Newsletter 26 August

Sino-Indian Standoff:

Galwan clash a ‘brief moment’ in history: Chinese envoy

“We hope to put the boundary question at an appropriate place in bilateral relations and push bilateral relations back on track at an early date,” said the Chinese ambassador, Sun Weidong on Tue during an attempt at soft power diplomacy by addressing Indian scholars, teachers and students of Chinese language at a webinar.
China wants India to “reserve differences” Sun said. Sun also said his country’s basic foreign policy towards India remains unchanged.
Besides the common need for tranquility to allow both countries to develop and a history of high level bilateral engagements, Sun drew solace from the fact that both sides were currently working to properly handle an “unfortunate incident” that happened in the border areas.

Such diplomatic statements from Beijing side have also came at various occasions, which simply means to say that New Delhi should accept the altered LAC. However, Indian Min. of Foreign Affair, S. Jaishankar, had made it clear that amid the tension on LAC, business can’t go as usual.

China Warns India Against Brahmos’ Deployment

China has warned India that such a move could lead to counter-measures from China destabilizing the border areas.
India deploying supersonic missiles on the border has exceeded its own need for self-defense and poses a serious threat to China’s Tibet and Yunnan provinces: Report in People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) newspaper
The PLA Daily also claimed that deploying BraMos could threaten some of this infrastructure.
“The supersonic BrahMos Cruise Missile has excellent dive attack capabilities and fits in the Indo-Sino border where it’s mostly mountain topography.”
The report added that the “low observable” nature and “penetration capabilities” of the 2.5 Mac-speed missile posted a threat to China’s border areas.
On the other hand, the newspaper suggested, the missile also had certain “defects”, such as “a relatively short range that cannot threaten China’s deep zones” as well “a heavy weight that makes it difficult for even a Sukhoi Su-30MKI to carry more than one”.
The 290-km range BrahMos is a tactical or non-nuclear missile with “nine times more kinetic energy than sub-sonic missiles” for greater destructive potential. Jointly developed with Russia, it has become the preferred precision-strike weapon for the Indian armed forces.

The BrahMos missiles can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound and can carry conventional warheads up to 300 kg.

China is selling four of its most advanced warships to Pakistan (or deploying at Pakistan’s Sea?)

The warships that China has sold to Pakistan are Type 054A/P guided-missile frigates. Experts say these frigates are the best in the PLA Navy fleet and boast of being equipped with state-of-the-art radars and missiles.

As per reports, China has sold three more of the sophisticated warships to the Pakistan Navy as both nations are deepening their military ties. By 2021, the other three ships are expected to be a part of the Pakistan Navy’s fleet.

The Chinese state-owned Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai held the launch ceremony, the ceremony was held two days after Pakistan Foreign Min SM Qureshi spoke to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

In June, a report claimed that China has built a high-security compound at the Gwadar port in Pakistan. Is China militarizing the string of pearls?

India laying new road between Ladakh and Darcha in Himachal Pradesh

Amid the border row with China, India is expediting work on a strategic road linking Darcha in Himachal Pradesh with Ladakh that will cris-cross a number of high-altitude snow-bound passes.
The nearly 290-km-long road will be crucial for movement of the troops and heavy weaponry into the frontier bases of the Ladakh region and will provide a crucial link to the Kargil region.
It will be the 3^rd road link to Ladakh after the other 2 roads: the Manali-Leh road and Srinagar-Leh highway.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) is also working on another crucial road connecting Ladakh with Depsang plains.
The work on reopening an alternative road to Ladakh from Himachal Pradesh has been expedited as it is a strategically key road, said an official on condition of anonymity, adding the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

The sources said various road projects are being expedited for movement of troops to various key areas like Daulat Beg Oldie as well as Depsang along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. The road will provide access the Sub-Sector North (SSN) in Ladakh.

Sri Lanka Will Adopt "India First Approach", Said Top Diplomat: Report

“Sri Lanka will not do anything harmful to India’s strategic security interests,” the country’s Foreign Secry Jayanath Colombage said.

