[ NATIONAL ]

Chinese bridge on Ladakh’s Pangong lake being made on illegally-occupied area: Govt

Addressing the Lok Sabha, Minister of State, External Affairs V Muraleedharan said these areas have been under illegal occupation of China since 1962 and India has never accepted it, stated in the Parliament on Fri. A bridge being constructed by China across the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh is in an area that is under the illegal occupation of that country since 1962, the govt said. MoS said in Lok Sabha that India’s approach in talks with China over the eastern Ladakh standoff is guided by 3 key principles. The principles are that both sides should strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control; neither side should attempt to alter the status quo unilaterally, and all agreements between the two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety.

China using ‘salami-slicing’ technique to alter status quo along LAC, says a new report

The LBL strengthens the ‘Civil-Military Integration (CMI)’ strategy, generating synergy among key Chinese bureaucracies including Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Security, Custom and Immigration Administration, and the Local Governments.

Turkmenistan, Afghanistan push TAPI gas pipeline again but this is why India is being cautious

New Delhi continues to remain a participant in the mega gas pipeline project conceived in the 1990s. But concerns over safety and security around the project have grown manifold. India is treading cautiously on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project now even as Turkmenistan and Afghanistan are pushing the stalled negotiations for setting up the decades-old project. While New Delhi continues to remain a participant in the mega gas pipeline project conceived in the 1990s, its concerns over the safety and security around the project have grown manifold with the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Blinken’s Aus tour for Quad meet amid Ukraine tensions daunts experts in China, many say ‘targeting Beijing’ is US’ top priority

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s upcoming tour to Australia to participate in the Quad Security Dialogue with foreign ministers of the mechanism amid the ongoing Ukraine tensions has raised eyebrows of experts in China with many saying the visit by US officials, at a time when all eyes are focused on Moscow-Kyiv tensions, shows the US still places targeting China on its top priority.

EAM to visit the Philippines from Feb 13 to 15

India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar to visit the Philippines from Feb 13 to 15; Will meet counterpart Secretary Locsin. The visit comes after the Bhramos defense deal with the ASEAN country last month. The visit to the Philippines comes after he visits Australia. EAM leaves for Australia on Feb 10^th for the Quad FM in-person meeting. This will also be the first bilateral visit to the country after taking charge.

India’s nightingale will live forever through her unforgettable songs

Bharat Ratna, Lata Mangeshkar, India’s nightingale and whose countless melodies are fused with the country’s post-independence narrative, died following a prolonged illness on Sun morning at 92. She was admitted to Breach Candy hospital on Jan 8 and spent nearly a month in the ICU, battling Covid-19, pneumonia, and age-related problems. Condolence messages poured across the country and many heads of state from the neighborhood. PM canceled his all-evening program to attend her last rites in Mumbai.

Arunachal Pradesh: Operation underway in Kameng Sector to rescue army patrol hit by an avalanche

Seven Indian Army personnel, part of a patrol are reported to have been struck by an avalanche in the High Altitude area of Kameng Sector in Arunachal Pradesh on 6 Feb. Search & rescue operations are currently underway. Specialized teams have been airlifted to assist.

J&K: Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Sat, police said. Acting on specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Zakura locality of the city, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there during the night, a police official said.

BSF neutralizes three Pak smugglers in Jammu, seizes 36 packets of Narcotics

Border Security Force (BSF) on early Sun neutralized three Pakistani smugglers and recovered 36 packets of Narcotics weighing approximately 36 kg in Jammu. BSF said that the smugglers were trying to smuggle narcotics through Samba International Border. The seized narcotics are likely to be heroin. The search of the area is in progress, said the officer.

