Newsletter 19 March

National

Austin Arriving New Delhi today by 6 pm (IST): what is on the table

While in the morning ANI reported that Make in India, Asia Pacific, technology transfer on the table, The Print, HT and India today reported China will be the main issue.

The meeting between US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin and his Indian counterpart Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to take place at 11 am in South Block on Sat. Before the meeting, the US secretary will visit the war memorial and also be given a guard of honor at 10:45 am ANI reported.

“The Asia Pacific, Make in India, technology transfer, deepening of defense and strategic ties are the key agenda items on the table.” Rajnath and Austin are likely to issue a joint media statement after the meeting- ANI
During Austin’s visit, the two sides will be discussing India’s plan to purchase armed drones from the US as well as a large order for over 150 combat jets for the air force and the navy to help narrow the gap with China, people with knowledge of the matter said, Reuter’s report.
Sections of US media are reporting that Austin may raise the issue of S-400 air defense missile systems from Russia, however, it is learned that it is not part of the formal agenda, as per ANI.
However, as per Reuter ‘One thorny issue expected to come up’ is India’s planned purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems which under U.S. law can attract sanctions. However, even in Trump Administration raised this issue, even deal has finalized.
The US secretary, during his 3-day visit, who arrives this evening will be meeting National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
He is also expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after 6 pm today (Fri) to deepen bilateral defense cooperation and further Quad, while East Ladakh stand-off with China shall be the main issue.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also expected to meet in the latter half of Sat.

How Indian Media Read

The Print Not military deals, but China & deeper India ties to be in focus on US defense secy’s visit

HT: East Ladakh stand-off with China on US top official Lloyd Austin’s India agenda

ANI-Make in India, Asia Pacific, technology transfer on the table during Rajnath-Austin meeting tomorrow

India drew closer to the United States following its tensions with China on their disputed Himalayan border, where deadly clashes erupted last year.

Washington has helped New Delhi, leasing surveillance drones and supplying cold-weather gear for Indian troops.

Interestingly, Austin’s arrival in Delhi coincides with a crucial meeting between top officials of the Biden administration and President Xi Jinping’s China in Alaska.

Gen Naravane holds talks with South Korea to boost bilateral military ties

Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane held extensive talks with his South Korean counterpart, Gen Nam Yeong Shin, on ways to boost bilateral military ties, and visited several key installations, including the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ, a buffer zone that separates North and South Korea since the Korean War in the 1950s), during his tour of the East Asian nation, officials said on Thu.

The Chief of Army Staff also visited the headquarters of the South Korean Army at Gyeryong city where he was given a guard of honor.

In a first-ever by any Indian Army Chief, Gen Naravane arrived in Seoul on Mon and held separate talks with Minister of National Defence Suh Wook, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Won In Choul, and Minister of Defence Acquisition Planning Administration Gang Eun Ho.

Why This is News?

The East Asian country has been a major supplier of military platforms and weapons to India.

Indian policy-makers think there is a huge opportunity to expand cooperation in manufacturing equipment relating to aeronautics, shipbuilding, electronics, and missile technologies.

Ties between the two countries were raised to the level of ‘strategic partnership’ during a visit to India by then-South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in 2010.

The relationship was further elevated to the level of ‘special strategic partnership’ during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Seoul in 2015.

Made-In-India Stealth Fighter Jets For Indian Air Force: Modi Govt To Soon Approve Ambitious Project

In a move that boosts the modernization of the Indian Air Force and makes it ready for future air combat, the Modi Govt has approved an indigenous fifth-generation fighter program, the advanced medium combat aircraft.
The design and development of the prototypes set to cost around Rs 15,000 crore and the stealth fighter could be put into production in the next 7-8 years, approved by the Chief of Defence Staff.

Defence Ministry seals deal with BDL to acquire 4,690 anti-tank guided missiles

The Defence Ministry on Fri sealed a deal with state-run Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) to acquire 4,960 anti-tank guided missiles for Rs 1,188 crore for the Indian Army. BDL will produce under license from French defense major MBDA Missile Systems.

The missiles, having a range of 1,850 m, can be fired from the ground as well as vehicle-based launchers, and their induction is planned to be completed in three years, the ministry said.

In the last few months, the ministry finalized a range of procurement projects for the tri-services to enhance their overall combat capabilities.

India is searching for uranium in Arunachal Pradesh, China is making ‘fictitious’ claims

In this report, quoting DK Sinha, director of the Atomic Minerals Directorate of India, it has been told that there are signs of uranium in this area, hence the search is being done here.
The Chinese state media, Global Times claimed, “this behavior of India is harmful to the India-China Border Talks”. It also targeted Indian media to praise this discovery of India. Let it be said that China continues to claim Arunachal Pradesh.
The Chinese newspaper, citing a report of the Times of India in its report, wrote that uranium is being discovered in Arunachal Pradesh on behalf of India.

French Foreign Minister expected to visit New Delhi for India, Australia, France trilateral

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is expected to visit India in mid-April to attend the trilateral dialogue between India, Australia, and France, yet to be announced from Paris, ANI reported.

