[NEWS OF THE DAY]

India, Russia NSAs discuss security cooperation in Moscow

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow on Wed and held discussions on a wide range of bilateral and international issues including cooperation in the area of security, as well as topical problems in the region, the Russian embassy in India tweeted. The two sides agreed to continue the dialogue between the Security Councils of the two countries. This visit comes as India continues to engage with Russia on several issues including India’s energy security amid the Ukraine conflict. A US media report recently said Russia surpassed Saudi Arabia in Jun to become the 2^nd-biggest supplier of crude to India. New Delhi has maintained that its oil import from Moscow will be guided by its energy security needs. On Tue, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar defended India’s crude oil imports from Russia and termed it the “best deal” for the country. (here)

Not flipping a light switch: the US on historic ties between India, Russia

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that it will take a long time for countries who have historic ties with Moscow to reorient their foreign policy, during a press conference in response to a question on US “failure” to isolate Russia. “We have seen countries around the world speak clearly, including with their votes in the UN General Assembly, against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. But we also recognize…that this is not flipping a light switch,” Price said while answering a question on Russian oil imports by India. India continues to engage with Russia on several issues including India’s energy security despite mounting sanctions on Moscow amid the war in Ukraine. (here)

Chinese troops to participate in joint military exercises in Russia

China’s Defence Ministry has announced that its People’s Liberation Army will participate in the strategic command and staff exercise Vostok-2022 (from Aug 30^th to Sept 5^th) in Russia in which India, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Mongolia are also participants. “According to the annual China-Russia military cooperation plan and consensus reached by the two sides, the Chinese PLA will send some troops to Russia to take part in the Vostok (East)-2022 strategic exercise,” the Chinese defense ministry stated on Wed. The Chinese defense ministry said that India, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Mongolia will also send troops for the exercise but the Indian army has not made any official comment on this. “The Chinese military’s participation in the exercise is unrelated to the current international and regional situation,” the statement further reads. According to TASS, the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise will be held under the command of the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at 13 training grounds in the Eastern Military District. China is a key partner of Russia [which increased at a higher level post-Russian invasion]. Beijing has been a reliable purchaser of Russian military equipment since the 1990s, with sales to China making up 25-50% of Russia’s military sales, Fox News reported. The last Vostok military exercises took place in 2018 and were joined by Mongolia and China, marking the first time countries outside the former Soviet bloc participated. Nearly 300k troops took part in addition to 36k vehicles, 1k aircraft, and 80 warships, the largest since the days of the Soviet Union, according to Fox News. (here)

Red Flag for Lanka, China’s Plan & Ghost of 2008: India’s Report on Chinese Spy Ship Reveals

CNN-News18 (Sources): Delhi, Beijing, and Colombo did a lot of footwork over the movement of the ship and, finally, it was delayed and the trip shortened. Sri Lanka realized, that things won’t be easy for it in the future if it allowed this ship to stay in its waters. The stationed ship is sensitive to anything in the electronic spectrum. This is a military ship run by the Chinese PLA Strategic Support Force. This is a dual-use vessel, and the Strategic Support Force is responsible for space, cyber, and other warfares. China’s Game Plan: According to the new assessment, China is misusing the fact that it has a large void on the earth’s surface to monitor its satellites and is trying to create a new normal. These satellites are not all benign, said officials, but some are like Yaogan 34-02 or Yaogan 25, transported by Long March rockets recently, and are for the national defense system. These are not systems used for rain predictions for farmers, they added, and can go deep down into the Indian Ocean, bring important data and upload it to Yuan Wang-5, which can send it to the Military Command. It is important to note that Diego Garcia, the US foothold in this region, is not far off and equally concerns America, which has been discarded by Sri Lankans. (here)

Exclusive Sat Pics: China’s Indian Ocean Base Operational, Warship Docked

NDTV- Satellite images indicate that China’s naval base in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa, is now fully operational and supports Chinese warships deployed in the Indian Ocean region. China’s base in Djibouti is its first overseas military base, built for $590 million and has been under construction since 2016. It is located by the strategic Bab-El-Mandeb Strait which separates the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea and guards the approach to the Suez Canal, one of the most critical channels of international commerce. For India, there is a possibility of China being able to directly track key satellite assets. With the current India-China border crisis seeing no immediate resolution, the deployment of the vessel could allow for monitoring of Indian reconnaissance assets that were reportedly tasked for surveillance missions around border surveillance, terrorist infiltration detection, and anti-terrorist operations. (here)

Maharashtra: Suspicious boat carrying dismantled weapons found abandoned off Raigad coast