Stick to college uniform, says Karnataka govt as hijab issue escalates

Even as students protest over their right to be allowed to attend classes wearing the hijab, the state government on Friday made it clear that the existing uniform rule must continue in all educational institutions until the high court gives its verdict on the issue. On Fri, Govt PU College in Byndoor, Udupi district, barred girls wearing hijab from entering the campus. The simple protest come into the limelight when Karnataka Police have arrested two men Abdul Majid and Razab, who had arrived with lethal weapons at the protest site.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

Islamabad, Beijing vow to boost links at all levels: Highlights of Pak PM’s visits to Beijing:

• Pakistan, China asks the world community to promptly help Afghanistan.
• Imran, Xi agree to launch health, industry, trade, green and digital corridors
• Pak PM expresses support to China on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet
• China, Pakistan review China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project
• Xi Jinping, Pakistan PM discuss cooperation areas, India
• Imran Khan holds meetings with Chinese Premier, firms as Pak eyes more loan
• Pakistan’s ties with China are the cornerstone of Islamabad’s foreign policy, said PM

Signs of rift emerges between Pakistan and Taliban

Signs of cracks are emerging between Pakistan and the Taliban over Durand Line row and Islamic Emirate support for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). When the Taliban took over the Afghan capital Kabul, in Aug last year, many in Islamabad cheered.

Taliban commander Rahmanullah & Amir Khatim is being fixed at Rs 30 lakh each

In North, Waziristan pamphlets have been distributed fixing bounty on the heads of terrorists. The pamphlet, written in Urdu and Pashto, appeals to the public to cooperate for the arrest of the terrorists. In the pamphlet, the price of Taliban Commander Syedanara and Shafirullah has been fixed Rs. 50 lakhs each. (Pak Local)

Tibetan groups in Canada protest China’s human rights violation

As the Beijing Olympics have commenced, Tibetan groups in Canada have protested to highlight occupation of the plateau by China and condemning the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) “complicity in sports washing” human rights violations there, occupation of the plateau by China, and condemned the IOC’s ‘complicity in sports washing’ human rights violations there. The protests are being organized jointly by the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Toronto (RTYC Toronto), East Turkistan Association of Canada, Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario, Tibetan Women Association of Ontario, Dhokham Chushi Gangdruk Canada, and Students For A Free Tibet Canada.

Sri Lanka needs to save its economy from China’s debt-trap policy: Report

Amid the ongoing economic downturn in Sri Lanka, the Washington-based group Global Strat View said that the island nation has to rethink seriously to save its economy, which analysts say has fallen into China’s debt-trap policy.

Two Frontier Corps officials were injured in a blast on Quetta’s Sariab Road

Two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured in an explosion on Quetta’s Sariab Road on Monday, an FC spokesperson said. The personnel was on routine patrol in a village when the bomb — fitted in a motorcycle on the side of the road — was detonated remotely as they approached the site, the spokesperson said.

China tightens rules, restrictions in Macao to avoid Hong Kong-type unrest: Report

China is tightening its grip in Macao with the planned election and national security measures in the area, including revision of its national security law, to prevent any political crisis like that in nearby Hong Kong from taking root in the semi-autonomous Chinese city, according to a media report. Stressing that the existing system is already very much stacked in favor of the pro-Beijing establishment, Cunningham said that the government wants to make sure it stays this way, regardless of how public opinion or political dynamics may shift in the coming years and decades.

UN report: Terror groups have more freedom in Afghanistan now

The latest report of the UN Security Council on activities of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda and their affiliates said the Taliban have not done anything to limit the activities of foreign terrorists – an assertion that will strengthen suspicions about the setup in Kabul in capitals around the world. Foreign terror groups ranging from al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) enjoy more freedom in Afghanistan than in recent years, and Osama bin Laden’s son visited the country in Oct for meetings with the Taliban, states a new UN report.

China using ‘salami-slicing’ technique to alter status quo along LAC, says a new report

China is using the “salami-slicing” technique to alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in which it tests the other claimants through aggressive actions, then back off when it meets significant resistance, according to a report of the Policy Research Group (POREG).

China ‘Land Border Law (LBL)’, adopted in Oct 2021, enacted on Jan 1, 2022, amid growing tensions with its neighbors, such as India.

The Law is at best seems assertive and provocative.

Through LBL, China has asserted that it will “resolutely defend territorial sovereignty and land border”, reported POREG.

The LBL strengthens the ‘Civil-Military Integration (CMI)’ strategy, generating synergy among key Chinese bureaucracies including Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Security, Custom and Immigration Administration, and the Local Govts.

The Law underscored that the PLA and the Paramilitary People’s Armed Police (PAP), both under the command of the Central Military Commission, will play a central role, including safeguarding land borders, resisting armed invasion, and responding to major contingencies.

