asiapacificresearch--2020-11-03--Relations Between Mexico and India Are on the Rise

Relations between Mexico and India are taking a new turn .
Recently , in a bilateral remote meeting between the respective foreign ministers , the governments of both countries agreed to promote a new “ vision of the future ” , focusing on social development and economic recovery in the face of the crisis generated by the pandemic of the new coronavirus .
At the virtual meeting that took place in late October , the diplomatic delegations of Mexico and India agreed to create a series of joint strategies with the aim of elevating the already developed bilateral partnership to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which specifically aims to recover both economies for the post-pandemic world .
This was the eighth virtual meeting of the India-Mexico Bilateral High-Level Group ( BHLG ) , a team formed by representatives of both countries that manages relations between Mexico and India since the beginning of the pandemic , and was attended by several government officials and private institutions , as well as development agencies .
It is important to clarify that these new ideas did not appear suddenly but are the natural result of a long process of economic approximation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trading partner in the entire Latin America , with about a quarter of the Asian country ’ s relations with this region .
Mexico imports products such as software , vehicles , electrical machinery , textiles and jewelry from India , while India imports oil , chemicals , fertilizers , iron and steel from Mexico .
Several companies from both countries operate and invest in each other , with emphasis on more than 170 Indian companies on Mexican soil .
In three years ( from 2016 to 2019 ) trade between India and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the amount of 10 billion dollars – which does not represent an exceptionally large amount , but indicates a great increase .
However , what most interests the investors and has drawn the attention of analysts are not the current figures , but the possibilities for cooperation .
So far , little has been said by the foreign ministers of both countries and by the companies involved in the BHLG meetings about what types of investments and projects are being planned , but the large amount of remote meetings in a short time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance , the potential for economic cooperation between these countries is immense .
Both countries have remarkably similar general conditions , with common geo-climatic factors and a high availability of human material .
At a previous meeting , for example , the delegations of both countries announced a goal of increasing the exchange of agri-food products between their respective markets , which will certainly be provided by geo-climatic factors .
In addition , India has a particularly advanced degree of technology , being a world leader in the consumption of mobile networks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and human apparatus in the technological sector .
The possibilities for cooperation are truly immeasurable and would supply some of the greatest needs of both nations .
In fact , the BHLG has requested a quick conclusion of the negotiations and is entering into a new bilateral agreement to be announced , with a series of reciprocal investments .
The main strategy adopted has been the mediation by diplomatic sectors of direct contact between the private sectors of both countries , which facilitates negotiations .
It is already known that in addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space and educational sectors will be strengthened , with joint projects between Indian and Mexican space agencies and with international school collaboration – which indicates that the cooperation goes beyond mere economic development .
However , there is one factor that needs to be considered when we analyze this data , which is the new trade agreement between Mexico , US and Canada , the USMCA .
The agreement profoundly destabilized some of Mexico ’ s main strategic partnerships since the Latin country was forced to relinquish several cooperation projects with China previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the agreement forced Mexico to take a stand in the global context of US-China trade war , prioritizing trade with its neighboring country over Washington ’ s geopolitical rivals .
Now , the partnership with India looks like a beneficial outlet for Mexico .
India is an Asian ally of the US and a regional rival of China .
On the other hand , it is a developing country that has some similarities with China : remarkable technological progress , great availability of qualified human material and recent economic growth .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damaging the Indian scenario : high levels of poverty and enormous social inequality aggravated by the pandemic , which continues to be severe in the country , despite the fall in the last month .
In short , India has some favorable conditions for it to become a “ substitute ” for China in many of the cooperation that Mexico had with Beijing before the USMCA .
Still , being a country that is economically much inferior to China , projects of common benefit and reciprocal development can be even more interesting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American reaction to that ?
Certainly , any partnership between Mexico and India is a secondary issue during the election period , but choosing the new American president , this will be one of the most discussed topics .
Will Washington allow India to establish stronger ties with a country in its zone of influence ?
Certainly not .
Washington , however , will try to undermine such cooperation by imposing sanctions only against Mexico , maintaining neutrality in relation to India due to the country ’ s importance to American interests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario is far from “ perfection ” and many tensions will come along with the promising international cooperation projects .
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This article was originally published on InfoBrics .
Lucas Leiroz is a research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro .

Relations between Mexico and India are taking a new turn. Recently, in a bilateral remote meeting between the respective foreign ministers, the governments of both countries agreed to promote a new “vision of the future”, focusing on social development and economic recovery in the face of the crisis generated by the pandemic of the new coronavirus.
At the virtual meeting that took place in late October, the diplomatic delegations of Mexico and India agreed to create a series of joint strategies with the aim of elevating the already developed bilateral partnership to a new stage of international cooperation, which specifically aims to recover both economies for the post-pandemic world. This was the eighth virtual meeting of the India-Mexico Bilateral High-Level Group (BHLG), a team formed by representatives of both countries that manages relations between Mexico and India since the beginning of the pandemic, and was attended by several government officials and private institutions, as well as development agencies.
It is important to clarify that these new ideas did not appear suddenly but are the natural result of a long process of economic approximation. Mexico is currently India’s main trading partner in the entire Latin America, with about a quarter of the Asian country’s relations with this region. Mexico imports products such as software, vehicles, electrical machinery, textiles and jewelry from India, while India imports oil, chemicals, fertilizers, iron and steel from Mexico. Several companies from both countries operate and invest in each other, with emphasis on more than 170 Indian companies on Mexican soil. In three years (from 2016 to 2019) trade between India and Mexico has almost doubled, having reached the amount of 10 billion dollars – which does not represent an exceptionally large amount, but indicates a great increase.
However, what most interests the investors and has drawn the attention of analysts are not the current figures, but the possibilities for cooperation. So far, little has been said by the foreign ministers of both countries and by the companies involved in the BHLG meetings about what types of investments and projects are being planned, but the large amount of remote meetings in a short time has generated strong expectations. Despite the distance, the potential for economic cooperation between these countries is immense. Both countries have remarkably similar general conditions, with common geo-climatic factors and a high availability of human material. At a previous meeting, for example, the delegations of both countries announced a goal of increasing the exchange of agri-food products between their respective markets, which will certainly be provided by geo-climatic factors. In addition, India has a particularly advanced degree of technology, being a world leader in the consumption of mobile networks and relying on a strong highly qualified material and human apparatus in the technological sector. The possibilities for cooperation are truly immeasurable and would supply some of the greatest needs of both nations.
In fact, the BHLG has requested a quick conclusion of the negotiations and is entering into a new bilateral agreement to be announced, with a series of reciprocal investments. The main strategy adopted has been the mediation by diplomatic sectors of direct contact between the private sectors of both countries, which facilitates negotiations. It is already known that in addition to the agri-food sector, investments in the space and educational sectors will be strengthened, with joint projects between Indian and Mexican space agencies and with international school collaboration – which indicates that the cooperation goes beyond mere economic development.
However, there is one factor that needs to be considered when we analyze this data, which is the new trade agreement between Mexico, US and Canada, the USMCA. The agreement profoundly destabilized some of Mexico’s main strategic partnerships since the Latin country was forced to relinquish several cooperation projects with China previously maintained in numerous sectors. In fact, the agreement forced Mexico to take a stand in the global context of US-China trade war, prioritizing trade with its neighboring country over Washington’s geopolitical rivals. Now, the partnership with India looks like a beneficial outlet for Mexico.
India is an Asian ally of the US and a regional rival of China. On the other hand, it is a developing country that has some similarities with China: remarkable technological progress, great availability of qualified human material and recent economic growth. At the same time, some factors are damaging the Indian scenario: high levels of poverty and enormous social inequality aggravated by the pandemic, which continues to be severe in the country, despite the fall in the last month. In short, India has some favorable conditions for it to become a “substitute” for China in many of the cooperation that Mexico had with Beijing before the USMCA. Still, being a country that is economically much inferior to China, projects of common benefit and reciprocal development can be even more interesting for both. But what will be the American reaction to that?
Certainly, any partnership between Mexico and India is a secondary issue during the election period, but choosing the new American president, this will be one of the most discussed topics. Will Washington allow India to establish stronger ties with a country in its zone of influence? Certainly not. Washington, however, will try to undermine such cooperation by imposing sanctions only against Mexico, maintaining neutrality in relation to India due to the country’s importance to American interests in Asia.
In any case, the scenario is far from “perfection” and many tensions will come along with the promising international cooperation projects.
*
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This article was originally published on InfoBrics.
Lucas Leiroz is a research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Featured image is from InfoBrics


