FOREIGN POLICY: New, Strong and Clear Outreach

[Imaxxx]

See, this is the strategy of our brother China to enfold you downright from all sides.

China giving $20 billion worth of aid given to Bangladesh. Needy Bangladesh needs tens of billions of dollars of investment in transport substructure and energy to boost its weakening economic affluences and create jobs for its 160 million people.

China investments in Sri lanka and China has tilled huge sums into Sri Lankan substructure projects, becoming the country's biggest foreign investor and enjoying significant political and even military influence. China's growing influence over recent years has also been a source of uneasiness for India.

Nepalis asking China both to build and invest in a number of major hydro power projects and power transmission lines, Nepal needs China's help if it is to develop and prosper and recent example is of China to invest in Nepal's hydro power sector.

Now, who is isolated?

The answer: none of the above.

Correct answer: terrorist pakiland.

Temporarily of course. Because it will cease to exist pretty soon.

 

[Screambowl]

Chinese loan, BD would have been better off to avoid it.

Anyway, nothing unexpected. They tried that in SL too.

These games will continue. Countries will use what they can. If only mattered, the richest state would have always won. There is no substitute to geographical proximity for one.

Besides its always carrot and stick. We can create real trouble for BD if they step out of line, similar to Nepal. The Chinese failure was spectacular there.

Chinese are already investing billions in India. Point is , currently B'desh is cleaning itself from jamatis. I am not worried about the loan but the timing.

 

[Nicky G]

Chinese are already investing billions in India. Point is , currently B'desh is cleaning itself from jamatis. I am not worried about the loan but the timing.

I understand but its well known that China will continue to try to turn all Indian neighbors against us, they tried that in Nepal too. We'll respond. Money is just one aspect. Anyway, lets see what changes post this loan.

 

[sorcerer]

and China gives B'desh loan of 24 Billion dollars to counter India's 2 Billion ...

China is showing money power in diplomacy. India is gone now...

babus tum bc file pe file laad te jao .... or mantrio tum bc aisi policies lao ki india phir ghareeb or ghulam ho jaye...

Hasnt the same china give a loan of 50 billion to pakistan? Theres a huge difference between what china pledges and what is realized on that pledge..+ chinese loans comes with benefit ONLY to china.

India will never say that that it will give 100 billions and invest 2 billion in real world. Thats the difference between china and the rest of the world.china believe and thrives on propaganda!


thats china..but money cant buy relationships as we know how Bangladesh stood with India on diplomatic stands against chinese friend pakistan.

Also you would notice that India has put so much pressure with various means on Colmobo port that china invited India to co partner the project in Srilanka..because chinese realized that otherwise it will be a very choppy ride forever.


The point is money is the only thing china has to get things done.. and it WONT always work in their interest. chinese know NO other way or means and they wont for a much foreseeable future.

THere are some things money cant but ..for everything else there is coercive diplomacy.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

See, this is the strategy of our brother China to enfold you downright from all sides.

like we are encircling them in SE Asia and East. LoL, at least we have a counter strategy.

China giving $20 billion worth of aid given to Bangladesh.

I would suggest you to check the news again before I start insulting you cuz not even developed countries don't give such huge amount in donation; China is a developing country.

Needy Bangladesh needs tens of billions of dollars of investment in transport substructure and energy to boost its weakening economic affluences and create jobs for its 160 million people.

LOL at weakening economy of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Their Forex Reserves and Exports are much higher than Pakistan. Their family planning is much, literacy rate etc. is much better than pak.

Just like India did after 1990s, after 2010, Bangladesh also overtook Pakistan in HDI, EI, hunger Index. They have now same per capita income of Pakistan, will overtake you just next year. Joy Bangla.

China investments in Sri lanka and China has tilled huge sums into Sri Lankan substructure projects, becoming the country's biggest foreign investor and enjoying significant political and even military influence. China's growing influence over recent years has also been a source of uneasiness for India.