• Needless to say, the CMI strategy inland and border defense could mean adverse implications for India.
• For instance, Chinese forces could prevent the development of infrastructure, along with its border, by India, said POREG.

Moreover, Beijing is also pushing Tibetan nomads into villages in border districts, converting key border prefectures, such as Shigatse and Lhoka into Chinese zones in the ‘Tibetan Autonomous Region’s (TAR)’.

• China has also undertaken the expansion of border towns in bordering areas of Nepal and Bhutan under the “Salami Slicing” technique.
• In Oct 2015, China touted as a success story its new village called Gyalaphug, technically in Bhutan, south of the TAR.
• The Party, to rein in Chinese ‘citizens’ for moving them towards the ‘model villages’ has been carrying out propaganda through the media, added POREG.
• A villager in a model Xiaokang BDV claimed that he had received a ‘Border Annual Subsidy’ of ¥ 5,000, in addition to an ecological subsidy of ¥ 8,871.

• The article revealed that it is planned to construct over 62,000 houses to house about 240,000 people under the Tibet BDVs scheme.
• To project a ‘warm’ and ‘close’ cooperation between the border residents, another story was floated (Aug 2019) on Chinese instant messaging apps and websites- POREG.
• The border patrols and life in Geru village in Shigatse prefecture sharing ‘bond’ with the residents being as “deep as the fish and water.”
• It was shown that about 100 people from the village conducted regular border patrols on motorcycles to assist border defense forces.
• Every Mon, Chinese personnel stationed in Geru organized a ceremony at the border pillar to hoist the Chinese flag and to sing the national anthem.

China, besides, using the tactic of CMI to further tighten its grip on Tibet, would also, exploit local inhabitants to expand its settlements across the LAC supplanting them as settlers under the nomadic cover, so that they go unnoticed as military structures.

The CMI strategy, being used to push through the LBL, is an attempt by the PLA to alter the status quo along the LAC, by placing measures to use border villages in buttressing Beijing’s territorial claims using the “salami-slicing” technique.

Blinken’s Aus tour for Quad meet amid Ukraine tensions daunts experts in China, many say ‘targeting Beijing’ is US’ top priority

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s upcoming tour to Australia to participate in the Quad Security Dialogue with foreign ministers of the mechanism amid the ongoing Ukraine tensions has raised eyebrows of experts in China with many saying the visit by US officials, at a time when all eyes are focused on Moscow-Kyiv tensions, shows the US still places targeting China on its top priority.

Blinken still decided to visit Asia despite the severe situation in Ukraine implies that the focal point of US strategy targeting China remains unchanged, Global Times quoted an expert, as saying on Sun.

GT-“One of the top items for the Quad meeting is whether the US will promote agendas like the economy within the Quad mechanism as the Biden administration said last year the US deeply believes every agenda could be taken to launch competition with China.”

GT- There are many uncertainties over whether the assumption from the US can be realized as it has wished, and whether the US can consolidate the quadripartite security dialogue mechanism and run it effectively.

It is predicted: it is likely the Quad will release statements on China’s internal affairs, including the South China Sea and the Taiwan question as it usually does after a meeting, but the group moving forward to integration and stronger alliance is impossible.

Blinken will travel to Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii from Feb 7-13 to engage with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to advance peace, resilience, and prosperity across the region and demonstrate that these partnerships deliver, said the US State Department earlier.

In Australia on Feb 9-12, Secretary Blinken will attend the 4^th Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, hosted by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

US State Department-“With our Quad partners, we are delivering results for our populations and the region, including by advancing cooperation on COVID-19 vaccination delivery, humanitarian assistance/ disaster relief, maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, countering disinformation, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies.”

• Secretary Blinken will meet with Australian PM Scott Morrison, his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and India, and other senior officials to discuss a range of bilateral and global priorities.
• The Secretary will also engage with students, scholars, and technology leaders in Melbourne.

Signs of rift emerges between Pakistan and Taliban

ANI – Signs of cracks are emerging between Pakistan and the Taliban over Durand Line row and Islamic Emirate support for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

• When the Taliban took over the Afghan capital Kabul, in Aug last year, many in Islamabad cheered.
• However, the disagreements over the demarcation of the Afghan-Pak border and support for the TTP have caused tensions, reported The Frontier Post.

