Page 3 - Indo-pacific Region

Germany to boost Indo-Pacific engagement with military deployment to India

Germany has planned a "never before" military deployment to India to underline that its engagement in the Indo-Pacific is "serious and long lasting". "So what we have planned this year, together with our Indian partners, is something that has never been there before the German Air Force. The German Air Force will send jets to India, but not on our own. We never go alone. We will do it with the French, Spanish and British," said Sebastian Fuchs, a spokesperson for the German embassy here. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will host the large-scale multi-nation military exercise in southern India in August. Germany will dispatch a significant contingent of military aircraft, including fighter jets, tankers and transport planes, for the exercise. This will be followed by a visit by a German naval frigate and a combat support ship to Goa in October. This marks the second major naval deployment by Germany to India in recent years. "We will have a frigate that is coming in October to the shores

Indian navy ensuring no country suppresses our Indo-Pacific allies: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Indian Navy has ensured that no country with its overwhelming economic and military power can suppress India's friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Due to the Navy's readiness, India is fulfilling its responsibility very well and providing full help to allied countries in the Indian Ocean, he said. "We have ensured that there is no kind of hegemony in the Indian Ocean," Singh said addressing a gathering after inaugurating a new administrative building of the Naval War College near Goa capital Panaji. On the occasion, he also virtually unveiled an aircraft carrier pier and auxiliary vessel pier at the Sea Bird naval base at Karwar in neighbouring Karnataka. "Our Navy ensures that no country, with its overwhelming economic and military power, can suppress our friendly countries or crush their sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific region," he said. "The readiness with which the Indian Navy stands with our allies provides substant

India, US are key stakeholders in Indo-Pacific: Defence secy Aramane

This is the second INDUS-X meeting. The first was in June 2023 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma to visit India next week

United States' Indian-American Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma will be on a six-day long official visit to India, Sri Lanka and Maldives next week to strengthen bilateral ties with the nations, along with reaffirming America's enduring commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous region. Verma, who is currently the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, and the second senior post in the State Department, will travel to India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka from February 18-23 to strengthen America's cooperation with each of these key Indo-Pacific partners. Shortly following the two-year anniversary of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, his trip will reaffirm the United States' enduring commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous region, a media release said. In New Delhi, Verma will meet with senior government officials, business leaders, and entrepreneurs to advance the US-Indian global strategic partnership on a full range of issues, including economic ..

Indo-Pacific strategy has enhanced security, prosperity: White House

The execution of Indo-Pacific Strategy has made the United States and the key region more secure and more prosperous, and expanded the bilateral partnership with India in unprecedented ways, the White House said Friday. Addressing the media on the second anniversary of the launch of the landmark foreign policy strategy of the Biden administration, Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House, said "the United States has never been in a stronger position in the Indo-Pacific". "Over the past two years, we have made historic progress in advancing an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient. Thanks to President Biden's leadership, the United States has never been in a stronger position in the Indo-Pacific," she said. In the two years since the launch of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, the US has reinvested and revitalized its alliances and partnerships and taken them to new heights, Watson said. "We have deepene

Support to Pacific nations with policing shouldn't alarm Australia: China

China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, sought to reassure on Wednesday that China's increased involvement in the Pacific, particularly in policing efforts, should not be a cause of alarm for Australia. Xiao, speaking at his first news conference of the year in Canberra on Wednesday, maintained that Australia should not harbour anxiety about China's intentions in the region. Pacific Islands countries is an area where China and Australia can cooperate and can contribute together instead of asking them to choose between the two," Xiao said. What China has been doing is to help them to for their social stability, economic development and for bilateral trade relations." Concerns of China's encroachment in the South Pacific had escalated last year when the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, raising fears of a military buildup in the region. We're not seeking military strategies, we're not seeking military purposes, and there's no need for any so-called anxiety on the

2023 defence wrap: US supports India's defence modernisation plans

Calling 2023 a 'decisive year', the US Department of Defence, in an official release has stated that it is supporting allies and partners as they invest in their capabilities

Aimed at boosting ties, Taiwan, Canada sign bilateral investment agreement

The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Arrangement is part of Canada's plan to increase trade and influence in the Indo-Pacific region

Quad to 'detect and deter' cyber-attacks to keep Indo-Pacific resilient

The third in-person Quad Senior Cyber Group (QSCG) Principal Meeting took place in Tokyo on December 5-6

China's Xi meets with Vietnamese PM on second day of visit to shore up ties

Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Vietnam's prime minister and the head of the country's National Assembly on Wednesday, on the second day of his visit to shore up Beijing's relationship with Hanoi after the Southeast Asian nation recently elevated its ties with Japan and the United States. Xi met with Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Tuesday, and they announced that China and Vietnam would work toward a community with a shared future, in what was seen as a diplomatic concession by Vietnam to Beijing. The two sides signed 36 agreements, mostly about deepening cooperation," ranging from telecommunications to cross-party exchange, according to Vietnamese media reports. Vietnam has resisted using that phrase in the past but wanted to assuage Beijing's concerns after Vietnam designated both the US and Japan as comprehensive strategic partners" in recent months the highest official designation for a diplomatic relationship. Chinese state media says the designation .

