During the visit on 6-7 October, Jaishankar will also be meeting his US, Australian & Japanese counterparts — Mike Pompeo, Marise Payne and Motegi Toshimitsu — separately.
Xi Jinping wants obedient clients, not independent partners. Galwan had to be the place where it finally dawned on India that ties with China are only possible with military strength.
From Japan’s demands to Jaishankar’s comment on China, it is clear why India continues to choose ‘strategic autonomy’, the 21st-century version of ‘non-alignment’.
In a joint statement, US and Australia also said that China cannot assert maritime claims in the South China Sea based on the nine-dash line, historic rights, or entire island groups.
India has historically tried to balance ties among global powers but clashes with China laid bare potential risks of not having US more clearly behind it.
Driving an electric vehicle for months, the Hyundai IONIQ5, BMW iX and now the Kia Carens Clavis electric, has convinced me of the viability of EVs for city and mid-range commutes.
With the US-India trade deal yet to get done, rupee depreciation may be helping to mitigate India’s loss of competitiveness. The other problem is extreme despondence among overseas equity investors.
Of the total package, $649 million will be utilised for additional hardware, software, and support services, and the remaining for Major Defence Equipment (MDE).
Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.
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