A high alert was sounded in Maharashtra on Thu after an unmanned boat carrying weapons was found off a beach in Harihareshwar, in Raigad district. The boat, loaded with weapons was spotted abandoned along the coast. Weapons were found in a suspicious boat, including AK-47 rifles by District Police. The police have enforced a blockade across the district as a precautionary measure. The police stated that the vessel, a security boat, belonged to Oman security. weapons are of no use to anyone. A team of the state Anti-Terror Squad is leaving Mumbai for Alibaug, headed by the chief. A bomb squad has also been rushed to the spot. ATS chief said to TimesNow that the boat appears to belong to a security agency and is believed to have drifted to the spot where it was found. However, the ATS will look at all angles. (here) “No confirmation of terror angle, probing all aspects”, says State Home Minister.

Farooq Abdullah convenes an all-party meet on Aug 22 over the inclusion of non-local voters in J&K electoral rolls

National Conference chief, Farooq Abdullah convened an all-party meeting on Aug 22 over the issue of the inclusion of outside voters in Jammu and Kashmir electoral rolls. “Dr. Farooq Abdullah has invited leaders of all political parties for a meeting to discuss the recent announcement by the J&K govt regarding the inclusion of non-locals in the voter lists. He spoke to the leaders and requested them to attend the meet on Mon, 22^nd Aug,” J&K NC said in a tweet. J&K Union Chief Electoral Officer on Wed said non-locals can now vote in the elections in the UT and about 25 lakh additional voters, including outsiders, are likely to be added to the voter’s list after the special summary revision of electoral rolls is held for the 1^st time after the abrogation of Article 370. Former CMs Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah have criticized the move, calling it a “dangerous attempt” to influence elections. (here)

[NATIONAL]

Govt tells agencies to coordinate crackdown on Chinese firms as it has ‘security concerns’ too

ThePrint-Suspected financial crimes, it seems, are not the only reason Indian law-enforcement agencies are cracking down on Chinese companies in the country. There are equally worrying security concerns about their operations in India, and law-enforcement agencies, including the tax department, have been told to share information to remain on top of the cases against these companies. The ministries of home, finance, and external affairs are going to work together, for instance, to ensure that if there is a case of tax evasion by a Chinese company where foreign channels are involved, then the information on related transactions could also be shared with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The development comes on the back of action taken by different agencies against some of the biggest Chinese telecom companies that do business in India, including Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, and Xiaomi. (officials) Some companies that are registered in India but take instructions from China have their data saved in cloud servers, where information about the Indian entities’ accounts is directly being shared with Chinese parent companies. (here)

MEA Secretary East, Undersecretary co-chaired 13^th India-Philippines FO Consultation in Manila

Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar and Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro co-chaired the 13^th India-Philippines Foreign Office Consultation in Manila on Wed. Both reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on new areas of engagement, according to MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. Bagchi also said that both of them agreed to extend support to each other in multilateral forums. In Feb, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar visited the Philippines to strengthen bilateral ties. He held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart. The two Ministers had reviewed developments in bilateral relations since the meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation that they co-chaired in the virtual format in Nov 2020. During the visit Jaishankar also interacted with Delfin Lorenzana, Secretary of Defence, Carlos Domineguez III, Secy of Finance & Dr. William Dar, Secy of Agriculture to discuss issues strengthening cooperation in the Defence, Finance, and Agriculture sectors respectively. (here)

Russian defense industry team to visit India soon for talks on upgrading IAF’s Sukhoi fleet

A Russian defense industry delegation will soon travel to India to carry forward long-drawn-out talks for an upgrade of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sukhoi-30 MKI fleet. This proposed upgrade will include better radar, a more potent weapons package, a new cockpit system, and the integration of electronic warfare abilities. Russia is also hopeful that India will move ahead with plans to place an order for an additional 12 Su-30 MKIs to replace the fighter jets it lost to crashes over the years. Further, Moscow hopes to finalize the contract for 21 more MiG-29s meant to firm up the IAF’s depleting fleet strength. While the French-made Rafale is the frontrunner for a mega contract for 114 new fighters that the IAF is looking at, Russia believes it is the only country capable of offering a true Transfer of Technology (ToT) with over 60% Indian content. The IAF is considering the acquisition of 114 fighters through the Make in India route. New Delhi and Moscow have been in talks with each other about an upgrade for the Su-30 MKI, which India first ordered in 1996. The upgraded aircraft, if the proposal is approved, will be known as the Super Sukhoi. (here)