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-03--China’s Growing Ties with Laos

China’s Growing Ties with Laos

The landlocked Southeast Asian nation of Laos , officially the Lao People ’ s Democratic Republic and home to a little over 7 million people , has over the past decade built important ties with neighbouring China particularly in the fields of tourism , trade , investment and infrastructure .
For a nation that has suffered tremendously amid and in the aftermath of the US war on Vietnam , its growing ties with China and its accelerated development finally offer a light at the end of a long , dark tunnel .
Over a decade ago , those traveling through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation ’ s mountainous terrain .
A trip from Kunming , China to Laos ’ capital of Vientiane took 3 days .
But while traveling through these winding roads , one would notice Chinese construction crews working on modern highways .
Today these highways have cut a trip by road from Kunming to Vientiane to just one day .
This has driven economic growth inside Laos including a huge influx of tourism and trade , both of which have more than doubled over the last ten years .
Now , China is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through Loas , a nation that previously lacked any rail network to speak of .
Connecting to Laos ’ growing transportation networks along its southern borders is an already well developed network of roads and traditional rail in Thailand , along with an already-under-construction high-speed rail network that will link the three countries ( China , Laos and Thailand ) together , boosting trade and tourism for all three .
The political , economic , and financial ties between China and Laos and Laos ’ southern neighbour , Thailand , will create what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very center of Southeast Asia and will eventually link up and benefit others in the region including Malaysia , Myanmar and Cambodia .
Western influence in Southeast Asia is in serious decline .
Its inability to propose viable alternatives for even nations eager to balance and hedge their growing ties with China , has left the region turning to others including Russia and Japan .
Instead of finding a way to compete directly with China ’ s growing influence and economic might , based in its massive industrial capacity , the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead on “ soft power ” and investment schemes absent of any actual concrete projects .
The focus thus has become not competing with China but simply pressuring nations to avoid national and regional development simply to deny China constructive partners .
It is a policy no nation would voluntarily support , thus the growing US-backed political instability and protests seen in Southeast Asia .
The US in particular has been an eager promoter of accusations over what it calls China ’ s “ debt trap diplomacy.
” Of course major infrastructure projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can be paid off .
Even in Western media sources critical of China ’ s growing influence in Southeast Asia , it is admitted that nations indebted to China , even nations making concessions to China because of growing debt , have provisions included in deals that will allow these same nations to buy back shares in projects and infrastructure in the near to intermediate future .
For Laos , highways and dams are already paying dividends in terms of economic growth .
While expensive , high-speed rail moving through Laos will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no other way possible for the country .
The economic prosperity Laos receives in exchange for this infrastructure will eventually make it possible to settle its debts and then some .
As far as balancing against China ’ s massive military and economic power , Laos ’ other major trading partner is Thailand .
Thailand ’ s investments in Laos , which shares history , culture and even linguistic similarities with Thailand , help ensure China is unable to establish an outright monopoly over Laos ’ external ties .
For the West , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it should participate in the game that is now actually being played ; one of balance built through trade , partnerships and infrastructure networks , not a modernised version of Europe ’ s colonisation in the region last century .
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Joseph Thomas is chief editor of Thailand-based geopolitical journal , The New Atlas and contributor to the online magazine “ @ @ @ @ @

The landlocked Southeast Asian nation of Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and home to a little over 7 million people, has over the past decade built important ties with neighbouring China particularly in the fields of tourism, trade, investment and infrastructure.
For a nation that has suffered tremendously amid and in the aftermath of the US war on Vietnam, its growing ties with China and its accelerated development finally offer a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
Infrastructure Drives Economic Growth
Over a decade ago, those traveling through Laos would find winding roads twisting through the nation’s mountainous terrain. A trip from Kunming, China to Laos’ capital of Vientiane took 3 days. But while traveling through these winding roads, one would notice Chinese construction crews working on modern highways.
Today these highways have cut a trip by road from Kunming to Vientiane to just one day. This has driven economic growth inside Laos including a huge influx of tourism and trade, both of which have more than doubled over the last ten years.
Now, China is near completion of a high-speed rail line through Loas, a nation that previously lacked any rail network to speak of.
Connecting to Laos’ growing transportation networks along its southern borders is an already well developed network of roads and traditional rail in Thailand, along with an already-under-construction high-speed rail network that will link the three countries (China, Laos and Thailand) together, boosting trade and tourism for all three.
The political, economic, and financial ties between China and Laos and Laos’ southern neighbour, Thailand, will create what will be a massive economic corridor through the very center of Southeast Asia and will eventually link up and benefit others in the region including Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Western Criticism
Western influence in Southeast Asia is in serious decline. Its inability to propose viable alternatives for even nations eager to balance and hedge their growing ties with China, has left the region turning to others including Russia and Japan.
Instead of finding a way to compete directly with China’s growing influence and economic might, based in its massive industrial capacity, the US and other Western nations have doubled down instead on “soft power” and investment schemes absent of any actual concrete projects.
The focus thus has become not competing with China but simply pressuring nations to avoid national and regional development simply to deny China constructive partners. It is a policy no nation would voluntarily support, thus the growing US-backed political instability and protests seen in Southeast Asia.
The US in particular has been an eager promoter of accusations over what it calls China’s “debt trap diplomacy.” Of course major infrastructure projects incur debt, but it is debt that can be paid off. Even in Western media sources critical of China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia, it is admitted that nations indebted to China, even nations making concessions to China because of growing debt, have provisions included in deals that will allow these same nations to buy back shares in projects and infrastructure in the near to intermediate future.
For Laos, highways and dams are already paying dividends in terms of economic growth. While expensive, high-speed rail moving through Laos will create opportunities and development that are in no other way possible for the country.
The economic prosperity Laos receives in exchange for this infrastructure will eventually make it possible to settle its debts and then some.
As far as balancing against China’s massive military and economic power, Laos’ other major trading partner is Thailand. Thailand’s investments in Laos, which shares history, culture and even linguistic similarities with Thailand, help ensure China is unable to establish an outright monopoly over Laos’ external ties.
For the West, were it serious about competing in Asia, it should participate in the game that is now actually being played; one of balance built through trade, partnerships and infrastructure networks, not a modernised version of Europe’s colonisation in the region last century.
*
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Joseph Thomas is chief editor of Thailand-based geopolitical journal, The New Atlas and contributor to the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-03--Why the US Will Miss Out on a Southeast Asia Suga-high