The Frontier Post-If no resolution is reached on these issues, it could cause a rift in relations with significant consequences for both Pakistan’s national security and regional stability.

• The Durand Line was demarcated between British-ruled India and Afghanistan in 1893.
• Since the establishment of Pakistan in 1947, Kabul has not only objected to the border demarcation but has also challenged the inclusion of Pashtun tribal areas.
• In recent years, the problem has persisted, with both former Afghan presidents, Hamid Karzai, and Ashraf Ghani, reaffirming the Afghan rejection of the Durand Line.
• The Taliban has stuck to the same traditional stance and is showing no signs of making concessions to Pakistan.
• In recent days, engagement between the two sides failed to make any progress.
• In late Jan, Pak’s National Security Adviser visited Kabul but was only able to negotiate a bilateral coordination mechanism to facilitate border crossing movement and trade; the border fence issue remained unaddressed.
• Another source of tensions between Kabul and Islamabad has been the TTP.
• The armed group fought alongside the Afghan Taliban against the US and its allies for years and the two have a strong bond.
• When the Taliban took power on Aug 15, they set free hundreds of TTP men, including some prominent leaders, incarcerated in Afghan jails.
• Since it was founded in 2007, the TTP has been responsible for deadly violence in Pakistan, attacking both security forces and civilians.
• A ceasefire between the armed group and the Pakistani military negotiated with the help of the Afghan Taliban govt in Nov was short-lived.
• The TTP resumed their attacks in Dec against security forces and civilians, even as secret talks with representatives of the Pakistani govt have continued.
• So far, the mediation of the Afghan Taliban has not produced any significant results and its support for the TTP continues.
• If violence in Pakistan escalates, that could put more strain on Kabul-Islamabad relations, reported.

So far, there are no indications that the border issue between Afghanistan and Pakistan can be resolved, as the Taliban appears quite eager to maintain the Pashtun unity rhetoric.

• If this issue continues to fester, it could provide fertile ground for further border incidents that could spark tensions.
• Despite efforts by the Pak govt to engage in talks with the TTP, peace with the armed group seems quite unlikely, given internal pressure to maintain its violent direction.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

Islamabad, Beijing vow to boost links at all levels

Main Highlights of PM’s visits to Beijing Winter Olympics:

• Pakistan, China asks the world community to promptly help Afghanistan.
• Imran, Xi agree to launch health, industry, trade, green and digital corridors
• Pak PM expresses support to China on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet
• China, Pakistan review China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project
• Xi Jinping, Pakistan PM discuss cooperation areas, India
• Imran Khan holds meetings with Chinese Premier, firms as Pak eyes more loan

Dawn-The meeting held at the Great Hall of People was the last leg of PM Khan’s 4-day trip to China. Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sun agreed to strengthen institutional links at all levels, cementing mutual strategic, diplomatic, and economic ties.

The two leaders appreciated the finalization of several agreements and memorandum of understanding in the fields of trade, infrastructure, industrial development, agriculture modernization, science and technology, and the socio-economic well-being of local people.

During the visit, he attended the opening ceremony and met the Chinese premier, leaders of several countries, and chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

• Mr Khan also had detailed discussions with corporate leaders and investors besides attending the luncheon hosted by Mr Xi in the honor of visiting heads of the states.
• President Xi and PM Khan met for the first time since Oct 2019 when the latter visited China.
• The two leaders appreciated the signing of several agreements covering industrial, space, and vaccine cooperation.
• PM Khan briefed President Xi on a people-centered vision of geo-economics and his govt’s policies for Pakistan’s sustainable growth and regional connectivity.
• He lauded China’s continued support to Pakistan’s socio-economic development that had greatly benefitted from the high-quality development of CPEC.
• Mr. Khan welcomed increased Chinese investments in the second phase of CPEC that centered on industrialization and improving people’s livelihoods.

In the past, India strongly rejected references made to Jammu and Kashmir in a statement by Pakistan and China and asserted that the union territory as well as Ladakh have been and will remain its integral and inalienable part.

Sharing his views with President Xi on growing polarization in the world that threatened the unraveling of global developmental gains and posed serious risks to the developing countries.

