Newsletter 25 January

Sino-Indian Standoff: China tries to open new front with Naku La clash, test India’s defense: Experts

India foils China’s attempt to transgress across border at Naku La in Sikkim, several PLA soldiers injured-IT

India foiled an attempt by the Chinese to intrude across the border in Sikkim, reported India Today.
At least 20 PLA soldiers have been injured in the clash that reportedly took place last week.
Top sources said Chinese soldiers tried to move towards the Indian Territory ‘last week’, but were challenged by Indian soldiers in Naku La in North Sikkim, which resulted in a clash.
On the Indian side, 4 soldiers’ (some media is saying ‘several’) sustained injuries, sources added.
Indian Army confirms on Mon, there was a ‘minor’ incident at Nakula in Sikkim between Indian and PLA troops on Jan 20^th. Says the faceoff was resolved at local commander’s level as per laid down protocols.
The Indian Army soldiers, however, successfully managed to push back China despite hostile weather conditions in North Sikkim.
The situation at the clash site in Sikkim is tense, but stable, sources told India Today on Mon.
The incident upsets the semblance of tense calm along the territories which the two sides have been manning with huge deployment of forces and military hardware in toughest weather conditions.
The Naku La area is traditionally not prone to face-offs. Rival soldiers have clashed at least 4 times since the India-China border row erupted in the Ladakh sector in early May.
Amid diplomatic and military talks to find an amicable solution, close to 100,000 Indian and Chinese troops are deployed in eastern Ladakh as both sides have been holding on to their ground and showing readiness for a long-haul.

Committed to peace, says China after PLA’s aggressive moves at Sikkim’s Naku La

Several Chinese and Indian soldiers were reportedly injured in a clash last week after the Indian troops stopped a PLA patrol team from entering Indian Territory at Naku La in Sikkim.
The Chinese foreign ministry declined to confirm or deny the latest clash between the border troops during the regular ministry briefing on Mon.
“On the specific (incident) you mentioned, I don’t have any information to offer. I would like to stress though the Chinese border troops are committed to upholding peace and tranquility along the border with India,” Zhao Lijian, ministry spokesperson, said.

India, China Resume Military 9th Round Talks After 2 Months, Lasts 15 Hours, Inconclusive

The meeting lasted for more than 15 hours after starting on Sun morning at Moldo opposite Chushul ended at 2:30 am on Mon in the Eastern Ladakh sector to address the ongoing military standoff.
The Chinese have been asking India to withdraw troops and tanks first from the southern bank but India has been asking for disengagement from all the friction points.
According to reports, India also proposed verification measures at certain flashpoints along the LAC.
India, it is learnt has told China that the onus of disengagement is PLA. Lt Gen PGK Menon, the Corps Commander of Leh-based HQ 14 Corps led the Indian delegation for the talks.

China Quietly Made Troop Positions Stronger in Eastern Ladakh-IT

A crucial confidence building measure proposed by the Chinese Army in order to defuse tensions in eastern Ladakh has been violated by the Chinese side.
The Chinese Army has consolidated its positions in eastern Ladakh and quietly, gradually increased troop numbers at the friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) despite specifically proposing 4 months ago that the two sides should refrain from sending more troops to the troubled front.
The latest ground assessments confirm that the PLA has not only reneged on the joint statement issued following the sixth round of talks on Sept 21 last year, but done so with attempted stealth.
A day after that round of talks last Sept, the two sides had issued a joint statement that was seen to be substantive forward movement after months in a deadlock.
A 4 months the most crucial confidence building measure is practically useless.
Top Army sources confirm that the Indian Army has had no choice but to mirror the gradual build-up on the Chinese side. In some sectors, foreseeing fresh Chinese concentrations, the Indian Army has conducted preemptive actions.
As a result, despite the deep winter chill, opposing troops, tanks and armoured personnel carriers are nearer to each other than they have been in the past four months.
As media reported in Sept, China has also been steadily consolidating its positions in northern Ladakh’s Depsang plains, with new positions emerging even closer to Daulat Beg Oldie.
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria recently paid a visit to this high altitude air base to review security and arrangements.
The Indian Army has been forced to mobilize in a historically big way in this sector owing to Chinese hostile postures here.
This confirmed while, the 9^th round of talks is currently on at Ladakh’s Chushul sector, an area south of the Pangong Lake that is now dominated by Indian Army infantry, Special Forces and armored positions.
China continues to enjoy tactical advantages at many of the other friction points, though the Indian Army’s inevitable counter-mobilization has led to the very definition of a deadlock, with entrenched positions at high altitude.
One assessment within the Govt is that the Indian Army’s unyielding stance has jammed the Chinese calculus, with the PLA still figuring how to handle the abrupt distribution of leverage between both sides in Ladakh.
Elsewhere on the India-China frontier, permanent defenses have been constructed across the border from Sikkim’s Naku La, an escalation from the troubled status quo in the area, which has involved large training PLA contingents conducting high level training exercises close to the Sikkim border.