Some years ago , I was part of a delegation of scholars sent to Japan to learn about Tokyo ’ s diplomatic approach to Southeast Asia .
What intrigued me was the sheer industry of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs minders .
One of them , a junior diplomat , worked 18-hour days during our trip to help seeing us through our hectic daily schedules , only to then “ retire ” back to her Gaimusho office to complete work left undone .
With the recent departure of Shinzo Abe from the scene , his successor Yoshihide Suga must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Abe , for all his foreign policy accomplishments , has left Suga with much-unfinished business — mounting tensions over the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands which China claims as the Diaoyu , the Northern Territories problem with Russia , and the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea .
The saving grace for Suga is that Japan under Abe had already arrived at an answer to one of the region ’ s most existential questions : how to manage the challenge of China .
On this , Japan and Southeast Asia see more eye-to-eye than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue is this : the U.S. has a Manichaean view of China , and wants to rally an anti-China coalition of the willing .
But Japan and its Southeast Asian neighbors have a fuzzier take — that cooperation and confrontation can be employed simultaneously .
In his recent trip to Japan , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed the “ free and open Indo-Pacific ” concept , and rallied the other members of the so-called Quad , — the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprising Australia , Japan and India — against China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
Yes , India is keener to challenge China because of the festering border dispute between the two Asian giants .
But remember that it was only two years ago when Indian premier Narendra Modi stopped short of criticizing China and highlighted the affinity between India and Southeast Asia .
The same applies to Australia , which has seen its bilateral relationship with Beijing tank recently .
In July , Foreign Minister Marise Payne rejected Pompeo ’ s anti-China call , saying Canberra had no plan to “ injure ” its ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds the key .
Those with good memories will remember that it was only in 2014 that Abe was seen as the devil incarnate by many Chinese .
When Abe delivered the keynote address at the 2014 Shangri-La Dialogue , there was talk that the Chinese delegation would walkout during his speech .
And who can forget the frostiest of handshakes between Abe and Xi Jinping at APEC that year ?
That said , it has been all change in the Sino-Japanese relationship .
For years , Tokyo had dissed China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , Tokyo has generally warmed to the idea .
When Chinese ships intruded into Japanese waters earlier this year , Japan offered a firm yet calm response .
Nor did Tokyo join other Western countries in criticizing China ’ s national security law for Hong Kong in July .
Japan has refused to call off Xi ’ s planned visit to Japan this year .
Japan ’ s dual approach toward China — leveraging China ’ s economic weight , yet seeking to manage its assertiveness — is something that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been doing for a while .
ASEAN supports the principles of a free and open Indo-Pacific , but has refused to be drawn into any arrangement that directly targets China .
The reason is straightforward : China , as ASEAN ’ s largest trading partner and third-largest foreign direct investor , is too important a market to miss .
This does not mean that ASEAN and Japan have been silent in the face of Chinese assertiveness , particularly in the South China Sea .
Japan has been a steady partner to countries such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , helping to increase their maritime domain awareness .
Likewise , the same three countries have publicly opposed China ’ s claims in the disputed maritime area with a slew of representations at the United Nations .
Therein lies the difference between the Japan-Southeast Asian approach to China compared to Washington .
While the latter ups the rhetoric by stressing the need to oppose the Chinese Communist Party , Japan and Southeast Asian countries plod along quietly , cooperating with China where they can , confronting where they must .
This is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concept : the principles of freedom of navigation , the rule of law , and no recourse to the use of force are normative , not kinetic .
The concept seeks to dissuade China from actions that undermine the regional order mapped out by a free and open Indo-Pacific concept strategy .
The American call for the expansion of the Quad will only raise the hackles of China and scare away any countries that actually subscribe to free and open Indo-Pacific concept principles .
In the 1980s , Japan was seen to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paving the way for other countries in Southeast Asia .
The same could be said today .
Japan is seeking to lead its Southeast Asian counterparts on a steady course in their approach to China .
This is precisely why the U.S. will not get a Suga-high in Southeast Asia .
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William Choong is a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak @ @ @ @

Some years ago, I was part of a delegation of scholars sent to Japan to learn about Tokyo’s diplomatic approach to Southeast Asia.
What intrigued me was the sheer industry of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs minders. One of them, a junior diplomat, worked 18-hour days during our trip to help seeing us through our hectic daily schedules, only to then “retire” back to her Gaimusho office to complete work left undone. With the recent departure of Shinzo Abe from the scene, his successor Yoshihide Suga must be working these diplomats even harder than before.
Abe, for all his foreign policy accomplishments, has left Suga with much-unfinished business — mounting tensions over the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands which China claims as the Diaoyu, the Northern Territories problem with Russia, and the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea.
The saving grace for Suga is that Japan under Abe had already arrived at an answer to one of the region’s most existential questions: how to manage the challenge of China. On this, Japan and Southeast Asia see more eye-to-eye than the U.S.
The crux of the issue is this: the U.S. has a Manichaean view of China, and wants to rally an anti-China coalition of the willing. But Japan and its Southeast Asian neighbors have a fuzzier take — that cooperation and confrontation can be employed simultaneously.
In his recent trip to Japan, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed the “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept, and rallied the other members of the so-called Quad, — the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprising Australia, Japan and India — against China.
The U.S. will not gain much traction here. Yes, India is keener to challenge China because of the festering border dispute between the two Asian giants. But remember that it was only two years ago when Indian premier Narendra Modi stopped short of criticizing China and highlighted the affinity between India and Southeast Asia.
The same applies to Australia, which has seen its bilateral relationship with Beijing tank recently. In July, Foreign Minister Marise Payne rejected Pompeo’s anti-China call, saying Canberra had no plan to “injure” its ties with China.
This is where Japan holds the key. Those with good memories will remember that it was only in 2014 that Abe was seen as the devil incarnate by many Chinese. When Abe delivered the keynote address at the 2014 Shangri-La Dialogue, there was talk that the Chinese delegation would walkout during his speech. And who can forget the frostiest of handshakes between Abe and Xi Jinping at APEC that year?
That said, it has been all change in the Sino-Japanese relationship. For years, Tokyo had dissed China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Since 2017, however, Tokyo has generally warmed to the idea. When Chinese ships intruded into Japanese waters earlier this year, Japan offered a firm yet calm response. Nor did Tokyo join other Western countries in criticizing China’s national security law for Hong Kong in July. Japan has refused to call off Xi’s planned visit to Japan this year.
Japan’s dual approach toward China — leveraging China’s economic weight, yet seeking to manage its assertiveness — is something that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been doing for a while. ASEAN supports the principles of a free and open Indo-Pacific, but has refused to be drawn into any arrangement that directly targets China.
The reason is straightforward: China, as ASEAN’s largest trading partner and third-largest foreign direct investor, is too important a market to miss.
This does not mean that ASEAN and Japan have been silent in the face of Chinese assertiveness, particularly in the South China Sea. Japan has been a steady partner to countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, helping to increase their maritime domain awareness. Likewise, the same three countries have publicly opposed China’s claims in the disputed maritime area with a slew of representations at the United Nations.
Therein lies the difference between the Japan-Southeast Asian approach to China compared to Washington. While the latter ups the rhetoric by stressing the need to oppose the Chinese Communist Party, Japan and Southeast Asian countries plod along quietly, cooperating with China where they can, confronting where they must.
This is the beauty of the free and open Indo-Pacific concept: the principles of freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and no recourse to the use of force are normative, not kinetic. The concept seeks to dissuade China from actions that undermine the regional order mapped out by a free and open Indo-Pacific concept strategy.
The American call for the expansion of the Quad will only raise the hackles of China and scare away any countries that actually subscribe to free and open Indo-Pacific concept principles.
In the 1980s, Japan was seen to be leading Asia’s economic development, paving the way for other countries in Southeast Asia. The same could be said today. Japan is seeking to lead its Southeast Asian counterparts on a steady course in their approach to China. This is precisely why the U.S. will not get a Suga-high in Southeast Asia.
*
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William Choong is a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-05--US-funded Thai Protests: iLaw