HAL to open office in Malaysia

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has signed an MoU for establishing an office in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). The office in Malaysia will help HAL in tapping the new business opportunities for Fighter Lead-in Trainer (FLIT) LCA and other requirements of Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) like Su-30 MKM and Hawk upgrades, the Bengaluru office said in a statement. “It will reinforce the commitment of India in supporting the Malaysian Defence Forces and industry for sustainable aerospace and defense landscape in Malaysia“, it said. HAL submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), Malaysia, in Oct 2021 for the supply of 18 FLIT LCAs against a global tender issued by RMAF. “The final winner of the tender is expected to be declared soon by Malaysian authorities,” according to HAL. Further, being one of the largest producers of Russian-origin Su-30 aircraft, HAL said it has the capabilities to extend the required support to RMAF for the Su-30 MKM fleet which is facing low serviceability issues due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. (here)

IED found under the cop vehicle weighed about 2.5 kg, terror angle being probed: Police

Punjab Police said on Wed said that the Improvised Explosive Device which was found stuck under the vehicle of an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) weighed about 2.5 kg and looked like the same IED, which had been recovered from Tarn taran and had come from Pakistan. Punjab ADGP RN Dhoke said they are looking into the suspected terror angle. “Police recovered the IED and a forensic investigation of the IED is being done. Further probe underway,” he had said. Sub-inspector Dilbag Singh under whose car the IED was placed on Tuesday had said CCTV footage shows two men putting something under the vehicle. Punjab Police recovered an IED equipped with RDX packed in a metallic black colored box weighing approximately 2.5 kg from Naushehra Pannuan village in the Tarn Taran district in May this year. (here)

I&B Ministry blocks 7 Indian & 1 Pakistan-based YouTube channel for spreading misinformation

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has blocked 8 YouTube channels, 7 Indian and 1 Pakistan-based, for spreading disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order, it said in a press release on Thu. The blocked YouTube channels had over 114 crore views and over 85 lakh subscribers. It said that fake anti-India content was being monetized by the blocked channels on YouTube. Released added that the fake claims were made by these channels, such as the GoI to have ordered the demolition of religious structures; the GoI to have banned the celebration of religious festivals, the declaration of religious war in India, etc. Fake news was allegedly posted on topics including the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu Kashmir, etc. The blocked channels are Loktantra TV, U&V TV, AM Razvi, Gouravshali Pawan Mithilanchal, SeeTop5TH, Sarkari Update, Sab Kuch Dekho and Pakistan-based News ki Dunya. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

China and Japan agree more talks needed to manage tensions

China and Japan have agreed to hold more dialogues to manage their rising tensions, which have been further marked by a heated exchange between a national security adviser and a top diplomat over the subject of Taiwan. During a 7-hour meeting in Tianjin on Wed, Yang Jiechi, a Politburo member of the Communist Party, told Japan’s national security adviser Takeo Akiba that Taiwan was an inseparable part of China, while Akiba expressed concern about Beijing’s military drills against the self-ruled island. State news agency Xinhua said the talks were candid, in-depth, and constructive – diplomatic language that usually signals a heated exchange. It is the first senior political dialogue between the two nations since 2020. According to the Japanese Kyodo news agency, Akiba laid out Japan’s stance on the Taiwan Strait tensions to Yang, reporting that Tokyo’s national security adviser expressed concerns about five Chinese missiles falling into Japan’s exclusive economic zone. (here)

Canadian parliamentary committee plans Taiwan visit amid tensions

A large Canadian parliamentary committee delegation is planning to visit the Chinese-claimed island of Taiwan in October, local media reported on Wed, a development that could further worsen relations between Ottawa and Beijing. The planned visit, if it happens, will follow a high-profile visit to the self-governed island by US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in Aug, which sparked a furious response from Beijing and led to it launching its largest military drills around the island. 8 members of Canada’s House of Commons standing committee on international trade are expected to travel to Taiwan, including many who are members of the Canada-Taiwan Friendship Group in the parliament, Canadian media reported. The House standing committee is chaired by Judy Sgro, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ruling Liberal Party. Sgro said the committee “is very anxious to go and to visit Taiwan and see what opportunities there are for deeper trade relations between our two countries,” a CBC News report said. (here)

China to sell US$230 billion of local debt as fiscal income slumps amid coronavirus, property pressures

China’s local govts are likely to sell more bonds in the coming months, providing them with more resources to fund infrastructure projects as their finances come under strain. Local govts have room to issue an extra US$229 bn in special debt and bonds this year to support infrastructure investment, based on unused quotas from previous years, several Chinese state newspapers reported on Thu, citing analysts. Govt finances have been squeezed this year as coronavirus lockdowns and an ongoing slump in the property market curbed economic growth and tax income. Revenue has also been impacted by tax cuts given to businesses to help shore them up during the downturn. (here)