Admiral Colombage, the first-ever foreign secretary to have a military background, was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to head the Foreign Ministry on Aug 14.
In an interview published by Daily Mirror on Wed, Mr Colombage said Sri Lanka is to adopt an “India first approach” as its new regional foreign policy plank.
He was the chief of the Sri Lanka Navy from 2012 to 14 and later became a foreign policy analyst mostly on the Chinese initiatives in Sri Lanka and the immediate region.
Colombage said that President Rajapaksa will have an “India first approach” as the key to strategic security.
“Sri Lanka cannot afford, should not afford and will not afford any particular country to use it as a staging area to do anything against another country, especially India,” he said.
Commenting on the Chinese investment in Sri Lanka’s southern port of Hambantota, Mr Colombage said that Sri Lanka had offered India Hambantota first.
“Now we have given 85% stake of Hambantota port to China Merchant Holding Company. That should be limited to commercial activities. It is not for military purposes,” he said.

(#go Deep#)

Hambantota Port

In 2017, Sri Lanka had handed over the Hambantota port to China on a 99-year lease. There are regional concerns, mostly from India, that China may make a military presence at Hambantota, located on a key international shipping route.

Mr Colombage said that despite opposition from port workers’ trade unions, President Rajapaksa will go ahead with the memorandum of cooperation signed with India on the Colombo Port’s Eastern terminal.

The previous Sirisena government had signed a “memorandum of cooperation” (MoC) with India and Japan for a tripartite effort to develop the terminal which is located just next to the $500 million Chinese-run Colombo International Container Terminal.

“The President has said that he is ready to honor the agreement. As per the new guidance of the President, no national asset is given with total control to any country,” he said.

Mr Colombage said that the Rajapaksa foreign policy shift would mean that Sri Lanka would not be any more reliant on a West-oriented policy.

China has been making significant forays into Sri Lanka, especially in the defense field. Beijing’s activities have caused regional concerns, especially in India.

Every time Sri Lanka’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, turned to his Chinese allies for loans and assistance with an ambitious port project, the answer was yes.

Yes, though feasibility studies said the port wouldn’t work. Yes, though other frequent lenders like India had refused. Yes, though Sri Lanka’s debt was ballooning rapidly under Mr. Rajapaksa.

Over years of construction and renegotiation with China Harbor Engineering Company, one of Beijing’s largest state-owned enterprises, the Hambantota Port Development Project distinguished itself mostly by failing, as predicted. With tens of thousands of ships passing by along one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the port drew only 34 ships in 2012.

And then the port became China’s.

Mr. Rajapaksa was voted out of office in 2015, but Sri Lanka’s new government struggled to make payments on the debt he had taken on. Under heavy pressure and after months of negotiations with the Chinese, the government handed over the port and 15,000 acres of land around it for 99 years in Dec. [1]

Finance Minister looks to overcome funds crunch

Fin Min, Dr N Sitharaman said that the members of the Confederation of Indian Industry that the Govt had done a credible job on structural reforms, even as she admitted that domestic revenue generation had been a major concern because of the debilitating effect of the pandemic on sectors such as hotels, tourism, real estate and aviation.

The intent on reform has been reflected in the slew of measures and policies announced since the outbreak of Covid-19. The Govt will move fast on the Cabinet-cleared strategic disinvestment decisions, she said.
“Every policy which was introduced had a structural component. Consequently, the reforms are having a significant impact on the recovery process which we are currently witnessing.”
On the private investment cycle, Sitharaman said that in Sept 2019, the government had reduced the corporate tax rate but investments could not happen because of the pandemic.

Sonia Gandhi to held meeting with CMs of Congress-ruled states today to discuss NEET, JEE exams issue and GST She said “We have to fight together against Centre”

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi held a virtual meeting on Wed with 7 CMs of Congress-ruled states and their counterparts of West Bengal, Maharashtra and Jharkhand on the issues related to Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues of states and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) (Main) and The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) (UG) exams.

GST revenue collections in July totaled Rs 87,422 cr, 14% less than in the past year as economic activities slowed down due to COVID-19 countrywide lockdown, the Union Fin Ministry said on Aug 1^st.
The total revenue earned by Central government and the state governments after regular settlement in the month of July is Rs 39,467 cr for Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) and Rs 40,256 crore for the Goods and Service Tax (SGST).
The NTA announced that the JEE (Main) will be held from Sept 1 to 6 and NEET (UG) on Sept 13 after the Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking the postponement of the NEET and JEE.
Many ministers have been opposing the Centre’s decision to conduct the exams.

Anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam arrested under UAPA for his role in Delhi riots

The Delhi Police on Tue arrested JNU student Sharjeel Imam under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), for his involvement in the conspiracy of Delhi violence.

Sharjil Imam, lodged in Guwahati jail of Assam, was brought to the national capital by the special cell of Delhi Police to interrogate him for his role in Delhi riots.

Beside, a popular video floated on media in which he was talking about do something ‘Big’ (violent protest) during US president visit, main accused of riot, Tahir Husain also revealed his name in in interrogation. However, these only claim made by police based on electronic evidences..

Kerala Gold Smuggling Case Row:

Fire in Kerala Secretariat, Opposition Allegations- Conspiracy to burn files of Gold Smuggling, while Kerala Govt constituted a multi-departmental committee to conduct an inquiry into the ‘technical causes that resulted in the fire incident’.

In fact, a sudden fire broke out in the Protocol Department located in the northern block of Kerala Secretariat on Tue evening around 3 pm, while information surfaced at 5 pm.
Naturally, during this time many important files were burnt to ashes.
The opposition says that during this time many important files related to gold smuggling have also been burnt.
After which Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said that very important files in the case of gold smuggling have been completely destroyed.
He said that there is no backup file available and accused CM, Pinarayi Vijayan is responsible for this.
On the other hand, in Thiruvananthapuram, BJP and Congress protested outside the Kerala Secretariat, during which the police detained state BJP president K Surendran.
On July 5^th this yr, 30 Kg of 24 carat gold worth ₹14.82 crores was seized by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs at Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic bag that was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

Pro-freedom slogans raised during Muharram procession, two arrested: Kashmir Police

“Accused booked under sedition law, more to be apprehended”

Police in Kashmir on Wed claimed to have arrested two persons after a video surfaced on social media in which mourners were seen chanting pro-freedom slogans during a Muharram procession.

“It has been revealed that some boys from adjoining area of Budgam led by Sajad Hussain Parray, Arif Ahmad Dar and Raja Mehboob took advantage of the area and assembled here and raised pro Azadi slogans.”

Incidents of Suicide and Fratricide Have Risen Among Security Troopers in J&K This Year

The coronavirus pandemic seems to have added to the mental stress on members of the security forces, who already face tough working conditions and being apart from their families.

The Wire compiled data from different sources which reveals that between Jan and Aug 2020, 18 members of the security forces died by suicide and 6 died in fratricidal incidents, making a total of 24 such deaths so far. As compared to last yr, it was only 22 in 12 months (Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society).

According to a Times of India report, over 1,100 members of the Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) died by suicide in the past decade.

Neighborhood

Germany refuses to modernize Pakistani submarines

Germany’s Federal Security Council headed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel has decided that Germany will not supply Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems for Pak’s submarines.

# Why was Pakistan snubbed?

It is believed that Germany snubbed Pakistan as it could not bring all perpetrators of terror attack on German Embassy to justice. 150 people were killed as truck bomb devastated German Embassy in Kabul in 2017. Haqqani Network was thought to be against the attack. Haqqani Network has a presence in Pakistan.

# AIP system reduces a submarine’s dependence on air oxygen, for which it has to come at surface where it can be easily detected and at least once in day they have to.

Pakistan wants to further expand its bilateral relations with Indonesia: FM, Pakistan

Foreign Minister SM Qureshi has said Pakistan wants to further expand its bilateral relations with Indonesia.
Talking to outgoing Ambassador of Indonesia Iwan Suyudhie Amri in Islamabad today, he emphasized on further promoting bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including defense and commerce.
The Foreign Minister thanked Indonesia for playing its positive role in a debate held in UN Security Council on Kashmir.
Earlier, talking to US Charge de Affairs Paul Jones who paid a farewell call on the Foreign Minister in Islamabad today, Qureshi said promotion of Pakistan-US ties is imperative for ensuring peace and stability in the region, including the Afghan peace process.
He thanked the US diplomat for the timely US assistance to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul Jones lauded Pakistan’s role in Afghan reconciliatory process and for peace and stability in the region.

Can India support the Baloch movement? Brahumdagh Bugti founder of Baloch Republican Party, and grandson of assassinated leader Akbar Bugti discusses India’s role with WION’s. Baloch leaders have demanded complete independence from Pakistan.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/world/asia/china-sri-lanka-port.html