Nepalis asking China both to build and invest in a number of major hydro power projects and power transmission lines, Nepal needs China's help if it is to develop and prosper and recent example is of China to invest in Nepal's hydro power sector.

They seek investments from PRC, but where did they abandoned Indian investments?

India is still running 450+ infrastructure projects in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Now, who is isolated?

At least not us. Chinese involvement doesn't mean Indian Isolation.
China And India To Build Sri Lanka's Colombo Financial City Together?
Just like China in our region, we have also expanded ties with countries in Chinese region.

 

[republic_roi97]

भैंस के आगे बीन बजाना ....

 

[republic_roi97]

As here in eastern UP there is a saying, भैंस के आगे बीन बजाए, भैंस खडी पगुराय |

 

[sorcerer]

Are Afghanistan and Bangladesh emerging as key allies to India and isolating Pakistan?

Nobel Literature Prize winner Bob Dylan famously sang The Times They Are A-changin. Now, not only does it apply to a singer-songwriter winning a Nobel prize in literature, it also, quite oddly, applies to foreign policy. Quite specifically to Pakistan's neighbours who are increasingly moving away from the country that cannot get its act right.

In an exclusive interview to The Hindu's Suhasini Haider, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke in detail about the impending pressure on her to snap ties with Islamabad and how her country "feels frustrated" with Pakistan due to its export of terror.

×
Bangladesh has certain sensitivities over the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT of Bangladesh), where Pakistan showed its dissatisfaction with our processes and even raised the issue in their parliament. They started interfering in our internal affairs by making unacceptable remarks. We felt hurt by this, as this is an internal matter for us, we are trying war criminals in our country, and it isn’t their concern. There is a lot of pressure on me to cut off all diplomatic ties with Pakistan for their behaviour. But, I have said the relations will remain, and we will have to resolve our problems. The fact is, we won our liberation war from Pakistan, and they were a defeated force. We won the war and freed the country from them, and it is expected that they won’t take it so well.

Bangladesh and Pakistan have a bloody history — the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War saw the Pakistani army ruthlessly and systematically rape lakhs of women and girls and kill the men and boys. Bangladesh executed Islamist leaders (Jamaat-e-Islami's Mir Quasem Ali) on the charges of war crimes. Since then, the two countries have been simmering in mutual anger. The execution, Hasina says, has brought a sense of closure — "it was a national demand... that these people must be tried".



Undoubtedly, India has been a keen player in the relations between the two countries: In a way, it was the partition that started it all. Britain's exit from the country left behind two new land masses — India and Pakistan — and millions of people crossed lines. The 1947 partition also created an eastern wing Muslim-majority of Pakistan, called East Pakistan. Subsequently, a civil war broke out in 1971 and thus East Pakistan transformed into Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has been a key ally for India since then. Apart from being members of Saarc, the Commonwealth, IORARC, BIMSTEC and established diplomatic relations, there has always been a shared history, culture and language between the two countries.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Bangladesh is an important trading partner for India. Two-way trade in the financial year 2012-13 was $5.34 billion, out of which India's exports to Bangladesh accounted for $4.776 billion and imports were $0.564 million, with duty free access from India to Bangladesh given for all items except 25. Indian companies such as Airtel and Marico have invested in Bangladesh and the latter has started importing 500 MW of power from India since 2013.

In fact, relations have been so good that the Bangladesh government is even likely to review the ban on hilsa export to India, reported Dhaka Tribune.

In 2015, there was a breakthrough in Indo-Bangla ties after the Indian Parliament's ratification of the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (LBA). The LBA puts an end to border disputes that has been ongoing for 70 years: there are 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh spread over 17,000 acres and 51 Bangladesh enclaves in India spread over 7,110 acres. The two countries will assume sovereignty over all enclaves in its territory, while the people in these enclaves can choose to live in either Bangladesh or India and will be granted citizenship, accordingly.

This agreement is seen as India being fair and friendly to Bangladesh; a gesture of goodwill. It also sends a message to Pakistan that perhaps disputed territories (here Kashmir) can be solved with a friendly agreement. Bangladesh, on its part, has been constantly eliminating Indian insurgents in its territory by stepping up its operations.

