The US, Japan, India and Australia part of 'Quad group' to counter Chinese influence

[Last Monetarist]

Biden to meet virtually with leaders of Japan, India, Australia

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-quad/biden-to-meet-virtually-with-leaders-of-japan-india-australia-idUSKBN2B12HI

U.S. President Joe Biden will hold an online meeting on Friday with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, the White House said on Tuesday, the first leader-level meeting of a four-country group seen as part of efforts to balance China’s growing military and economic power.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the meeting of the “Quad” countries showed the importance placed by Biden on U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

A range of issues facing the global community was expected to be discussed “from the threat of COVID, to economic cooperation and, of course, to the climate crisis,” she said.

“This sends a very strong signal of common cause and purpose. And the goal here is basically to introduce the Quad as a new feature of regular diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific,” a senior administration official told Reuters separately.

He said the meeting planned to announce financing agreements to support an increase in manufacturing capacity for coronavirus vaccines in India, something New Delhi has urged to counter China’s widening vaccine diplomacy

The aim was to reduce manufacturing backlogs, speed vaccination, and defeat some coronavirus mutations, the official said. Some of the additional vaccine capacity would be used in vaccination efforts in Southeast Asian countries.

The United States is looking to strengthen ties with key allies and partners as China adopts an increasingly assertive foreign policy in Asia and elsewhere.

The U.S. official said Friday’s engagement would last about two hours, and lay the groundwork for an in-person meeting later in the year.

India, Australia and Japan had all been “directly challenged by China in the recent period,” he said, adding that the meeting was intended to work on “a different vision for the future” in the region.

India’s Foreign Ministry said the leaders would address “regional and global issues of shared interest, and exchange views on practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.”

It said the summit would also cover supply chains, emerging and critical technologies, maritime security and climate change.

India said Quad leaders would discuss efforts to combat the pandemic and explore “opportunities for collaboration in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the meeting would focus on regional security and climate change.

“It will be an historic moment in our region and it sends a strong message to the region about our support for a sovereign, independent Indo-Pacific,” he told reporters in Canberra.

Friday’s meeting will take place days before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plan to visit Japan and South Korea later this month.

The visit by Blinken and Austin will be the first to the Asian allies by the top U.S. foreign policy and defense officials since the Biden administration took office in January.

Biden’s administration has committed to reviewing elements of U.S. policies toward China in consultation with allies, as the world’s two largest economies navigate frosty relations that sank to their lowest depths in decades during the Trump administration.

Asked whether the Quad could expand in future, the senior U.S. official said it remained an unofficial gathering, despite the decision to hold a leaders’ meeting.

“Each country has highly attuned domestic politics and want constructive dialogues, but also want to maintain a degree of maneuver room,” he said.

“We appreciate and understand that and seek to support it generally and we want to take it step by step. We have had discussions with other countries about other forms of informal association with the Quad and we expect those conversations will continue.”

He said South Korea was one of those countries.

 

[Last Monetarist]

I don't know if this is a case of too little too late, but it's essential to reduce dependence on the CCP and China.

In the short-term with respect to the fight against the coronavirus, the US and Japan have logically identified India as the key player here in terms of reducing Chinese influence on the manufacturing of the coronavirus vaccine.

The past year has been the single biggest exponent of the dangers that the world has been exposed to as a consequence of the west's complacent policies towards China.

I imagine that this move will further push the Pakistani establishment towards the other extreme of linking the country's future exclusively to the CCP.

 

[Napa]

I don't know if this is a case of too little too late, but it's essential to reduce dependence on the CCP and China.

In the short-term with respect to the fight against the coronavirus, the US and Japan have logically identified India as the key player here in terms of reducing Chinese influence on the manufacturing of the coronavirus vaccine.

The past year has been the single biggest exponent of the dangers that the world has been exposed to as a consequence of the west's complacent policies towards China.

I imagine that this move will further push the Pakistani establishment towards the other extreme of linking the country's future exclusively to the CCP.

The question to be asked “has any country ever got rich trading with China?”

 

[Last Monetarist]

The question to be asked “has any country ever got rich trading with China?”

Britain during the decades following the Opium wars.

Trump may have been wrong on many things, but his views on global trade imbalances with China were on point.

 

[Romali_rotti]

I don't know if this is a case of too little too late, but it's essential to reduce dependence on the CCP and China.

In the short-term with respect to the fight against the coronavirus, the US and Japan have logically identified India as the key player here in terms of reducing Chinese influence on the manufacturing of the coronavirus vaccine.

The past year has been the single biggest exponent of the dangers that the world has been exposed to as a consequence of the west's complacent policies towards China.

I imagine that this move will further push the Pakistani establishment towards the other extreme of linking the country's future exclusively to the CCP.

This has more to do with the Indian Ocean area I feel. They wont let China influence the Indian Ocean, Malacca Straits and the Horn of Africa. While America and its allies will keep interfering in South China Sea, rest of the world wont let China become the next world police, so RIP to that dream for Xi Jing Ping.

 

[Last Monetarist]

This has more to do with the Indian Ocean area I feel. They wont let China influence the Indian Ocean, Malacca Straits and the Horn of Africa. While America and its allies will keep interfering in South China Sea, rest of the world wont let China become the next world police, so RIP to that dream for Xi Jing Ping.

Yes, a large part of it is to do with defensive cooperation in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

However, the following snippet seems key in the short-term:

He said the meeting planned to announce financing agreements to support an increase in manufacturing capacity for coronavirus vaccines in India, something New Delhi has urged to counter China’s widening vaccine diplomacy

I anticipate this to turn into a wider cooperation in terms of pharmaceutical supply chains. The virus has laid bare the fragility of global supply chains and the dangers of relying on China. It's the first active move to reverse the imbalance.

 

[Romali_rotti]

I anticipate this to turn into a wider cooperation in terms of pharmaceutical supply chains. The virus has laid bare the fragility of global supply chains and the dangers of relying on China. It's the first active move to reverse the imbalance.

Agreed..

India is currently strategically well positioned to make a huge financial gain due to being 1 of 6 countries who has the ability to manufacture vaccines.

The Covaccine which is fully Indian owned, Indian produced is a very good product and Modichayan has used it for Vaccine diplomacy quite well. With India's ability to produce the Vaccine at such large scale for rest of the world, this drastically minimizes the need to depend on China on a yearly basis.

 

[Romali_rotti]

If UK Joins the quad will be huge, hope the French also joins...

 

[gani999]

If UK Joins the quad will be huge, hope the French also joins...

If the US is joining, isn't the whole of NATO in by default? I thought they had something like that in their charter...

But not all NATO countries will be comfortable with acting against the Chinese. Turkey is an example.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/16/erdogan-is-turning-turkey-into-a-chinese-client-state/

 

[Last Monetarist]

If the US is joining, isn't the whole of NATO in by default? I thought they had something like that in their charter...

But not all NATO countries will be comfortable with acting against the Chinese. Turkey is an example.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/16/erdogan-is-turning-turkey-into-a-chinese-client-state/

Most NATO countries have been ravaged by the virus, there are a few indications that people around the world (apart from those in vassal states) have finally woken up to the danger China poses to everyone.

Even if elected officials in individual countries would be loath to act unilaterally against China due to commercial conflicts of interest, an alliance such as this will allow them to pretend that they are acting in the interest of the respective electorate.

 

[Napa]

Britain during the decades following the Opium wars.

You nailed it.

Trump may have been wrong on many things, but his views on global trade imbalances with China were on point.

You are quite proficient using that hammer on the nails!

 

[wajid]

Britain during the decades following the Opium wars.

Trump may have been wrong on many things, but his views on global trade imbalances with China were on point.

From what I know majority of economists disagree. Many economists believe trade deficits are beneficial to US. And US is the country that has got rich trading with China.

Though I completely understand why American population thinks China is stealing their jobs. But honestly that is a problem of globalisation and not China exactly. The same population also rallies against Mexico, Vietnam, and India for that.

 

[Napa]

From what I know majority of economists disagree. Many economists believe trade deficits are beneficial to US. And US is the country that has got rich trading with China.

Though I completely understand why American population thinks China is stealing their jobs. But honestly that is a problem of globalisation and not China exactly. The same population also rallies against Mexico, Vietnam, and India for that.