US, Taiwan commence formal negotiation on a trade initiative

The US and Taiwan on Wed have started formal negotiations under a trade initiative to deepen the trade and investment relationship, in another move to support the island country. Revealing a negotiating mandate for the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21^st Century Trade announced on Jun 1, Deputy US Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi said, “Today, we begin negotiations with Taiwan under the auspices of AIT and TECRO that will deepen our trade and investment relationship.” The office of the US Trade Representative in a statement said that the first rounds of negotiations are expected to take place “early this fall.” Both the countries, under the auspices of AIT and TECRO, have set the agenda for negotiations on trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, strong anti-corruption standards, enhancing trade between our small and medium enterprises, deepening agriculture trade, removing discriminatory barriers to trade, digital trade, robust labor and environmental standards, as well as ways to address distortive practices of state-owned enterprises and non-market policies and practices. Last week, a new delegation of US lawmakers visited Taiwan, less than 2 weeks after Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan angered China and set off large-scale military drills (here)

At least 20 dead, 40 injured in mosque explosion in Kabul

An explosion at a mosque in the north of the Afghan capital of Kabul killed 20 people and injured 40 more, media reports said. The blast reportedly took place in a mosque in the Khair Khana area during evening prayers. The Taliban claim they have full control of Afghanistan but the Islamic State continues carrying out attacks on civilians and police across the country. The Taliban has not issued any statement on casualties, according to the Afghan news agency. No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far. Among the dead is a top Islamic cleric named Amir Mohammad Kabuli. Two weeks ago, two deadly blasts in Kabul took the lives of 10 people, injuring 40 others. The IS claimed responsibility for both attacks. Rights groups said the Taliban have broken multiple pledges to respect human rights and women’s rights. After capturing Kabul in Aug last year, the Islamic authorities have imposed severe restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and summarily executed critics and perceived opponents, among other abuses. (here)

Pakistan: UK inks deal to return ‘criminals’ to Pakistan

The UK signed a major deal with Pakistan on Wed, under which foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK can be returned to Pakistan. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel hailed the development on Twitter, saying that “I’m proud to have signed a new landmark agreement with our Pakistani friends to return foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK to Pakistan.” Under the new plan, Pakistani nationals with no legal right to remain in the UK, including criminals, failed asylum seekers, and immigration offenders will reportedly be removed. Pakistan nationals make up the 7^th largest number of foreign criminals in prisons in England and Wales totaling nearly 3% of the foreign offender population. Though Pak has demanded an extradition treaty with the UK for years, this agreement falls short of that. Some lawyers see it as a blow to Pakistan, which may now see an influx of deported criminals from the UK — even those who have never visited Pak. (here)

Pakistan: Govt commits more taxes as IMF board meets on 29^th

The govt has given an undertaking to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to raise the petroleum development levy (PDL) to a max of Rs 50/l each on petrol and diesel by Jan and Apr, respectively, in 2023. In its Letter of Intent (LoI) sent to the IMF for formal approval of completion of the 7^th and 8^th reviews of the $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Pakistan has also made iron-clad commitments to build foreign exchange reserves to cover at least 10 weeks of imports by end of the current fiscal year from existing 5 weeks and not to use those reserves ever to support the exchange rate. IMF Country Representatives Esther Perez Ruiz on Wed announced that the Fund’s Executive Board meeting for Pakistan’s combined 7^th and 8^th reviews under the EFF has been scheduled for Aug 29. (here)

Pakistan: PM gives nod to abolish CPEC Authority

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wed approved, in principle, to abolish the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority subject to consent by China – a decision that the govt says will help fast-track the implementation of the multi-billion-dollar project. The decision was made based on a summary that the planning and development ministry had moved 2 months ago to wrap up the body that had remained controversial since its inception. He added that PM had instructed that China should first be taken into confidence before going ahead with the move to ensure that the strategic ally should not be left with the impression that Pakistan was rolling back CPEC. The minister further said the CPEC Authority Act would be repealed once the Chinese authorities give their consent. (Sources)- China did not interfere in Pakistan’s internal decision-making about the CPEC implementation mechanism. (here)

The inside story of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet meeting has come to light.

In the cabinet meeting, the ministers expressed serious concerns about the presence of the TTP militants in different areas of the province while demanding that they should have been taken into confidence in negotiations with TTP. Some ministers emotionally said that the whole matter is related to KP, but the KP govt has neither been informed about its details nor has it been taken into confidence. The ministers said that the apprehension is being expressed that an agreement has been reached with the Taliban, but the state govt is being kept in the dark. Special Assistant to CM KP fully supported the negotiations with TTP. (Jang)