With the Asian Development Bank (ADB), India is developing various infrastructure projects worth $5 billion in South Asia to improve connectivity in the region. "With ADB support, India is presently developing two priority road corridors. The first will connect India with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan through the 'chicken neck' area of North Bengal," Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said earlier in May.

It's not just Bangladesh that has been warming up to India. Afghanistan, which has been mounting an offensive on Pakistan, has been offering India, options to the Indus Waters Treaty. According to a report in The Economic Times, the river Kabul is of interest as it is seen having identical features to Chenab, "including similar recorded average flow of around 23 million acre feet", which Afghanistan wants to use for irrigation and electricity.

Pakistan's troubled relationship with Afghanistan and India has only warmed the two countries to each other; the enemy's enemy is a friend. Under Pervez Musharraf's administration, Pakistan even backed the Taliban in Afghanistan.


Ongoing border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan have worsened relations between the two countries. Afghans believe that Pakistan has been manipulating their country and the United States since the Soviet invasion of the 1980s. Pakistan has been quite insecure when it comes to the Durand Line — even as the colonial-era border is viewed by the United States as the official border separating Afghanistan and Pakistan, the two countries have questioned its legitimacy.

For its part, Afghanistan has lost half of its traditional Pashtun territories and Balochistan to Pakistan, thereby landlocking it. For Afghanistan, the only access to the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean is through Pakistani territory. Pakistan, on the other hand, wants to make the Durand Line the legal border and restrict the movement of people, particularly to prevent activities of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from using Afghanistan as a hiding place.

Then there is the issue of the Torkham crossing, which is the most frequented crossing point between the two countries. On 1 June, Pakistan imposed strict border controls to crackdown on militants planning attacks — Afghans looking to cross require valid passports to do so. Pakistan has also started building a gate on its side of the border to check illegal movement.

India, meanwhile, has been playing its cards right with Afghanistan. It has commissioned the Salma Dam, now renamed the Afghanistan-India Friendship dam, which is a major commitment that Delhi has kept up. It also announced a billion dollar-aid for future development assistance, which brings the total up to over $2 billion, and it has been warmly appreciated by the people of Afghanistan. India is reportedly Afghanistan’s fifth largest donor overall, in addition to being by far the largest donor in the region.

India was also the first country with which Afghanistan had signed a defence pact, called a strategic partnership agreement, in October 2011 during former president Hameed Karzai’s tenure. More importantly, Afghanistan has backed India's cross-border surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistani territory, saying "it is time to take bold action".

Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida Mohammed Abdali, speaking to reporters, said, "Pakistan can't stay in a constant state of denial and cannot remain unanswered."

With inputs from PTI

http://www.firstpost.com/world/are-...-to-india-and-isolating-pakistan-3051200.html

 

[sorcerer]

India adopts new approach to muscle-flexing China

China and India are on the cusp of becoming two of the world’s top three economies. Various economic surveys have predicted that while China can emerge as the world’s leading economy, India has the potential to become the third-largest economy by 2020.

Sino-Indian relations have always bordered on mistrust because of outstanding border disputes, an unfortunate historical legacy. India, after the debacle of a brief war with China in 1962, has been cautious when dealing with its neighbor. India has always approached the “China threat” with timidity.

One of the reasons for underplaying the threat is probably a lack of military preparedness. It certainly didn’t help that a former Indian defense minister, in a government led by the Congress party, brought the purchase of all critical military equipment to a virtual halt, as he was afraid of sullying his image. Previously, India had been rocked by scandals — large-scale kickbacks involving important players at the time of defense purchases.

However, with Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister, the country now seems to be more confident in dealing with China. Under Modi’s leadership, a two-pronged strategy has evolved: India is continuing to engage with its neighbors while at the same time taking steps to modernize its armed forces.