Majority of economists are still stuck in Ricardo's comparative advantage paradigm. The real world completely deviates from that paradigm. Ricardo never considered the effects of long-term trade deficits/surpluses, he thought trade would balance in the long-term.

 

[Last Monetarist]

From what I know majority of economists disagree. Many economists believe trade deficits are beneficial to US. And US is the country that has got rich trading with China.

Though I completely understand why American population thinks China is stealing their jobs. But honestly that is a problem of globalisation and not China exactly. The same population also rallies against Mexico, Vietnam, and India for that.

Those economists are primarily academics that have never worked in the real world for a living. The trade deficits only impress a cabal of massive corporations that have gotten richer due to accessing cheap input costs in China and selling products to Americans and Europeans with large disposable incomes. Most ordinary people (unless they worship at the altar of rabid consumerism) have found the disparity in lifestyles increase over the past two decades.

It's not just the trade imbalance, it's the naive notion engendered among the policy wonks from the 90s and 2000s that China will adhere to the same regulations as the west. The crippling intellectual property theft and the elaborate mechanism through which the Chinese have infiltrated research centres in the US and Europe will leave repurcussions throughout this century.

Nothing pains me more in a geopolitical sense than seeing Pakistan get more and more entangled in a web through which there is no escape.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Nothing pains me more in a geopolitical sense than seeing Pakistan get more and more entangled in a web through which there is no escape.

This..

Pakistani is in a very dangerous spot here, atleast when they allied with the Americans, they still had some control and say. Being in bed with China may be the final nail in Pakistan's coffin.

 

[wajid]

Those economists are primarily academics that have never worked in the real world for a living. The trade deficits only impress a cabal of massive corporations that have gotten richer due to accessing cheap input costs in China and selling products to Americans and Europeans with large disposable incomes. Most ordinary people (unless they worship at the altar of rabid consumerism) have found the disparity in lifestyles increase over the past two decades.

It's not just the trade imbalance, it's the naive notion engendered among the policy wonks from the 90s and 2000s that China will adhere to the same regulations as the west. The crippling intellectual property theft and the elaborate mechanism through which the Chinese have infiltrated research centres in the US and Europe will leave repurcussions throughout this century.

Nothing pains me more in a geopolitical sense than seeing Pakistan get more and more entangled in a web through which there is no escape.

I agree that it is tricky. Especially if we consider stagnant wages, dipping lifestyles and the temporary “ servicing the rich” kind of jobs that Americans has now been forced into instead of meaningful long term and respectful manufacturing jobs.

For trade deficit, I was thinking in terms of arguments that with dollar being international reserve currency, any trade deficit amounts to exchange of actual wealth, services and goods against essentially in most cases US treasury bonds. I heard one lecturer describing this as Chinese being in love with “little green slips with pictures of dead American presidents on them”. They say that the only concern can be if China tries to use dollar reserves to buy assets and companies in mainland USA. But we know from history, especially with the case of Saudi Arabia and Iran, that such a move will be promptly dealt with sanctions by congress. Moreover, with the significant size of American economy and military it is really difficult for anyone to put pressure on America even if they hold large amounts of American debt.

I think Chinese are smart and they have correctly recognised that the biggest advantage US holds over the rest is her knowledge economy, patents and global copyright regime. Therefore, they are ruthlessly stealing technology.

 

[the Great Khan]

This..

Pakistani is in a very dangerous spot here, atleast when they allied with the Americans, they still had some control and say. Being in bed with China may be the final nail in Pakistan's coffin.

we had zero say in anything. It actually shackled us. Being out of the american camp allows us to position ourselves in a different way. We have strategic relations with Saudi and Turkey. We now have a very different relationship with iran thanks to it becoming a member of the Belt and road club. Our relations with Russia have improved immensely and we have had a relationship with the US since the 1950's.

Now that we are not tethered to the western camp we can move forward with a more independent polciy that is in our interests. This is economic connectivity with our neighbours and connectivity to central asia. Trade relations with the EU and the US and peace with india.

For americas contain China policy to truly work it needs to take the pakistan vs india scenario off the table. Hence why you may have noticed the LOC has gone quiet.

Unfortunately India now dances to the americans tune. You will jump when they say and bend when they say. They may not be as forceful as they have been with us but they will get their way..

India's best move is to work on peace with both China and Pakistan, to join ASEAN and to join the belt and road. It will be a superpower within a decade. with a calm western regional power ensuring a decent buffer fbetween teh turmoil in afghanistan (or lawlessness) and major connectivity with central asia. indian goods would flow all the way to CA and Turkey and the EU. Trade between Pakistan and India would hit billions as it is a fact that neighbours trade the most with each other just see belgium and france and ireland and the UK.

But alas your body politic and institutions are constructed around organised discrimination thus they cant even fathom this. Hence you are forever to be mired in a "what if" maybe scenario.

 

[OMB]

The Quad does not serve India’s security interests


On March 12, the leaders of four countries — the US, India, Japan and Australia — signaled the emergence of a new coalition that would be active in the affairs of the “Indo-Pacific.” This was announced at an online summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, briefly referred to as “Quad.”
In their joint statement titled “The Spirit of the Quad,” the leaders said they had a shared vision for an Indo-Pacific that is “free, open, resilient and inclusive.” They described their partnership as a “spark of hope to light the path ahead.” The leaders moved beyond maritime issues to talk about cooperation, vaccine development, technology and climate change.

China has condemned such initiatives by “enclosed small cliques” which are sowing discord by hyping up the “China threat.”
The Quad has had a wobbly evolution. Starting in 2004 as a core group to respond to maritime disasters, it briefly pursued maritime security cooperation in 2007, and then went into hibernation. It was resurrected in November 2017 as Donald Trump shaped a coalition to confront the threat from “rising” China. Since then, the coalition has moved rapidly to ministerial conclaves from 2018 and then the summit this month.

Each Quad member has specific concerns relating to the challenge from China and believes this group provides a platform for “credible deterrence” against what they see as China’s “malign” behavior. The US views China as an emerging threat to the world order that it has led since 1945 and, in a broader historical perspective, as a possible challenge to Western domination over world affairs.
Japan has a dispute with China relating to the Senkaku islands, while also sharing US concerns about China’s aggressive regional posture. Australia is viewing with trepidation China’s naval presence in its immediate neighbourhood, while being unhappy with China’s tough posture in its trade dealings.

India is the only Quad member that is not part of the west Pacific space, and it also shares a 3,500-km undemarcated land border with China. It has been drawn to the coalition by several challenges — China’s increasing influence in other South Asian nations, the expanding presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and its presence in various ports. These are seen as encroachments into India’s strategic space. The border standoff with China at Ladakh from April 2020 is viewed as the latest affirmation of China’s hostile intentions toward India.

There is no doubt that the rise of a new power with the potential to overturn the global order creates reverberations as supporters of the existing order strive to maintain the status quo. The rise of China had led the US to “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific about a decade ago and, as China’s prowess has recently expanded in economic, military and now technological areas, to strengthen its side by roping in regional allies.

India has been the much sought-after partner for this emerging coalition. Votaries of the US-led coalition have been highlighting the “threat” from China over the past few years and have built defense ties with India that have included massive purchases of US defense equipment, bilateral agreements that have boosted interoperability between the two forces and regular military exercises to coordinate strategy and tactics.

This is perhaps what motivated China to give India a rude geography lesson — a reminder that its principal security challenges lie not in the Indo-Pacific but on the unresolved land border.
While it makes sense for Japan and Australia to work closely with the US to safeguard their interests in the west Pacific, the Quad hardly serves India’s interests — it only drags India into a competition zone where it has no stake, while aggravating tensions with China.

The Quad has other serious deficiencies. Quad members do not even agree on the territorial definition of the Indo-Pacific and have no shared strategic vision. They have no idea what role each of them will play in the face of an economic or military challenge from China, given the substantial economic ties that each member has with China. Certainly, the Quad can do little to curtail China’s global economic clout.
The Quad pays lip service to seeking a “rules-based order” in the Indo-Pacific, but ignores the fact that its principal partner, the US, has a long record of flouting all rules in pursuit of its interests.

The Quad is long on rhetoric, short on substance. What it has done is to encourage China, in tandem with Russia, to build an alternative partnership across Eurasia and the Middle East to promote regional security and, through the Belt and Road Initiative, pulling the region together into an integrated political and economic space for mutual benefit.

