[NATIONAL]

Quad Meet: Highlights (Tue)

• Quad set to launch maritime security initiative to track ‘dark shipping’ in Indo-Pacific – Quad leaders at the Tokyo summit are set to launch a range of initiatives, including a maritime security partnership, that will allow the member countries to monitor illegal fishing, track “dark shipping” (vessels with their Automatic Identification System – a transponder system – switched off so as not to be detectable) and other tactical-level activities. This crucial maritime pact will enhance the security apparatus of the Indo-Pacific region. The maritime initiative Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness will offer a near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective maritime domain awareness picture. This will transform the ability of partners in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region to fully monitor the waters on their shores and, in turn, to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific. (here)
• Joe Biden insists US policy on Taiwan has not changed- Joe Biden on Tue said there was no change to the US policy of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan, a day after he appeared to stretch the limits of Washington’s line on the island by saying he would be willing to use force to defend it. The issue of Taiwan looms over a meeting of the Quad, which has stressed their determination to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of an increasingly assertive China. While Washington is required by law to provide self-ruled Taiwan with the means to defend itself, it has long followed a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would intervene militarily to protect it in the event of an attack by Beijing – a convention Biden had appeared to break with on Mon. Some critics have suggested Biden misspoke, but other analysts believe he was well aware of what he was doing (here)
• US-India Investment Incentive Agreement to give impetus to ties, Biden tells PM Modi-In a bilateral meeting with PM Modi on the sidelines of the Quad Summit, US President Joe Biden said that the US Investment Incentive Agreement (IIA) will give impetus to investments in key sectors in India. Biden’s remarks came as Foreign Secy and CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation on Mon signed an IIA, which will pave a path to strengthen and promote DFC’s investments in India. The President also said that he is committed to making India-US ties among the closest. Biden apprised that India-US also discussed the ongoing effects of Russia’s invasion and its effect on the entire global world order. The two leaders are expected to review the India-US Strategic Partnership and follow up on discussions held during PM’s bilateral meeting with President in Sept 2021. (here)
• India, US to expand defense ties in cyber, space domains; New Delhi to join West-led Bahrain-based naval force-India crossed a Rubicon by agreeing to join the Combined Military Forces-Bahrain (CMF–Bahrain) as an associate member following a summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden. Also called the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), it is a West-led 34-nation coalition to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the ‘Global War on Terrorism in the Horn of Africa region. India has sporadically participated in its operations as has Pakistan. (here)
• PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Australian counterpart in Tokyo- PM Modi on Mon held bilateral talks with Australian PM Anthony Albanese in Tokyo, Japan on the sidelines of the QUAD. This was followed by the bilateral talks between PM Modi and US President in Tokyo shortly after holding the Quad Leaders’ Summit where the PM said that India and the US partnership is a partnership of trust in a true sense. The meeting marks a continuation of their regular dialogue having interacted most recently in virtual mode on Apr 11. Both leaders reviewed the multi-faceted cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including trade and investment, defense manufacturing, renewable energy, green hydrogen, education, science and technology, agriculture, and people-to-people ties. (here)
• Australia’s Albanese says goals aligned with Quad, wants to discuss climate change- Reuters – New Australian PM Anthony Albanese on Tue said his goals were aligned with the priorities of the Quad grouping of countries, telling the leaders that he wanted to also discuss climate change. A day earlier, he said the Quad stood together for a “free and open Indo-Pacific”. (here)
• Japan scrambles jets after Russian, Chinese warplanes neared airspace during Quad-(Reuters)- Japan scrambled jets after Russian and Chinese warplanes neared its airspace on Tue, when Tokyo was hosting the leaders of the Quad grouping of countries, Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said. Kishi, speaking at a news conference that was shown online, said the move by Russia and China was likely a provocation by the two countries at the time of the Quad. (here)
• ‘Listen to voices of ASEAN, South Asia, Indo-Pacific’: Japanese PM Kishida at Quad Summit-While stating that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has “fundamentally shaken ruled-based international order”, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his opening remarks at the Quad summit on Tue called upon the international community to listen to the voices of the ASEAN, South Asian, and Indo-Pacific countries. (here)
• EAM Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State, Japan’s FM -External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tue met the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on the sidelines of the Quad summit, and discussed the Ukraine conflict and other regional and global issues. The minister also discussed this with Japan’s FM Yoshimasa Hayashi. The two exchanged their views on regional and global issues. Jaishankar noted that the two countries will cooperate closely in this respect. (here)
• Quad member countries have agreed to hold the next in-person summit in 2023 which will be hosted by Australia, said a Joint Quad Leaders’ statement on Tue. Quad will seek to extend more than 50 billion USD of infrastructure assistance and investment in the Indo-Pacific, over the next five years. Chinese Foreign Ministry says China strongly rejected a joint leaders’ statement released by Japan and the US which manipulated China-related issues to attack and smear China and grossly interfered with China’s domestic affairs.

