News Analysis India

Tag: Chinese aggression

  • India, Australia hold inaugural ‘2+2’ talks to strengthen defence, strategic cooperation

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India and Australia on Saturday began a high-level foreign and defence ministerial dialogue aimed at further ramping up their overall defence and strategic cooperation including in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasing military assertiveness in the region.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held the inaugural ‘two-plus-two’ talks here with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton.

    The in-person talks are taking place at a time the global focus has been on the situation in Afghanistan and the issue is likely to figure in the deliberations.

    While Singh held wide-ranging discussions with Australian defence minister Dutton on Friday, Jaishankar met foreign minister Payne ahead of the ‘two-plus-two’ dialogue.

    Had a very fruitful discussion with the Defence Minister of Australia, Mr Peter Dutton on the bilateral defence cooperation as well as regional issues.Both of us are keen to work jointly to realize the full potential of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. pic.twitter.com/IDuYWuPObV
    — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 10, 2021
    In their talks, the two defence ministers discussed the fragile security situation in Afghanistan and their “common concerns” relating to the possible spread of terrorism from the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

    The foreign and defence ministerial talks are taking place amid renewed efforts by the Quad member countries to expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

    Besides India and Australia, the Quad comprises the US and Japan.

    In an address at an event organised by the Observer Research Organisation, Payne on Friday said the Quad has evolved “swiftly” and very “effectively” and commended India for taking a strong leadership role in the region.

    Talking about “significant challenges” facing the Indo-Pacific, the Australian foreign minister said Canberra seeks a region where rights of large and small countries are respected and that no “single dominant power” dictates the outcome for others.

    Delighted to welcome my good friend FM @MarisePayne of Australia.We now start our discussions. pic.twitter.com/jhI6mwhybM
    — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 11, 2021
    The dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers was instituted as part of an overall goal to expand strategic cooperation between the two countries.

    India has such a framework for talks with a very few countries including the US and Japan. The defence and military cooperation between India and Australia is on an upswing in the last few years.

    In June last year, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support during an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

    The Australian Navy was part of the recent Malabar naval exercise that also featured navies of India, the US and Japan.

  • Commanders’ meet unlikely soon as India, China refuse to budge

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The next India-China Corps Commanders meeting is unlikely to take place soon as both sides are sticking to their positions regarding deployments and disengagement of troops along the various standoff points in eastern Ladakh.

    India and China have held eight rounds of the Corps Commander talks, with the last one taking place at Chushul on November 6. At the 20th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs on December 18, the two neighbours had agreed to hold another round of talks for taking forward the process of disengagement on the LAC.

    “(But) there is no common ground on the issues to hold the meeting. We are in favour of the option to resolve things through discussions, but the  Chinese side will have to maintain status quo as was in April (last year),” said a senior Army officer. 

    While China has been pressing for discussing troop withdrawal from the south bank of Pangong Tso first and other friction areas later, India is firm on discussing all the contentious areas of Ladakh simultaneously.  

    Temperature has plummeted to around minus 400 C in the remote region making movements restricted, but both sides are maintaining regular contact. “The movement from both sides has ceased,” the officer said. Troops of the two countries along with military support of armoured vehicles are deployed in eastern Ladakh since the Galwan clash.