India needs to decide where its long-term interests lie.


Talmiz Ahmad is an author and former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE. He holds the Ram Sathe Chair for International Studies at Symbiosis International University in Pune, India.

 

[Bi_Jamalo]

The question to be asked “has any country ever got rich trading with China?”

Yes ofcourse trade is always a 2 way thing. If trading with china wasn’t possible, there wouldn't be so many affordable consumer goods like phones etc available to poor people in all parts of the world.

Also this global trade (out of China) phenomenon is nothing new either. Centuries ago they were already trading via silk route and many European nobilities, kings etc had fine Chinese ceramic ware etc in their palaces. Its a pity that we, in the subcontinent never reached such potential despite having a huge population and plenty of natural resources.

 

[Napa]

Yes ofcourse trade is always a 2 way thing. If trading with china wasn’t possible, there wouldn't be so many affordable consumer goods like phones etc available to poor people in all parts of the world.

Also this global trade (out of China) phenomenon is nothing new either. Centuries ago they were already trading via silk route and many European nobilities, kings etc had fine Chinese ceramic ware etc in their palaces. Its a pity that we, in the subcontinent never reached such potential despite having a huge population and plenty of natural resources.

Trading with China has given the US consumer cheap goods, but has caused long term damage in the form of huge deficits and debts, and loss of manufacturing jobs resulting in rising inequality and social tensions.

 

[OMB]

Quad navies join France-led drills in Indian Ocean

India, the US, Japan and Australia constitute the Quadrilateral security dialogue or Quad. China has been wary of the Quad that was revived in late 2017

France, India, the United States, Japan and Australia on Monday kicked off complex maritime drills in the eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to enhance interoperability among their navies, the Indian Navy said, at a time when China is making concerted efforts to strengthen its presence in the IOR. Two Indian warships and a long-range maritime patrol aircraft are taking part in the French Navy-led exercise called La Pérouse for the first time.

India, the US, Japan and Australia constitute the Quadrilateral security dialogue or Quad. China has been wary of the Quad that was revived in late 2017. And Beijing’s suspicions have increased since the four countries upgraded the forum to the ministerial level in 2019.

Indian warships INS Satpura with an embarked helicopter and INS Kiltan, and a Boeing P-8I submarine hunter aircraft are taking part in the three-day exercise being held from April 5 to April 7.

The exercise will showcase high levels of synergy, coordination and inter-operability between the friendly navies, an Indian Navy spokesperson said on Monday. “Participation by the Indian Navy in the exercise demonstrates the shared values with friendly navies ensuring freedom of seas and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order,” Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/quad-navies-join-france-led-drills-in-indian-ocean-101617621554810.html

 

[OMB]

Find right balance: India-Russia ties are important but so is the Quad Inbox

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to New Delhi comes at an interesting juncture. Russia is an opponent of the Quad and has allied its interests with China’s. However, India-Russia defence cooperation has a long history and New Delhi remains interested in Russian platforms like the S-400. In fact, Lavrov said that discussions are underway to manufacture additional Russian military equipment in India under the Make in India initiative.

That Lavrov’s comment came even as India took part in a Quad plus France naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal highlights the predicament that marks the India-Russia relationship today. And the reason for this predicament is China, which has emerged as India’s main strategic rival. China’s expansionist ambitions directly put India in its crosshairs as exemplified by the standoff in eastern Ladakh. Therefore, India has no choice but to align with the US and like-minded democracies to balance China’s aggressive approach.

In such a scenario, if Russia really wants to strengthen the strategic relationship with India, it must get China to rein in its aggressive posture. But given that Beijing today is essentially the senior partner in the relationship with Moscow, the latter’s ability to influence the Chinese leadership remains in doubt. Therefore, Russia must accept India’s participation in the Quad. Meanwhile, New Delhi should obviously continue doing business with Moscow where it suits its national interest. Finding the right balance is the key in the fast changing geopolitical order.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-editorials/find-right-balance-india-russia-ties-are-important-but-so-is-the-quad-inbox/

 

[IMMY69]

Thread Title: The US, Japan, India and Australia part of 'Quad group' to counter Chinese influence

Read the title again and then again and tell me how there is no hypocrisy in this?
Why can't china do what it wants to do yet the States along with other western countries can go ahead and "influence" the rest of the world?

 

[Napa]

Besides stopping Chinese aggression in the South China sea against countries like Philippines and Vietnam, an important aspect of the Quad is providing protection to Taiwan which China is committed to annexing.

Having Indian support can help these countries in different ways.

The BrahMos Missile Is the Military Monster Coming to China's Doorstep

Widely regarded as the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile, the BrahMos system can reach a top speed of Mach 3 (roughly 2300 miles per hour) and boasts a range of around 450 kilometers. The missile can receive inertial as well as GPS guidance, and is capable of flying at an altitude of as low as five meters. A remarkably versatile system, the BrahMos missile can be launched from submarines, a wide range of surface ships, aircraft, and land-based platforms.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/b...ilitary-monster-coming-chinas-doorstep-179969

Taiwan says India helped Paraguay get vaccines after China pressure

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan worked with other democracies to help its diplomatic ally Paraguay get COVID-19 vaccines after China put pressure on the South American country to ditch Taipei in exchange for shots, and India stepped in to help, Taiwan's foreign minister said.

Chinese-claimed Taiwan has formal ties with only 15 countries, and Beijing, which asserts that the island does not have the right to diplomatic recognition, has stepped up efforts to coax them away.

Taiwan said last month it was helping Paraguay, its sole diplomatic ally in South America, buy COVID-19 vaccines after protests there over the government's handling of the health crisis.

https://news.yahoo.com/taiwan-says-india-helped-paraguay-063116485.html

Modi deescalated the situation after China attacked and killed Indian soldiers in Galwan. But China is now paying a price for having made a bigger enemy of India.
[MENTION=140824]Last Monetarist[/MENTION] [MENTION=76058]cricketjoshila[/MENTION]

 

[OMB]

India "Concerned" As US Navy Holds Op Off Lakshwadeep "Without Consent"

This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.


India on Friday said it had conveyed its concerns to the US through diplomatic channels after the US Navy's 7th Fleet announced it conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations within India's exclusive economic zone or EEZ off the Lakshadweep Islands without India's permission. This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.
"The Government of India's stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of USA through diplomatic channels," it added.

A statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs had earlier said, "On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.

The statement would be jarring for New Delhi since the US is among India's closest strategic partners with both sides having repeatedly opposed China's maritime expansionism, particularly in the South China Sea. India and the US hold Naval exercises throughout the year.

In response to a query from NDTV on whether the Indian Navy attempted to contact the US Navy ship involved in the operation, a US Navy Spokesperson said, "All interactions during the freedom of navigation operation were in accordance with international law."

Their statement further said: "We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements."


The Indian Navy or the External Affairs Ministry are yet to respond.

India on Friday said it had conveyed its concerns to the US through diplomatic channels after the US Navy's 7th Fleet announced it conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations within India's exclusive economic zone or EEZ off the Lakshadweep Islands without India's permission. This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.
"The Government of India's stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of USA through diplomatic channels," it added.

A statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs had earlier said, "On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.

The statement would be jarring for New Delhi since the US is among India's closest strategic partners with both sides having repeatedly opposed China's maritime expansionism, particularly in the South China Sea. India and the US hold Naval exercises throughout the year.

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In response to a query from NDTV on whether the Indian Navy attempted to contact the US Navy ship involved in the operation, a US Navy Spokesperson said, "All interactions during the freedom of navigation operation were in accordance with international law."

Their statement further said: "We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements."

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In the Quad group meeting held in February this year, the first since a new US administration took over, the partners pledged "to strengthen cooperation on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including support for freedom of navigation and territorial integrity".

The Quad grouping consists of the US, India, Japan, and Australia, and is viewed as a buffer against an increasingly assertive Beijing

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-navy-conducts-freedom-of-navigation-operation-inside-indias-exclusive-economic-zone-without-consent-says-consistent-with-international-law-2409697

 

[Romali_rotti]

India "Concerned" As US Navy Holds Op Off Lakshwadeep "Without Consent"

This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.


India on Friday said it had conveyed its concerns to the US through diplomatic channels after the US Navy's 7th Fleet announced it conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations within India's exclusive economic zone or EEZ off the Lakshadweep Islands without India's permission. This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.
"The Government of India's stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of USA through diplomatic channels," it added.

A statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs had earlier said, "On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.

The statement would be jarring for New Delhi since the US is among India's closest strategic partners with both sides having repeatedly opposed China's maritime expansionism, particularly in the South China Sea. India and the US hold Naval exercises throughout the year.

In response to a query from NDTV on whether the Indian Navy attempted to contact the US Navy ship involved in the operation, a US Navy Spokesperson said, "All interactions during the freedom of navigation operation were in accordance with international law."

Their statement further said: "We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements."


The Indian Navy or the External Affairs Ministry are yet to respond.

India on Friday said it had conveyed its concerns to the US through diplomatic channels after the US Navy's 7th Fleet announced it conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations within India's exclusive economic zone or EEZ off the Lakshadweep Islands without India's permission. This is in dissonance with India's maritime security policy of such exercises requiring its authorisation.
"The Government of India's stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of USA through diplomatic channels," it added.

A statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs had earlier said, "On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.

The statement would be jarring for New Delhi since the US is among India's closest strategic partners with both sides having repeatedly opposed China's maritime expansionism, particularly in the South China Sea. India and the US hold Naval exercises throughout the year.

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In response to a query from NDTV on whether the Indian Navy attempted to contact the US Navy ship involved in the operation, a US Navy Spokesperson said, "All interactions during the freedom of navigation operation were in accordance with international law."

Their statement further said: "We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements."

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In the Quad group meeting held in February this year, the first since a new US administration took over, the partners pledged "to strengthen cooperation on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including support for freedom of navigation and territorial integrity".

The Quad grouping consists of the US, India, Japan, and Australia, and is viewed as a buffer against an increasingly assertive Beijing

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-navy-conducts-freedom-of-navigation-operation-inside-indias-exclusive-economic-zone-without-consent-says-consistent-with-international-law-2409697

This has all to do with S400, Russian foreign minister was recently in India and had talks about manufacturing the S400 in India.

Message is simple: If India acquires the S400 or have any connection to it, US will not be happy.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Message is clear from the Americans, if you want to form the alliance with the QUAD and all that, Indians cannot be in bed with the Russians also whom are currently owned by the Chinese.

India will have to steer clear of the Russians and choose a side, Indians cannot double dip

 

[cricketjoshila]

Message is clear from the Americans, if you want to form the alliance with the QUAD and all that, Indians cannot be in bed with the Russians also whom are currently owned by the Chinese.

India will have to steer clear of the Russians and choose a side, Indians cannot double dip

India will not dump the Russians. US is unreliable as a defence partner and all their partnerships are vulnerable to sanctions.

India will buy the S 400. US will have to understand that its in position to arm twist India and needs India in the Indo Pacific.

 

[Bigboii]

Message is clear from the Americans, if you want to form the alliance with the QUAD and all that, Indians cannot be in bed with the Russians also whom are currently owned by the Chinese.

India will have to steer clear of the Russians and choose a side, Indians cannot double dip

Oh boy I said it months ago and you'll remember this post 5-10 years from now and I'll be right

Trust me it'll turn out exactly how I predicted...

Now the most important thing the US/Biden should do with India is to end their neutrality b* they want to enjoy the best of both worlds but we can't allow that happen

give them "Plata o plomo" or a bit of both but make sure they get in line with US foreign policy against China they're making a fool out of the US as of know

we can't/shouldn't deal with China problem alone we need strong Allies to counter China just like we had western Europe to stop USSR quad nations should hep US (if China is stopped its better for them than it is for the US because we are thousands of miles away but Quad is directly threatened by China)

 

[Bigboii]

Indian relationship with Russia will further deteriorate (Russians are hated by the US probably more that China), Biden is an old hawk he'll find a way to get what he wants

 

[Romali_rotti]

India will not dump the Russians. US is unreliable as a defence partner and all their partnerships are vulnerable to sanctions.

India will buy the S 400. US will have to understand that its in position to arm twist India and needs India in the Indo Pacific.

I believe Indians will be ok, if we stay clear of the S400s. Other Russian equipment like fighter jets, Ships, guns etc wont cause any issue.

I don't know what's the deal with the S400, Chinese have it, we will have it if we proceed with the full procurement. Chinese know how to use it, they have made Russians financially dependent on them, so they may already have knowledge on how to weaken the Indian S400s.

At least dropping S400 will give India access to American weapons which Pakistan and China will never have access to.

Isn't it a little bit of common sense to drop the S400s ?

 

[Romali_rotti]

Oh boy I said it months ago and you'll remember this post 5-10 years from now and I'll be right

Trust me it'll turn out exactly how I predicted...

You were bang on point, Agreed..

I stayed similar a while back also, Russians can no longer be trusted for the Indians due to them being dependent on the Chinese. India is screwing themselves in my opinion with the S400

India can still have a bit of the best of both worlds if they drop the S400 I feel.

 

[Bi_Jamalo]

Frankly, India hasn’t really got much to offer in terms of constraining China.

Its militarily and scientifically no match to China and even geographically its far away from the industrial heartland of China’s east coast. South west part of China that borders India is almost uninhabited.

All what India can offer is some distraction while US and its allies engage with china on its eastern front.

 

[Hornbill]

Frankly, India hasn’t really got much to offer in terms of constraining China.

Its militarily and scientifically no match to China and even geographically its far away from the industrial heartland of China’s east coast. South west part of China that borders India is almost uninhabited.

All what India can offer is some distraction while US and its allies engage with china on its eastern front.

USA and other rivals of china will be very much interested in setting up military bases and missile systems along the chinese borders

 

[Bi_Jamalo]

For that there are cheaper options like Nepal, Bhutan, Mayanamar etc

 

[Technics 1210]

India getting played like it did under British rule.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Indian territory of Andaman lies at the mouth of the malacca straits. Thats where most of Chinese trade passes through. That can be choked by the Indian navy base there.

US needs India to maintain superiority in the Indo Pacific region. Not vice versa.

 

[Bi_Jamalo]

Indian territory of Andaman lies at the mouth of the malacca straits. Thats where most of Chinese trade passes through. That can be choked by the Indian navy base there.

US needs India to maintain superiority in the Indo Pacific region. Not vice versa.

If that’s what US would need to do, why would it just not establish military/naval bases in Malaysia & Indonesia itself? Just like what British did this during the opium war against china.

Also straits of Malaca have sea routes via Indonesia that totally by passes your beloved Andaman island and is not that much of a detour.

When was the last time when India or its previous colonial masters ever used those Andaman Islands for anything?

So its better you finally admit that India is geo-politically not as important, as you hope it to be.

 

[OMB]

US Dials Down Tension Over Warship Passage Through India's Exclusive Zone

John F Kirby, the Pentagon Press Secretary, has said that the Destroyer USS John Paul Jones conducted "innocent passage" through waters off the Maldives, indicating that military manoeuvres had not been carried out.

The United States has sought to dial down differences with India on the passage of a US warship through India's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Arabian Sea, which had taken place without New Delhi's permission on April 7.
John F Kirby, the Pentagon Press Secretary, has said that the Destroyer USS John Paul Jones conducted "innocent passage" through waters off the Maldives, indicating that military manoeuvres had not been carried out.

Earlier, in a statement, the government had said the United Nation's Convention on the Law of the Sea does not authorise other states to carry out military exercises of manoeuvres on the continental shelf or "Exclusive Economic Zone".

"The Government of India's stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state," the Ministry of External Affairs had said.

"The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of USA through diplomatic channels," it added.

New Delhi had expressed its concern to Washington after the US Seventh Fleet referred to India's maritime claims as being excessive.

The statement was unusual since New Delhi and Washington, both members of the Quad grouping, are both committed to protecting freedom of navigation in international waterways with a specific concern on China's maritime expansionism.

The Quad grouping consists of the US, India, Japan, and Australia, and is viewed as a buffer against an increasingly assertive Beijing.

A statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs had earlier said, "On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.

In response to a query from NDTV on whether the Indian Navy attempted to contact the US Navy ship involved in the operation, a US Navy Spokesperson had said, "All interactions during the freedom of navigation operation were in accordance with international law."


https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-dials-down-tension-over-warship-passage-through-indias-exclusive-zone-2410961

 

[DeadlyVenom]

India, Japan and Australia have every right to counter Chinese influence in the region but surely involving the US is a bit hypocritical

 

[OMB]

tbh, it is the USA which is more interested. India, Japan and Australia have always dealt with the chinese influence earlier too so nothing new there.

