Indo Pacific Region

India committed to free, inclusive Indo-Pacific: Army Chief Dwivedi

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reaffirmed India's commitment to regional stability and its pursuit for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The Army Chief made the remarks while speaking virtually at a land forces summit that was held in Japan. The summit brought together army chiefs and senior generals from several nations, including Japan, the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea. In his address, Gen Dwivedi delved into India's security and strategic perspective in the Indian Ocean Region and emphasised the importance of enhancing multinational defence cooperation. He also underscored India's commitment to regional stability and its pursuit for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The comments came amid growing global concerns over China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region. The summit provided a platform for exchanging ideas and perspectives on fostering greater multinational defence cooperation, ai

Taiwan urges China to stop 'provocation' amid rise in military activity

Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said Lai Ching-te's recent visit to diplomatic allies was a common practice of Taiwan presidents

MoS Margherita holds bilateral talks with Fiji's Deputy PM Manoa Kamikamica

This development comes after India committed to invest $2 million in new solar projects in these Indo-Pacific countries under the Quad Climate Working Group initiative

India, ISA sign agreement for solar projects in four Indo-Pacific countries

A Project Implementation Agreement has been signed between the Ministry of External Affairs and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to execute new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles, an official statement said. The agreement was signed on Tuesday, the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The Wilmington Declaration released at the Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware in the US on September 21 stated that the Quad countries will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalise their commitment to catalyse complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains, it said. "To this end, India has committed to invest USD 2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles," it added. On November 26, the Project Implementation Agreement (PIA) was signed between the MEA and the ISA to execute the projects in these Indo-Pacific countries. The ISA,

India remains key partner for us in Indo-Pacific region: US State Dept

Patel noted that the Biden administration had worked to deepen this partnership over the past four years and that Biden and outgoing US Secretary of State Blinken continue to view India as a vital

'China pushing Indo-Pacific into new missile age': Why Australia is worried

In late September, China conducted its first known ICBM test in 44 years, launching a missile that could reportedly be capable of reaching the US mainland into the Pacific Ocean

India, Spain must contribute in building open, secure Indo-Pacific: Sanchez

Underlining the need to protect freedom of navigation amid assertiveness of Beijing in the South China Sea, Pedro Sanchez, President of the Government of Spain, on Tuesday said his country and India must contribute in building an Indo-Pacific region that is open and secure. Speaking at an event organised by the Spain-India Forum and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Mumbai, Sanchez maintained that the rules-based international order is at stake and hence Madrid and New Delhi must defend and work towards strengthening multilateral institutions. He said the world's centre of power has shifted towards Asia where India plays a key role. Sanchez announced that Spain is working to launch a new strategy for Asia which will revitalize his country's relations with the largest continent in the world. The central Indo-Pacific region accounts for 36 per cent of the world's GDP, pointed out the Spanish leader who is on an official visit to India. He said the vital region accounts for .

Iran's missile strikes offer lessons for US in countering China's threats

The picture is much different in the Indo-Pacific region for the US and its allies, which use the Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Patriot, THAAD and sea-based Aegis systems for missile defence

MALABAR 2024: Indian Navy chief, Japan SDF head hold meet to boost ties

Malabar planning and exercise lead rotates each year among participating nations, with exercise location to demonstrate the combined ability to exercise across entire West Pacific and Indian Ocean

Can the new French govt solve New Caledonia crisis after months of unrest?

After four months of deadly unrest in New Caledonia, tensions in the French Pacific territory between the pro-independence Indigenous Kanak people and the white settler communities loyal to Paris are simmering as the vast archipelago east of Australia marks the anniversary of colonization on Tuesday. The communities stand far apart on the territory's future following the Kanaks' revolt in May against President Emmanuel Macron' s voting reform in New Caledonia. The loyalists have called on supporters in the capital, Noumea, to mark the 171st anniversary of the French takeover by honking horns during a radio broadcast of France's national anthem, La Marseillaise. Separately, the National Council of Chiefs of the Kanak people is meeting on the neighbouring Mare Island and is expected to unilaterally declare sovereignty over the Kanak nation on their customary territories. Macron sidelined the controversial voting reform along with the situation in New Caledonia in June after he ...

