Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

The Strategic Issues & International Relations Forum is a venue to discuss issues pertaining to India's security environment, her strategic outlook on global affairs and as well as the effect of international relations in the Indian Subcontinent. We request members to kindly stay within the mandate of this forum and keep their exchanges of views, on a civilised level, however vehemently any disagreement may be felt. All feedback regarding forum usage may be sent to the moderators using the Feedback Form or by clicking the Report Post Icon in any objectionable post for proper action. Please note that the views expressed by the Members and Moderators on these discussion boards are that of the individuals only and do not reflect the official policy or view of the Bharat-Rakshak.com Website. Copyright Violation is strictly prohibited and may result in revocation of your posting rights - please read the FAQ for full details. Users must also abide by the Forum Guidelines at all times.
Locked
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

China places 10 seismometers in Indian ocean - PTI
China has successfully placed in the Indian Ocean ten ocean seismometers which are used to measure earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or the use of explosives.

China's 49th ocean expedition team on Sunday placed ocean-bottom seismometers in the southwest Indian Ocean, with five more planned, state-run Global Times reported.

Fifteen ocean-bottom seismometers will be retrieved in the coming year, Science and Technology Daily reported on Monday.

Ocean-bottom seismometers can operate for extended periods of time on the seafloor to gather data from earthquakes and artificial vibrations in the deep sea.


Seismometer is used to measure the motion of the ground caused by an earthquake, a volcanic eruption or the use of explosives.

The lifespan of a seismometer is from several months to a year, before being retrieved for further research.

This is the first time China has placed seismometers in the southwest Indian Ocean's Junhui hydrothermal field {Where the heck is this location in the IOR and why does it have a Chinese-sounding name?} , according to Qiu Lei, head of the team's earth physics department, the report said.

China has placed seismometers in the three nearby hydrothermal fields which it reportedly named Longqi, Yuhuang and Duanqiao.

The new seismometers in Junhui have been placed where there was previously no ocean-bottom seismographic observation, Qiu was quoted by the Science and Technology Daily as saying.

The new seismometers have larger battery capacities to allow them to operate for more than a year, Qui said.

The findings of the seismometers, especially minor earthquakes that are difficult to observe otherwise, will provide valuable data for the exploration of polymetallic sulphide and help researchers understand the structure of the region.

Research in the southwest Indian Ocean is usually misinterpreted by foreign media as military activity. This is simply not the case, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of International Relations told the Global Times.

"Every sovereign nation has the right to conduct scientific research in international waters, so their argument does not stand," Hu said.


China's 49th ocean expedition began on December 6, 2017 on the research ship Xiangyanghong 10, hoping to explore polymetallic sulphide deposits in the southwest and northwest Indian Ocean.

The expedition, with more than 200 personnel, would last 250 days, the report said.

China secured contracts from International Seabed Authority (ISA) in 2011 to explore Indian Ocean for polymetallic sulphide ore and its research vessel has discovered two hydrothermal areas and four hydrothermal anomaly areas in southwest part of the ocean.

Under the contract with the ISA, China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA) got exclusive rights to explore 10,000 square-km of seabed in the southwest Indian Ocean, according to earlier reports.
Prem
BRF Oldie
Posts: 21233
Joined: 01 Jul 1999 11:31
Location: Weighing and Waiting 8T Yconomy

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prem »

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/it- ... licy-26042
It Is Time for Trump to Rethink the One-China Policy
Taiwan has lost yet another diplomatic ally, with Burkina Faso cutting ties with the island. That news coincided with China’s dis-invitation from America’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise and the cancellation of the summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, making Burkina Faso’s abandonment of Taiwan seem inconsequential by comparison. After all, Taiwan’s unofficial relationship with the United States is far more valuable to Taipei than are its formal diplomatic partners. Furthermore, Burkina Faso is a relatively small and impoverished country that provided Taiwan nearly nothing of value aside from diplomatic recognition. However, China has been campaigning to get as many countries as possible to break diplomatic relations with Taiwan and Burkina Faso is another victory for Beijing.This makes Burkina Faso’s decision as just the latest in a series of Chinese measures designed to isolate Taiwan and, more specifically, to reduce the potential for foreign interference in Beijing’s designs on the island. In addition, China seeks to convince Taiwan’s people that resistance is futile, to add further strain on Taiwan’s military hardware, and to turn Taiwan’s population against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.There are plenty of things the United States can do to shore up stability in the Taiwan Strait in the face of sustained hostility from China. Bilateral military exercises, regular arms sales, and a bilateral free trade agreement would all be useful. In the near-term, President Trump should send a cabinet-level official to speak at the opening of the new American Institute in Taiwan facility in Taipei, scheduled for June 12, if his summit with Kim Jong-un is definitively canceled or postponed. If the summit does not go forward on the twelfth, Trump will no longer need to worry about keeping all eyes focused on his meeting with the North Korean leader. Even if the North Korea meeting does occur as originally scheduled, President Trump should at least send a prominent assistant secretary to mark the occasion in Taipei.It may be time, however, for Washington to think bigger.On December 2, 2016, not long after his election victory, Donald Trump accepted a congratulatory phone call from Tsai Ing-wen, breaking with decades of precedent. In the weeks that followed, the American president called into question the “one China” policy on two occasions, positing in early January 2017 that “everything is under negotiation, including ‘one China.’” Although the suggestion that America’s relationship with Taiwan might be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Beijing was troubling, Trump’s questioning of orthodoxy was not without merit.As such, President Trump should direct the National Security Council to launch an inter-agency review of the “one China” policy. How does the policy hurt and benefit China, Taiwan, and the United States? Is strategic ambiguity effective in contributing to cross-Strait stability? Does the United States have better means at its disposal to ensure Taiwan’s continuing de facto independence and peace in the Taiwan Strait? What are the alternatives to the “one China” policy and to the current nature of America’s unofficial ties to Taiwan? How might Taipei and Beijing react to a potential change in the “one China” policy—would Taiwan be receptive and might China resort to force?—and what steps might the United States need to manage the fallout?It may well be the case that the “one China” policy provides the best—or, perhaps, the least bad—framework in which Washington can effectively engage with both Taipei and Beijing. But for President Trump to even pose these questions is to put China on notice that, thanks to its relentless harassment of Taiwan, it is playing with fire in the Taiwan Strait. Absent the threat of a serious burn, Beijing will keep lighting matches, risking a greater conflagration from which no one will benefit.
Prasad
BRF Oldie
Posts: 7793
Joined: 16 Nov 2007 00:53
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prasad »

SSridhar wrote:{Where the heck is this location in the IOR and why does it have a Chinese-sounding name?}

China has placed seismometers in the three nearby hydrothermal fields which it reportedly named Longqi, Yuhuang and Duanqiao.
Take a wild guess -
Image
China secured contracts from International Seabed Authority (ISA) in 2011 to explore Indian Ocean for polymetallic sulphide ore and its research vessel has discovered two hydrothermal areas and four hydrothermal anomaly areas in southwest part of the ocean.