 

[Romali_rotti]

US Dials Down Tension Over Warship Passage Through India's Exclusive Zone

John F Kirby, the Pentagon Press Secretary, has said that the Destroyer USS John Paul Jones conducted "innocent passage" through waters off the Maldives, indicating that military manoeuvres had not been carried out.

The United States has sought to dial down differences with India on the passage of a US warship through India's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Arabian Sea, which had taken place without New Delhi's permission on April 7.
John F Kirby, the Pentagon Press Secretary, has said that the Destroyer USS John Paul Jones conducted "innocent passage" through waters off the Maldives, indicating that military manoeuvres had not been carried out.

Earlier, in a statement, the government had said the United Nation's Convention on the Law of the Sea does not authorise other states to carry out military exercises of manoeuvres on the continental shelf or "Exclusive Economic Zone".

"The Government of India's stated position on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is that the Convention does not authorise other States to carry out in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the continental shelf, military exercises or manoeuvres, in particular those involving the use of weapons or explosives, without the consent of the coastal state," the Ministry of External Affairs had said.

"The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits. We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of USA through diplomatic channels," it added.

New Delhi had expressed its concern to Washington after the US Seventh Fleet referred to India's maritime claims as being excessive.

The statement was unusual since New Delhi and Washington, both members of the Quad grouping, are both committed to protecting freedom of navigation in international waterways with a specific concern on China's maritime expansionism.

The Quad grouping consists of the US, India, Japan, and Australia, and is viewed as a buffer against an increasingly assertive Beijing.

A statement by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs had earlier said, "On April 7, 2021 (local time), the USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India's exclusive economic zone, without requesting India's prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.

In response to a query from NDTV on whether the Indian Navy attempted to contact the US Navy ship involved in the operation, a US Navy Spokesperson had said, "All interactions during the freedom of navigation operation were in accordance with international law."


https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-dials-down-tension-over-warship-passage-through-indias-exclusive-zone-2410961

The Quad will be ok, as they all have one thing in common: All hate China.

However that doesn't mean India wont get sanctions or other troubles coming their way if they bring the S400 to India.

This will be an interesting passage to watch over the coming years.

 

[OMB]

US naval fleet’s defiance of Indian law is not unprecedented. India must heed the message

It had rushed in aid of West Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict. To defy Indian law through our EEZ in the 50th year of Bangladesh’s creation and then advertise it is downright obtuse, if not intended to send out a message.

The United States of America has always basked in its bluntness and candour. However, what it did recently is something of an “achievement” even by its own tone-deaf standards.

On April 7, the US Navy put out a rather quixotic announcement on the official website of its Seventh Naval Fleet stating that one of its ships, USS John Paul Jones, had asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), without requesting Delhi’s prior consent. It went on to declare that the freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements.

Several elements of the Seventh Fleet entering Indian waters without permission touch on emotive issues for India with attendant overtones of patriotism. The fact that these FONOPs have happened earlier does not, in any manner, normalise what happened on April 7 — or, for that matter, why the Seventh Fleet courted ignominy half a century ago.

Herein hangs a tale. As the Indo-Pakistan conflict over the genocide in the then East Pakistan looked inevitable, US President Richard Nixon and his National Security Adviser (NSA) Henry Kissinger decided that if push came to shove, they would weigh in on West Pakistan’s side. This was notwithstanding the fact that the US administration was fully cognizant of the grave human rights violations being perpetrated by the Pakistani army in the east of the country.

Consistent with the plan in November 1971, Henry Kissinger advised his Deputy NSA General Alexander Haig to direct the US Navy to keep an aircraft-carrier-led task force ready for deployment in the Indian Ocean.

As the tide of war turned against Pakistan, US Navy’s Task Force-74 of the Seventh Fleet led by the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise was ordered to sail at battle speed into the Bay of Bengal from the Gulf of Tonkin where it was then deployed for operations in the Vietnam war. Concurrently, the British Navy also dispatched a naval group led by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle towards the west coast of India.

An audacious and coordinated “grand bluff” to intimidate India was thus operationalised. British ships in the Arabian Sea would engage Indian naval assets, thereby providing a distraction for the US Task Force-74 to make a dash for the coast of East Pakistan to reinforce the pulverised Pakistani positions. The objective being to force an immediate ceasefire and stop Dhaka from falling into Indian hands.

Obviously, this caused great consternation in India. Articulating India’s position, Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram thundered: “Even if the US were to send the 70th fleet, we would still not be deterred”.

However, on the ground, the situation was grim. Facing the British and the American Armada was Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet commanded by its aircraft carrier Vikrant with barely 20 light fighter aircrafts. The Indian Air Force would provide the rest of the muscle.

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Invoking the Indo-Soviet Treaty signed on August 9, 1971, India requested the Soviet Union for help to call out the Nixon-Kissinger chicanery. The Soviets responded with alacrity. The 10th Operative Battle Group (Pacific Fleet) commanded by Admiral Vladimir Kruglyakov slipped anchor at Vladivostok and in double quick time reached the Bay of Bengal. The Soviets stared down the Anglo-American flotilla and the rest is history. However, the American perfidy at that critical moment is indelibly imprinted in the collective Indian psyche.

Since then, India and the US have become friends if not allies. The Quad between US, Japan, Australia and India is plugged as the fulcrum of a future Asian NATO. India and US have signed foundational agreements for better interoperability between their respective militaries. Since the Indian nuclear tests of 1998, there has been better appreciation of each other’s strategic imperatives. The US, by its own admission, has supported India logistically in eastern Ladakh.

However, it seems the understanding has not permeated deep enough to understand each other’s psyche, if not sensibilities. In the fiftieth year of the creation of Bangladesh, to sail a Seventh Fleet vessel in defiance of Indian law through our EEZ, and then advertise it is downright obtuse, if not intended to send out a message to India and the larger Indo-Pacific region. For the manoeuvre is not as innocent as it is being made to look.

The Joe Biden administration’s appreciation of the Indo-Pacific and India’s place in it is very different from that of its predecessor. While Trump saw India as an important instrument to counter the growing Chinese influence in the region, President Biden has a more nuanced, if not a softer, approach towards Beijing. The manner in which FONOP was broadcast is obviously to smoothen ruffled Chinese feathers over similar operations in the South China Sea that the US has been regularly undertaking.

Given that India and China are still locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation in eastern Ladakh, such posturing by the US does not augur well for India. Even our “time-tested ally” Russia wants to balance its position in South Asia given our “closeness” to the US, as evidenced by the Quad and our approach to Afghanistan that is more aligned to the US position than what Moscow is proposing. India will do well to weigh its options far more carefully. A stitch in time saves nine.

This column first appeared in the print edition on April 14, 2021 under the title ‘American fleet and Indian waters’. The writer is a Congress leader, lawyer, MP and former Union Information and Broadcasting Minister

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/us-navy-fleet-warship-india-eez-area-7272626/

 

[OMB]

India, France, UAE to test combat skills in naval exercise and all the latest news


The UAE will, for the first time, hold combat readiness war game with Indian and French war ships at the trilateral naval exercises Varuna in the Persian Gulf

Indian Navy warships will join the French flagship Charles de Gaulle carrier aircraft carrier along with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy for the three-day Varuna trilateral exercise to jointly test combat skills and war game in the Persian Gulf area starting April 25, people familiar with the matter said.

This is the first time that the UAE is participating in the Varuna maritime exercise. India and France have been holding the exercise since 1993; it was christened Varuna in 2001.

Officials said the Indian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya would not join the exercise since it is under maintenance. But the Indian Navy’s participation will seek to make up for INS Vikramaditya’s absence by sending two to three destroyers (possibly led by INS Kolkata, the lead ship of the navy’s Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers) and frigates, an attack submarine, a P-8I maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The Charles de Gaulle carrier strike force comprises two frigates and a replenishment tanker.

The French aircraft carrier and its strike group have been in the neighbourhood for weeks; Charles de Gaulle arrived in the Arabian Sea in mid-March for operations relating to Afghanistan and has held dual operations with the United States aircraft supercarrier Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. According to the two navies, the two strike groups, which are conducting dual operations, are cooperating at levels of integration that has been “rarely achieved in the past”.