US-funded Thai Protests: iLaw

iLaw is a US government-funded front petitioning the Thai government to have the entire Thai constitution rewritten and rewritten in @ @ @ @ @ make it easier for US-backed opposition parties to get into power .
I cover iLaw @ @ @ @ @ and why it seeks to change Thailand ’ s constitution and how it threatens Thai-Chinese @ @ @ @ @ s economic future .
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etc @ @ @ @ @ parties want to rewrite charter : https : //www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1485300/three-parties-want-to-rewrite-charter Thai PBS – Thanathorn vows to @ @ @ @ @ rally in downtown Bangkok : https : //www.thaipbsworld.com/thanathorn-vows-to-bring-people-onto-streets-after-rally-in-downtown-bangkok/ Bloomberg – Thailand Needs Hyperloop , Not @ @ @ @ @ Critic Says : https : //www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-01/junta-critic-says-thailand-needs-hyperloop-not-china-built-rail

iLaw is a US government-funded front petitioning the Thai government to have the entire Thai constitution rewritten and rewritten in such a way as to make it easier for US-backed opposition parties to get into power.
I cover iLaw’s US government funding and why it seeks to change Thailand’s constitution and how it threatens Thai-Chinese relations and ultimately Thailand’s economic future.
.
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Sources
Bangkok Post – Three parties want to rewrite charter: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1485300/three-parties-want-to-rewrite-charter
Thai PBS – Thanathorn vows to bring people onto streets after rally in downtown Bangkok: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thanathorn-vows-to-bring-people-onto-streets-after-rally-in-downtown-bangkok/
Bangkok Post – Protesters reiterate 3 key demands: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1998947/protesters-reiterate-3-key-demands
Nation Thailand – iLaw launches petition for charter rewrite: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30392491
iLaw – About Us: https://ilaw.or.th/about
Bloomberg – Thailand Needs Hyperloop, Not China-Built High-Speed Rail, Junta Critic Says: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-01/junta-critic-says-thailand-needs-hyperloop-not-china-built-rail
Bangkok Post – Chinese embassy condemns Thai politician’s meeting with Hong Kong activist: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1769959/chinese-embassy-condemns-thai-politicians-meeting-with-hong-kong-activist
Featured image is from LDR


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-05--Southeast Asia Getting Killed by Logging and Mining

