[NATIONAL]

China building a ‘bigger, broader’ 2nd bridge at Pangong Tso that can carry armored columns

ThePrint- China is building the 2^nd bridge over territory held by it in Pangong Tso, which is capable of carrying armored columns. The development comes as the Ladakh stand-off between India and China enters its 3^rd year. (Source)-the first bridge — whose construction was started at the end of 2021 and finished last month — is being used as a service bridge for the construction of the second. When the construction of the new bridge was spotted less than 3 weeks ago, the entire game plan of the Chinese was understood. The new bridge is being built from both sides simultaneously. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aims to have multiple routes to counter any possible operations by the Indian forces on the southern banks of the Pangong Tso in the future. The first bridge was aimed at cutting down a 180-km loop from Khurnak to the southern banks through Rudok and the distance would be only 40-50 km. ‘Multiple routes to counter possible Indian operations’- The 135-km long Pangong Tso, a landlocked lake that is partly in the Ladakh region and partly in Tibet, has witnessed tensions between India and China since May 2020. As reported last month, the Chinese have finished construction of the first bridge and are now building roads to connect it to one of its biggest military garrisons in the region, according to satellite images. (here)

Russia jumps to the fourth position as oil supplier to India, tanker data shows

Reuters – Russia became the 4^th-largest oil supplier to India in April, with volumes set to rise further in coming months as low prices spur demand from the world’s No. 3 oil consumer and importer, tanker tracking data showed. Russia’s share in India’s oil purchases rose to a record 6%, about 277,000 barrels per day in Apr, up from about 66,000 bpd in Mar, when it was in 10^th position, according to the data, which was supplied by trade sources. Indian Oil Corp. the country’s top refiner, bought its first-ever Russian Arco oil cargo last month. Western sanctions against Russia have opened a rare arbitrage flow, prompting Indian refiners to increase their buying of Russian oil shunned by many Western countries. Indians had bought stranded Russian oil while some European buyers had bought higher volumes of African and U.S. oil. The share of African oil in India’s overall oil imports declined to about 6% in Apr from 14.5% in Mar, while that of the U.S. almost halved to 3%. Grades from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan together accounted for about 11% of India’s imported oil in Apr, compared with about 3% in Mar. The share of ME oil rose to 71% from 68%. (here)

The US seeks to wean India from Russian weapons with an arms-aid package

ET (sources)-The US is preparing a military aid package, which would include foreign military financing of as much as $500 million, for India to deepen security ties and reduce the country’s dependence on Russian weapons. It would make India one of the largest recipients of such aid behind Israel and Egypt. It’s unclear when the deal would be announced, or what weapons would be included. The effort is part of a much larger initiative by Washington to court India as a long-term security partner, despite its reluctance to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which wants to be seen as a reliable partner for India across the board and the administration is working with other nations including France to make sure New Delhi has the equipment it needs. No official words from either side yet. Over the past decade, India has bought more than $4 billion worth of military equipment from the US and more than $25 billion from Russia, as per SIPRI. The major challenge remains how to provide major platforms like fighter jets, naval ships, and battle tanks, adding that the administration is looking for a breakthrough in one of these areas. (here)

By Jun 2022, India intends to deploy the S-400 missile defense system that it has received from Russia to defend itself against the threat from Pakistan and China, said a Pentagon spymaster. According to the spymaster, throughout 2021, New Delhi continued to implement a foreign policy aimed at demonstrating India’s role as a leading power and net provider of security in the Indian Ocean region. India seeks to promote prosperity and ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region by seeking strategic partnerships to build influence through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said. (here)

Indian Navy successfully conducted maiden Test Firing of Naval Anti-ship Missile

The Indian Navy in association with Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully undertook the maiden firing of the first indigenously developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile from SeaKing 42B helicopter on Wed, May 18 at ITR Balasore, Odisha. The test-firing of the new missile came over a month after an anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command. (here)

IMF urges India to prioritize food security, and expand transfers to vulnerable

Applauding India for prioritizing public investment in its annual budget, the International Monetary Fund has urged the country to prioritize food security and expand transfers to the vulnerable in the wake of the global economic crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. Paolo Mauro, Dy Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF told reporters on Wed on the sidelines of the annual Spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank that the challenges coming from the economic consequences of Russia’s invasion were “quite severe.” Observing that inflation in India is somewhat elevated, he said that it is a little bit above the comfort zone for the Central Bank, which is already addressing that issue. “But given the rise in food prices, given the rise in energy prices, clearly this is a situation in which households are feeling the pain of the situation,” Mauro said. Beyond that, in the budget, one good part of that is that public investment is being prioritized, Mauro said. [A tweet – Govt provided free food to 800Mn people for 16 months yet India was ranked only 101 of 116 in food security. Now the IMF wants India to feed the vulnerable globally? So dubious rankings can show us at 116 of 116?]