The latest actions indicate the following: experts

The new PLA western theatre commander or predecessor is as aggressive towards India which means that instructions to put pressure on India and Bhutan are coming from the Central Military Commission.
While the situation is stable in north Sikkim, the latest face-off will have a spill-over effect on the disengagement and de-escalation dialogue with the PLA in east Ladakh.
The latest face-off involving Chinese troops at Naku La in Sikkim appears to be part of a larger effort to both test India’s defense’s and open a new front amid the stalemate in Ladakh sector of the LAC.
To top it all, there is pressure building up in the eastern sector in Arunachal Pradesh with the PLA rapidly strengthening its border infrastructure.
In spite of the previous Trump administration passing a law on naming the successor to the 14^th Dalai Lama, Beijing will continue towards its Fortress Tibet policy and will not allow any outside interference in the Sinchisation of Tibet, as long as it can.
The PLA will try to portray disengagement and disengagement from east Ladakh in such a way that its sanctity of its 1959 Green Line is not violated to its domestic audience.
Although the Indian Army has classified the Naku La incident as a minor face-off, the PLA will continue to project dominance in 2021—the 100^th year of Chinese Communist Party rule.

Col Santosh Babu, who was killed in action along with 19 other Indian soldiers in the Galwan clash last June is awarded Mahavir Chakra (2^nd highest war time gallantry award) which may depict that India is treating the current standoff with China in Ladakh as war.

The awards are likely to be declared on eve of the Republic Day this evening. Remember the last time the Chakra series of awards were given for gallantry was in the Kargil conflict in 1999.

‘From maritime strikes to armed helicopters’: How India conducted Kavach drill

The drill comes at a time when India and China are engaged in a border standoff in the eastern Ladakh theatre and the Indian Navy has increased surveillance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to keep tabs on China’s moves.
Indian armed forces conducted a large-scale joint military training exercise ‘Kavach’ along with “AMPHEX-21” in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal on Mon.
Performed under the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the drill saw the participation of the Eastern Naval Command and Army Southern Command involving the Indian Army, Navy, Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard.
The exercise involved participation and deployment of all forces of ANC, elements of the amphibious brigade of the army’s Southern Command along with corvettes, submarine and amphibious landing ships of Navy’s Eastern Fleet and Marine Commandos.
Jaguar maritime strike and transport aircraft from Indian Air Force and assets of the Coast Guard also participated.
The areas in which the exercise was conducted holds strategic significance for India.
The ministry of defense said that the exercise also validated joint capabilities of intelligence gathering from space, air, land and sea-based assets, its synthesis, analysis and near real-time sharing to achieve battlefield transparency for quick decision making.

India successfully conducts first test of supersonic Akash-NG missile from a test facility off Odisha coast. Developed by DRDO, the New Generation weapon is capable of destroying highly maneuvering targets like UAVs, aircraft and missiles.