A few recent developments in the region have become a cause for concern in India. The U.S. Department of Defense, in the 2016 edition of its annual report on military and security developments involving China, expressed concern about the sudden increase of Chinese troops near the Indian border. The report also mentioned that China, with the connivance of Pakistan, has set up a base in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

India has viewed these developments, and also China’s investments in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, with concern. Together, China’s actions are seen as a deliberate attempt to encircle India.

For its part, India is reaching out to its neighbors to prevent any change in their foreign policy that results in a bias toward China, as India has maintained healthy and cordial relations with all its neighbors except Pakistan.

In another worrying development, China managed to block India’s membership in the Nuclear Supplier Group, in spite of the overwhelming support that India received from most members, including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. That maneuver has not gone down well with India, especially as China’s interference came just when Sino-Indian relations seemed to be improving after an exchange of visits by their top leaders. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to have developed a personal chemistry, and they had pledged to work closely to improve the bilateral relationship.

China watchers know that Beijing has always been guided by self-interest when it comes to foreign policy. China’s support for Pakistan in particular — supplying it with defense equipment, investing in ports, building nuclear reactors and, above all, supplying Islamabad with nuclear material in contravention of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty — has the potential to destabilize peace in the region.

China’s other foreign policy decisions of late follow a similar pattern of seeking self-interest at the cost of regional peace. Beijing has been aggressively pursuing reclamation projects in the disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea in spite of protests by Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. The Philippines took the matter to an arbitral tribunal to challenge China’s actions. In response, China not only questioned the court’s jurisdiction in the dispute but also refused to participate in the hearings.

The arbitral tribunal, selected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, ruled in the Philippines’ favor. In a landmark judgment, the arbitration court has ruled that China had no historical claim over the waters of the South China Sea, and, therefore, it has violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone. The tribunal further held that Chinese law enforcement vessels had unlawfully created a serious risk of collision when they physically obstructed Philippine vessels from accessing disputed waters.

The U.S., unhappy with China’s aggressive designs to develop the disputed islands, had twice sent warships close to Chinese-held features in the Spratlys in the South China Sea. Washington wants to send a clear message to China to stop its illegal attempts to capture the disputed areas.

The U.S. has also approached India to participate in a joint naval exercise in the South China Sea in order to dissuade China from pursuing its aggressive designs in the region. The U.S. wants to form a coalition by bringing India, Japan and others on board to put pressure on China.

India realizes that no economic development can take place in the absence of overall peace in the region. It is for this reason that it has so far refused to align with the U.S. to counter China, as New Delhi feels such a strategy may prove counterproductive.

Moreover, India does not want to open another front with China, as it is already preoccupied with dealing with its hostile neighbor on its western border. India shares a 4,057-long-km border with China; except for a few stray incidents at the instigation of Chinese soldiers, the border has remained relatively peaceful since the 1962 war.

Under Modi’s leadership, India has taken effective steps in securing its borders with both China and Pakistan by deploying more troops and equipping them with modern weapons. There is a growing realization both in China and Pakistan that India now has an assertive leader who will not brook any nonsense.

China is wary of any strategic alliance between the U.S. and India. As a result, Beijing recently sent its foreign minister, Wang Yi, to New Delhi to persuade India to not to get entangled in the South China Sea dispute. In return, China has hinted that it is open to reconsidering India’s membership in the Nuclear Supplier Group.

India needs to be aware of the changing realities in the region. The best response is to modernize its armed forces to be ready for any eventuality, but at the same time continue to engage with its neighbors. The political leadership in India, so far, has avoided aligning with the U.S. or Japan to counter China, as it feels such a strategy would antagonize China, which would not be in India’s best interests. China, for its part, should not view India’s restraint as a sign of weakness.

The ability of India and China to be global powers hinges on forming close economic ties and continuing efforts to engage with one another. This is the only way to improve the trust between the two countries.

In this context, there is an urgent need for New Delhi to recalibrate Indian foreign policy in keeping with the changing geopolitical landscape in the region. It will not be in India’s interests to align with any particular country, and it needs to pursue its own independent foreign policy to avoid any potential conflict in the region.