• The PM observed that persecution of minorities in India and the atrocities in India-held Kashmir was a threat to regional peace and stability
• He pointed out that the rapid militarisation of India was undermining regional stability.
• The Chinese side reaffirmed its support for Pak in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and security, as well as promoting its socio-economic development and prosperity, a joint statement read.
• The Pakistani side expressed its commitment to One-China Policy and support for China on Taiwan, the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet.
• Since 2016, several reports have come into the light detailing the brutal policies of China including “forced birth control and sterilization” of Uyghur ethnic groups.
• In Xinjiang, the Chinese administration is accused of detaining over a million people of minorities, in a large network of what the state calls “re-education camps.”

Trudeau criticizes China’s human rights record as Olympics begin-The US and several other like-minded democracies are not sending political delegations as part of stated or unstated diplomatic boycotts of the Games. “…we remain extremely concerned by reports of human rights violations in China, including the persecution of Uyghurs,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement issued by the prime minister’s office.

Noting close bilateral cooperation in the areas of health, environment, and information and communication technology, the two sides agreed to launch the China-Pakistan health, industry, trade, green and digital corridors.

• According to the ‘1+4’ layout, the two sides agreed to jointly accelerate the construction and operation of Gwadar Port and build Gwadar low-carbon circular industry zone.
• They agreed to build high-quality livelihood projects for the socio-economic development of Gwadar city and its residents.
• They also decided to expand bilateral trade relations by fully utilizing the second phase of the Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement.
• The Chinese side welcomed more of Pakistan’s high-quality food and agricultural products to the Chinese market.

Hailing the establishment of Pakistan’s pavilions on Chinese e-commerce platforms, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in e-commerce, setting up online payment systems and cooperating in logistics, warehousing, and customs facilitation.

• The two sides agreed to celebrate the Pakistan-China Year of Tourism Exchanges in 2023.
• They agreed to make all-out efforts in support of greater civilizational exchanges between Pak and China and further expand cooperation for the conservation of heritage.
• Both sides agreed to continue the momentum in defense cooperation at various levels between the armed forces of Pakistan and China.
• China recognized Pakistan’s sacrifices and efforts in the fight against terrorism.
• Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

On Sat, the Pakistan PM met executives of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC), China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), Power China, East Sea Group, China Railway Group Limited (CREC), China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), Beijing Century Industrial Development Co. Ltd (CENTINCO) and the CHINAMEX Group.

• Pakistan is eyeing to ease its financial burden and get more loans from Beijing to stabilize its dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

The Imran Khan govt is considering requesting China to approve $3 billion in China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange, known as SAFE deposits, -The Express Tribune.

Pakistan’s ties with China are the cornerstone of Islamabad’s foreign policy, said Pakistan PM, admitting that his country’s foreign policy is completely dependent upon Beijing. Khan on Sun underscored that the Pakistan-China relationship was “the cornerstone of its foreign policy” as both sides reiterated their support on issues “concerning each other’s core interests“-The Express Tribune.

Pakistani student outfit holds conference on ‘Uyghur genocide’ in Lahore- Anjuman Talaba-e-Islam (ATI), a Pakistan-based student outfit held a conference in Lahore on Feb 5 to discuss the “Uyghur genocide.” Imran Khan’s refusal to condemn China’s human rights violence against the Muslim-majority Uyghur has exposed his image as the world’s leading anti-Islamophobia crusader.

Many countries tighten grip on Confucius Institutes over CCP links

ANI – Nearly a dozen countries, including the US, Germany, and the Netherlands, have begun to further tighten the grip on Confucius Institutes, a public educational partnership between colleges and universities in China and colleges and universities in other countries and other related activities over the dubious nature of the Chinese organizations.

• The controversial Chinese government-funded institutions have been accused of being a propaganda arm for the CCP.
• In recent years, the closure of Confucius Institutes in various countries has progressed rapidly as these organizations are deemed as China’s ideological marketing machine.

A recent report on “China’s Influence Actions” released by a military institute, under the French Defence Ministry, pointed out that the Chinese govt has been promoting United Front (UF) tactics overseas and promoting its ideology through Confucius Institutes.