India looking to host the G20 summit in October or November 2023

India is gearing up to host the G20 summit in Oct or Nov of 2023. Preparation is in full swing including the construction of a mega state-of-the-art summit venue at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. In addition to the summit, India will be hosting 190 meetings across the country under its yearlong presidency starting the first Dec this year. Indian govt could, as part of its discretion invite other countries to take part in the summit, something that previous G20 Presidency have been doing. New Delhi is already in the G20 governance structure called the troika which consists of Indonesia, Italy, and India – the current, previous, and incoming G20 Presidencies, respectively. It will be for the first time it hosts the summit of the grouping since it was formed after the 2008 financial crisis. (here)

Indian Military Commands Form “Tetra Group” To Counter China

Further strengthening operational preparedness along the China front from Arunachal Pradesh to the Indian Ocean Region, 4 operational commands of Indian defense forces came together to discuss steps to enhance jointness and integration amongst themselves to create a ‘stronger punch’ against any misadventure by China. The 4 commands which have come together and are being called ‘Tetra’ include the Kolkata-based Eastern Army Command, Vishakhapatnam-based Eastern Navy, Shillong-based Eastern Air Force, and the country’s only operational tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command based in Port Blair. (here)

Minister raises concern at the global forum over WHO’s report on COVID excess mortality in India

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Mon raised concerns over the WHO’s recent exercise on all-cause excess mortality in India in the 75^th session of the World Health Assembly held at the global body’s Geneva. Earlier in Mar, the Health Ministry had objected to the use of mathematical models by the WHO for projecting excess mortality estimates concerning coronavirus and had said that the validity and robustness of the models used and the methodology of data collection were questionable. However, a technical officer at the department of Data and Analytics, William Msemburi laid down the statistics of the excess deaths in India. Many top Indian officials criticized the WHO report which is based on data from unverified sources. (here)

As drones usher in a new era of warfare, India’s growing UAV industry begins to take flight

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the earlier Azerbaijan and Armenia war have brought out one aspect of modern warfare — the use of drones for both surveillance and punitive action. While India has always been dependent on countries like Israel for its drones, the dependence is slowly making way for indigenous systems. A high-altitude India-made drone being used for reconnaissance at the tense Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, a joint venture between an Indian conglomerate and an Israeli defense giant operating out of Hyderabad, and a Bengaluru-based drone technology venture acquired by one of India’s biggest business houses — these are minor glimpses into India’s burgeoning, if nascent, private military drone manufacturing industry. (here)

Chinese company seen as the frontrunner for RailTel orders amid India-China tensions

Moneycontrol (source)- Hikvision, a Chinese company, is seen as the frontrunner for bagging a RailTel Corporation of India contract for surveillance cameras, and if the deal materializes, the company’s products could potentially find their way into the Indian Railway network. The development is significant as the Indian govt had in July 2021 imposed restrictions on investments and supplies from companies from countries sharing a land border with India following the Galwan valley standoff with China. Vendors from India’s neighboring states would be eligible to supply goods or services only if the entity is registered with the competent authority. Political and security clearance from the ministries of external and home affairs was also made mandatory. RailTel has put out eight tenders worth Rs 738.69 crore between August 2021 and May 2022 but has not awarded the orders till now. (here)

Maharashtra ATS detains suspect who recruited terrorists for LeT; to be produced before a court in Pune today

Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Tue arrested a suspect in a terror funding case and will produce him before a Special Court in Pune later today. According to the ATS, the detained accused, Junaid, is an Indian national and was residing in Pune for a long time. He was connected to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)’s terror network and his specific role was to recruit terrorists for LeT, it added.

ED probe reveals Nawab Malik’s links with D-company

Maharashtra Minister, Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik has had links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s D-company for a long time, according to the investigation of the Enforcement Directorate against him in connection with a money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate has filed a prosecution complaint before the Special PMLA court in Mumbai. In the prosecution complaint, the ED elaborately mentioned Malik’s alleged link to the D-company, and purported conspiracy to “usurp” the Goawala building compound in Kurla West in 1996. Dawood’s nephew Alishah Parkar was questioned by ED officials in Mumbai on Mon, regarding the gangs active in Mumbai and other areas of the country. Alishah is the son of Dawood’s sister, Haseena Parkar, who died in 2014 after suffering a heart attack. (here)

Major Shake-Up At Intelligence Agencies, Hunt On For New Chiefs

NDTV (sources)-As the tenure of heads of India’s intelligence agencies come to an end, the govt is working overtime to look for replacements. While new incumbents are being shortlisted, a major shake-up is already going on at Research And Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency. Close to 50 officers are being shifted or shunted out or acted against departmentally, of its operational intelligence unit, for an alleged information leak. The govt is in the process of finding replacements for chiefs for IB and R&AW. Among the frontrunners for the post of IB chief is 1987 batch Bihar cadre IPS officer A S Rajan, who is currently serving as number two in the IB. Another officer who is being considered for IB chief is a 1988 batch officer from Himachal Pradesh cadre Tapan Deka. Presently, he is Special Director and also in charge of CT operations in Kashmir. For R&AW, mostly officers from outside the agency are now being considered to head it.

