A senior Israeli diplomat once told me that Narendra Modi spends far time asking about Israel’s accomplishments in water than about what it has done in the security sphere.
The saga of Israeli water management is one of the most inspiring stories of the last 75 years
Israel went from having a serious water problem to being a net water exporter to neighboring countries. Meanwhile, the population grew from ~1 million to well over 9 million
Pakistan's Gwadar Port was supposed to be a nightmare for India
Built by China, Gwadar was going to counter the India in the Indian Ocean
Some called Gwadar "the next Dubai"
BUT, this strategic asset is in chaos
From terror attacks to protests, Gwadar is paralyzed
🧵
@MichaelKugelman
This is incorrect. India has never supported Hamas. Its support for Palestine has always been confined to secular nationalist groups. Today it only recognizes the Palestinian Authority.
“The Japanese government plans to allow exports of fighter jets, missiles and other arms to 12 countries, including India, Australia as well as some European and Southeast Asian nations.” Japan to enable fighter jet and missile exports to 12 nations
Important story that's been completely missed by Western media but is making the round in China.
In retaliation to Japan increasing support for Taiwan independence, China has started to put its weight behind the independence of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa, etc.)
A small 🧵
@harshmadhusudan
Once at a $ vs RMB panel in Delhi, the IMF rep said, “There’s no reason the rupee cant be a global reserve currency if you lay out a 5 - 10 year plan.” The Indian economists politely laughed. The IMF rep, an American, told me later, “I don’t get why no Indian thinks I’m serious.”
“Geelani never empathised with the Kashmiri men and women whose sons and daughters had been butchered by terrorism. Geelani chose to push youth into a suicidal path of terror. While his own family enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle in India.”
Only a handful of Southeast Asian experts say India is the most influential power in their region. No surprise. But that they are all in the Philippines is strange.
Furthermore, 79% of Southeast Asian experts say China is the region’s most influential economic power and 52% say China is the region’s most influential political and strategic influence. Only 7% and 26%, respectively, say the United States is the most influential. (4/9)
@somnath1978
5. Set parameters of our present foreign policy: reach out to West, Look East, normalise Israel, ignore Pakistan and downgrade nonalignment, etc
After the Afghans showed the evidence of Pakistan’s support for the Taliban. The UK and US ambassadors said in effect, “Our intelligence confirms everything. We just don't know how to handle Pakistan.”
Back in 2008 or 2009, I inadvertently sat at a meeting I was not invited to.
@AmrullahSaleh2
(NDS @ this time),
@MHaneefAtmar
(education) most 'big' west. ambassadors (US, UK, NATO dep, France and some others) were seating around a table. I believe
@calxandr
was there as DSRSG.
“"Modi's stance was that India would not join the Quad if it was just the U.S. and Australia. But if Japan was going to take the lead, he was going to say yes."” Abe memoir is instant bestseller; publisher triples print run
As the water recedes slowly from Outer Ring Road, Bengaluru, let's look at what is happening in our cities.
Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, I can go on.. every single city had such flooding in recent times. In fact, these are annual rituals
Why?
@simongerman600
The original Indian chess piece was an elephant. The Arabs abstracted the image on religious grounds. The groove on the bishop’s “face” is derived from a tusk.
Two countries asked for a public statement: China circulated a draft statement (critical of India). They were supported by India's strategic partner, UK. This was a day after Pakistanis successfully held violent protests outside HCI London.
3 separate brawls, ‘outsider’ Chinese troops, the exchange of the dead & and the living: New details from the ground in my long-read account of the events of June 15 in the Galwan Valley:
Putin: In Russia, if a dispute is about significant money, then the two sides meet. Everyone attending is armed. Facing the possibility of a bloody outcome both sides always find a mutually agreeable solution. Fear provides the catalyst for common sense.”
"India will not become a vassal of the US, but will attempt to become an independent pole of power. Supported by the West, India’s rise will put considerable geopolitical pressure upon
#China
." Inimical but independent is a fair summary of China’s view of India.
🔹Most read article on Chinese aggregator of scholarly articles Aisixiang (爱思想) over the past 30 days:
“Ten critical shifts in international politics in 2023 and their prospects” by CUHK scholar Zheng Yongnian (郑永年).
🧵 EXCERPTS
@MalikAshok
Saw this with many Western scholars on India after the 1991 reforms. Repeating itself after Modi’s election. I’ve noticed corporations and investors now discount most US think tank and academic commentary on policy making in Delhi.
“Zhou Bo, ex-senior colonel in the People's Liberation Army, told the BBC,’The entire Arunachal Pradesh [state], which we call southern Tibet, has been illegally occupied by India - it's non-negotiable.’” Indian monastery town coveted by China - BBC News
Thread by
@nandinisundar
: The gross abuse of police power by the Adityanath administration in UP and its intolerance of press continues under the lockdown.