Under the contract with the ISA, China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA) got exclusive rights to explore 10,000 square-km of seabed in the southwest Indian Ocean, according to earlier reports.
Did our guys notice this at all ?
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Prasad wrote:Did our guys notice this at all ?
Prasad, thanks for the vent diagram. I had also seen that but could not see any vents named in Chinese in 'south-west IOR' !

On the ISA licence for mining, I certainly remember posting it here.

This licence came as a surprise to India. The Directorate of Naval Intelligence (DNI) informed the Indian government that the contract would provide an excuse for China to operate its warships besides compiling data on the vast mineral resources in India’s backyard. In September 2011, China announced plans to expand significantly the scope of the project (probably a tit-for-tat reaction to the proposed ONGC Videsh oil exploration project in Phu Kanh basin within the Vietnamese EEZ in South China Sea along with Vietnam over China’s strong objections). The worry here for IN was that the Chinese may set up listening posts in the area monitoring the movement of Indian warships especially nuclear and conventional submarines and hide its own submarines here for surprise attack on India. The large number of seismographs that China claims to have installed in the seabed is a cause for concern.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Bangladesh 'very concerned' over China building dams on Brahmaputra - PTI
Amid reports of China trying to build dams over the mighty Brahmaputra river, Bangladesh today said it is "very concerned" about diversion of water and prepared to participate in a joint water basin management.

Bangladesh high commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali batted for joint-dredging of rivers and said the prime ministers of the two countries had an extensive discussions on the issue.

Responding to a question on China building dams on the Brahmaputra, he said: "On the Brahmaputra basin, we are very concerned about diversion of water and Bangladesh is prepared to join a joint basin management concept where we will discuss the points of water as it flows from the point of origin to the point of exit in the sea."

"And naturally, we will be very happy to fully cooperate with all regional joint agencies," he said.

Speaking to reporters at an interaction organised at the Indian Women Press Corps in New Delhi, he added Bangladesh believes in joint river basin management both in the Ganges and the Brahmaputra.

The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet. In China, it is known as Yarlung Zangbo. A major river, it enters Bangladesh, where it meets the Ganges and drains into the Bay of Bengal.

The envoy also sought to assuage India's concern amid reports of Bangladesh's growing proximity with China.

He said Dhaka's relationship with Beijing is primarily in the sphere of economics, trade and commerce.


"China has offered us lines of credit. But that is not free and we have to return it to them. We are also using credit on projects where there is comparative advantage," Ali said.

He, however, added that Bangladesh has chosen only those lines of credit from China where it has an advantage.

"We have economic relations with China, but with China we don't have the kind of projects we have with India. There are certain areas where the Chinese have an advantage. For example, the longer time to repay (the credit) but not all Chinese credit lines are used.

"We do not want to get into the debt trap. Bangladesh has not faltered on any of its debt with the World Bank, with China, with India or with any country. Individually, I have not forgotten the 1971," he added.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

China dispatches low-level official to security conference - AP
China has dispatched a low-level military delegation to an annual security conference in Singapore that has dwelled heavily in past on Chinese activities in the South China Sea.

China’s presence at the Shangri-La Dialogue meeting this weekend is being led by Lt. Gen. He Lei, vice president of the People’s Liberation Army’s Academy of Military Science.

The move follows a recent pattern of not sending high-level officials to the three-day forum that begins Friday, in an apparent attempt to deflect attention from China’s shoring up its claims to virtually the entire South China Sea.

At last year’s meeting, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sharply criticised what he called Beijing’s disregard for international law by its “indisputable militarization” of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea. The waterway, crucial to global trade and rich in fish and other resources, is claimed in whole or in part by six governments.

Mr. Mattis is again representing the U.S. at this year’s forum, which comes amid on-again, off-again prospects for a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that had been planned for this month. China is North Korea’s most important ally and has encouraged talks while seeking to preserve its own economic and diplomatic interests.

The Singapore gathering also follows the Pentagon’s decision last week to withdraw its invitation for China to participate in a multinational naval exercise in what it called “an initial response” to China’s militarization of the South China Sea.

The Pentagon cited evidence China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to contested areas in the Spratly Islands
, where China has built military installations on man-made islands.

Despite strong mutual suspicions, the U.S. had included China in the past two versions of the naval exercise known as Rim of the Pacific, or RimPac, in 2014 and 2016 {Indian naval assets would be there. We have been participating since c. 2012}.

China’s Defense Ministry on Thursday said it still hoped for a “sound a healthy” relationship with the U.S. military.

At the same news conference, ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang also confirmed China’s development of its latest-model type 055 guided missile destroyer, which weighs 10,000 tons and features both stealth design and a land-attack capability.

The PLA navy is believed to be planning to link the 055s with its slightly smaller type 052 destroyers as part of its future aircraft carrier strike forces. China operates one carrier at present, while another is undergoing sea trials and others are believed to be in the construction or planning stages.
Arima
BRFite
Posts: 158
Joined: 05 Apr 2018 14:45

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Arima »

can these seismometers track submarine movements?
Arima
BRFite
Posts: 158
Joined: 05 Apr 2018 14:45

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Arima »

Prasad wrote:
SSridhar wrote:{Where the heck is this location in the IOR and why does it have a Chinese-sounding name?}

China has placed seismometers in the three nearby hydrothermal fields which it reportedly named Longqi, Yuhuang and Duanqiao.
Take a wild guess -
Image
China secured contracts from International Seabed Authority (ISA) in 2011 to explore Indian Ocean for polymetallic sulphide ore and its research vessel has discovered two hydrothermal areas and four hydrothermal anomaly areas in southwest part of the ocean.

