Newsletter 09 April

National

SINO-INDIAN STANDOFF: China: No delay in talks with India to discuss disengagement from eastern Ladakh

Amid reports about the likelihood of the 11^th round of corps commander-level talks, China said India’s proposal for the restoration of the status quo at eastern Ladakh could be discussed. Asked to confirm the date of the meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing on Thu that “China and India are in communication on the holding of the 11^th round of talks. As for the specific date for the upcoming talks, I have no information but ‘denied any delay’.

Driving the News

He further added, “We hope ‘the Indian side will work with China’ to follow through the important consensus of our two state leaders, abide by relevant agreements and treaties to de-escalate the tension at the border.”

Interestingly, on India’s stand that the status quo of April 2020 should be restored, “whether China would consider, Zhao said, “I believe it should be talked about in the meetings.”

As we reported yesterday that media reports from Delhi said the 11^th round corps commanders of both the militaries are likely to meet on Fri to discuss the disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh.

What to watch: the date of the meeting, and its results on the ground. But chances are faint for any good news to New Delhi.

Indian Army strengthens mountain strikes corps looking after China border

Further strengthening its deployments along the Northern borders, the Indian Army is adding around 10K more troops to its only mountain strike corps responsible for looking after offensive operations along the Eastern sector has now been assigned to the 17 Mountain Strike Corps headquartered in West Bengal’s Panagarh, ANI reported.

Recent Developments

The strengthening of the Mountain Strike Corps is part of the steps taken by the force to rebalance its focus more towards the Chinese border from the western front with Pakistan.
The Army has also done a lot of rebalancing in the recent past and several formations have been given dual tasks and asked to focus more towards the China border which erupted last year due to the Chinese aggression in eastern Ladakh and other areas.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army and other security forces have also started returning to the summer deployments in the Ladakh sector and other mountainous areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The formations of Mathura-based One Strike Corps have also been reoriented towards the Northern borders while one of its Armoured formations would continue to be with it.
The deployment of formations and troops in the Sugar sector, Central sector, and the northeastern borders have also been strengthened.

US Navy conducts exercise in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone

In a rare and unusual public statement, the U.S. Navy conceded that it had violated India’s maritime policy by conducting an exercise in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The US Navy said its warship carried out Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) in Indian EEZ.

What is News?

The U.S. Navy’s 7^th fleet said in a statement dated Apr 7^th. “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,”

This FONOP upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging India’s excessive maritime claims, the statement said.

“India requires prior consent for military exercises or maneuvers in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law.”[1]

What UN Law Says?

The EEZ is an area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea, subject to the specific legal regime established in this Part, under which the rights and jurisdiction of the coastal State and the rights and freedoms of other States are governed by the relevant provisions of this Convention (Article 55).

However, the issue is still a major source of contention in international relations because UNCLOS failed to clarify the legality of unilateral military activities in other states’ EEZs. In this light, it’s ironic that the US Navy should seek to assert its right against friendly India.

This is not for the first time but in past also it happened regularly, as mentioned in DoD Annual Freedom of Navigation Reports.

No official statement from the Indian side yet to be available in the public domain.

The U.S. regularly conducts FONOPs against several countries challenging what it says are “excessive maritime claims” and FONOPs were regularly conducted against India too in the past.

US Navy Holds Op Inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone “Without Consent”-NDTV

US Navy conducts exercise in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone- The Hindu

Iran's Chabahar port likely ready by May as India speeds up work: US report

After a brief halt, India accelerated the work on Chabahar Port early this year and the strategic Iranian port is expected to be operational by next month, an independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in its latest report for the members of the US Congress.

Background

In 2015, India agreed to help develop Iran’s Chabahar Port and an associated railway that would enable India to trade with Afghanistan unimpeded by Pakistan, a 100-page report said. Also, in 2016, during the Indian PM, Modi’s visit to Iran, signed the agreement, worth US$ 500 mn, on which work could only start after 2020, despite Trump’s exemption from punitive Iranian sanctions.
Iran’s economy is highly integrated into those of its immediate neighbors in South Asia, it said, adding that India cites the UN Security Council resolutions as its guideline for policy towards Iran.
During 2011-2016, when UN sanctions were in force on Iran, India’s central bank ceased using a Tehran-based regional body, the Asian Clearing Union, to handle transactions with Iran, and the two countries agreed to settle half of India’s oil buys from Iran in Indian currency.
After the sanctions were eased in 2016, India’s oil imports from Iran increased to as much as 800,000 BPD in July 2018 – well above 2011 levels. However, India has not imported Iranian oil since May 2019.
One test of Pakistan’s compliance with the sanctions was a pipeline project that would carry Iranian gas to Pakistan – a USD 7 billion project that US officials on several occasions stated would be subject to ISA sanctions and thus the CRS said Iran’s economic relations with Pakistan are less extensive than with India.
Iran reportedly completed the pipeline on its side of the border but, during Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Pakistan in March 2016, Pakistan did not commit to complete the line. In 2009, India dissociated itself from the project, it said.

However, this CRS report is only an advisory paper and in no way an official document.

New terror outfits plan revenge attacks on security forces in Kashmir-ANI

Newly-floated terror outfits, entrusted with the task of gaining ground in Kashmir valley by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen are planning revenge attacks by targeting ground commanders and troops of security forces in Kashmir involved in the major successful operations of late.

According to a top Govt official, information through interception and local ground intelligence has been gathered to validate the latest intelligence.
On Fri, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) chief terrorist Imtiyaz Shah was killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces.

7 Milletent killed by security forces in J-K's Shopian ANI

A total of 7 Milletent were killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral of Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian.
J&K Police, Indian Army, and CRPF in less than 12 hours without suffering any own fatalities. Entire Ansar Ghazwat Ul Hind terror group wiped out of Kashmir by forces, as per media report.
The encounter between security forces and terrorists started in Shopian on Thu where terrorists were holed up inside a mosque.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police had last night sent the brother of one terrorist and a local Imam inside the mosque to persuade the terrorists to surrender.
Chief of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) terror outfit has been trapped while 3 unidentified terrorists have been killed by the security forces in an ongoing encounter, police said in the evening.

COVID-19 Update: India reports highest single-day spike with over 1.31 lakh new Covid-19 cases

Over 6.45 cr COVID-19 doses exported to 84 countries, says Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, said on Fri while speaking at the 24^th meeting of the High-level Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19
46% COVID-19 patients on ventilators, 2.31% in ICU, with fatality rate continues to come down which is right now at 1.28%,
1,31,968 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. With this fresh surge, the total number of infections has reached 1,30,60,542.

International

China urges the U.S. to stop provocative acts in the South China Sea-CNGT

China will address bilateral issues with the Philippines through peaceful dialogue, and urges the U.S. to respect the efforts of the two countries and stop provocative acts in the South China Sea, said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

The remarks were made during a daily press conference on Fri in response to the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken voicing concerns over the presence of Chinese fishing vessels in Niu’e Jiao.

Zhao said that Niu’e Jiao is part of China’s Nansha Island and the reef and waters around it have always been an important fishing ground and shelter for Chinese fishermen.

11 killed as Myanmar protesters fight troops

Initially, six truckloads of troops were deployed to quell protesters in the town of Taze, Myanmar Now, and Irrawaddy news outlets said. When the protesters fought back with handmade guns, knives, and firebombs, five more truckloads of troops were brought in.