This article was first published in March 2018 .
When an airplane is approaching Singapore Changi Airport , it makes the final approach either from the direction of Peninsular Malaysia , or from the Indonesian island of Batam .
Either way , the scope for natural disaster under the wings is of monumental proportions .
All the primary forest of the Malaysian state bordering Singapore –Johor – is now gone and the tremendous sprawl of scarred land , mostly covered by palm oil plantations , is expanding far towards the horizon .
The predictable plantation grid pattern is only interrupted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and by few , mostly palm oil-related industrial structures .
On the Indonesian side , the Island of Batam resembles a horror apocalyptic movie : there is always some thick smoke rising towards the sky , and there are clearly visible , badly planned and terribly constructed towns and villages .
Water around the island is of a dubious , frightening color .
The environmental destruction is absolute .
Batam was supposed to be the Indonesian answer to Singapore .
Indonesia was dreaming about a modern mega city with a super airport and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centers and shopping facilities .
But the turbo-capitalist country hoped that all this would be created by the private sector .
That was of course , unrealistic .
What followed was an absolute disaster .
As it is now , Batam is nothing more than a series of ‘ Potemkin Villages ’ , complete with several potholed four-lane roads that lead nowhere .
As for the research : there is hardly any science even in Jakarta or Bandung , let alone here .
After several attempts to ‘ save face ’ and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island has been allowed to ‘ sink ’ back to where it had already been for several decades : a huge whorehouse for predominantly Singaporean and Malaysian sex tourists ; a cheap shopping district selling mainly counterfeit goods , a place notorious for lacking even the most basic public services .
No heads were made to roll for this monumental and thoroughly stupid set of failures .
The obedient business-owned media is hardly ever critical of the Indonesian regime and its business ‘ elites ’ .
But the impact of the ‘ Batam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no intact nature left on the entire island .
What goes on in the Southern Part of Southeast Asia ?
Is nature of absolutely no concern to the Malaysian and especially Indonesian governments , business conglomerates and society ?
The problem here is that everything above and below the ground has been , for years and decades , viewed as a source of potential profit .
It is only valued if it can be exploited , if there can be a price tag attached to it .
No sentimentality , no thoughts about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached insane proportions .
Like in the West , big companies in several Southeast Asian countries are now running and selecting the governments .
They are also controlling the mass media , infiltrating social networks .
To criticize great logging and palm oil companies in Malaysia is lethal , literally suicidal , and almost no one dares to do it.In the past , some did , and died .
The same can be said about ‘ illegal ’ gold mining , logging and other extraction ventures in Indonesia , where much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hands of the police , military or of government officials ( the interests of all three branches are also often intertwined ) .
Places like Borneo and Sumatra are finished ; almost all of their legendary wildlife habitats are devastated .
Hundreds of species are gone or almost extinct .
The once mighty , primary forests are squeezed into a few national parks , and even those are often being used for commercial farming , and also for palm oil plantations .
It is not just an issue of ‘ disappearing beauty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Kalimantan in Indonesia ) used to be on par with Amazonia , functioning as the lungs of the Earth .
It is the third largest island on our planet ( and the largest one in Asia ) , and it is fully and some would now say irreversibly plundered .
In Indonesia , deadly chemicals used on the palm oil plantations are killing tens of thousands of people with cancer , although you ’ d have to work deep in the villages to figure out the truth , as no reliable statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sensitive ’ , as is everything that is horrible and sinister in this part of the world .
Many rivers , including Kapuas , contain ridiculously high levels of mercury , the result of illegal but openly practiced gold mining .
To see some parts of Borneo from the air is like observing an enormous , nightmarish and rotting wreck of a ship : black scars , brown scars , and dark zigzagging open veins of what used to be , a long time ago , tremendous and proud , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done to Indonesian-controlled Papua by Indonesian companies and by Western multi-national mining conglomerates is indescribable .
Apart from committing genocide against the local population , the entire half of this tremendous island , which used to be inhabited by hundreds of local tribes , is now being ‘ exposed ’ , forced open , and literally raped .
Of course , as an anti-Communist warrior and obedient pro-business client state , Indonesia is almost never criticized by the West.The genocides it has been committing since 1965 are either sponsored or at least supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malaysian and Indonesian logging and mining companies do not stop at committing crimes at home – they go far , to other Asian countries , but also deep into Oceania , places like the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea ( PNG ) , where I witnessed on several occasions the full destruction of both nature and human cultures ; a nightmare which I described in detail in my book Oceania .
I am relentlessly documenting what is happening to Southeast Asia in the books that I am writing ( alone and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my upcoming films .
I ’ m in the middle of producing a film about the fate of Borneo island , a place which is becoming dearer and dearer to me , the more devastated it gets .
The more I witness and the more I document , the more hopeless I often feel .
It is because there seems to be almost no place which is capable of resisting the onslaught .
I am writing this essay on board Malaysian Airlines flights .
The first one took me from the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Borneo , Malaysia ) to Kuala Lumpur , the second from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok .
After filming on several occasions in the totally violated Indonesian Kalimantan , I hoped to see something optimistic in Malaysian Sarawak ; something that could be used as an inspiration for the future of the incomparably poorer and much more corrupt Indonesian part of the island .
This time I drove all around the city of Miri , and then I crossed the border and drove further into Brunei .
I flew inside tiny propeller planes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still left of it .
I took a narrow motorized makeshift canoe .
Yes , I saw few beautiful national parks and traditional longhouses .
And I was surprised to find out that the filthy rich but politically and religiously oppressive sultanate of Brunei Darussalam , with its brutal and extreme implementation of Sharia Law , unbridled consumerism and worshipped oil industry , is actually doing incomparably better job than Indonesia and even Malaysia , at least environmentally .
It is at least protecting its nature , including the rainforest .
Brunei ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a few miles from the coast , from its oil wells and refineries .
But when I rented a narrow shabby longboat , deep in the interior of Sarawak , I encountered total misery and devastation .
The road was great , most likely constructed precisely for moving quickly and efficiently , both timber and palm oil fruit .
Several schools and medical facilities looked modern .
But most of the locals do not live near the roads – they dwell , traditionally , along the rivers .
And there , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in poor , primitive shacks , children and adults swimming in desperately polluted waterways , while stumps of trees ‘ decorating ’ stinking , muddy shores .
Some would say that Southeast Asia is not alone .
In many ways , the West already ‘ rearranged ’ its nature decades and centuries ago .
In densely populated countries like Italy or Netherlands , very little of the original nature is left today .
In the United States , the original meadows and pristine grasslands gave way to commercial fields ; to agricultural mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the fact that people want to make a living out of their land .
It is the brutality of the systematic destruction of majestic mountains and hills , of mighty rivers , lakes , shores as well as the irreversibility of the changes that come with cutting down almost all native rainforest , replacing it with chemically-boosted palm oil and rubber plantations .
Most of those who would be allowed to see those monstrous coal mines dotting Indonesian Borneo would be terrified .
Endless sprawls of palm oil ( and literally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a straight jacket ) could perhaps outrage even the most hardened pro-market fundamentalists , who would bother to visit from other parts of the world .
Or maybe not… The multi-national ‘ mining horrors ’ that are being described to me by my friends and colleagues , who are presently working in Peru , are somehow comparable .
What I saw in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) shows the same spite that many Western companies and governments have for the local people .
What I find truly ‘ unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totality of destruction .
The number of animal and bird species that are already gone , or are disappearing or have been simply hunted down , or the number of hopelessly polluted rivers ; the forests and jungles that are stolen from the native inhabitants .
The speed is yet another shocking factor .
It is all happening extremely fast .
No wonder that Green Peace put Indonesia on the list of the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest destroyer of the tropical forests on Earth .
What is left of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or is systematically burning .
Thick smog travels , periodically , from Sumatra to Singapore and peninsula Malaysia , creating a health hazard , shutting down schools and tormenting people suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems .
But Indonesia is big , the fourth most populous country on Earth .
It does what it wants , and it appears that it can not be stopped .
Or more precisely , its rulers and business elites are doing what they want .
And , as long as it fits into the agenda of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does ) , the country is enjoying almost total impunity .
Of course , those who are suffering the most are the local people themselves , as well as countless defenseless species , be they animals , birds , fish , trees , or plants .
Soon , nothing original will be left here .
Billions of dollars will be made by those very few rich , and the poor majority will be stuck with the coolie ’ s jobs .
The plundering of the environment is creating dependency syndrome and very little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flows , but not where it is supposed to flow .
Like in the Gulf , almost nothing or very little is being invested into science , technology , the arts and creative sectors .
Ruined islands and peninsulas will keep producing ‘ blood fruits ’ .
Land owners , corrupt politicians , middlemen and traders will keep getting outrageously rich .
But the great majority of people will have to get used to living with a polluted and totally unnatural environment .
They ’ d be stuck , in fact most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of depressing concentration camps surrounded by unnatural , hostile crops , and by the chemically-contaminated land .
All this will continue until who knows what terrifying and bitter end , unless , of course , the people of Southeast Asia will finally wake up , and instead of accepting this present turbo-capitalist model , begin to think and dream about the “ Ecological Civilization ” and other marvelous cutting-edge philosophies that are flowing out from China and other non-conformist parts of the world .
Note to readers : please click the share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .
This article was originally published by New Eastern Outlook .
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher , novelist , filmmaker and investigative journalist .
He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries .
Three of his latest books are his tribute to “ The Great October Socialist Revolution ” a revolutionary novel “ Aurora ” and a bestselling work of political non-fiction : “ Exposing Lies Of The Empire ” .
View his other books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky “ On Western Terrorism ” .
Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East , and continues to work around the world .
He can be reached through his website and his Twitter .
All images in this article are from the author .