This is truly a watershed moment for both China and India, as they embark on their journeys to become global powers. It is in their interest to remove mistrust by closely collaborating with one another.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion...dia-adopts-new-approach-muscle-flexing-china/

 

[sorcerer]

Will Talk To Pak But Time, Place Will Be Our Choice: Foreign Secretary To Parliament Panel

India will engage with Pakistan diplomatically in future but the date and time of any such engagement will be of the Centre’s choosing, foreign secretary S Jaishankar told a parliamentary panel on Tuesday.

When asked by members if India wants to resume dialogue with its hostile western neighbor from the position of advantage after the surgical strike inside the Pak territory, Jaishankar answered positively. “We had been engaging with Pakistan and will do so in future. But right now, we don’t have any fixed calendar even for talks at the secretary-level,” he told the panel.

Jaishankar also told the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs that army strikes on militant bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last month had given Islamabad a taste of what India was capable of, sources said.

He added that the army had conducted targeted operations across the Line of Control before, but those strikes were not publicized.

“If you are asking whether our troops crossed the LoC and conducted calibrated operations before, the answer is yes. If you are asking if they achieved their targets and returned to India, the answer is also yes,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying by two members of the foreign affairs panel.
The foreign secretary added, “The only difference… this time, we announced it a day later,” and cited unexplained diplomatic reasons for publicizing the operations.

A week ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also spoken about shifting from yuddha (war) to Buddha . “Sometimes war becomes inevitable because of the existing situations. But we are those who can move ahead from yuddha (war) to Buddha. We make a balance between the two,” Modi said in a speech at Lucknow, indicating flexibility in India’s foreign policy.

The army strikes ratcheted up tensions with Pakistan and was seen as retaliation for an attack on an army base in Kashmir’s Uri last month that left 19 soldiers dead. Since then, India has also moved to isolate Islamabad globally.

The strikes have triggered a domestic political clamor with opposition parties demanding proof and alleging the government was trying to gain electoral mileage out of the operation.
But army vice-chief lieutenant general Bipin Rawat -- who briefed the panel members -- remained non-committal about submitting proof. “Our boys went for a swift, time-bound operation. They were given specific targets but not told to collect evidence,” he said. “However, we are trying to collate some proof.” The government had previously said that the army had submitted proof of the operation.

Panel chairman Shashi Tharoor and members such as Congress’ Satyavrat Chaturvedi and CPI(M)’s Mohammad Salim questioned the foreign secretary on a slew of militant attacks on army and paramilitary establishments that have continued even after the surgical strikes. Sources said Jaishankar said some “terror launch pads” were still active.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was present throughout the meeting. BJP MP Sharad Tripathi was more interested to know from special secretary (internal security) Mahesh Singla if the government would review the security of parliamentarians.

This was the second parliamentary briefing on the army operation in a week. The defense panel was briefed last week but no questions were allowed.


http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...-parl-panel/story-tUZsSpBSgREePfAvm2dtcO.html

 

[rockey 71]

A matured enduring foreign policy must not be exclusive in either nation. This must receive support from a majority population and most policy makers. This sadly does not seem to be happening in Indo-BD ties under Modi-SHW. In their euphoria of having a person who will do all their bid, Indian policy makers have been dangerously myopic in its BS policy. Most people in BD and most of the political parties realize that good relations with India is crucial. But India's shortsighted policies may lead to creating bad blood - which neither desire.

 

[ezsasa]

A matured enduring foreign policy must not be exclusive in either nation. This must receive support from a majority population and most policy makers. This sadly does not seem to be happening in Indo-BD ties under Modi-SHW. In their euphoria of having a person who will do all their bid, Indian policy makers have been dangerously myopic in its BS policy. Most people in BD and most of the political parties realize that good relations with India is crucial. But India's shortsighted policies may lead to creating bad blood - which neither desire.

