VIF Information Alerts - 7th May 2018

China here to stay in Indian Ocean, its military movement cause for concern: Navy Chief Sunil Lanba
Published: Hindustan Times
07 May 2018

The People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) is here to stay in the Indian Ocean and its military movement has fuelled concerns about China’s intent in the region, India’s senior-most military commander has said. Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said the Navy is keeping a sharp eye on “the pattern and periodicity of extra-regional deployments” in the Indian Ocean Region. A fleet of 50 combat-ready Indian warships is carrying out round-the-clock surveillance, he said.Click here to read... [2]

White House blasts request from China as 'Orwellian nonsense'
Published: USA Today
05 May 2018

The Trump administration lashed out Saturday at a demand by China for U.S. airlines to stop describing Taiwan and Hong Kong as separate countries, calling the request “Orwellian nonsense.”

Chinese authorities drafted a letter to United Airlines and American Airlines last month demanding the companies change their websites to refer to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as part of mainland China. It was the latest in a series of moves by China to influence how international companies refer to those countries.Click here to read... [3]

Saudi programme calls for gender-mixing, no prayer closure
Published: The Times of India
05 May 2018

A Saudi government programme to improve the quality of life in the kingdom called for the legalisation of gender mixing and an end to the mandatory prayer closures for businesses, significant steps to ease social restrictions in the conservative country.

The 236-page document sent to reporters Thursday night outlining the government's new 'Quality of Life' programme called for lobbying to amend the laws, saying the areas "require immediate regulatory changes."Click here to read... [4]

Pakistan military reaches out to India, Report
Published: The Times of India
05 May 2018

Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa recognizes that the way to peace and prosperity in Pakistan is through military cooperation with India, according to an analytical report published by UK-based think-tank Royal Unites Services Institute (RUSI).

In a historic first, according to the report, last month Gen Bajwa had invited Sanjay Vishwasrao, the Indian military attaché, and his team to the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad. Two weeks later, Bajwa said that the Pakistan military wanted peace and dialogue with India. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh advocates OIC reforms for India's entry as observer in group
Published: The Economic Times
05 May 2018

Bangladesh on Saturday advocated reforms of Organisation of Islamic Conference or OIC inferring entry of countries with large Muslim populations like India as observers in the grouping. "A number of countries – not OIC members, have large number of Muslims as their citizens. The Muslims may be minority in those countries, but in terms of number – they often exceed the total population of many OIC member countries," Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali said in Dhaka on Saturday at the inaugural of OIC Foreign Ministers meet.Click here to read... [6]

Sri Lanka gives green light for Chinese LNG plant near Hambantota port
Published: South China Morning Post
05 May 2018

Sri Lanka’s state-run investment body has approved a US$500 million liquefied natural gas plant by China Machinery Engineering near a Chinese-controlled port and industrial zone, the development strategies minister said on Friday.

The state-run Board of Investment had approved investment projects worth US$1 billion in the first quarter, Malik Samarawickrama said, the largest of which was the LNG project in Hambantota, where China Merchants Port Holdings controls a Chinese-built port on a 99-year lease.Click here to read... [7]

Sri Lanka takes a concerted effort to expand trade in Pakistan
Published: Colombo Page
05 May 2018

Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) under the directive of the Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama has arranged a Pakistan delegation to visit Sri Lanka following the research done by the Board in 2017 on new new opportunities in Pakistan. The mission also focused on maximizing trade under the Pakistan Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (PSFTA) to achieve the export earnings of US$ 20 billion in 2020.Click here to read... [8]

Unprecedented boost for defence ‘Make in India’: BrahMos missiles to get superior firepower Quad launchers from L&T Defence
Published: Financial Express
05 May 2018

‘Make in India’ for the defence sector gets an unprecedented boost! BrahMos missile, one of India’s biggest defence weapons system, will now have its QUAD launchers made by private defence firm L&T Defence. This marks a major push to PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ dream for India’s defence sector. A Quad launcher for the missile was handed over today to BrahMos Aerospace by L&T Defence today. While BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India and Russia, L&T Defence is the defence arm of Larsen & Toubro. Quad launcher or the ‘Quadruple Canisterised Inclined Launcher has been designed and developed by L&T Defence and after rigorous trials was handed over to BrahMos Aerospace.Click here to read... [9]