US President Biden fumbles again while introducing PM Modi at Quad event

In yet another gaffe, US President Joe Biden experienced an embarrassing moment during a Quad event in Wilmington, Delaware, when he struggled to introduce Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This brief confusion, captured on camera, has sparked comments on social media. After finishing his speech at the Cancer Moonshot event on Saturday, Biden, 81, appeared to have forgotten the name of the next leader who was going to speak -- and asked his staffers. "So, I want to thank you all for being here. And now, who am I introducing next?" After a pause of a few seconds, he asked, this time in a louder voice, Who's next?" There was an awkward silence in the audience. A staff member finally pointed to the podium, leading to the introduction of Modi by the compere. Distinguished guests, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, the announcer said, as Modi walked towards the podium. Biden then put his arm around Modi's shoulder and cracked a joke. The embarrassing moment involving the US ...

India announces $500,000 Quad scholarship for Indo-Pacific students

India has announced a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD 500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific. These scholarships will enable students to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution, said the Wilmington Declaration issued after the fourth in-person Quad Summit. Hosted by President Joe Biden, the Quad Leaders' Summit took place on Saturday in his hometown Wilmington, Delaware. It was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan. "India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD 500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution," the declaration read. According to the declaration, the Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, a

Myanmar's toll from Yagi rises past 200 with tallying hindered by civil war

Floods and landslides in Myanmar triggered by last week's Typhoon Yagi and seasonal monsoon rains have claimed at least 226 lives, with 77 people missing, state-run media reported Tuesday. The death toll, reported in the state-run Myanma Alinn, was almost seven times Friday's initial total of 33, with strong prospects of it continuing to rise. The counting of casualties has been slow, in part due to communication difficulties with the affected areas as Myanmar is wracked by civil war. Typhoon Yagi earlier hit Vietnam, northern Thailand and Laos, killing almost 300 people in Vietnam, 42 in Thailand and four in Laos, according to the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance.

PM Modi's visit to Brunei and Singapore: What is India's Act East Policy?

India's Act East Policy focuses on building ties with Asean countries to promote peace, economic collaboration, and cultural ties while also acting as a counterweight to China's growing influence

PM Modi to visit Singapore today: Top 5 things on agenda explained

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start his bilateral visit to Singapore after his trip to Brunei. Singapore is a key partner in India's 'Act East' policy and in boosting Indo-Pacific engagement

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Brunei on first leg of two-nation visit

As he embarked on a visit to Brunei and Singapore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the two nations are "important partners" in India's 'Act East' policy and asserted that his visits would further strengthen the partnership with the two countries and the larger ASEAN region. Modi is on a two-nation visit from September 3-5, starting with Brunei. "Today, I am embarking on a first ever bilateral visit to Brunei Darussalam. As we celebrate the 40 years of our diplomatic relations, I look forward to my meetings with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and other esteemed members of the Royal family to advance our historical relationship to new heights," he said in his departure statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. The visit will further strengthen India's cooperation with Brunei in all existing sectors, including defence cooperation, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health cooperation, capacity building, culture as well as ...

Quad members pledge to work towards free, peaceful Indo-Pacific region

India and other Quad member nations on Monday reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and said no country should dominate others and competition should be managed responsibly in what is seen as a clear message to China. At a meeting, the foreign ministers of the Quad countries also called for upholding the free and open rules-based international order and respecting the principle of freedom, human rights, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Australia's Penny Wong. "All countries have a role in contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity while seeking a region in which no country dominates and no country is dominated, competition is managed responsibly, and each country is free from coercion in all its forms and can exercise its agency to determine its own future

China threat catalyses some air forces to defend freedoms in Indo-Pacific

This is being demonstrated in an air force exercise currently ongoing in Australia. Exercise Pitch Black 2024, held from July 12 to August 2, is the largest-ever exercise.

Amid US political chaos, Blinken heads to Asia to bolster Indo-Pacific ties

Ignoring the political chaos surrounding President Joe Biden's decision to end his reelection campaign, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Asia this week on a long-planned eight-day trip aimed at shoring up ties with Indo-Pacific allies and partners but with the priority of assuring them that the United States remains committed to the region. The State Department announced on Monday that Blinken, a longtime close aide to Biden dating from the president's days in the Senate, will travel to Vietnam, Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia for a series of international and bilateral meetings. Those will include discussions in Laos with his Chinese counterpart and strategic and security talks in Tokyo and Manila also involving Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. The trip had been scheduled well before Biden's announcement on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the presidential race. State Department officials said there was no discussion of cancelling or postponing

India to apply for licences to scout Pacific Ocean for critical minerals

China, Russia, and some Pacific Island nations have already secured exploration licences for the Pacific Ocean