A high-level delegation led by the Union Minister visits Jordan to enhance cooperation in Fertilizer Sector amid the Global Fertilizers crisis

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, a high-level delegation led by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers visits Jordan for enhanced cooperation in Fertilizer Sector amid the Global fertilizer crisis. Govt. is committed to the assured supply of fertilizers to farmers. No Shortage of Fertilisers in the country said Mandaviya. MOU signed with Jordan for the supply of 30 LMT Rock Phosphate, 2.50 LMT DAP, and 1 LMT phosphoric acid for the current year, ahead of the ensuing cropping season in India. A long-term MOU was signed with Jordan for annual supplies of 2.75 LMT of MoP; this will uniformly increase annually up to 3.25 LMT. India- Jordan Joint Committee to look into Secured Short/Long term Fertilizer Supplies, fresh investments, new JVs: Dr. Mandaviya (here)

Talks for importing wheat, and fertilizers from ‘friend’ India ongoing: Jamaica

Jamaica’s commerce minister Aubyn Hill said that the talks for importing wheat from India are ongoing. “We have enough wheat imports today, but we don’t know what will happen tomorrow as the world changed on Feb 24. ….. So we are opening discussions with our friend, India,” Jamaica’s commerce minister Aubyn Hill said. Hill’s comments over wheat imports come as India May 14 temporarily suspended wheat exports in an apparent bid to curb the local price surge. However, a day later, the commerce secretary said that the govt would keep a window open to export wheat to needy countries, a report by Reuters. (here) Indian President Ram Nath Kovind spoke at length in a speech in Jamaica on Tue as he extended his greetings to the Jamaican delegates and the Indian diaspora, embracing 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Monitoring Yasin Malik trial very closely: Minister in UK parliament

The British government is monitoring the trial of Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik very closely, UK Foreign Office minister Tariq Ahmad told the House of Lords on Tue. The minister was responding to questions on a range of issues when he was asked about the trial of Yasin Malik by Pakistani-origin peer, Lord Qurban Hussain, under the heading of “Human Rights Situation in Indian-administered Kashmir”. Lord Ahmad, however, pointed out that Malik, chairman of the J&K Liberation Front (JKLF), was charged under Indian law and therefore part of an independent judicial process. Describing Malik as a “prominent Kashmiri leader, who has a huge following in the UK as well”, Hussain claimed that Kashmiris suspect the Indian government “wants to get rid of him too”. (here)

Africa must be included in reformed UNSC, says EAM Jaishankar

India’s external affairs minister (EAM) Dr. S Jaishankar has backed African representation at the UNSC, a long-standing policy of the Indian government. Speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs, EAM said that Africa must have an “adequate presence and voice in global decision-making, including in the reformed UNSC” and New Delhi in turn counts on “Africa to stand up for a partner with whom it has a past, a present, and a future.” India has been calling for reform of the UNSC which reflects a world of 1940 and not of this century. While deliberations have been happening under inter-governmental negotiations, it hasn’t been going anywhere, especially with China not enthusiastic about reforms at the top UN body. India is the fourth largest partner for Africa registering trade of $69.7 billion during 2018-19. The Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme announced by India has benefited African nations by extending duty-free access to 98.2% of India’s total tariff lines. (here)

India is planning to build its first underwater road-cum-rail tunnels across the Brahmaputra

India is going to build its first underwater road-cum-rail tunnels across the Brahmaputra river in the eastern state of Assam at an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore or $902,592. Making the announcement, the Railway Ministry and Road Transport Ministry said the project is being planned along with the Border Road Organisation (BRO). Three tunnels of a length of 9.8 km will be made in the project, out of which one will be for roadways, the second for railways, and the third for emergency purposes, and all of them will be inter-connected with cross passage. The tunnel will integrate the railway and highways via the Jamurihat-Silghat axis towards Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which can be used for both civilian and strategic purposes, and will take off from about 9 km upstream of the existing Tezpur road bridge. (here)

Rupee Closes At A New All-Time Low, Tracking Higher Oil And A Reversal In Stocks’ Rally

