English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

China lone critic of India-Vietnam Akash pact

Published

on

China lone critic of India-Vietnam Akash pact

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Sujit Bhar

India’s decision to sell the sophisticated Akash missile systems to Vietnam has drawn strong reactions from sections of the Chinese media. They range from a virtual warning from their state-run media to derision from columnists. The international media, on the other hand, has treated this with optimism as has the Indian media.

In the face of it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Look East policy could project Vietnam as a strong hub amid the network that India hopes to build. The UD $ 500 million line of credit, upped from the US $ 100 million October 2014 understanding when the then-Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited India is a critical pitch that could put an unwanted Indian finger in already convoluted South China Sea pie.

Akash is a medium range surface-to-air missile (SAM) that India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation has manufactured. With a range of 25km, it can easily target aircraft, helicopters and drones. India’s Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes are also for sale if Vietnam so wishes. Theoretically, these can easily be used by Vietnam on neighbours China during conflict.

The Indian line was clear from Modi’s October statement last year. He had said: “Our defence cooperation with Vietnam is among our most important ones. India remains committed to the modernization of Vietnam’s defence and security forces.”

This “treaty” has three angles. First, this will represent a disruptive Indian presence in an area where China is upping the ante, a tit-for-tat, so to say, for China’s presence in Pakistan. Secondly, it could be an Indian foreign policy success story that can translate to major trade deals in the area. And third, a budding Indian defence industry wants to expand like the Chinese defence industry is. India’s aim in weapons export is US $ 2 billion. China has boosted its weapons export to US $ 6 billion in a short time.

Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW) in an article says: “Bilateral defence education and training programmes are also growing, as witnessed in rising Indian assistance to the Information Technology and Foreign Languages Training Center at the Signal Officers Training School in Nha Trang… India has agreed to train Vietnamese pilots on Russian-built SU-30s and Sukhoi fighter jets and currently trains Vietnamese submarine operators on Russia-produced Kilo-class submarines.”

This shows that the understanding has now deepened and has seen years of strategic build-up on wither side, a positive step.

The Wall Street Journal has reported: “Defence analysts say the weapons are ideally suited to taking out naval targets. In seeking to upgrade military capabilities as China improves its own capabilities, Vietnam has emerged as the world’s eighth-largest arms importer from 2011 to 2015, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“Indian warships have also made a point of visiting Vietnamese ports, part of Hanoi’s own policy of encouraging more international navies into the contested waters of the South China Sea, where both Vietnam and China have overlapping claims to some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.”

The Journal also observes: “Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor and a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy, notes that the Indian leader’s visit to Vietnam follows high-level Chinese visits to Pakistan last year, where China is helping to finance the development and expansion of the deep-water port at Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.”

The Diplomat, a Tokyo-based journal on South Asia has said: “India has also considered offering Vietnam the considerably more advanced BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, pending consent for the sale from Russia, a co-developer of the BrahMos. India and Russia are reported to have resolved intellectual property issues that had held up talks with Vietnam over the BrahMos.” That sale has been scuppered thereafter, as Russia has yet to agree, but the issue remains on the table, as a threat to China.

An op-ed article in China’s Global Times was critical of the deal. In the article, headlined ‘India-Vietnam sea cooperation will be limited’, the author writes: “India and Vietnam seem to share quite a few common interests and similarities in terms of their policies toward Beijing. They both have complicated and unresolved border disputes with China. They both have bitter history of being defeated in border wars with China…”

He goes on to write: “Under (sic) such a backdrop, Modi’s visit to Vietnam has without doubt made Indians associate the tour with many strategic meanings, believing that New Delhi and Hanoi might jointly pile pressure on Beijing.

“As far as I am concerned, such a possibility cannot be totally excluded, but it will not play a vital role either. India has always been cautious when it comes to directly putting the screw on China. In this regard, the US has never stopped drawing New Delhi over to its side for its rebalance to the Asia-Pacific strategy, but India only showed reluctance toward it and has not responded to Washington actively. This has made the White House quite grouchy.”

On the side, China has warned Vietnam on the outcome if it signs this deal with India. One has to remember that China not only contributes heavily to Vietnamese development, Vietnam is a huge tourist destination for the Chinese, bringing in rich foreign currency.

This will be a critical and quizzical issue for Vietnam and India.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Latest world news

World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty

Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.

Published

on

Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.

The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.

It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.

The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.

The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.

The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.

The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,”  and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”

Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.

The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods

Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.

Published

on

Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.

The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.

Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.

In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.

This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.

After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.

Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.

A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.

Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.

According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.

There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.

Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral

The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.

Published

on

1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.

One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.

Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas. 

Continue Reading

Trending

-->

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com