Interstate conflict, state instability, and other governance challenges pose direct and indirect challenges to US interests at home and abroad, and to its allies and partners.

Rising tensions underpinned by intensifying strategic competition present numerous consequences for US and partners’ national security.

Countries’ increased military operations across a number of geographic hotspots risk the possibility of inadvertent escalation and the potential for interstate conflict, the statement.

Russia’s war in Ukraine coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic has increased poverty, hindered economic growth, and widened inequality, raising the conditions that are ripe for domestic unrest, insurgencies, democratic backsliding, and authoritarianism.

The war in Ukraine has demonstrated how interstate conflict affects not only the parties directly involved, but can have broader cascading security, economic, and humanitarian implications on a regional–and even global–scale. The following are a few of the potential conflicts between states that could spillover with repercussions that may require immediate U.S. attention, the Threat Assesment Report said.

This annual report of worldwide threats to the national security of the United States reflects the collective insights of the Intelligence Community, which is committed every day to providing the nuanced, independent, and unvarnished intelligence that policymakers, warfighters, and domestic law enforcement personnel need to protect American lives and America’s interests anywhere in the world.

This assessment focuses on the most direct, serious threats to the United States in the upcoming year.

‘Russia does not want direct military conflict with US, NATO’

The report believes that Russia “probably does not want a direct military conflict with US and NATO forces, but there is potential for that to occur.” 

Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine is a tectonic event that is reshaping Russia’s relationships with the West and China, and more broadly in ways that are unfolding and remain highly uncertain. Escalation of the conflict to a military confrontation between Russia and the West carries the greater risk, which the world has not faced in decades.

“Russian leaders thus far have avoided taking actions that would broaden the Ukraine conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders, but the risk for escalation remains significant,” said the report.

There is real potential for Russia’s military failures in the war to hurt Russian President Vladimir Putin’s domestic standing and thereby trigger additional escalatory actions by Russia in an effort to win back public support. Heightened claims that the United States is using Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia, and that Ukraine’s military successes are only a result of US and NATO intervention could presage further Russian escalation.

Moscow will continue to employ an array of tools to advance what it sees as its own interests and try to undermine the interests of the United States and its allies. These are likely to be military, security, malign influence, cyber, and intelligence tools, with Russia’s economic and energy leverage probably a declining asset. We expect Moscow to insert itself into crises when it sees its interests at stake, the anticipated costs of action are low, it sees an opportunity to capitalize on a power vacuum, or, as in the case of its use of force in Ukraine, it perceives an existential threat in its neighborhood that could destabilize Putin’s rule and endanger Russian national security, added the US report.

It further stated that Russia will continue to use energy as a foreign policy tool to try to coerce cooperation and weaken Western unity on Ukraine.

Russia’s state-owned exporter Gazprom cut off gas to a number of European countries after they supported sanctions on Russia, contributing to soaring natural gas prices.

The US Intelligence Community report also said that Russia has used food as a weapon by blocking or seizing Ukrainian ports, destroying grain infrastructure, occupying large swaths of agricultural land thereby disrupting the yields and displacing workers, and stealing grain for eventual export. These actions exacerbated global food shortages and price increases.  (ANI)

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Sikh prayer books issued to military personnel after 100 yrs

Sikh prayer books issued to UK military personnel after 100 yrs.(photo:Instagram)

The Nitnem Gutkas were printed in Wiltshire and placed on a throne in a purpose-built vehicle for Sikh scriptures…reports Asian Lite News

Daily Sikh prayer books, called the Nitnem Gutka, have been issued to Sikh military personnel in the UK for the first time in 100 years, a media report said on Thursday.

The prayer books have been printed in three languages in durable and waterproof material to withstand the rigours of military life, said the BBC report.

While the British Army Gutka has a camouflage cover, the Royal Navy and RAF Gutka has a navy blue one.

Major Daljinder Singh Virdee, who is in the British Army and has spent two years campaigning for the return of the books, said on Wednesday: “The Army has been providing Christian religious texts for many years and I saw the opportunity there to open the door for the Sikh faith to provide Sikh texts.”

The Nitnem Gutkas were printed in Wiltshire and placed on a throne in a purpose-built vehicle for Sikh scriptures.

They were transported to the library of the Central Gurdwara temple in London, where they were officially issued to military personnel on October 28, the BBC reported.

Also the chairperson of the UK Defence Sikh Network, Major Singh Virdee, who uses his Nitnem Gutka three times a day, said: “For Sikh’s our scriptures are not just words, they are the living embodiment of our guru. We draw moral strength and physical strength from reading the scriptures every day, it gives us discipline and it grows us spiritually,” he said.

Nitnem Gutkas were first issued to military personnel more than a century ago, along with other articles of the Sikh faith including steel daggers, bracelets and wooden combs, but have never been issued again since.

There is an original military-issued Nitnem Gutka in the National Army Museum’s archives, in London.

Sikh soldiers were recruited to the British military from the 1840s onwards, reports the BBC.

In response to the development, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said on Wednesday that it hopes to “directly support Sikhs practice a key component of their faith”.

“By providing a Nitnem Gutka for serving Sikhs across the UK MOD we hope to directly support Sikhs practice a key component of their faith wherever they travel and work in whatever conditions,” the BBC quoted a Ministry spokesman as saying.

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