Cooperation in Indian Ocean must be inclusive: Maldives at China Forum

The new Maldives government on Friday said cooperation in the Indian Ocean must include all countries in the region and avoid factionalism to bring about development among the ocean communities in the area. Addressing the China-sponsored second conference of the Indian Ocean Region Forum in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwest China, Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef said his country stands ready to forge stronger bonds, share expertise, and work hand in hand towards a resilient and prosperous Indian Ocean Region. Since the Maldives graduated from the list of Least Developed Countries in 2011, it has sought to strengthen its partnerships in the Indian Ocean and beyond to contribute to peaceful co-existence and prosperity in the region, he said. Cooperation in the Indian Ocean must be inclusive, without discrimination and must include all countries in the region, he said. Inclusivity would alleviate factionalism and contribute to the development and ...

IPEF supply chain pact to increase resilience in Indo Pacific region

The supply chain agreement, signed by the 14-member grouping IPEF, aims to increase the resilience, efficiency, diversification, and security of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region, Parliament was informed on Friday. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the agreement seeks to establish institutional mechanisms to enable the 14 countries to work together on supply chains in critical sectors and key goods. IPEF partners, including India, signed the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement Relating to Supply Chain Resilience on November 14, 2023. The IPEF was launched jointly by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23 in Tokyo. The 14 IPEF partners represent 40 per cent of global GDP and 28 per cent of global goods and services trade. The framework is structured around four pillars relating to trade, supply chains, clean economy, and fair economy (issues like tax and ...

Disputes in Indo-Pacific could get out of control: Navy Chief Admiral Kumar

The disputes in the Indo-Pacific do have the possibility of getting out of control and turning into conflict, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Friday against the backdrop of growing global concerns over China's increasing military assertiveness in the region. In a media briefing ahead of Navy Day on December 4, he also said India has been closely monitoring Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean and that his force deployed surveillance assets, ships, aircraft, submarines and drones to boost its presence. "We try to keep the extra-regional forces which are present in the region under surveillance as we would like to know what are their activities and what are the intentions," he said, referring to Chinese forays into the Indian Ocean. "That is why we deploy our surveillance assets and ships, submarines, aircraft, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) etc. They are deployed regularly to keep our area of interest under observation to see that we are aware of all the happenin

IPEF supply-chain agreement: No changes required in domestic law

IPEF aims to create a more conducive environment for enhancing trade and investment linkages, developing resilient supply chains, and promoting sustainable development

India surprises by agreeing to talk 'labour' at IPEF

The IPEF is a response of the US to its shrinking economic engagement and clout in East Asia, where the economic influence of China is growing

Xi hopes Fiji will continue to support China amid Indo-Pacific tensions

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met Xi for the first time on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco on Thursday.

APEC summit: China courts Indo-Pacific leaders amid stiff US competition

Chinese President Xi Jinping, fresh off his meeting with President Joe Biden, courted Indo-Pacific leaders in a flurry of meetings on Thursday at a time of intensifying competition with the United States. Xi held individual talks with the leaders of Mexico, Peru, and Fiji, and he planned a later session with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, all on the sidelines of a summit of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation economies. In a meeting with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Xi said the two countries should strengthen economic and trade cooperation and pledged China's support for Peru as host of next year's summit of APEC leaders. In particular, Xi said, China will be willing to import more premium agricultural products from the South American country and will encourage Chinese businesses to participate in major projects in Peru. Earlier, Xi held talks with Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, praising the Mexican president for his leadership and reform efforts and pledging to bring the

Japan, UK look to boost security ties under new pact on sidelines of G7

Japanese and British foreign and defense ministers are to talk on Tuesday about deepening their military cooperation under a new security pact that allows their militaries to enter each other's turf for joint exercises. Japan and Britain have expanded their cooperation in recent years amid concern about China's growing influence. Japan, whose only treaty ally is the United States, has signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement with Australia and the UK so far, making them semi-allies. The talks in Tokyo among Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defense Secretary Grant Shapps are the first since the RAA took effect in mid-October. They are meeting on the sidelines of the meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced nations on Tuesday and Wednesday that are expected to focus on the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war and tension in the Indo-Pacific region. The four ministers' .

China's falling aid to Pacific islands increasingly goes to allies: Report

China's declining aid to the South Pacific is increasingly targeted toward its political allies in the region as appetite there for Chinese credit declines and competition grows with the U.S. for influence, an independent Australian think tank reported Tuesday. Chinese overall economic influence among the 14 aid-dependent island nations in the region is losing ground because of better loan deals being offered by U.S. allies, especially Australia, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in its annual analysis of aid to the region. Focus on the strategic competition in the South Pacific has heightened since China struck a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year that raised the prospect of a Chinese naval foothold in the region. China has increased aid to the Solomons and neighboring Kiribati since they switched diplomatic allegiances to Beijing from self-ruled Taiwan in 2019, the report said. The United States has sought to counter Chinese influence in the region with additiona

India shouldn't agree to free cross-border data flows under IPEF: GTRI

India should not agree to take binding commitments on free cross-border data flows under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a 14-member grouping, as the move would lock its policy space, think tank GTRI said on Thursday. The IPEF was launched jointly by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23 in Tokyo. The 14 IPEF partners represent 40 per cent of global GDP and 28 per cent of global goods and services trade. The framework is structured around four pillars relating to trade, supply chains, clean economy, and fair economy (issues like tax and anti-corruption). India has joined all the pillars except the trade one. "India has not joined the IPEF trade pillar which includes taking onerous commitments on digital trade. India should never agree to binding commitments on free cross-border data flows as it will lock in the future," Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. It added that taking the commitments under the World Trade Organisation'