This article was first published in March 2018.
When an airplane is approaching Singapore Changi Airport, it makes the final approach either from the direction of Peninsular Malaysia, or from the Indonesian island of Batam.
Either way, the scope for natural disaster under the wings is of monumental proportions.
All the primary forest of the Malaysian state bordering Singapore –Johor – is now gone and the tremendous sprawl of scarred land, mostly covered by palm oil plantations, is expanding far towards the horizon. The predictable plantation grid pattern is only interrupted by motorways, contained human settlements, and by few, mostly palm oil-related industrial structures.
On the Indonesian side, the Island of Batam resembles a horror apocalyptic movie: there is always some thick smoke rising towards the sky, and there are clearly visible, badly planned and terribly constructed towns and villages. Water around the island is of a dubious, frightening color. The environmental destruction is absolute. Batam was supposed to be the Indonesian answer to Singapore. Indonesia was dreaming about a modern mega city with a super airport and port, dotted with factories, research centers and shopping facilities. But the turbo-capitalist country hoped that all this would be created by the private sector. That was of course, unrealistic. What followed was an absolute disaster.
As it is now, Batam is nothing more than a series of ‘Potemkin Villages’, complete with several potholed four-lane roads that lead nowhere. As for the research: there is hardly any science even in Jakarta or Bandung, let alone here. After several attempts to ‘save face’ and to cover up this massive failure, the island has been allowed to ‘sink’ back to where it had already been for several decades:a huge whorehouse for predominantly Singaporean and Malaysian sex tourists;a cheap shopping district selling mainly counterfeit goods, a place notorious for lacking even the most basic public services.
No heads were made to roll for this monumental and thoroughly stupid set of failures. The obedient business-owned media is hardly ever critical of the Indonesian regime and its business ‘elites’. But the impact of the ‘Batam experiment’ is enormous – there is no intact nature left on the entire island.
*
What goes on in the Southern Part of Southeast Asia?
Is nature of absolutely no concern to the Malaysian and especially Indonesian governments, business conglomerates and society?
The problem here is that everything above and below the ground has been, for years and decades, viewed as a source of potential profit. It is only valued if it can be exploited, if there can be a price tag attached to it. No sentimentality, no thoughts about beauty! Here, greed has already reached insane proportions.
Like in the West, big companies in several Southeast Asian countries are now running and selecting the governments. They are also controlling the mass media, infiltrating social networks. To criticize great logging and palm oil companies in Malaysia is lethal, literally suicidal, and almost no one dares to do it.In the past, some did, and died. The same can be said about ‘illegal’ gold mining, logging and other extraction ventures in Indonesia, where much of the unsavory mining and logging enterprises are in the hands of the police, military or of government officials (the interests of all three branches are also often intertwined).
*
Places like Borneo and Sumatra are finished; almost all of their legendary wildlife habitats are devastated. Hundreds of species are gone or almost extinct. The once mighty, primary forests are squeezed into a few national parks, and even those are often being used for commercial farming, and also for palm oil plantations.
It is not just an issue of ‘disappearing beauty’ and biodiversity. Borneo (known as Kalimantan in Indonesia) used to be on par with Amazonia, functioning as the lungs of the Earth. It is the third largest island on our planet (and the largest one in Asia), and it is fully and some would now say irreversibly plundered. In Indonesia, deadly chemicals used on the palm oil plantations are killing tens of thousands of people with cancer, although you’d have to work deep in the villages to figure out the truth, as no reliable statistics exist and the issue is highly ‘sensitive’, as is everything that is horrible and sinister in this part of the world. Many rivers, including Kapuas, contain ridiculously high levels of mercury, the result of illegal but openly practiced gold mining.
To see some parts of Borneo from the air is like observing an enormous, nightmarish and rotting wreck of a ship: black scars, brown scars, and dark zigzagging open veins of what used to be, a long time ago, tremendous and proud, as well as pristine, waterways.
What has been done to Indonesian-controlled Papua by Indonesian companies and by Western multi-national mining conglomerates is indescribable. Apart from committing genocide against the local population, the entire half of this tremendous island, which used to be inhabited by hundreds of local tribes, is now being ‘exposed’, forced open, and literally raped. Of course, as an anti-Communist warrior and obedient pro-business client state, Indonesia is almost never criticized by the West.The genocides it has been committing since 1965 are either sponsored or at least supported from Washington, London and Canberra.
Malaysian and Indonesian logging and mining companies do not stop at committing crimes at home – they go far, to other Asian countries, but also deep into Oceania, places like the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (PNG), where I witnessed on several occasions the full destruction of both nature and human cultures; a nightmare which I described in detail in my book Oceania.
*
I am relentlessly documenting what is happening to Southeast Asia in the books that I am writing (alone and with local authors), as well as in my upcoming films. I’m in the middle of producing a film about the fate of Borneo island, a place which is becoming dearer and dearer to me, the more devastated it gets.
The more I witness and the more I document, the more hopeless I often feel. It is because there seems to be almost no place which is capable of resisting the onslaught.
I am writing this essay on board Malaysian Airlines flights. The first one took me from the city of Miri (a state of Sarawak in Borneo, Malaysia) to Kuala Lumpur, the second from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok.
After filming on several occasions in the totally violated Indonesian Kalimantan, I hoped to see something optimistic in Malaysian Sarawak; something that could be used as an inspiration for the future of the incomparably poorer and much more corrupt Indonesian part of the island. This time I drove all around the city of Miri, and then I crossed the border and drove further into Brunei. I flew inside tiny propeller planes over the jungle, or what is still left of it. I took a narrow motorized makeshift canoe.
Yes, I saw few beautiful national parks and traditional longhouses. And I was surprised to find out that the filthy rich but politically and religiously oppressive sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, with its brutal and extreme implementation of Sharia Law, unbridled consumerism and worshipped oil industry, is actually doing incomparably better job than Indonesia and even Malaysia, at least environmentally. It is at least protecting its nature, including the rainforest. Brunei’s untouched, pristine native forest begins just a few miles from the coast,from its oil wells and refineries.
But when I rented a narrow shabby longboat, deep in the interior of Sarawak, I encountered total misery and devastation. The road was great, most likely constructed precisely for moving quickly and efficiently, both timber and palm oil fruit. Several schools and medical facilities looked modern. But most of the locals do not live near the roads – they dwell, traditionally, along the rivers. And there, the situation is totally different: people residing in poor, primitive shacks, children and adults swimming in desperately polluted waterways, while stumps of trees ‘decorating’ stinking, muddy shores.
*
Some would say that Southeast Asia is not alone. In many ways, the West already ‘rearranged’ its nature decades and centuries ago. In densely populated countries like Italy or Netherlands, very little of the original nature is left today. In the United States, the original meadows and pristine grasslands gave way to commercial fields; to agricultural mass production.
What shocks in Southeast Asia is not the fact that people want to make a living out of their land. It is the brutality of the systematic destruction of majestic mountains and hills, of mighty rivers, lakes, shores as well as the irreversibility of the changes that come with cutting down almost all native rainforest, replacing it with chemically-boosted palm oil and rubber plantations.
Most of those who would be allowed to see those monstrous coal mines dotting Indonesian Borneo would be terrified. Endless sprawls of palm oil (and literally imprisoned villages, squeezed by it as in a straight jacket) could perhaps outrage even the most hardened pro-market fundamentalists, who would bother to visit from other parts of the world.
Or maybe not… The multi-national ‘mining horrors’ that are being described to me by my friends and colleagues,who are presently working in Peru, are somehow comparable. What I saw in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shows the same spite that many Western companies and governments have for the local people.
What I find truly ‘unique’ in Southeast Asia, is the totality of destruction. The number of animal and bird species that are already gone, or are disappearing or have been simply hunted down, or the number of hopelessly polluted rivers; the forests and jungles that are stolen from the native inhabitants.
The speed is yet another shocking factor. It is all happening extremely fast. No wonder that Green Peace put Indonesia on the list of the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest destroyer of the tropical forests on Earth.
What is left of the Indonesian forests is being either logged out or is systematically burning. Thick smog travels, periodically, from Sumatra to Singapore and peninsula Malaysia, creating a health hazard, shutting down schools and tormenting people suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems.
But Indonesia is big, the fourth most populous country on Earth. It does what it wants, and it appears that it cannot be stopped. Or more precisely, its rulers and business elites are doing what they want. And, as long as it fits into the agenda of their Western handlers (and it usually does), the country is enjoying almost total impunity.
Of course, those who are suffering the most are the local people themselves, as well as countless defenseless species, be they animals, birds, fish, trees, or plants.
Soon, nothing original will be left here. Billions of dollars will be made by those very few rich, and the poor majority will be stuck with the coolie’s jobs. The plundering of the environment is creating dependency syndrome and very little advancement for the society. The money flows, but not where it is supposed to flow.
Like in the Gulf, almost nothing or very little is being invested into science, technology, the arts and creative sectors.
Ruined islands and peninsulas will keep producing ‘blood fruits’. Land owners, corrupt politicians, middlemen and traders will keep getting outrageously rich. But the great majority of people will have to get used to living with a polluted and totally unnatural environment. They’d be stuck, in fact most of them are already stuck, in some sort of depressing concentration camps surrounded by unnatural, hostile crops, and by the chemically-contaminated land.
All this will continue until who knows what terrifying and bitter end, unless, of course, the people of Southeast Asia will finally wake up, and instead of accepting this present turbo-capitalist model, begin to think and dream about the “Ecological Civilization” and other marvelous cutting-edge philosophies that are flowing out from China and other non-conformist parts of the world.
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
This article was originally published by New Eastern Outlook.
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Three of his latest books are his tribute to “The Great October Socialist Revolution” a revolutionary novel “Aurora” and a bestselling work of political non-fiction: “Exposing Lies Of The Empire”. View his other books here. Watch Rwanda Gambit, his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky “On Western Terrorism”. Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter.
All images in this article are from the author.