• The UF is a political strategy of the CCP involving networks of groups and key individuals that are influenced or controlled by the CCP and used to advance its interests.
• The CCP’s “vicious behavior” in recent years expand its global influence by infiltrating Chinese overseas, media, diplomacy, economy, politics, education, culture, and think tanks.
• Since 2004, the CCP has sponsored Confucius Institutes on college and university campuses around the world, providing teachers, textbooks, and operating funds.
• Until recently, an agency of the Chinese Ministry of Education, the Hanban, oversaw Confucius Institutes.
• In the wake of widespread criticism, the Chinese govt has reorganized Confucius Institutes under a new organization, the Chinese International Education Foundation.

In April 2017, the National Association of Scholars (NSA) released Outsourced to China: Confucius Institutes and Soft Power in American Higher Education, a comprehensive report on the way the Chinese govt infiltrates American colleges and universities to enhance its image.

As of Dec 2019, it has established 550 Confucius Institutes and more than 1,000 Confucius Classrooms in primary and secondary schools in 162 countries or regions around the world. (1)

Sri Lanka needs to save its economy from China’s debt-trap policy: Report

ANI -Amid the ongoing economic downturn in Sri Lanka, the Washington-based group Global Strat View said that the island nation has to rethink seriously to save its economy, which analysts say has fallen into China’s debt-trap policy.

• In an analytical piece, Global Strat View on Sun said Lanka’s financial crisis is leading to a humanitarian crisis that could ultimately push the country into bankruptcy.
• Many critics believe the Chinese debt trap policy is the primary cause of the country’s financial crisis.
• Lanka’s financial crisis was brought to light when the Lankan govt declared a national economic emergency in Aug last year after a sharp fall in the country’s currency.
• Sri Lanka’s foreign debt has increased steadily since 2014 (30% of GDP), reaching 41.3% of GDP in 2019, and this, in turn, has put a severe load on the country’s debt service.
• The country’s foreign reserves are also depleting significantly faster and stand around US$ 1.6 billion, barely enough for a few weeks of imports.
• It also has foreign debt obligations exceeding USD 7 billion in 2022, including repayment of bonds worth USD 500 million in Jan and USD 1 billion in July 2022.
• According to the Central Bank, prices have risen dramatically, with the inflation rate rising to 12.1% at the end of Dec from 9.9% in Nov 2021.
• During the same time frame, food inflation soared to almost 22%.

Since the island country is cash-strapped, it is becoming difficult not only for importers to clear cargo containing essential items, but manufacturers are also unable to acquire fresh raw materials.

The effect of the COVID-19 crisis, the loss of tourists, high govt expenditure and tax cuts depleting state revenues, and the use of money for initiatives with minimal returns have all contributed to Sri Lanka’s economic meltdown.

• After disbursing billions of dollars in soft loans, China has become Sri Lanka’s 4^th-largest lender,
• China is present in Sri Lanka for its benefit rather than Colombo’s.
• the port (Hambantota project) developed with significant Chinese funding had no commercial viability, but China persuaded Sri Lanka to proceed with the project.
• As the port struggled to gain momentum, Beijing wanted it as collateral, compelling the Colombo to hand over management to a Chinese corporation on a 99-year lease in 2017.
• Despite this, the Sri Lankan govt has further awarded the contract to the state-owned China Harbour Engineering Company to build Colombo’s eastern cargo terminal.
• Last month, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked China to restructure the island nation’s massive debt to Beijing.
• He conveyed his proposal to the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who met with the President in his office in Colombo.
• Sri Lanka has to rethink seriously to save its economy from the debt-trap policy of the dragon.

Jaishankar, GL Peiris discuss fishermen issue, energy security of Sri Lanka

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Mon met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris in New Delhi and discussed prospects of economic investment initiatives to strengthen the island nation and exchanged views on the fishermen issue.

• Jaishankar said he had focused on additional steps to enhance Lanka’s energy security.
• Both ministers recognized the importance of greater tourism for economic recovery.
• They also noted the importance of people-to-people linkages through greater connectivity.

• Jaishankar had a virtual meeting with Sri Lankan Fin Minister on Jan 15, where he conveyed that India has always stood with Lanka and will continue to extend support.
• Peiris’s latest visit comes days after the USD 400 million SAARC currency swap facility was extended to Sri Lanka and the ACU settlement of USD 515.2 million was deferred by 2 months.
• Another USD 500 million LOC for the purchase of fuel from India has also been extended.

1. https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/many-countries-tighten-grip-on-confucius-institutes-over-ccp-links20220207093550/