Senior officials of 3 countries held their first virtual trilateral meeting in Sept last year.
The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Francois Delattre, Secretary-General, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Frances Adamson, Secretary, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
This year it will be a ministerial-level meeting and a physical meeting in which 3 leaders – External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, and Jean-Yves Le Drian – will hold discussions in New Delhi, with key focus will be Indo-Pacific.
All three thriving democracies aim to ensure a peaceful, secure, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

Denmark's PM to visit New Delhi, the first head of govt to visit India amid COVID-19 Crisis

Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will be visiting New Delhi next month and will be the first head of Govt to visit India amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She is expected to visit India in mid-April, around the 15^th.

There has been significant outreach from New Delhi to Nordics and from Nordics to India. Last year saw a virtual summit between Denmark’s PM and Indian PM Modi, the first such summit of the latter with a Nordic country.

Background:

India and Denmark have a unique ‘Green Strategic Partnership’ that will see both sides focusing on ‘green and climate-friendly technologies,’ said a joint statement released after the Sept virtual summit.
Interestingly, the Indian Prime Minister will be traveling to Denmark later this year for the 2^nd India Nordic summit.
The last such India- Nordic summit was in 2018 in the Swedish capital Stockholm.
Around 200 Danish companies have invested in India in sectors such as shipping, renewable energy, environment, agriculture, food processing, smart urban development.
Around 25 Indian companies are present in Denmark in IT, renewable energy, and engineering.
So far India has held a virtual summit with three Nordic countries- Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.
During the three virtual summits, several issues like technology, clean energy, COVID pandemic have been discussed.

International

Ousted Myanmar lawmakers eye ICC probe as another protester killed-Reuters

Even after the use of increasingly violent tactics by security forces to suppress the demonstrations by supporters of detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi is not working as crowds out again in several towns.

security forces shot dead at least one opponent of military rule on Fri, a witness said, as ousted lawmakers explored whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) can investigate crimes against humanity since a Feb 1 coup.
Security forces used teargas to disperse protesters in the central town of Aungban and later opened fire, media and a witness reported.
The witness said he saw one person killed but had heard of more. The Kanbawza Tai news portal said on Facebook six people had been killed.
Police in the main city of Yangon forced people to clear protesters’ barricades, residents said, while demonstrators were also out in the second city of Mandalay, the central towns of Myingyan and Katha, and the eastern town of Myawaddy, witnesses and media reported.

EU sanctions

The European Union is due to place sanctions on individual military figures on Mon and then target businesses they run in what would be its most significant response so far since the coup.
The EU’s expected sanctions follow a US decision last month to target the military and its business interests.

U.N. team seeks evidence linking Myanmar military leaders

A U.N. team of investigators in Myanmar appealed on Wed for people to collect and preserve documentary evidence of crimes ordered by the military.
More than 180 protesters have been killed by security forces trying to crush a wave of demonstrations, says activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The Second session of the US-China strategic dialogue in Alaska ended ANI

The second session of the high-level strategic talks between the US and China in Alaska’s Anchorage has come to an end, Sputnik citing Chinese state-run broadcaster reported on Fri.

According to China Central Television (CCTV), the second round of talks started Thu at around 03:45 GMT on Fri and ended around 10 p.m, as reported by Sputnik.
The Chinese delegation has already left the meeting room and returned to the hotel.
Later on Fri, the sides will hold the third session, the broadcaster said.
According to CNN, during the first session, the Chinese had accused the US delegation of being “condescending” in its tone, while a US official said the representatives from Beijing seemed “intent on grandstanding.”

Background:

The Top U.S., Chinese diplomats clash at the start of first talks of Biden presidency – Reuters

The first high-level U.S.-China talks of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thu, with both sides leveling sharp rebukes of the others’ policies in a rare display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.
The run-up to the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by U.S. officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance and blunt talk from Beijing.
“We will …… we discuss the country’s activities in places like Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, as well as its cyberattacks on the US and economic coercion of US allies, threaten the rules-based order and warned Beijing of respecting global order or facing a ‘more violent world’, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterparts in a highly unusual extended back-and-forth in front of cameras.
Blinken on Thu (local time) told senior Chinese officials that. Blinken made these remarks after he and national security adviser Jake Sullivan met their Chinese counterparts – Wang Yi and Yang Jiechi – in Alaska, a key first meeting in the relationship, reported CNN.
He also denied ‘these affairs’ to be ‘internal matters’.
China’s increasing aggression in the East and South China Seas and its human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, which the US administration has designated as genocide, has been a point of global concern and scorn.
It has also been globally rebuked for imposing repressive national security in Hong Kong and overhauling the city’s electoral system.
The meeting comes as Russia and China announced their bilateral gathering next week, a diplomatic show of force that highlights their growing cooperation. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would travel to South Korea to meet officials there as well, CNN reported.

ANI-US warns China of respecting global order or facing ‘more violent world’

The Print: The angry rabbits-bald eagles’ conference that took place in Alaska when US, China met