Under the contract with the ISA, China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association (COMRA) got exclusive rights to explore 10,000 square-km of seabed in the southwest Indian Ocean, according to earlier reports.
Did our guys notice this at all ?

is under sea mining allowed apart from oil drilling?
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Arima wrote:
can these seismometers track submarine movements?
It may be possible. Also, under the guise of installing these, the Chinese could also have tethered hydrophones to them.
Peregrine
BRF Oldie
Posts: 8441
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Peregrine »

Modi is threading a path between a rising China and an uncertain US

US Defense Secretary James Mattis described India as the “fulcrum’’ of security in the Indo-Pacific region as he traveled this week to an annual security conference in Singapore, attended for the first time by an Indian leader.

But if Mattis was hoping that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would use the platform to join the US, Japan and Australia -- a grouping known as the Quad -- in a more muscular challenge to China’s regional expansion, he was disappointed. Instead, India’s strongest leader in decades navigated carefully between the two regional military powers.

Modi studiously avoided any mention of the Quad in his speech, and he hammered the kind of protectionism currently practiced by the US, both of which were sure to satisfy Chinese delegates.

“Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other’s interests,” Modi told defense ministers and military officials assembled for the Shangri-La Dialogue, an event organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

He did echo US appeals for “freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law.” And he attacked governments that put other nations under “impossible burdens of debt.” Both were likely references to China for its behavior in the disputed South China Sea and its Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects - . which can come courtesy of large loans -- in other countries.

Image

Yet Modi has done something of a turnaround on China in recent weeks, a far cry from his ground-breaking shift to deepen engagement with the US when he came to power in 2014, which was accompanied by a show at home of standing up to China’s rise with a more robust “act east’’ policy.

Tensions came to a head last summer when Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a standoff over a long-running border dispute. To embrace a more proactive India, the US rebranded its Asia-Pacific policy as Indo-Pacific was a means of getting Indian military capacity into the equation.”

Still, tensions between China and India later subsided, and Modi has seemingly warmed to President Xi Jinping. On Friday, he reassured China that the Indo-Pacific was neither a strategy nor a club.

Image

At the end of April, when the world’s attention was focused on an historic summit between the leaders of South Korea and North Korea, Xi invited Modi for two days of informal talks in central China. Around the same time, reports emerged that India decided against inviting Australia to join annual naval exercises with India, Japan and the US –- something Washington wanted and Beijing didn’t.

Next week, Modi will travel to China again, for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security body dominated by China and Russia that India joined as a full member last year.

Whether these gestures represent a policy shift, or simply a desire to ensure there’s no embarrassing repetition of last year’s border clashes ahead of Indian elections in 2019, is a matter for dispute among Indian foreign policy analysts. There’s also the question of how much of any thaw might be down to Xi, who has embarked on outreach with rivals including Japan as China faces pressure from US President Donald Trump over its trade policies.

For some, the change is real, driven by a growing recognition that India simply lacks the economic and military capacity to compete with China, combined with growing uncertainty over the reliability of the US

“Reality has hit home’’ when it comes to measuring up to China’s power, said Kanti Prasad Bajpai, director of the Center on Asia and Globalisation at Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. China’s military budget is more than three times as large as India’s, and its economy almost five times as big.

“Modi has simply understood that after a certain point India is not in a position to bear its fangs to China, especially given the unreliability of the US under Trump,’’ he said.

The raw spending numbers may even underestimate the disparity in hard power between the world’s two most populous nations. Whereas China has plowed resources into developing and buying high-tech weapons, India spends as much as two-thirds of its defense budget on routine expenses such as personnel. In recent years, the per centage of the budget spent on capital investment has fallen.

When it comes to competing economically for the loyalties of countries in the region, the gap is even wider. India has no response to China’s Belt and Road program, according to Syed Munir Khasru, director of the Institute for Policy, Advocacy and Governance, an international think tank headquartered in Bangladesh.

“India has a lot of soft power, with rich history, art and culture, Bollywood and its vibrant democracy and so on,’’ Khasru said by phone. “But China has cash power.”

For others, though, the change is only one of optics, geared to the coming election. The security establishment remains alarmed by Chinese military expansion, in particular by signs it is looking for footholds in the Indian Ocean, which India has always seen as its preserve, said Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, who heads the South Asia program at IISS. Modi is simply seeking to ensure tensions don’t flare up for the next year, he said.

At the same time, India doesn’t want to let the US draw it into a confrontation with China over the South China Sea, where China’s territorial claims cross over with nations such as Vietnam and the Philippines. India has always been leery of freedom-of-navigation operations -- where ships sail through areas of contention to make a point -- and of developing the Quad into a security-focused organization.

“Modi,’’ said Roy-Chaudhury, “is relentlessly pragmatic.’’

Cheers Image
Prem
BRF Oldie
Posts: 21233
Joined: 01 Jul 1999 11:31
Location: Weighing and Waiting 8T Yconomy

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prem »

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/31 ... ation.html
Japan, Vietnam agree on maritime safety cooperation
OKYO – Leaders of Japan and Vietnam have agreed to bolster cooperation in maritime safety and defense as they expressed shared concern over China's growing activity in the South China Sea.Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang (CHAN DIE KWANG) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Thursday to strengthen defense cooperation in areas including military training, equipment and technology.In a statement after their talks, the two called for non-militarization in the South China Sea and warned against any unilateral actions changing the status quo. Vietnam is especially concerned about Chinese efforts to establish sovereignty over islands that both countries claim.
Peregrine
BRF Oldie
Posts: 8441
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Peregrine »

X Posted on the OBOR, Chinese Strategy and Implications Thread

Jibe at OBOR? PM Modi says need bridges of trust, not just infrastructure

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi laid out the fundamentals of India’s role in the Indo-Pacific, saying on Friday that his government stood for a free, open and inclusive region with Asean at its centre.

Delivering the keynote speech at the Shangri La Dialogue, the prestigious inter-governmental security forum, Modi called for a common rules-based order which, he said, must believe in sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as equality of all nations, irrespective of size and strength.

While Modi didn’t sound confrontational, he sent out subtle messages to Beijing as he said that these rules and norms should be based on the consent of all, not on the power of the few. Modi sought closer ties with China, saying stable relations between the two countries were an important factor in global peace and progress. However, he also warned that while India understood the benefits of connectivity, it was also important to build bridges of trust, and not just infrastructure, in pursuing such initiatives.

And for that, he said, these initiatives must be based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, consultation, good governance, transparency, viability and sustainability. “They must empower nations, not place them under impossible debt burden. They must promote trade, not strategic competition. On these principles, we are prepared to work with everyone,” said Modi.