Are India and Vietnam trade ties growing? ANI |

As India and Vietnam compete to complement China as “factories of the world”, is there room for cooperation between the two rivals?
For companies moving out from China, in an effort to diversify their production sites as well as supply chains, India and Vietnam are locations that are foremost on their minds.
With a recent surge of manufacturers relocating their facilities or building new ones, the competition for FDI (foreign direct investment) has intensified.
This trend has gathered urgency due to China’s increasingly higher costs, the US-China trade war, and the realization that having alternative sources of supplies is necessary after experiencing supply-chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment, FDI into Vietnam stood at about USD 20 billion for 2020, a fall of 2% from a year earlier.
This was followed by the computer software and hardware sector, while the telecommunications and trading sector’s share ranked 3^rd and 4^th, respectively.
Despite being competitors on the FDI front, there are signs that the trade relationship between India and Vietnam are expanding. Just last week, two trade and investment events were held between businesses from the two countries.

No coercive action against those challenging Roshni Act judgement: SC told

The top court had asked the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to decide the pleas seeking review of the verdict scrapping the Roshni Act, which had conferred proprietary rights on the occupants of the state land.
A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the JnK administration that the review petition against the high court’s Oct 9 verdict is pending there and would be taken up on Thu.

Farmers Protest

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leader state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat arrive at farmers rally

Granting a formal nod to protesting farmers for the tractor rally or ‘Kisan Gantantra Parade’ in the city on Jan 26, Delhi Police commissioner S N Shrivastava on Sun asked his officers and central reserve police personnel deployed for Republic Day Parade security to be ‘ready to move at short notice to handle law and order situations’ arising out of the tractor rally.

Delhi: When we came to know last night that announced routes are different from what was decided, we expressed displeasure & held a meeting within our Committee. We’ll announce the routes for tractor parade in the evening, said SS Pandher, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee

Dos and Don’ts, issued by Unions

Trolleys will not be allowed in the parade. Only Tractors and other vehicles will be allowed. Trolleys with special tableaux may be exempted. Please arrange for the safety of the trolley from the behind.
Pack 24 hours of ration and water with you. Make sure you have proper arrangements for protection from cold. It might be required if you are stuck in traffic jam.
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha appeals that every tractor or cart should be fitted with the flag of the farmers’ organizations as well as the national flag. There will be no flag of any political party.
Do not carry any weapon with you
If you wish to inform of your participate in the parade, give a missed call on 8448385556

Security tightened at power grid and power substations of BSES in Delhi after a threat from Sikhs for Justice, a banned organization was received by the company to disrupt the power supply of the national capital. Preventive measures to be taken: Delhi Police

Delhi Police announces routes for farmers' tractor rally from 3 border points ANI

Special Commissioner of Police (CP), Intelligence in Delhi Police, Dependra Pathak on Sun said that 3 routes have been determined for the farmer leaders’ tractor rally from three border points of Delhi.
“The tractor rally will enter Delhi from Tikri, Singhu, and Ghazipur borders and return to its originating points.
From Singhu, it will pass through Kanjhawala, Bawana, Auchandi border, KMP Expressway and then return to Singhu,” ANI reported.
He further said, “From Tikri border, it will go to Nangloi and pass through Najafgarh and Western Peripheral Expressway. From Ghazipur border, the rally will go to 56-foot road and return to its originating point passing through Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal Expressway.”
He added that his Deptt has got inputs that a total of 308 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan to create disturbance regarding the farmer leaders’ tractor rally set to take place on Republic Day.
“This input has been accrued from analysis of inputs between Jan 13 and 18.
These points were discussed with the farmer leaders,” he added. Pathak further said that different states’ police forces are also involved in managing the security during the tractor rally.
According to Pathak, the total number of tractors is yet to be estimated which will be done by tomorrow. “Approximately 7,000 to 8,000 tractors will be there at Tikri border. Around 5,500 tractors will be there at Singhu border. Around 1,000 tractors are estimated to be there at the Ghazipur border.

Haryana police says man alleging plot to disrupt farmers' agitation made statements under fear

A day after a masked man at Singhu border of the national capital alleged a plot to shoot four farmer leaders and cause disruption during a tractors march by protesting farmers on Jan 26, Haryana police on Sat refuted the accusations saying that that the man has made statements under fear.