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-05--Trump Administration Considers Assembling ‘Asian NATO’ to Counter China

Trump administration officials are quietly considering the creation of a NATO-style alliance with Asian countries in an effort against China , the Washington Times reported .
The idea was first publicly floated by Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun last month in a discussion regarding the current informal alliance between India , Australia , Japan , and the United States , commonly known as “ the Quad.
” “ It ’ s something that I think in the second term of the Trump administration or , were the president not to win , the first term of the next president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very much worthwhile to be explored , ” Biegun said during a U.S.-India strategic dialogue on Aug. 31 .
The Quad alliance has received greater attention in recent weeks as the four countries engage on Indo-Pacific issues .
Envoys from the four countries met virtually Friday to discuss issues germane to China ’ s rising geopolitical ambitions and the rule of law .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will also travel to Japan next week to meet with Quad foreign ministers in one of the highest-profile diplomatic summits of the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than ever to think a new defensive alignment is possible , especially as India and Australia face antagonism from China .
Indian soldiers broke into pitched conflict with the People ’ s Liberation Army in the Himalayas this summer , while China has detained an Australian journalist .
Solidifying alliances in the Indo-Pacific has been a major priority for Washington in recent months as it sizes up the China challenge .
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has made multiple overtures toward bringing allies into the fold on key issues such as freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called allies in the region an “ asymmetric advantage ” Washington possesses over China .
Accordingly , arms sales to Pacific allies have increased during the Trump administration , while Washington has also led the way in curbing Beijing ’ s expansionist attitude in the South China Sea through new appeals to international maritime law .
These new tactics coincide with Pompeo ’ s call for a “ coalition ” of democracies and other like-minded countries to fight back against the Chinese Communist Party .
Allies have already responded favorably to the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond against China .
Note to readers : please click the share buttons above or below .
Forward this article to your email lists .
Crosspost on your blog site , internet forums .
etc .
Jack Beyrer is a news writer at the Washington Free Beacon .
He covers breaking news in national security and domestic politics .
Jack previously interned with RealClearPolitics and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies , and is a graduate of Wake Forest University where he majored in history .
He can be reached at [ email @ @

Trump administration officials are quietly considering the creation of a NATO-style alliance with Asian countries in an effort against China, the Washington Times reported.
The idea was first publicly floated by Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun last month in a discussion regarding the current informal alliance between India, Australia, Japan, and the United States, commonly known as “the Quad.”
“It’s something that I think in the second term of the Trump administration or, were the president not to win, the first term of the next president, it could be something that would be very much worthwhile to be explored,” Biegun said during a U.S.-India strategic dialogue on Aug. 31.
The Quad alliance has received greater attention in recent weeks as the four countries engage on Indo-Pacific issues. Envoys from the four countries met virtually Friday to discuss issues germane to China’s rising geopolitical ambitions and the rule of law.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will also travel to Japan next week to meet with Quad foreign ministers in one of the highest-profile diplomatic summits of the Trump administration.
Experts say there is more reason than ever to think a new defensive alignment is possible, especially as India and Australia face antagonism from China. Indian soldiers broke into pitched conflict with the People’s Liberation Army in the Himalayas this summer, while China has detained an Australian journalist.
“The Quad really has legs at this point and I think that’s because there’s a growing consensus among the Quad countries, as well as other nations in the region, that China’s activities there are not only aggressive, but increasingly threatening to global stability,” Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center, told the Washington Times.
Solidifying alliances in the Indo-Pacific has been a major priority for Washington in recent months as it sizes up the China challenge. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has made multiple overtures toward bringing allies into the fold on key issues such as freedom of navigation and defending liberal democracy. Esper called allies in the region an “asymmetric advantage” Washington possesses over China.
Accordingly, arms sales to Pacific allies have increased during the Trump administration, while Washington has also led the way in curbing Beijing’s expansionist attitude in the South China Sea through new appeals to international maritime law.
These new tactics coincide with Pompeo’s call for a “coalition” of democracies and other like-minded countries to fight back against the Chinese Communist Party.
Allies have already responded favorably to the idea of closer cooperation within the Quad and beyond against China.
“The Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision is increasingly important in the post COVID-19 world,” said Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday. “We would like to confirm the importance of further deepening the collaboration among us and many other countries to realize the vision.”
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
Jack Beyrer is a news writer at the Washington Free Beacon. He covers breaking news in national security and domestic politics. Jack previously interned with RealClearPolitics and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and is a graduate of Wake Forest University where he majored in history. He can be reached at [email protected].


asiapacificresearch--2020-11-04--Indian and PLA tanks Only 400 Meters Apart, Report Claims