Despite pressure from Beijing, India is yet to show any interest in joining China’s flagship One Belt, One Road (OBOR) connectivity project. “No other relationship of India has as many layers as our relations with China... and, we have displayed maturity and wisdom in managing issues and ensuring a peaceful border,” said Modi. The PM said the world will have a better future when India and China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other’s interests.

At a time when several Asean nations are feeling insecure over Chinese muscle-flexing in South China Sea, Modi said when nations make international commitments, they must uphold them.

Addressing the international audience, the PM also spoke out strongly against protectionism.
“What we seek is a level playing field for all. India stands for an open and stable international trade regime,” Modi said.

Cheers Image
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

From the 'Joint Military Exercise' thread,
Kakarat wrote:India to soon start tri-lateral exercise with Singapore: PM Modi
"With Singapore, we have the longest uninterrupted naval exercise, which is in its 25th year now. We will start a new tri-lateral exercise with Singapore soon and we hope to extend it to other ASEAN countries," Modi said.
The recent access to Changi Naval base by the IN, which is already a large base for the US Pacific fleet, and the above statement suggest that it could be a new trilateral between India-Singapore-US.

It will be very interesting if Vietnam & Indonesia join it later.
Shanmukh
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3042
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Shanmukh »

SSridhar wrote:From the 'Joint Military Exercise' thread,
The recent access to Changi Naval base by the IN, which is already a large base for the US Pacific fleet, and the above statement suggest that it could be a new trilateral between India-Singapore-US.

It will be very interesting if Vietnam & Indonesia join it later.
It says `trilateral exercises with Singapore'. Which is the third country apart from India & Singapore?
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Shanmukh, as I said, I guess it would be the US.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

PM's speech at Shangri La Dialogue 2018
Excerpts
Friends,
India Armed Forces, especially our Navy, are building partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region for peace and security, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. They train, exercise and conduct goodwill missions across the region. For example, with Singapore, we have the longest un-interrupted naval exercise, which is in its twenty fifth year now.

We will start a new tri-lateral exercise with Singapore soon and we hope to extend it to other ASEAN countries. We work with partners like Vietnam to build mutual capabilities. India conducts Malabar Exercise with the United States and Japan. A number of regional partners join in India’s Exercise मिलन in the Indian Ocean, and participate in RIMPAC in the Pacific.

We are active in the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia – in this very city.
We see growing mutual insecurity and rising military expenditure; internal dislocations turning into external tensions; and new fault lines in trade and competition in the global commons. Above all, we see assertion (असरशन) of power over re-course (रि-कोर्स) to international norms. In the midst of all this, there are challenges that touch us all, including the un-ending threat of terrorism and extremism. This is a world of inter-dependent fortunes and failures. And, no nation can shape and secure it on its own.
The Indo-Pacific is a natural region. It is also home to a vast array of global opportunities and challenges. I am increasingly convinced with each passing day that the destinies of those of us who live in the region are linked. Today, we are being called to rise above divisions and competition to work together.

The ten countries of South East Asia connect the two great oceans in both the geographical and civilizational sense. Inclusiveness, openness and ASEAN centrality and unity, therefore, lie at the heart of the new Indo-Pacific. India does not see the Indo-Pacific Region as a strategy or as a club of limited members.

Nor as a grouping that seeks to dominate. And by no means do we consider it as directed against any country. A geographical definition, as such, cannot be. India's vision for the Indo-Pacific Region is, therefore, a positive one. And, it has many elements.

One,
it stands for a free, open, inclusive region, which embraces us all in a common pursuit of progress and prosperity. It includes all nations in this geography as also others beyond who have a stake in it.

Two,
Southeast Asia is at its centre. And, ASEAN has been and will be central to its future. That is the vision that will always guide India, as we seek to cooperate for an architecture for peace and security in this region.

Three,

we believe that our common prosperity and security require us to evolve, through dialogue, a common rules-based order for the region. And, it must equally apply to all individually as well as to the global commons. Such an order must believe in sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as equality of all nations, irrespective of size and strength. These rules and norms should be based on the consent of all, not on the power of the few. This must be based on faith in dialogue, and not dependence on force. It also means that when nations make international commitments, they must uphold them. This is the foundation of India's faith in multilateralism and regionalism; and, of our principled commitment to rule of law.

Four,
we should all have equal access as a right under international law to the use of common spaces on sea and in the air that would require freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law. When we all agree to live by that code, our sea lanes will be pathways to prosperity and corridors of peace. We will also be able to come together to prevent maritime crimes, preserve marine ecology, protect against disasters and prosper from blue economy.
connectivity is vital. It does more than enhance trade and prosperity. It unites a region. India has been at the crossroads for centuries. We understand the benefits of connectivity. There are many connectivity initiatives in the region. If these have to succeed, we must not only build infrastructure, we must also build bridges of trust. And for that, these initiatives must be based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, consultation, good governance, transparency, viability and sustainability. They must empower nations, not place them under impossible debt burden. They must promote trade, not strategic competition. On these principles, we are prepared to work with everyone. India is doing its part, by itself and in partnership with others like Japan – in South Asia and Southeast Asia, in the Indian Ocean, Africa, West Asia and beyond. And, we are important stake-holders in New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Finally,
all of this is possible, if we do not return to the age of great power rivalries I have said this before: Asia of rivalry will hold us all back. Asia of cooperation will shape this century. So, each nation must ask itself: Are its choices building a more united world, or forcing new divisions? It is a responsibility that both existing and rising powers have. Competition is normal. But, contests must not turn into conflict; differences must not be allowed to become disputes. Distinguished members of the audience, It is normal to have partnerships on the basis of shared values and interests
We will work with them, individually or in formats of three or more, for a stable and peaceful region. But, our friendships are not alliances of containment. We choose the side of principles and values, of peace and progress, not one side of a divide or the other. Our relationships across the world speak for our position.
In conclusion, let me say this again: India’s own engagement in the Indo-Pacific Region – from the shores of Africa to that of the Americas - will be inclusive. We are in-heritors of Vedanta philosophy that believes in essential oneness of all, and celebrates unity in diversity एकम सत्यम, विप्राः बहुदावदंति – Truth is one, the learned speak of it in many ways.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Mattis: US will compete vigorously with China if it must - Straits Times
The United States is prepared to support China's choices if the East Asian giant promotes long-term peace and prosperity for all in the region, but it will "compete vigorously" with China if it must, said US Defence Secretary James Mattis.