Two Chinese nationals held from Noida for money laundering

Two Chinese nationals were arrested by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (UP ATS) from Gautam Budh Nagar on Sat.
The duo, Xu Xunfu aka July and Li Teng Li aka Alice, was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) from a friend’s car following a red corner notice by the Interpol.
Prashant Kumar, ADG, law and order, said the two bought SIM cards using forged documents and carried out bank transactions using those SIMs.
“We traced the duo after interrogation of 14 people arrested last week from Delhi and different parts of UP for a similar fraud,” said Kumar.
According to STF sources, Rs 5 crore has been transacted through unfair means by the duo. G K Goswami, IG, ATS, said Xunfu’s business visa expired in July 2020, while Li’s tourist visa expired in Sept 2020.
“Xunfu, who belongs to Hunan province, visited India in 2017 to start a business at Panipat.
We know what business he was carrying out here, but we are yet to interrogate him.
Li, from Henan province, came to India in 2019 for tourism, who yet to be interrogated” said Goswami.

India extends vaccination drive to foreign missions

India has extended its vaccination drive to foreign missions based in the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs sent the offer to the mission, requesting them to respond to the offer by the 29^th of Jan.
India began its mega vaccination drive on the 16^th of this month and so far over 16 lakh healthcare workers have been vaccinated against COVID.
Meanwhile, India’s vaccine diplomacy continues with Bangladesh getting the first contracted commercial supplies later today.
Go ahead to commercial supplies was given on Fri with covid vaccine supplies reaching Brazil and Morrocco.
Last week New Delhi sent COVID vaccine gift to 7 countries in the region-Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Seychelles, and Mauritius. Sri Lanka will get India’s covid vaccine gift later this week.

Ayodhya mosque to be dedicated to 1857 fighter

The mosque in Ayodhya district which will be built on the land in lieu of Babri Masjid could be dedicated to Ahmadullah Shah, who had earned the epithet of ‘Awadh’s Lighthouse of Rebellion’ during the first war of independence against the British in 1857. Earlier, the trust had taken an in-principle decision not to attach the name of any Mughal emperor with the mosque.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

PM Oli removed from Nepal’s ruling party amid political chaos ANI

The rival faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Sun removed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from the party, amid increasing political unrest following his decision to dissolve the lower house of the Parliament.
According to the rival faction’s spokesperson Narayankaji Shrestha, PM Oli no longer remains a member of the party.
The moves come after the splinter group under the leadership of former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal had asked Oli for a reply as to why he shouldn’t be removed from the party for making unconstitutional decisions.
The faction had handed over a letter to the PM’s residence over a decision to seek clarification.
However, Oli did not respond to the letter.
Our latest decision comes in line by exercising the executive rights provided by the Central Committee of the party,” Shrestha added.
Last week, two senior leaders of the party addressed a mass meeting organized in the capital Kathmandu and warned to evoke Oli’s membership of the party by taking disciplinary actions against him.
Amid the increasing internal rift in the party, the now-caretaker Prime Minister Oli had decided to dissolve the Parliament on Dec 20 last year, calling for fresh elections for April and May this year.
Now, it depends on the Election Commission who is studying the documents and laws to come to a conclusion on which faction will retain the election emblem of the “sun”. (ANI)

PRC Military Pressure Against Taiwan Threatens Regional Peace and Stability- US Department of States

The United States notes with concern the pattern of ongoing PRC attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan.
We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected representatives.
We will stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values in the Indo-Pacific region — and that includes deepening our ties with democratic Taiwan. The US will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people on Taiwan.
The US maintains its longstanding commitments as outlined in the Three Communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act, and the Six Assurances.
We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability.
Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.

China starts smear campaign against India’s vaccine diplomacy

India has gifted the Covishield vaccine manufactured locally by Serum Institute of India to all Saarc countries except Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Not surprisingly, Global Times has reacted with a propaganda campaign against India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, raising questions about India’s capacity to manufacture vaccines after the fire at the Serum Institute. Around 31,466 beneficiaries vaccinated on 9^th day; total vaccinations cross 16 lakh in India.