According to a report by Indian news outlet Swarajya , India has strategically deployed tanks and other equipment on crucial high ground in the Ladakh Valley , giving it a potential advantage over Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control ( LAC ) .
The Indian Army ’ s North Command has placed numerous T-72 tanks on some of the heights south of Pangong Tso , catching The People ’ s Republic of China ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army ( PLA ) off guard , the report said .
Those upgraded MBTs ( Main Battle Tanks ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground in August and likely have spent the past months hardening those positions , the report said .
The PLA quickly responded by sending in tanks opposite the Indian positions .
By some accounts , Indian and Chinese tanks could be as little as 400 meters apart , the report said .
On the intervening night of 29 and 30 August , the Indian Army , along with troops from the Special Frontier Force , preempted the Chinese by occupying heights in the Chushul sector south of the Pangong Tso lake , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Army moved its T-72 tanks to some of these heights , the report from Ladakh by prominent Indian defence journalist Nitin Gokhale reveals .
The Indian Army ’ s move , which was approved by the Narendra Modi government , surprised the PLA , the report adds .
“ The next day , after a quick clearance from Delhi , Indian Army ’ s Northern Command also deployed T-72 tanks on some of the above mentioned peaks , once again catching the Chinese unawares , ” the report reads .
“ Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the PLA also moved tanks close to Indian positions in this sector .
Now , in what must be a first anywhere in the world , tanks from both sides are some 400 metres apart at an altitude of 16,000-plus feet , ranged against each other , their barrels facing backwards , ” the report reads .
The report adds that the Chinese side has shown “ an eagerness to de-escalate and disengage ” after India called its bluff and refused to budge .
India has deployed more than fifty thousand troops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as large numbers of its Soviet/Russian-designed T-72 ( shown above ) and T-90 tanks along with the BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicle — and all have been equipped with special fuels to operate at temperatures up to minus 40C .
Credit : Handout .
According to The National Interest , tensions have been high since some 20 Indian Army soldiers , including infantry Colonel B. Santosh Babu , were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Ladakh ’ s Galwan Valley in June .
There have been several high-level meetings conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deescalate the situation , with the most recent one held on October 15 .
Even as both sides have tried to allow cooler heads to prevail , over the summer and early autumn both sides have essentially been preparing for war , The National Interest reported .
In July China moved artillery pieces , heavy vehicles and construction materials in key positions close to the LAC that separates one Indian union territory , the Kashmiri Himalayan region of Ladakh , and four Indian states , from the Chinese-controlled Tibet Autonomous Region .
India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian Air Force has ferried in equipment via heavy-lift aircraft , and that included numerous T-72 and T-80 tanks , along with BMP-2 armored personnel carriers ( APC ) , National Interest reported .
All of the vehicles have been modified and adapted to run on a special fuel mix designed specifically for the high altitudes and low temperatures of the region .
India has operated the T-72 , powered by 780 horsepower diesel engines , since the early 1980s and has subsequently been produced domestically under license in India , National Interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ export versions of the T-72 and were originally armed with a 125 millimeter D-81T smoothbore tank gun , but many have been retrofitted with the French 155-millimeter F-1 turret or the British 155-millimeter Vickers T6 turret .
Some 310 T-90S MBTs entered service with India in 2001 .
It was chosen as it was a direct development of the T-72 that India already was producing with 60 % commonality , which simplified both training and maintenance , National Interest reported .
The T-90 was actually selected over the domestically developed Arjun MBT to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ T-80 tanks .
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Featured image .
According to a report from an Indian journalist , Indian tanks have taken the high ground in the Ladakh LAC standoff .
Credit : Handout via Asia Times

Did Indian soldiers outsmart their Chinese counterparts?
According to a report by Indian news outlet Swarajya, India has strategically deployed tanks and other equipment on crucial high ground in the Ladakh Valley, giving it a potential advantage over Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Indian Army’s North Command has placed numerous T-72 tanks on some of the heights south of Pangong Tso, catching The People’s Republic of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) off guard, the report said.
Those upgraded MBTs (Main Battle Tanks) are believed to have moved to higher ground in August and likely have spent the past months hardening those positions, the report said.
The PLA quickly responded by sending in tanks opposite the Indian positions. By some accounts, Indian and Chinese tanks could be as little as 400 meters apart, the report said.
On the intervening night of 29 and 30 August, the Indian Army, along with troops from the Special Frontier Force, preempted the Chinese by occupying heights in the Chushul sector south of the Pangong Tso lake, the report said.
The next day, the Army moved its T-72 tanks to some of these heights, the report from Ladakh by prominent Indian defence journalist Nitin Gokhale reveals.
The Indian Army’s move, which was approved by the Narendra Modi government, surprised the PLA, the report adds.
“The next day, after a quick clearance from Delhi, Indian Army’s Northern Command also deployed T-72 tanks on some of the above mentioned peaks, once again catching the Chinese unawares,” the report reads.
“Of course, in the next few days, the PLA also moved tanks close to Indian positions in this sector. Now, in what must be a first anywhere in the world, tanks from both sides are some 400 metres apart at an altitude of 16,000-plus feet, ranged against each other, their barrels facing backwards,” the report reads.
The report adds that the Chinese side has shown “an eagerness to de-escalate and disengage” after India called its bluff and refused to budge.
India has deployed more than fifty thousand troops armed with heavy weapons, as well as large numbers of its Soviet/Russian-designed T-72 (shown above) and T-90 tanks along with the BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicle — and all have been equipped with special fuels to operate at temperatures up to minus 40C. Credit: Handout.
According to The National Interest, tensions have been high since some 20 Indian Army soldiers, including infantry Colonel B. Santosh Babu, were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in the Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in June.
There have been several high-level meetings conducted between military leaders of both nations to deescalate the situation, with the most recent one held on October 15.
Even as both sides have tried to allow cooler heads to prevail, over the summer and early autumn both sides have essentially been preparing for war, The National Interest reported.
In July China moved artillery pieces, heavy vehicles and construction materials in key positions close to the LAC that separates one Indian union territory, the Kashmiri Himalayan region of Ladakh, and four Indian states, from the Chinese-controlled Tibet Autonomous Region.
India has countered the Chinese build-up and the Indian Air Force has ferried in equipment via heavy-lift aircraft, and that included numerous T-72 and T-80 tanks, along with BMP-2 armored personnel carriers (APC), National Interest reported.
All of the vehicles have been modified and adapted to run on a special fuel mix designed specifically for the high altitudes and low temperatures of the region.
India has operated the T-72, powered by 780 horsepower diesel engines, since the early 1980s and has subsequently been produced domestically under license in India, National Interest reported.
These are based on the export versions of the T-72 and were originally armed with a 125 millimeter D-81T smoothbore tank gun, but many have been retrofitted with the French 155-millimeter F-1 turret or the British 155-millimeter Vickers T6 turret.
Some 310 T-90S MBTs entered service with India in 2001. It was chosen as it was a direct development of the T-72 that India already was producing with 60% commonality, which simplified both training and maintenance, National Interest reported.
The T-90 was actually selected over the domestically developed Arjun MBT to counter the Pakistan military’s Ukrainian-made T-80 tanks.
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Featured image. According to a report from an Indian journalist, Indian tanks have taken the high ground in the Ladakh LAC standoff. Credit: Handout via Asia Times