USS Eisenhower carrier strike group is part of the fifth fleet, whose area of operations extends from the Red Sea to parts of the Indian Ocean. The US carrier-based squadrons of F-18 Super Hornet aircraft and E-2c Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft tested war skills with French Rafale M fighters in the Arabian Sea on April 13.

While the fledgling UAE Navy will be part of the Varuna war games, Indian and French naval warships will be involved in complex manoeuvres in the north Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf by testing interoperability skills in sub-surface, surface and aerial dimensions.

Just as France is considered the oldest US ally, India and France have very deep defence cooperation and converge on the Indo-Pacific doctrine to ensure that no power unilaterally blocks the freedom of navigation from the Gulf of Aden to the western shores of the United States. Both India and France have very close ties with UAE.

Like the four-nation Quad grouping, India-France and Australia have overlapping security objectives in the Indo-Pacific even though the level of war gaming between major maritime powers such as the US, France and India takes a bigger dimension with advanced skill testing and intelligence sharing.


https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-france-uae-to-test-combat-skills-at-varuna-naval-exercise-from-sunday-101618814430812.html

 

[OMB]

PM Modi thanks Japan's Suga for taking personal interest in 'Rudrakash' centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recounted numerous projects Japan has been involved with, including Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor project and Zen garden recently inaugurated in Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday thanked his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga for the financial assistance in building the Varanasi International Cooperation and Convention Centre 'Rudraksh'. During his address at the VICC, PM Modi said that Suga, who was the chief cabinet secretary in the Japanese government when the project began, has been personally involved in the project continuously.

“All Indians are grateful to Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for taking a personal interest in the project,” the prime minister said.

PM Modi also thanked former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who had visited Kashi in 2015 when the idea of ‘Rudraksh’ was discussed between the two leaders. Speaking at the inauguration event, the prime minister recounted numerous projects Japan has been involved with, including Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor project and Zen garden recently inaugurated in Ahmedabad.

“I am happy that a new sweet chapter of friendship is being written today,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi is in Varanasi to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects. The various public projects and works include a 100-bed model maternal and child health (MCH) wing at the Institute of Medical Sciences of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), multi-level parking at Godauliya, Ro-Ro Vessels for tourism development on River Ganga and a three-lane flyover bridge on the Varanasi Ghazipur Highway.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modi-thanks-japan-s-suga-for-personal-involvement-in-rudrakash-centre-101626341193765.html

 

[OMB]

US secretary of state in India; will meet PM, Jaishankar today

US secretary of state Anthony on his first visit to India will meet foreign minister for discussions on Wednesday at a time when the US withdrawal from Afghanistan may be plunging the country into civil war, and when the China challenge has become acute for both US and India.

This will be the fourth meeting between the two leaders. Blinken is the third senior US official to visit India this year, having been preceded by the defence secretary Lloyd Austin and special envoy for climate, John Kerry. Biden and have met virtually on three occasions thus far — at the virtual Quad summit, the climate leaders’ meet and the summit.

Blinken’s first meeting of the morning will be with NSA Ajit Doval. He will call on the Prime Minister late afternoon before leaving India.

Afghanistan and the Quad will take up a lot of the discussions on Wednesday. The fallout of the US withdrawal is having an impact on all countries surrounding Afghanistan, while India believes it is providing Pakistan with another opportunity to continue its support to terror groups targeting India and Afghanistan. This was affirmed by the US side, which said the US and India were “closely coordinating”
on Afghanistan.

Since the foreign and defence ministers are scheduled to meet in the US this autumn for the 2+2 ministerial, sources in the Indian government said, defence trade and technologies as well as exercises will be part of the discussions.
According to a statement by the US state department, the US has “authorised over $20 billion in defence sales to India.”

A Quad foreign ministers’ meeting may be scheduled soon, while the US is hoping to host an in-person Quad summit in Washington in September-October.
The US side has indicated that they would raise the issue of human rights and violations of civil rights by the government, after reports of hacking and snooping phones of opposition members, activists and journalists using the Israeli Pegasus software became public.
The issue has roiled the media as well as , with opposition parties obstructing functioning of the legislature on the subject. The government has pushed back against potential US activism on this matter.

Government sources said this week, “Issues such as human rights and democracy are universal and extend beyond a particular national or cultural perspective. India is proud of its achievements in both domains and is always glad to share experiences. As a long-standing pluralistic society, India is open to engaging those who now recognise the value of diversity.”

The Blinken visit has got top billing by the Indian government with the US as its top international partner. Sources here said, the visit would “be an opportunity to further consolidate bilateral cooperation across a vast agenda. Issues like augmenting trade and investment, and tapping opportunities in healthcare, education, digital domain, innovation and security, will be important elements of the conversation.”

Covid management and helping economies recover will also depend on whether the Quad — of which US and India and members — can manufacture enough vaccines in time for countries in the . It is currently a difficult time as most of these countries are in their third wave of the coronavirus, while India has
stopped exporting its vaccines to concentrate its production for vaccinating its own population. However, continuing the conversation he started when he visited the US in May, Jaishankar is expected to push the US to keep supply chains open for ingredients for vaccine manufacture. India will be opening up its vaccine production for global supplies in a few months, sources believe, certainly by early 2022.

Officials here said India will push for resumption of international travel, with protective protocols in place, this being key to resuming economic activity “especially easing mobility of students, professionals, business travellers, family reunions, humanitarian cases, etc. The need for resilient supply chains of critical medicines and healthcare equipment is likely to come up.”

Climate change is a priority area for both countries and some attention will be paid to this, sources said.
On a global scale, Blinken and Jaishankar are expected to touch on some of the pressing issues demanding attention —“political and cultural rebalancing are important trends. India supports a truly multipolar, democratic and diverse world order and expects international conversations to reflect this evolution. We believe in equity and fairness, whether in development, climate change or global
decision-making.”

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/us-secretary-of-state-in-india-will-meet-pm-jaishankar-today/articleshow/84808069.cms

 

[Napa]

US naval fleet’s defiance of Indian law is not unprecedented. India must heed the message

It had rushed in aid of West Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict. To defy Indian law through our EEZ in the 50th year of Bangladesh’s creation and then advertise it is downright obtuse, if not intended to send out a message.

The United States of America has always basked in its bluntness and candour. However, what it did recently is something of an “achievement” even by its own tone-deaf standards.

On April 7, the US Navy put out a rather quixotic announcement on the official website of its Seventh Naval Fleet stating that one of its ships, USS John Paul Jones, had asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), without requesting Delhi’s prior consent. It went on to declare that the freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements.

This column first appeared in the print edition on April 14, 2021 under the title ‘American fleet and Indian waters’. The writer is a Congress leader, lawyer, MP and former Union Information and Broadcasting Minister

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/us-navy-fleet-warship-india-eez-area-7272626/

Just a former Congress Minister and the Indian Express trying to create tension between India and the US and hoping Modi is shown as weak.

This article relies upon the readers' ignorance about international law. There are two maritime boundaries: territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.

The difference between the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone is that the first confers full sovereignty over the waters, whereas the second is merely a "sovereign right" which refers to the coastal state's rights below the surface of the sea. The surface waters, as can be seen in the map, are international waters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone

The Congress MP writes "Several elements of the Seventh Fleet entering Indian waters without permission". A lawyer trying to be too cute but using the meaningless phrase "Indian waters" rather than "Indian territorial waters" or "India's EEZ".

If the US Navy had entered Indian territorial waters it would have been a great provocation. They merely sailed through international waters that are part of India's EEZ. Nothing to see here.

 

[Napa]

The Quad will be ok, as they all have one thing in common: All hate China.

However that doesn't mean India wont get sanctions or other troubles coming their way if they bring the S400 to India.

This will be an interesting passage to watch over the coming years.

The thing that the Quad really needs to do is to make peace with Russia first.

The stupid Democrats have made hostility to Russia a domestic political issue. They need to grow up.

 

[AdamM97]

The thing that the Quad really needs to do is to make peace with Russia first.

The stupid Democrats have made hostility to Russia a domestic political issue. They need to grow up.

This is not a democrat issue, but an American one. They’re simply not willing to abandon their geopolitical goals of Europe because of China. Both the US and Russia wants to control eastern Europe. France and Germany are probably the only two countries in the West who advocate for better relations and some concessions with Russia, but only because they want to focus on Islamism in the Middle East and Africa.