"There will be consequences to China ignoring the international community," said Mr Mattis, referring to China's militarisation in the disputed South China Sea and its competing claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei over the islands there.

One of those consequences was the disinvitation by the US to China recently for the US-hosted biennial naval drill, the Rim of the Pacific exercise.

"To muscle their way in is not the way to make long-term collaboration in a region that is important to China. There are consequences that will come home to roost if they don't find a way to work collaboratively with neighbours who have interests," warned Mr Mattis.

But he also added that the US will continue to pursue a "constructive, results-oriented relationship" with China and "compete vigorously if we must".

The Pentagon chief was speaking at the Asian security conference, the Shangri-La Dialogue, yesterday for the second year running.

He had been expected to bring up the contentious South China Sea issue, after the US and China crossed swords over the contested waters in the past weeks.

China dispatched warships to challenge two US Navy vessels that sailed through the waters of the South China Sea recently, saying the US had "gravely violated Chinese sovereignty". The US, in turn, said it was simply conducting routine freedom of navigation exercises.

China has been ramping up its deployment of missiles and other defence systems to the disputed territory, reinforcing its bases in the Paracel and Spratly islands.

"Despite China's claims to the contrary, the placement of these weapon systems is tied directly to military use for the purpose of intimidation and coercion," said Mr Mattis. But he added that the US is not asking regional countries to take sides.

He also singled out Chinese President Xi Jinping for going back on his word after he made a promise at the White House in 2015 that Beijing would not militarise the islands in the South China Sea.

But Mr Mattis also struck a positive note in mending ties.

He will travel to Beijing soon for talks, he said.

He also devoted a significant portion of his speech to assuring the largely regional audience of the US' commitment to their part of the world, and what he calls a "free and open Indo-Pacific".

The US, he says, "seeks to help build an Indo-Pacific where sovereignty and territorial integrity are safeguarded, the promise of freedom fulfilled and prosperity prevails for all".

It is also strengthening its partnership with India, as it values the role India can play in regional and global security, with Mr Mattis touting it as a "natural partnership" between the world's two largest democracies.

"Make no mistake, America is in the Indo-Pacific to stay." {This is addressed more to American allies & friends in the region to assuage their creeping fears of American reliability}
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Chinese reaction to Mattis

China slams 'irresponsible' US comments on South China Sea - AFP
A Chinese general on Saturday lashed out at "irresponsible comments" on Beijing's military build-up in the South China Sea after the US defence chief accused China of intimidation + and coercion in the disputed waters.

"Any irresponsible comments from other countries cannot be accepted," Lieutenant General He Lei said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.


It came just hours after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the security summit + that China's military build-up and deployment of weapon systems in the contested sea was aimed at intimidating its neighbours.

Beijing has deployed a range of military hardware including anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles and electronic jammers across the South China Sea, where it has built islets + and other maritime features into hardened military facilities.

China has also landed heavy bombers on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands.

The Chinese general, however, said Beijing's actions were aimed at "national defence".

"They are for the purpose of avoiding being invaded by others... As long as it is on your own territory you can deploy the army and you can deploy weapons," he said.
:rotfl:

China claims most of the resource-rich sea, through which $5 trillion in shipping trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Arctic sea route not possible: Finnish official - Dinakar Peri, The Hindu
Contrary to popular belief that the melting ice in the Arctic would open up alternate shipping routes, a senior Finnish official said it would still not be an easily navigable route. He also called for a greater Indian role in the region as an observer in the Arctic Council.

“Even if the Arctic becomes ice-free, the Northern sea route will not be an easily navigable route anytime soon. It will not be practical for container traffic, it may be okay for bulk carriers carrying gas. But it is containers which constitute the major traffic,” Rene Soderman, senior Arctic official in the Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs told The Hindu .

Finland is holding the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council from 2017-19.

Temperatures a hurdle

He explained that despite melting ice, the waters would be tough to navigate due to sub-zero temperatures and would pose serious challenges to ships effecting their movement and schedules which carries a premium in container traffic.

The Arctic region which has permanently frozen ice is melting at an increasing rate due to global warming and is expected to be ice- free by 2060.

Already several countries have sent their ships and ice breakers in the summer months to demonstrate the navigability. Countries such as China and Japan are investing in infrastructure development there. It is seen as an alternate shipping route to cut time and costs and also circumvent the global choke points.

Mr. Soderman, who held discussions with several officials in the government, welcomed greater Indian role especially in renewing commitment to climate change and environmental protection.

There is increasing concern in India as China makes inroads into the strategically important Arctic region which has large reserves of untapped minerals and fossil fuels.

The Arctic Council is currently formulating a long-term strategy for action looking into the 2030s based on its founding charter. “This is the first time the council is trying to see what it can do in the long term. Hopefully the strategy will be adopted by the ministerial council in May next year,” Mr. Soderman said.

The Arctic Council, which is an intergovernmental organisation, has eight member-states, six independent permanent participating organisations and observers which are non-Arctic states like India and China.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

US weighs more South China Sea patrols - Reuters
SINGAPORE: The United States is considering intensified naval patrols in the South China Sea in a bid to challenge China's growing militarisation of the waterway, actions that could further raise the stakes in one of the world's most volatile areas.

The Pentagon is weighing a more assertive programme of so-called freedom-of-navigation operations close to Chinese installations on disputed reefs, two U.S. officials and Western and Asian diplomats close to discussions said.

The officials declined to say how close they were to finalising a decision.


Such moves could involve longer patrols, ones involving larger numbers of ships or operations involving closer surveillance of Chinese facilities in the area, which now include electronic jamming equipment and advanced military radars.

U.S. officials are also pushing international allies and partners to increase their own naval deployments through the vital trade route as China strengthens its military capabilities on both the Paracel and Spratly islands, the diplomats said, even if they stopped short of directly challenging Chinese holdings. {The US since last year has been pressurizing India for joint patrols}

"What we have seen in the last few weeks is just the start, significantly more is being planned," said one Western diplomat, referring to a freedom of navigation patrol late last month that used two U.S. ships for the first time.

"There is a real sense more needs to be done."

The Pentagon does not comment on future operations but a spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, said "we will continue to work with our friends, partners, and allies to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific".

A more assertive Pentagon approach already appears to have started. Reuters first reported the patrol last month in which two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China
, even as President Donald Trump sought Chinese cooperation on North Korea.