More employees of the J&K govt are on the radar of security forces

IANS- More govt employees are on the radar of the security agencies for terror links in Jammu and Kashmir and it is expected that the govt will sack them soon, (sources). The people who are on the radar of the agencies are teaching and non-teaching staff of Kashmir University, while some of them are working in the J&K govt. The govt has asked the intelligence agencies to prepare a list of those employees of universities, schools, and govt offices who are sympathizers of terror outfits or spreading the separatism among the students and locals (here).

Rajasthan: Army jawan falls for honey-trap by ISI, held for spying  

An Indian Army jawan deployed at a sensitive unit was honey-trapped by a woman spy of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, according to the Rajasthan police intelligence wing. On the promise of marriage, the jawans, an Army gunner, shared sensitive and important information related to the Army with her, officials said. Rajasthan intelligence detained the jawan on Wed. They took him to Jaipur on Fri and finally arrested him on Sat under the Official Secrets Act. A case has been registered. He has “confessed” to sending confidential information across the border, officials claimed. (here)

Khadi commission head Vinai Kumar Saxena is Delhi’s new Lieutenant Governor

Vinai Kumar Saxena has been appointed as Delhi’s new Lt-Governor on Mon and has the distinction of heading the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which was adjudged as the country’s best-performing govt institution under him. Saxena’s appointment comes days after Anil Baijal resigned from the post citing “personal reasons”. In Oct 2015, Saxena was appointed as the Chairman of KVIC where he explored the untapped streams of Khadi and Village industry sectors and first time implemented many innovative employment-generation schemes like ‘Honey Mission’, ‘Kumhaar Sashaktikaran Yojana’ and ‘Leather Artisans’ Empowerment Scheme’ that won accolades from all quarters. Under his leadership, the turnover of KVIC grew by a massive 248% while a massive 40 lakh new employment was created in just 7 years. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

China’s Wang Yi urges UN rights envoy to ‘clarify misinformation’

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has told UN envoy Michelle Bachelet that Beijing hopes her visit will help “clarify misinformation” about its human rights record. Wang met the human rights commissioner at the start of her 6-day trip and blasted “some countries and anti-China forces” for spreading “false information” and “vilifying China with slanderous attacks”, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua. What is going on in Xinjiang and who are the Uygur people? The human rights commissioner has also moved to manage expectations in a video call with Beijing-based diplomats. (here) Thousands of photographs from the heart of China’s highly secretive system of mass incarceration in Xinjiang, as well as a shoot-to-kill policy for those who try to escape, are among a huge cache of data hacked from police computer servers in the region. The Xinjiang Police Files, as they’re being called, were passed to the BBC this year. After a months-long effort to investigate and authenticate them, they can be shown to offer significant new insights into the internment of the region’s Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. (here)

Chinese foreign minister to visit eight Pacific Island countries – Foreign Ministry

Reuters – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit eight Pacific Island countries from May 26 to June 4 including the Solomon Islands, a ministry spokesman said on Tue. The other 7 countries are Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste, spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular press briefing.

Taliban to sign a pact with UAE on running Afghan airports

Reuters – The Taliban will sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on operating airports in Afghanistan, the group’s acting deputy PM said on Tue, after months of talks with the UAE, Turkey, and Qatar. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar announced in a Tweet and later told reporters in Kabul that his administration was renewing an airport ground handling agreement with the UAE. It was not immediately clear whether the agreement went beyond existing arrangements or if it included airport security, a sensitive issue for the Taliban who fought for decades against U.S.-led NATO troops and say they do not want the return of international forces. (here)

Govt to stop PTI from long march to Islamabad: Rana Sanaullah

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced on Tue that the federal cabinet had decided it would not allow the PTI to hold its planned long march to the capital, which is due to take place on May 25 (Wed). Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said the govt would not allow the PTI to spread “chaos and disorder” in the guise of the march. “They will be stopped so they cannot propagate their misleading agenda.” “These people (PTI) have moved from abuses to bullets. A police constable was killed in Lahore.” (here) PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tue lashed out at the govt for trying to stop the party’s long march to Islamabad, asking the country’s judiciary and ‘neutrals’ to “do the right thing”, while addressing a news conference in Peshawar, in which he pilloried the govt and described its recent moves as “akin to what dictators do”. (here) Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister said that a rally will move today for Azadi March for real freedom and will reach Islamabad breaking all obstacles. He added that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are with Imran Khan and we demand fresh elections against the imported government. (Daily K2)

A Chinese company, H K Sons has stopped working in Gwadar

According to media reports, a big Chinese company H K Sons has stopped working in Gwadar. The company was exporting copper, aluminum, and iron to China. It was the biggest investor in Gwadar. The company was also importing machinery from Europe and other countries for different projects. It was working on 4 projects in Balochistan where it was recycling copper, aluminum, and plastic and exporting the recycled products to China. At present the company facing difficulties in recycling and importing machinery. The company had sent its staff back to China. But the govt sources have not confirmed the news. (Intekhab Daily)