The rupee closed at a new all-time low of about 77.58 against the dollar on Wed, tracking a rise in crude prices and a reversal in domestic stocks, with the two-day relief rally in equity benchmarks coming to an end. The rupee closed at a new all-time low of about 77.58 against the dollar on Wed, tracking a rise in crude prices and a reversal in stocks. After starting on a weak note, the rupee closed out the day at a fresh record low of 77.5788 a dollar as of 15:30 IST, according to Bloomberg. That fall in the rupee was driven by a rise in oil prices, which reversed on hopes of demand recovery in China, and persistent foreign fund outflows also weighed on investor sentiment. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Sri Lanka: Outrage after China distributes dry rations to foreign service officers

Amid a shortage of essentials in Sri Lanka due to a severe economic crisis, food rations distributed by China have sparked outrage among the Foreign Service Officers’ Association (FSOA) of the country. China’s attempt to distribute rations, to influence the foreign officials of the crisis-hit Sri Lanka, has faced strong opposition. The rations were all distributed by the Chinese govt but the CCP trademark was concealed in bags provided to the villagers, the Colombo Gazette reported. The worst of the bribe was the distribution of dry rations to the staff of the Foreign Ministry, the report added. The Chinese donation to the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry was authorized by Foreign Secy Jayanath Colombage, and the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Association, which received cash from the Chinese Embassy to purchase food. Responding to the development, Sri Lanka’s FSOA delegation in a meeting with Colombage expressed outrage. The report said this is not the first time the Chinese embassy has tried to take advantage of the host country. China has already been accused of paying the govt to boost its chances of winning projects while keeping the details hidden, the report added. (here)

Pakistan likely to continue to modernize and expand its nuclear capabilities: US intelligence

Pakistan is likely to continue to modernize and expand its nuclear capabilities by conducting training with its deployed weapons and developing new delivery systems in 2022 as it perceives it as key to its survival, given India’s nuclear arsenal and conventional force superiority, the Director, Defence Intelligence Agency has told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, during a recent Congressional hearing that Pakistan’s tense relationship with India will continue to drive its defense policy. He said Pakistan “perceives nuclear weapons as key to its national survival, given India’s nuclear arsenal and conventional force superiority“. Sharif probably will give priority to addressing economy while deferring to the Army on security issues for at least the first 6 months of his term,” it added. (here)

Political slingshots in Pakistan scorch Army Generals

The recent spurt of verbal attacks by former Pak PM Khan and other politicians wreaked havoc on the Pakistani Army and despite the strong words of the Army in public against the mudslinging, there has been no respite. It all started when Khan, in his podcast, termed Peshawar Corps Commander and former ISI chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hamid as his “eyes and ears”. Hamid has been a key figure in the ongoing political upheaval. He is said to have masterminded the rise of Khan as the PM. However Army chief, Gen Qamar Bajwa wanted Hamid to be away from Islamabad. The reason for this is Hamid’s liaison with a journalist who has spoken against the military establishment. The episode could have sullied Hamid’s chance of being the Chief of Army Staff however, he remains one of the contenders. (here)

The Pakistani rupee stands at 200 against the US dollar, maintaining a downturn

The US dollar continued its rising streak against the rupee on Tue, rising past Rs199 in interbank trading and marking the completion of a week of breaking records, largely on account of the country’s rising imports and depleting foreign reserves. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the greenback gained Rs 2.75 from the previous day’s close of Rs 196.50 and climbed to Rs199.25 around 1:30 pm. While the local currency of Pakistan continues to be on the slippery ground, the Pakistani rupee touched a critical low of 200 in the open market against the US dollar on Wed. (here)

Pakistan-IMF talks begin in Qatar

The government began talks with the International Monetary Fund on Wed over the release of crucial funds, a process slowed by concerns about the pace of economic reforms in the country. Pakistan has repeatedly sought international support for its economy, which has been hit by crippling national debt, galloping inflation, and a plummeting rupee. The talks are being held in Doha, the Ministry of Fin said, and are expected to continue into next week. Fin Minister Miftah Ismail, MoS, Fin Secy, and other officials from the Finance Division are participating in the talks virtually. A major sticking point is likely to be over costly subsidies — notably for fuel and electricity — and the minister said he wants the two sides to “find a middle ground”. A $6 billion IMF bailout package signed by the former PM in 2019 has never been fully implemented because his govt reneged on agreements to cut or end some subsidies and to improve revenue and tax collection. Officials are seeking an extension to the program through to June 2023, as well as the release of the next tranche of $1bn. (here)