While the operation had been planned months in advance, and similar operations have become routine, it is believed to be the first time where two U.S. warships have been used for a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea.

The Pentagon also withdrew an invitation for Chinese forces to join large multi-country exercises off Hawaii later in the year.

Critics have said the patrols have little impact on Chinese behaviour and mask the lack of a broader strategy to deal with China's growing dominance of the area.


"DO NOT PAY OFF"

U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis warned in Singapore on Saturday that China's militarisation of the South China Sea was now a "reality" but that Beijing would face unspecified consequences.

Questioned during the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference over whether it was too late to stop China, Mattis said: "Eventually these (actions) do not pay off."

Last month, China's air force landed bombers on Woody Island in the disputed Paracel archipelago as part of a training exercise, triggering concern from Vietnam and the Philippines.

Satellite photographs taken on May 12 showed China appeared to have deployed truck-mounted surface-to-air missiles or anti-ship cruise missiles at Woody, while anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-air missiles were also placed on its largest bases in the Spratlys.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Singapore conference, He Lei, of the PLA's Academy of Military Sciences, said China had every right to continue to militarise its South China Sea holdings.

"It is China's sovereign and legal right for China to place our army and military weapons there. We see any other country that tries to make noise about this as interfering in our internal affairs," He said.

Regional military attaches say they are now bracing for China's next moves, which some fear could be the first deployment of jet fighters to the Spratlys or an attempt to enforce an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) similar to one Beijing created off its eastern coast in 2013.

Vietnamese military officers say they are particularly concerned by the prospect of an ADIZ, saying it could threaten the integrity of Vietnamese airspace.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Hai, head of the Vietnamese military's Institute of Strategic Studies, said that while Vietnam had long sought peaceful settlements to disputes, "all options are on the table from our side to safeguard our sovereignty and territory."

"The ADIZ establishment is one option we have thought of and also have plans to deal with."

Vietnam is the most active challengers to China's sweeping claims to much of the South China Sea, with Hanoi claiming the Paracels and the Spratlys in their entirety.

Malaysia and the Philippines hold some Spratlys features while Brunei claims waters straddled by China's so-called nine-dash line claim. Taiwan claims the same area as China.

Singapore-based security expert Tim Huxley said while increased pressure might slow China's militarisation efforts, they would be difficult to stop. "China has created a new reality down there, and it is not going to be rolled back," Huxley told Reuters. "They are not doing this to poke America or their neighbours in the eye but they are almost certainly doing this to serve their long-term strategic objectives, whether that is projecting their military power or securing energy supplies."
Peregrine
BRF Oldie
Posts: 8441
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Peregrine »

China welcomes PM Narendra Modi's remarks on bilateral ties at Shangri-La Dialogue

BEIJING: China on Monday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'positive remarks' on India-China relations at the Shangri-La Dialogue and expressed willingness to work with India to follow the consensus between the leadership of the two countries to maintain the momentum in the bilateral ties.

Prime Minister Modi in his keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's premier defence and strategic affairs conference, last week had said that Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together with trust and confidence while being sensitive to each other's interests.

The prime minister said both India and China have displayed 'maturity and wisdom' in managing issues and ensuring a peaceful border, adding cooperation between the world's two populous countries was expanding.

Welcoming Modi's remarks at a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying said, "We have noted the positive remarks made by Prime Minister Modi on China-India relations. We highly appreciate such kind of positive remarks."

Recalling the informal summit between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Wuhan in April this year, Hua said, "They had in-depth exchange of views on the international landscape and bilateral relations and reached many consensus."

"The two sides agreed to adopt a mature and wise way to properly handle differences," she said.

"China is willing to work with the Indian side to follow the guidance of this consensus to maintain the positive momentum of the development of bilateral relations, to promote mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences, maintain peace tranquillity along the border areas and thus move forward the China-India relations," she said.

Modi and President Xi had met in April in an unprecedented two-day 'heart-to-heart' summit in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to "solidify" the India-China relationship after the Dokalam standoff last year.

Troops of India and China were locked in the 73-day standoff in Dokalam after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road by the Chinese army in the disputed area.

Cheers Image
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

China cannot highlight only one convenient point; there are other points that Modi spoke about open seas, rules-based maritime cooperation, cooperation rather than hegemony, infrastructure development not for sustaining geostrategic interests, debts not to drown a country etc. etc.
Peregrine
BRF Oldie
Posts: 8441
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Peregrine »

SSridhar wrote:China cannot highlight only one convenient point; there are other points that Modi spoke about open seas, rules-based maritime cooperation, cooperation rather than hegemony, infrastructure development not for sustaining geostrategic interests, debts not to drown a country etc. etc.
SSridhar Ji :

I suppose Modi Ji's strategy could be "Slowly, Slowly Catchee Monkey".

After all "Rome was not Built in a Day"!

Cheers Image
Prem
BRF Oldie
Posts: 21233
Joined: 01 Jul 1999 11:31
Location: Weighing and Waiting 8T Yconomy

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prem »

Prem
BRF Oldie
Posts: 21233
Joined: 01 Jul 1999 11:31
Location: Weighing and Waiting 8T Yconomy

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prem »

https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-de ... -for-china

https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-de ... -for-china
Former Defense Intelligence Agency officer Ron Rockwell Hansen was arrested Saturday for allegedly attempting to send national defense information to China, according to a Monday announcement from the Department of Justice. The 15-count complaint accuses Hansen of “attempting to gather or deliver national defense information to aid a foreign government,” as well as “acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China” and smuggling cash and goods. “Ron Rockwell Hansen is a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who allegedly attempted to transmit national defense information to the People's Republic of China's intelligence service (PRCIS) and also allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars while illegally acting as an agent of China,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers. “His alleged actions are a betrayal of our nation's security and the American people and are an affront to his former intelligence community colleagues.” Hansen will appear Monday evening before the U.S. District Court in Seattle.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

X-post from Joint Exercise thread

War games to hone anti-submarine skills - Dinakar Peri, The Hindu
The Navies of India, Japan and the U.S. will enhance their anti-submarine warfare skills in this year’s Malabar naval war games to be held off the coast of Guam from June 7 to 16.

For the first time in a Malabar exercise, all three Navies are deploying their maritime reconnaissance (MR) aircraft to sharpen those skills.

“Each side has aircraft which can lay sono buoys and we will also monitor each other’s sono buoys. We will cross-attach people from all three countries,” the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral G. Ashok Kumar, said.