“Hamid Karzai helped negotiate the Taliban’s entry in 1994 and today…Karzai’s father broke with him over his support for the ISI project. Members of his household and Quetta neighbours spoke of Karzai’s frequent meetings with armed Taliban at his house.”
@EvanFeigenbaum
@tanvi_madan
@jamescrabtree
If Ukraine causes a serious rift between the US and the most pro-American government in Delhi since the 1960s then the bilateral future is back on hold again.
#IStandWithAbhijit
and with his obvious attempts to provoke, amuse and be as outrageous as possible. Hopefully the humourless in uniform will understand what he is not — he is not a criminal.
Having been part of two earlier attempts at drafting a National Security Doctrine/Document I could never fathom why permission was denied for a public version. How else does a nation internalise the logic of its own security?
7. Postscript: lining up at the entrance, I saw a man, face gnarled with age and poverty. He had no invite, no ID. But wanted to see Modi. Blocked by guards, he tried to offer them 20 rupees. Last glimpse: heavily armed soldiers gently trying to explain why this was different.
#China
needs to pay damages to the USA and others for the lives lost and jobs lost. The cost is staggering. That’s why I’ve introduced resolution to form a commission to investigate and levy damages
One of the few sensible comments on the Indian election in the foreign press. Modi’s India is aspirational, assertive — and anti-elite - The Washington Post
@jamescrabtree
@rohan_mukh
@SIPRIorg
Keep in mind that while gross numbers are declining, offensive platforms (fighters, armour, warships) remain overwhelmingly Russian. And for emergency arms shipments during crises - largely with China - only Russia and Israel step forward.
“In 2059, India will surpass the US with a GDP of 312.229 billion dollars..besides the US..India will also be a potential opponent..Given China’s lack of overseas bases, the construction of 10 aircraft carriers in the future can meet China’s basic needs.”
Not a new video but it just landed in my in-box. I’m showing this with pride to my young grandson. And I hope this is how India will be perceived by children around the world. Not just as a growing economic power but as a growing force for positive change.
Among the MPS “there’s also an understanding Indian policy has structurally shifted towards a closer partnership with the West over time. Importantly, no one in their comments was critical of this shift. Indian Parliament's Discussion on the Ukraine War
Mayor of Houston, Texas, says in New Delhi that India has moved up two notches to be the city’s number 10 trading partner. Numbers rose 46% in one year alone.
“India sees China as its primary threat, China sees India as a secondary challenge. Beijing’s security priorities lie in the Pacific. Such asymmetry means India may not rival China in power, but its resolve and focus on China are significantly stronger.”
TKD MONITORING:
Pakistan Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah says under international law Pakistan is well within right to hit Pakistani Taliban (TTP) in their safe havens and bases including in Afghanistan.
A vital Indian asset in the Middle-East is in trouble
The media believes Chabahar Port is India's answer to China in the Indian Ocean
They say it will unlock Central Asia & Europe for 🇮🇳
BUT, Chabahar is stuck
I visited the port last week
🧵on what's going wrong in Chabahar
As we close 2021 at , we wish to thank all of you for following and supporting our efforts to keep the oil market transparent. As a token of our appreciation, here's the record amount of crude oil which USA exported last week.
#OOTT
@EmergingRoy
@RMantri
@SreenivasanJain
I don’t see why Rajeev Mantri should be sued. He merely cited a story printed in The Telegraph. Would seem the newspaper should be the target of the legal challenge.
8. New Delhi is curious to see if Oz’s new foreign minister, Penny Wong, understands how far the Indo-Pacific has moved away from ASEAN centrality and similar hoary ideas. Her own campaign speeches indicate she hasn’t.
@ShamikaRavi
Indian domestic media is probably more critical of its home market than Chinese media. The same chart differentiating domestic and foreig. media would be interesting.
Logic Of China's Low Military Transparency: China believes the US is a dangerous declining hegemon, transparency heightens war risk during power transitions, it gives enemy operational advantages, only the strong can use transparency to enhance deterrence.
Ladakh:
Chinese bunker in finger area, massive buildup at Galwan raise concern.
Three incursion points at Galwan with over 500 Chinese troops at each site
Chinese bunker built between Finger 3 and 4
Incidents bring back memories from Kargil War
@tanvi_madan
More importantly, Europeans have negligible geopolitical heft in the Indo-Pacific. France is a slight exception. And its strongest military link is with India, a country with which it has almost no cultural links.
Thread by
@SaketGokhale
: PM-CARES gets murkier. Modi govt. passed an ordinance amending the IT Act & bringing PM-CARES at par with PM National Relief Fund but it lacks transparency and flip flopped on foreign donations.