Chinese passenger jet may have been deliberately brought down: Report

A Chinese airliner that crashed on Mar 21 killing all 132 people on board may have been flown deliberately into a nosedive in its final moments, a news report said on Tue, citing preliminary findings by American officials who analyzed the flight’s black box. The WSJ cited unnamed officials as saying that the flight information recorded in the black box suggested inputs were made to cockpit controls that put the plane in a fatal plunge. “The plane did what it was told to do by someone in the cockpit,” the report said. China Eastern flight MU5735 went into a near-vertical nosedive less than an hour before it was meant to arrive, with flight tracking and at least one purported video of its final moments showing the plane plummeting to the ground at an almost 90^O angle. The report stressed the assessments were still preliminary and that more information could change the understanding of what may have happened. Boeing shares added to their gains for the day, climbing 6.2% in New York. If the report is correct, it would indicate the airplane maker doesn’t bear primary responsibility for the crash. (here)

China’s convergence growing with the Middle East amid the Ukraine war

Motivated by a shared frustration with the US, China stands to gain from a growing convergence of views, including the stand on Ukraine, with key states in the Middle East, and is filling the power vacuum in the region. China and its Middle East partners have found themselves on the same side more often than not regarding the conflict in Ukraine, reported Straits Times. The alignment between China and the Middle East is also evident in the voting records of 3 recent UN resolutions. China has tried hard to portray itself as neutral in this conflict, but it is obvious that it is not easy walking such a tightrope. Russian talking points are blithely repeated by Chinese officials, one example being the ridiculous notion that the USA has biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine. (here)

Will Xi Jinping change his close circle after securing the third term?

The fates of Chinese Chinese Communist Party Premier Li Keqiang and 5 others remain uncertain as President Xi Jinping after securing his historic 3^rd term may seek to change his close circle. CCP has a super-powerful central committee (7 members including the President, an exclusive, super-powerful body) which Xi has reshuffled regularly so that no one gets too comfortable. Xi’s retirement is out of the question when he is becoming President for the 3^rd time, reported The Hong Kong Post. 3 of the current 7 members are expected to retire. Of the 25 members of Politburo, 18 remain after deducting the 7 members of the Standing Committee. Of the 18, 9 will reach the retirement age by the time the 20^th Congress convenes, as per the media portal. That leaves 9 “potential contenders” who have a chance to make it to the Standing Committee. Going by traditional retirement rules, 6 of them can serve only 1 term and 3 can serve 2 terms. 3 of these 9 may be inducted into the Standing Committee at the Congress. (here) In an article, by the party’s mouthpiece the People’s Daily, named, “Opinion on strengthening party-building among retired cadres in the new era,” all the retired party members have been asked to “strictly adhere to the relevant regulations.”

Coronavirus: Beijing students in angry protest over wall confining them to the dormitory area

Peking University has backed down on a plan to confine students to their dormitory area in Beijing’s Haidian district as a measure against Covid-19 after it sparked a rare protest, according to some who took part. Sun night’s protest took place at the Wanliu compound, an off-campus dormitory for students and staff with its canteen, supermarket, and gym. It came after posts appeared on a student internet forum showing university staff erecting a wall of sheet metal separating the students from faculty staff. (here) China to throw more resources at zero-Covid policy, health chief says- China will throw more resources at its “dynamic zero-tolerance” Covid-19 strategy, with its health chief also saying that the situation in Shanghai was improving thanks to the tough approach. The plan includes building permanent quarantine facilities and setting up dedicated teams to carry out testing, according to Ma Xiaowei, head of the National Health Commission. (here) China’s first case of the new Omicron subvariant has been found after a passenger who arrived in the country on April 23 tested positive for BA.2.12.1, health authorities said. (here) China’s top diplomat hits out at Western critics who ‘distort the truth’ on pandemic controls- Top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi has accused some in Western countries of using the pandemic to smear China’s social policies, in a commentary published in Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily on Mon. He also said Beijing would firmly respond to any “plans or deeds by the US to suppress China”, as part of efforts to prepare for a smooth party congress later this year. (here)

Chinese FM to chair BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting via video link

Xinhua- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs on Thu via video link, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced Wed. South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos Franca, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will attend the meeting. During the meeting, the BRICS foreign ministers will have a “BRICS+” dialogue with their counterparts from emerging markets and developing countries, Wang said.