While the Indian Navy is deploying a P-8I long-range MR aircraft, the U.S. is deploying two P-8A aircraft and Japan is sending a Kawasaki P-1 MR aircraft. In addition, Japan and the U.S. have anti-submarine warfare helicopters on board their helicopter carrier JS Ise and aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan , respectively.

The U.S. has one nuclear attack submarine, USS Pasadena , and Japan for the first time is deploying a Soryu class conventional submarine.

However, the Indian Navy does not have any anti-submarine warfare helicopter in the exercise. Indian effort would be limited to P-8I and the sonars on ships.
The Navy’s anti-submarine warfare helicopter fleet is dependent on the ageing Sea Kings and is in urgent need of new helicopters.“The exercise contributes towards increasing the level of mutual understanding, interoperability and sharing of the best practices between the three navies,” the Navy said.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

Shanmukh wrote:It says `trilateral exercises with Singapore'. Which is the third country apart from India & Singapore?
Season of Naval exercises: Guam, RIMPAC, trilateral - Manu Pubby, Economic Times
. . .
India will soon have another trilateral exercise closer home as well, with a decision taken to conduct joint, regular naval war games with Thailand and Singapore. A decision to conduct this new trilateral was taken during PM Modi’s recent visit to the region, but dates for the first edition are still to be finalised.
Shanmukh
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3042
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Shanmukh »

SSridhar wrote:
Shanmukh wrote:It says `trilateral exercises with Singapore'. Which is the third country apart from India & Singapore?
Season of Naval exercises: Guam, RIMPAC, trilateral - Manu Pubby, Economic Times
. . .
India will soon have another trilateral exercise closer home as well, with a decision taken to conduct joint, regular naval war games with Thailand and Singapore. A decision to conduct this new trilateral was taken during PM Modi’s recent visit to the region, but dates for the first edition are still to be finalised.
Thanks, SS saar. Interesting that we have Thailand in the trilateral exercise. Does Thailand also have disagreements with China on the border?
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: China & Thailand

Post by SSridhar »

Shanmukh wrote: Does Thailand also have disagreements with China on the border?
No, Thailand has no border disputes with China. It has neither a land border nor does the nine-dash encroach upon the Gulf of Thailand.

In fact, Thai-China relationship is quite close. It is an important partner in the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) component of the BRI. China is also planning to build the 100 Km long Kra Isthmus in Thailand (like the Nicaraguan Canal which also China wants to build to rival the Panama), connecting the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea, in order to circumvent Malacca. China is also eyeing the Koh Lanta Port of Thailand (overlooking the Melaka and close to the proposed Kra Isthmus into the Andaman Sea) as a possible PLAN base. Besides, Thailand is diversifying its military purchases from the US to China also. So, defence cooperation is also developing. Economically also, there is already a strong relationship between the two. Thailand is an important member of the Greater Mekong initiative that connects it along with Myanmar, Laos & Cambodia back to China.

However, Thailand, as an important member of ASEAN has always sided with the majority in matters of South Indo-China Sea issues, unlike Laos or Cambodia. It must definitely be the Chinese desire to widen the rift in the ASEAN and it may be targetting Thailand from that perspective.

IN and Thai navy instituted a joint co-ordinated patrol of the Andaman Sea (Indo-Thai CORPAT) in c. 2006 and which has become a bi-annual feature since then across the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). In c. 2011, they agreed to deepen this cooperation to include defence industry & technology as well as “coordinated patrolling”, aimed at sanitising the Malacca Straits. In early 2011, India and Thailand agreed to strengthen defence cooperation by having senior official-level dialogue between their Defence Ministries. In c. 2015, during Indian Naval Chief Adm. R.K.Dhowan’s visit to Thailand, the two navies agreed to forge and enhance naval cooperation including sharing of data and information on shipping. They also decided to further strengthen relationship in accordance with India's "Act East Policy". Since c. 2015, the Indian and Thai armies also conduct joint counter-insurgency exercise called ‘Op. Maitree’. India & Thailand also participate in ‘Khaan Quest’, the annual Mongolian-hosted joint-training exercise aimed at enhancing cooperation among regional militaries from democratic countries including South Korea, Japan and the US. So, we too have a deep relationship with Thailand besides of course, our culture that has so pervaded the Thais for centuries.
Prasad
BRF Oldie
Posts: 7793
Joined: 16 Nov 2007 00:53
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prasad »

Thailand also has a chinese hsr project underway.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

China seeks to deepen anti-graft ties - The Hindu
A six-member delegation of senior Chinese officials will meet their counterparts in Indian agencies to deepen cooperation between the two countries on people wanted for corruption and asset recovery. {Is nimble-footed China trying to take advantage of Nirav Modi?}

During the five-day visit beginning Wednesday, the delegation will hold meetings with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Kumar Verma and chiefs of the Central Vigilance Commission and the Department of Personnel and Training.

The meetings are also aimed at sharing experience pertaining to various anti-corruption measures and better coordination on the issue within G20 and BRICS.

During the Chinese presidency of G20 in 2016, the “High Level Principles on Cooperation on Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery” was initiated to address the issue of persons accused of corruption fleeing the country and transferring the proceeds of crime overseas to evade the law. India has supported the initiative in principle.

The document envisaged greater international cooperation in detection and investigations, besides other aspects of anti-corruption initiatives.

It is believed that those accused have been taking advantage of the investment-based immigration offered by several countries to get passports and even citizenship.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

India, China discuss Qingdao meet - The Hindu
India and China on Tuesday held preparatory talks for the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Qingdao. Both sides held the discussion during the meeting between visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale.

“The two sides reviewed the follow-up action on the understandings reached at the Wuhan Informal Summit and discussed the agenda for bilateral engagement in the coming months,” stated a press release from the Ministry of External Affairs. The SCO summit is on June 9 and 10.
Prem
BRF Oldie
Posts: 21233
Joined: 01 Jul 1999 11:31
Location: Weighing and Waiting 8T Yconomy

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by Prem »

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... harebutton
Stop work in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, says India after being urged to back 'One China'

NEW DELHI: China has urged India to support the “One-China policy”, something that India has not done in official documents since 2010, a development that has come following the improvement in bilateral ties. The one-China policy acknowledges only the People’s Republic of China and does not recognise the existence of Taiwan or Republic of China. India has in turn communicated that it wants China to refrain from projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that violate India’s sovereignty, according to people aware of the matter. They said China has not made any move so far to address India’s concerns over the CPEC, which remains the key reason for India to oppose China’s Belt and Road Initiative .Ahead of the second meeting of PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 9, China has told India that a reiteration of one-China policy by India would significantly help enhance mutual trust between the two countries. The issue is understood to have figured in external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s discussion with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the BRICS meet in South Africa earlier this week. India continued with this practice even after Modi became PM in 2014. By then, China had drawn up a plan to build an economic corridor linking Kashgar in Xinxiang Province in northwestern China and a deep sea port at Gwadar in Balochistan in south-western Pakistan.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

‘Indo-Pacific area should be inclusive’ - The Hindu
India on Thursday joined Australia, Japan and the United States to discuss the future of Asia-Pacific region as an inclusive space. Senior officials of the four countries held the discussion in Singapore.