And that is the problem of the Quad alliance, all of its members have their own self-interests which they’re unwilling to sacrifice on in order to further the goals of containing China.

 

[Napa]

This is not a democrat issue, but an American one. They’re simply not willing to abandon their geopolitical goals of Europe because of China.

You are right that this is the general US behavior. I was referring to what has specifically happened over the past 5 years with the Dems making an alleged collaboration between Putin and Trump a political issue. Also, Trump is a businessman and he didn't see the benefit of a mutually destructive competition with Russia so his desire was to improve relations, but he was severely handicapped by Democratic and liberal media attacks on him.

Both the US and Russia wants to control eastern Europe. France and Germany are probably the only two countries in the West who advocate for better relations and some concessions with Russia, but only because they want to focus on Islamism in the Middle East and Africa.

And that is the problem of the Quad alliance, all of its members have their own self-interests which they’re unwilling to sacrifice on in order to further the goals of containing China.

I think the Quad alliance will grow with time. Japan and China are historical sworn enemies. China recently went out of its way to attack Indian soldiers, which has made India very anti-Chinese. The US has a continuing problem with China which sees the US as the only rival superpower. Australia is in China's backyard, and as China grows more assertive in the South China Sea they will clash.

I have been surprised by the Chinese behavior. They are quite clumsy in their international relations. They seem to antagonize everybody.

 

[OMB]

Days of unilateralism are over: What Jaishankar said on Quad

The Indian foreign minister said we have entered a new phase of international relations and the full impact of China's re-emergence will be felt more than those of major powers.

Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the Quad grouping is the solution to resistance towards reformation of international organisations.

“Days of unilateralism are over, bilateralism has its own limits and multilateralism is simply not working well enough,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI as he delivered a keynote address at the JG Crawford Oration in Australian National University.

S Jaishankar was speaking on India's perspective on the Indo-Pacific and India-Australia relations in the face of global security challenges and and rising economic and human toll from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

He stressed that Asia and the Indo-Pacific are vast expanse, with greater diversity and less collective persona.

“The focus of Asian sub-regions on growth and modernisation led them to take a relatively minimalistic view of political accompaniment of their economic journey,” the foreign minister was quoted as saying.

The Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a strategic group comprising the United States, Japan, Australia and India. Its first inklings go back to 2007 but a recent resurgence is largely seen as a strategy to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

US President Joe Biden is scheduled host the leaders of the Quad nations in October.

“As we seek to discern outlines of what emerges next, there's no question that Indo-Pacific would be very much at its core. Even though Asia has been more dynamic than Europe in the last few decades, its regional architecture is far more conservative,” Jaishankar added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to discuss on bilateral ties, the security situation in Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and the Indo-Pacific region with US President Joe Biden during his visit to Washington, DC later this month.

Speaking further on the security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, Jaishankar said, “Where the US is understandably struggling as an entrenched power in respect of new manifestations of exerting influence and wielding power. It not only has inherent vulnerabilities but also structural constraints while engaging in contemporary forms of competition.”

The Indian foreign minister said we have entered a new phase of international relations and the full impact of China's re-emergence will be felt more than those of major powers. “Let's be clear, this is not just about the rise of another power, however major,” he said.

Elaborating on Indo-China relations, Jaishankar narrated how former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi went to China in 1988 to boost the New Delhi's relationship with Beijing predicated on the fact that the border would be peaceful and tranquil. “We did that by a series of agreements which built confidence, which said don't bring your military to the border,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying.

“After 1975 when we had a relatively small clash, we actually had no fatalities on the border. Yet what we saw last year was a complete departure. There was a very large Chinese military presence in very operational mode at the border without a good reason,” Jaishankar further said

He mentioned about the Galwan Valley clash in Easten Ladakh in June last year, and how it led to loss of lives on both sides of the Line of Actual Control between India and China. “It has taken the relationship in completely different direction,” Jaishankar said, adding, “In India, challenge of how to manage our relationship with China ranks very very high.

While China calls the Quad security dialogue as the new NATO framed against Beijing, the Quad partners view it as a grouping where democratic countries can get together and cooperate to build up resilient supply chains, health architecture, disaster management and security to the shipping lanes handling trade of the world, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/days-of-unilateralism-are-over-what-jaishankar-said-on-quad-101630928538606.html

 

[Robert]

USA, UK and Australia in defence initiative to counter China

Interesting. So this is Global Britain. Looks like we are throwing in with the Anglosphere instead of the EU.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-58564837

The UK, US and Australia have announced a special security pact to share advanced defence technologies, in an effort to counter China.
The partnership will enable Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.
The pact, to be known as Aukus, will also cover artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and cyber.
The three countries are worried about China's growing power and military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
As a result of the pact, Australia has scrapped a deal to build French-designed submarines.
France won a A$50bn (€31bn; £27bn) contract to build 12 submarines for the Australian Navy in 2016. The deal was Australia's largest-ever defence contract.
However, the project was hit with delays largely because of Canberra's requirement that many components be sourced locally.

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison issued a joint statement on the launch of the new security partnership, labelled Aukus.
"As the first initiative under Aukus... we commit to a shared ambition to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy," the statement said.
"This capability will promote stability in the Indo-Pacific and will be deployed in support of our shared values and interests," it said.
The leaders said the aim was to "bring an Australian capability into service at the earliest achievable date", adding: "Australia remains committed to fulfilling all of its obligations as a non-nuclear weapons state."
It went on to say that the defence pact would also focus on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence and "additional undersea capabilities".
line
Analysis box by Jonathan Beale, defence correspondent
The UK Government says this is a very significant defence agreement - a point reinforced by the fact that the leaders of Britain, the United States and Australia have appeared together by video conference to announce this partnership. It also underlines the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region to both the US and the UK.
It will have ramifications for two other countries. First, France, a Nato ally, which had signed a deal to build a fleet of diesel electric submarines for the Australian Navy. That deal is now dead.
The second is China. Though British officials insist the new defence agreement is not a response to any one country, the UK Government does say it is about ensuring prosperity, security and stability in the region and supporting a peaceful "rules-based order". And it is no secret that Britain, the US and Australia share concerns about China's military build up in the Indo-Pacific.
line
Mr Johnson said the three nations were natural allies and that the alliance would "bring us closer than ever".
"This partnership will become increasingly vital for defending our interests, and... protecting our people back at home," he said.
In recent weeks, the UK's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier has been deployed to the Indo-Pacific region alongside personnel and equipment from the US.
The joint statement said the Indo-Pacific was a region with potential flashpoints, including unresolved territorial disputes, threats from terrorism and a problem with organised crime. "It is on the frontline of new security challenges, including in cyberspace," it said.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Good Move, I heard China has been kicked out of their lease of the Australian Darwin port for 100 years by the Aussie government.... Time to isolate the Chinese, they are no good for the world...

 

[Robert]

I am reading that the Chinese relationship with Australia deteriorated when the Aussie government backed the inquiry into how the pandemic began.

Deploying eight nuclear SSNs round the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait won’t help that.

Good new for the British shipbuilding and defence industry, though.

 

[wajid]

Isn’t multi polar world a good thing? Aren’t we all reminded again and again the virtues of power sharing etc and the evils of concentration of power?

So what’s the big deal if China is progressing? Especially when one considers that China is relatively inward looking and not interested in policing the world yet.

 

[Robert]

France not happy with Australia either, for reneging on their €30B desk to build the SSNs.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

China is a massive EU trading partner.


UK on course to drop from Germany's top 10 trading partners - BBC
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58484454

Germany's trading partners:

 

[ahmedzee]

Seriously, I get why Australia is there in the south china sea and east pacific, but US & UK have no business being there. This is the exact same "police nation" talk that Biden did last week and wanted to pull out from it. Now we get these kind of measures. Mixed signals from the two faced Biden regime.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

This is almost a declaration of war against China

I hope the EU stays away from these AUKUS warmongers and their outdated colonial aspirations.

As everyone was predicting, this is the main reason why these clowns fled Afghanistan in such a hurry. All their focus will be entirely shifting to China and the Indo-Pacific region.

 

[Robert]

This is almost a declaration of war against China.

A hyperbolic point.