Give some example of short-sighted policies wrt BD from india after modi govt took over.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

A matured enduring foreign policy must not be exclusive in either nation. This must receive support from a majority population and most policy makers. This sadly does not seem to be happening in Indo-BD ties under Modi-SHW. In their euphoria of having a person who will do all their bid, Indian policy makers have been dangerously myopic in its BS policy. Most people in BD and most of the political parties realize that good relations with India is crucial. But India's shortsighted policies may lead to creating bad blood - which neither desire.

thanks but we don't need advice from our slaves. Hasina still follows India's orders in geopolitics.

Give some example of short-sighted policies wrt BD from india after modi govt took over.

Short sighted for small countries like BD.

 

[airtel]

Time, Place Will Be Our Choice << favorite dialog of Modi Government .

 

[rockey 71]

Give some example of short-sighted policies wrt BD from india after modi govt took over.

There's one just below your mail. #113 sort of attitude irritates Bangladeshis and drives us more towards those that maintain anti-India axis. We are a proud nation that was not freed by a legislation in the British Parliament. We fought and bled for it. Those who think they can enslave us are b---y fools.

 

[IndianHawk]

There's one just below your mail. #113 sort of attitude irritates Bangladeshis and drives us more towards those that maintain anti-India axis. We are a proud nation that was not freed by a legislation in the British Parliament. We fought and bled for it. Those who think they can enslave us are b---y fools.

That just shows your ignorance to history.
You were a part of Pakistan before and Muslim league got Pakistan by British blessings.

Now don't tell me Bangali Muslims had nothing to do with it.

Yes you faught for your freedom but we fought for your freedom too.
No body is going to enslave you .
But you are a small nation and you choose that actively.

Small nations are only independent in name . They are always abused by bigger powers.

Neither china nor India can help themselves in this regards.

 

[ezsasa]

There's one just below your mail. #113 sort of attitude irritates Bangladeshis and drives us more towards those that maintain anti-India axis. We are a proud nation that was not freed by a legislation in the British Parliament. We fought and bled for it. Those who think they can enslave us are b---y fools.

I asked you about discriminatory govt policies and you are diverting the issue towards something else.

I am assuming you haven't found answer to my original question. Probably because the deals that are happening between Bangladesh and India are fair and square, dependant on domestic compulsions.

Irrespective of what people say, I am sure you will not find a large country which gave up its own land for the sake of better relationship in our region. You know it very well that neither china or Pakistan would never do the same thing in a similar scenario.

 

[sorcerer]

Jammu & Kashmir Integral Part of India: Algeria Tells India

On Board Air India One: Amidst escalating Indo-Pak tension over Pakistan's continuing support to cross border terror, Algeria has unequivocally conveyed that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and terrorism in all forms have to be eradicated.

Algeria has conveyed this to Vice President Hamid Ansari during his two-day visit to the North African country.

During the bilateral talks, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal told the Vice President that his country fully supports India's position on Jammu and Kashmir, a senior official accompanying Ansari said.

However, Pakistan's name was directly not taken by either side.

New Delhi has always been maintaining that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and blames Pakistan for sponsoring cross border terrorism in the border state.

In an on board briefing, the Vice President said that during his five-day two-nation tour, the issue of terrorism was discussed with the top leaderships of both Algeria and Hungary.

Asked whether the issue of a third country's support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir was figured in the bilateral talks with the two countries, Ansari said, "Everyone knows which one is the third country. Obvious is obvious. No need to take any country's name."

The Vice President said that in his discussions with Hungary and Algerian leaderships, menace of terrorism was discussed and their view was that it is a disease for the entire world and it has to be eradicated in all forms and manifestations.


http://www.news18.com/news/india/ja...art-of-india-algeria-tells-india-1303280.html

 

[Bharat Ek Khoj]

Supporting Kashmir an integral part of india from a distant Islamic country is surprise !!!

 

[sorcerer]

Supporting Kashmir an integral part of india from a distant Islamic country is surprise !!!

Lets see.UAE with Bahrain following it on next!