“The participants reaffirmed their support for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific Region. They also confirmed their common commitment, based on shared values and principles, to promote a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific,” a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The statement indicates the discomfort of the various stakeholders with China’s bid to alter the status quo
in the South China Sea, that is interpreted as a hurdle to freedom of maritime and air movements.
SSridhar
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25087
Joined: 05 May 2001 11:31
Location: Chennai

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by SSridhar »

And, at the same time as above,

U.S.-Japan-India-Australia Quad not part of India’s ‘Indo-Pacific policy’, says New Delhi’s envoy to Moscow - Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu
India does not consider the newly re-established quadrilateral format of U.S.-Japan-India-Australia as a part of its “Indo-Pacific” region policy, says India’s Ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran, who suggested that India would like to engage more closely with Russia in the Indo-Pacific region as well. The comments come a day a meeting of officials of the four countries, the “Quad”, ended in Singapore, and indicates that India’s maritime partnerships would not be restricted to the quad formation with the U.S. and its allies.

“The Quadrilateral format of U.S.-Japan-India-Australia is one of the many multilateral dialogues in the region, and not directed against any country. It is not part of the Indo-Pacific region concept outlined by Prime Minister Modi in Shangri-La,” Mr. Saran told the Russian TASS news agency in an interview made available by the Indian embassy.

“It is important that the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR) and Quad format are not confused with each other. The Indian view of IPR is positive — this is an open and inclusive arrangement which is not directed against any country nor intended to contain any country,” he added, referring to the general belief that the Quad arrangement came together in November 2017 in a joint effort to contain China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea, and forays in India’s neighbourhood.

However, given improved relations with China in the last few months, and the Wuhan Summit where Mr. Modi travelled to China to meet President Xi Jinping, the government has been seen less active in promoting the Quad, also declining a request from Australia to join the ongoing Malabar naval exercises with the other three Quad members.

On June 7, at the end of the second Quad meeting, attended by joint secretary-level officials, all four countries issued separate but similar statements. Amongst the divergences were lines committing the Quad to “safeguarding and strengthening” the Indo-Pacific region that were issued by the U.S., Australia and Japan, while the phrase was absent in the Indian statement. India also spoke of its Indo-Pacific policy in “plurilateral formats,” which the others didn’t.

Referring to Mr. Modi’s speech at the Shangri-La dialogue June 1 as well as what he called the “historic” informal summit with President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Mr. Saran said that “expanding (the) partnership with Russia is an integral part of our Indo-Pacific policy... Prime Minister (Modi) also noted that the maturity of India’s special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia was a measure of India’s strategic autonomy.”

Mr. Saran will soon take charge as Deputy National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s office in New Delhi, making his remarks particularly significant, as is the timing, just ahead of Mr. Modi’s visit to Qingdao in China to attend the SCO summit where he will have meetings with both Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin.
chola
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5136
Joined: 16 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by chola »

Cross-posting from International Naval thread:

How we missed a massive opportunity at Doklam

We missed a great opportunity at Doklam. The chinis were asking us to fight them when we held overwhelming (upwards of 15 or 20 to 1) advantages in men and aircraft along the entire border.

It was the perfect setup for a historic victory with very low risk. Beating porkistan over and over again gained us no great reputation.

But Cheen is a P5 power with accompanying reputation and a nice fancy military to match (but nearly all of it on their eastern seaboard, a continent away from India.)

We would have been fighting with a massive local advantage against a people who doesn’t have any experience in fighting, who doesn’t know how to fight and who doesn’t like fighting. But who has global cachet as a great power. We would have instantly vaulted to the top of Asia with an all but guaranteed victory.

But as fellow small rice eating types, we were just as ready to avoid a fight.
chola
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5136
Joined: 16 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by chola »

Why it is important for us to fight Cheen before Unkil does

When the US does go to war with Cheen it will end with the annihilation of the PLA and a regime change and we will gain nothing from it. Resources from the US and all its allies will go into rebuilding a democratic China in its image, think a giant sized Japan, and it will starve resources for every other developing nation including India.

We will rue the day we missed the opportunity to beat up on Cheen first because a democratic Cheen built up by a victorious America won’t change the civilizational competition it has with Bharat but it will leave then wealthier and stronger with the rest of the Far East and the West backing them.
kit
BRF Oldie
Posts: 6278
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 18:16

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by kit »

Unkils MNCs has already poured enough resources into China to make it the next superpower
chola
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5136
Joined: 16 Dec 2002 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by chola »

kit wrote:Unkils MNCs has already poured enough resources into China to make it the next superpower
Yes but not nearly enough to put Cheen’s $16K per capita income PPP anywhere near that of S Korea ($39K), Japan ($42K) or Taiwan ($49K) which are par for course for East Asian free states. Once the US rebuilds Cheen then the income level will inevitably approach those others.

And it won’t be just the US pouring resources in there but all of its allies in East Asia and Europe. It would be a big sucking sound for every bit of available fund and resource in the developed world because a democratic China will fire western imagination and evangelicalism like no other. Just like Germany and Japan after WWII as well as the Four Tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and S Korea) in the 1960s, the US will lead a rebuilding of a defeated nation in its image.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publication ... 4rank.html

Note Hong Kong ($61K) and Maucau ($114K) are already chini city-states with massively high income that will start pulling up the regions around them once Cheen is made to democratize.
TKiran
BRFite
Posts: 997
Joined: 13 Dec 2009 00:22

Re: Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (15-11-2017)

Post by TKiran »

The US has to steal technology from China to build shoals into runways.

What US is lacking is technology, and echendee is what is stopping them to admit.

Rest all is bokwas in Indo-China sea.
Locked