This move is to counter China’s massive military buildup. It will make war less likely. China will be unlikely to land-grab Taiwan if an Australian SSN is lurking in the Taiwan Strait.

 

[Last Monetarist]

A hyperbolic point.

This move is to counter China’s massive military buildup. It will make war less likely. China will be unlikely to land-grab Taiwan if an Australian SSN is lurking in the Taiwan Strait.

I wish these countries had come to their senses more than a decade ago, the mix of appeasement and complacently patronising attitude towards China's rise has led us to this point. If it hadn't been for the pandemic and the CCP's squalid role in its spread, we won't likely have witnessed this breach either.

Better late than never, I suppose.

 

[Robert]

Seriously, I get why Australia is there in the south china sea and east pacific, but US & UK have no business being there. This is the exact same "police nation" talk that Biden did last week and wanted to pull out from it. Now we get these kind of measures. Mixed signals from the two faced Biden regime.

Japan, Taiwan and South Korea rely on the US for their defence against Chinese ambition.

Quite what the Royal Navy flagship is doing there is unclear to me, though it appears to be an expression of ‘Global Britain’ which replaces our EU influence. Five Eyes’s brief is growing beyond intel-gathering.

 

[OldWarHorse]

Fair deal. China has been stepping on a few toes the last few years, cant expect the West not to react. This could really boil over though, waiting on China's reaction to this

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Fair deal. China has been stepping on a few toes the last few years, cant expect the West not to react. This could really boil over though, waiting on China's reaction to this

However, no matter how Australia arms itself, it is still a running dog of the US. We advise Canberra not to think that it has the capability to intimidate China if it acquires nuclear-powered submarines and offensive missiles. If Australia dares to provoke China more blatantly because of that, or even find fault militarily, China will certainly punish it with no mercy.

Source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234459.shtml

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

A hyperbolic point.

This move is to counter China’s massive military buildup. It will make war less likely. China will be unlikely to land-grab Taiwan if an Australian SSN is lurking in the Taiwan Strait.

I did type "almost".

Let's see. AUKUS are testing the limits here. If we ever have a WW3, this right here will be an important conference.

Last thing our world needs is more weapons.

Time for "the West" to find an alternative to weapons industry. Otherwise... there won't be a planet left.

 

[wajid]

Ok. I agree that China is ruthless and abusive and maybe more in disregard of international norms like human rights, but this is nothing extraordinary. Typical imperial behaviour. How those arguing about Chinese aggression and expansion then turn around and stand in moral support of US, EU etc is beyond me.

The reality of Chinese aggression is that even India is more aggressive than China. A regional power is defined as one that have hegemony in its neighbourhood and backyard at least . China is a still just trying to exert her influence in her neighbourhood. And even that is not being allowed by west. India is more dominating than China in her neighbourhood. Remember Sikkim. And I rue the day other vassal states like Burma, Nepal etc try some adventure against India, or form some other kind of security pact against India. To me it looks like that China cannot dominate even Chinese sea.

I have already stated that I prefer west with their entrenched human rights culture over China as global power. But apparently we are in multi-polar world today. And this surely seems like bullying of China. Just imagine the fury of US if any other power just even tries to influence other countries in north and South America.

 

[Romali_rotti]

However, no matter how Australia arms itself, it is still a running dog of the US. We advise Canberra not to think that it has the capability to intimidate China if it acquires nuclear-powered submarines and offensive missiles. If Australia dares to provoke China more blatantly because of that, or even find fault militarily, China will certainly punish it with no mercy.

Source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234459.shtml

LOL ) all bark and ZERO bite... They don't even have what it takes to take Taiwan... US has been sticking a finger in China's face with Taiwan for years and all China does is sit there and cry....

If China ever attacks Australia, the allies will come down on China like a ton of bricks, while Russians will sit and watch and it will be what happened to the Nazi's in WW2..

China with their Junk J10s and J20 will get vaporized by the American Air force it wont even be funny...

 

[Robert]

I did type "almost".

Let's see. AUKUS are testing the limits here. If we ever have a WW3, this right here will be an important conference.

Last thing our world needs is more weapons.

Time for "the West" to find an alternative to weapons industry. Otherwise... there won't be a planet left.

Australia obviously feels the need to defend herself. Why do you think that is?

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Australia obviously feels the need to defend herself. Why do you think that is?

Western military industrial complex has become a beast that requires continuous wars to sustain itself.

At this point in history, it isn't democratic™ leadership, precisely, that's calling the shots...

SSN are an offensive weapon.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Australia obviously feels the need to defend herself. Why do you think that is?

They are part of the Five Eyes network which are made up of Anglo Saxon nations which presumably forms an axis of understanding and partnership based on common ancestry and culture. Perhaps that has something to do with it. France is apparently furious that they have been sidelined.

 

[Robert]

Western military industrial complex has become a beast that requires continuous wars to sustain itself.

At this point in history, it isn't democratic™ leadership, precisely, that's calling the shots...

SSN are an offensive weapon.

All weapons are “offensive weapons”, else they wouldn’t be weapons.

 

[globalcitizen]

Australia threats from China are imaginary at best. Even citizens here don't approve this spending in midst of a falling economy and trade sanctions.
Australia has lot of stake with China in trade ranging from tourism to education.

Australia has no borders to fear and this decision seems to have been coaxed by the alliance.

 

[Robert]

They are part of the Five Eyes network which are made up of Anglo Saxon nations which presumably forms an axis of understanding and partnership based on common ancestry and culture. Perhaps that has something to do with it. France is apparently furious that they have been sidelined.

That doesn’t answer the question, Cap.

In my opinion, the Australians want a more capable deterrent to Chinese incursion than their old Collins-class diesel boats currently provides.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

That doesn’t answer the question, Cap.

In my opinion, the Australians want a more capable deterrent to Chinese incursion than their old Collins-class diesel boats currently provides.

Why would China want to pose any threat to Australia? Weren't the Aussies one of their biggest trading partners up until recently?

 

[Robert]

Why would China want to pose any threat to Australia? Weren't the Aussies one of their biggest trading partners up until recently?

Better ask the Aussies. I dare say they are concerned by the authoritarian regime over the water which is arming at a ferocious rate. All those new ships, planes and atolls are for something….

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Better ask the Aussies. I dare say they are concerned by the authoritarian regime over the water which is arming at a ferocious rate. All those new ships, planes and atolls are for something….

Self defence more than likely considering what has happened to weaker countries that don't fall in line with USA hegemony. China has no reason to make war on it's trade partners, they were the fastest rising economy during the period of co-operation with the west. It is those who were looking at a downward trajectory who might have more reason to create a hostile environment I would surmise.

 

[Robert]

Self defence more than likely considering what has happened to weaker countries that don't fall in line with USA hegemony. China has no reason to make war on it's trade partners, they were the fastest rising economy during the period of co-operation with the west. It is those who were looking at a downward trajectory who might have more reason to create a hostile environment I would surmise.

That’s still not an answer as to why Australia feels it needs SSNs.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

That’s still not an answer as to why Australia feels it needs SSNs.

Why would I have that answer? It could be something as simple as paranoia. It could be because they are part of some sort of alliance with the USA and UK as mentioned in the above articles so might be aggressive moves to dominate the seas of Asia.

 

[KingKhanWC]

More warmongering by the usual culprits.

UK is a tiny island, this isnt the 1800's, Russia and China can wipe us out within an hour. The same goes for Aus, they are no match for China.

China has every right to self defence and to enter waters close to them. UK, US has no business being in waters around China. They are not the worlds police but as seen recently have governments which are state terrorists.

And Indians cheerleading others to do what they cant )

 

[rhony]

More warmongering by the usual culprits.

UK is a tiny island, this isnt the 1800's, Russia and China can wipe us out within an hour. The same goes for Aus, they are no match for China.

China has every right to self defence and to enter waters close to them. UK, US has no business being in waters around China. They are not the worlds police but as seen recently have governments which are state terrorists.

And Indians cheerleading others to do what they cant )

Close to them? Go check the 9 dash line in South china sea. It's ridiculous. It's a popular trade route to all the countries sorrounding the South China sea. China even lost the case in international courts on this. Other than the trade routes, it's rich in oil, gas and fishing resources with other countries deserved claimants of those. Watch a YouTube video or read about it instead of supporting everything China blindly. And no, Russia and china can't wipe out UK in an hour. It was hilarious claim though.