Latest news with #Asia-PacificCenterforSecurityStudies
Hans India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Quad concludes logistics sharing exercise
Washington: The Quad partner countries — India, Australia, Japan and the United States — conducted a tabletop exercise to advance sharing of logistics in civilian response to disasters, adding to the list of growing cooperation among them. The exercise took place from April 28 to May 2 at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, it was revealed on Thursday. The partner countries gathered 'for a Tabletop Exercise, a simulation to launch the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN). IPLN is an initiative that enables Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the region,' the US state department said. 'Together with the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the IPLN reflects the Quad's commitment to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific and highlights the value of strengthening practical cooperation to address regional challenges,' it added. The four countries have a broadening canvass of cooperation from medicines and climate to education and research, with complete buy-in from their governments, irrespective of the parties in power. The group was founded in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami to pool resources and effort to provide humanitarian relief during such global disasters. It fell apart in 2008 after Australia exited under pressure from China. The Quadrilateral Security Conference, as Quad was formally called, was resurrected in 2017 with the unstated purpose of countering China's aggressive rise in the Indo-Pacific region, marked by its pursuit of unilateral maritime and littoral claims. 'A free and open Indo-Pacific', as used by the State Department, is a phrase that underscores the Quad's goal of keeping the region free and open from China's influence without stating it so explicitly. The security aspect of the group's work has been played down, however, by the partner countries in recent years and their officials have forcefully pushed back against any attempt to call it a security grouping.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Quad initiative seeks to bolster civilian disaster response in Indo-Pacific
New Delhi, Quad partners Australia, India, Japan and the US took part in a "tabletop exercise" in Hawaii recently to take forward the grouping's vision of leveraging shared logistics capabilities aimed at strengthening civilian disaster response in the Indo-Pacific. From April 28 to May 2, the Quad partners convened at the "Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii for a Tabletop Exercise, a simulation to launch the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network ," the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. "The IPLN is an initiative that enables Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the region," it said in a statement. Together with the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the IPLN reflects the Quad's commitment to ensuring a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and highlights the value of strengthening practical cooperation to address regional challenges, the MEA said. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a post on X on Thursday, also shared about the recent exercise. "To take forward the Quad's vision of leveraging shared logistics capabilities to strengthen civilian disaster response in the Indo-Pacific, India, Australia, Japan and the US held a Tabletop Exercise in Hawaii from 28 Apr-2 May 2025," he posted on X along with a photograph. The Quad came together during the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean region to coordinate response and assistance to countries in the region. The grouping brings together four countries with a commitment to work as a force for global good and to support an open, free, and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is prosperous and resilient. The Quad had first came together to respond to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, surging humanitarian assistance to affected countries, the MEA said in note on the Quad in 2023. In 2022, Quad Foreign Ministers signed the Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief in the Indo-Pacific, it said. In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, the Quad countries coordinated their response in accordance with these guidelines.
United News of India
08-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
Quad partners hold tabletop exercise to strengthen civilian disaster response in Indo-Pacific
New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) The Quad partners -- Australia, India, Japan and the US -- convened at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii for a Tabletop Exercise, a simulation to launch the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN). The tabletop exercise was held from April 28 to May 2. IPLN is an initiative that enables Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the region, a statement said. Together with the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the IPLN reflects the Quad's commitment to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific and highlights the value of strengthening practical cooperation to address regional challenges. The MEA spokesperson said in a post on X: 'To take forward the Quad's vision of leveraging shared logistics capabilities to strengthen civilian disaster response in the Indo-Pacific, India, Australia, Japan and the US held a Tabletop Exercise (TTX) in Hawaii from 28 Apr–2 May 2025." UNI RN
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump administration eases ban for US diplomats at Vietnam War anniversary
Knapper is also not expected at the main event, which includes a parade and speeches Wednesday, the actual anniversary of South Vietnam's surrender and the American evacuation from what was then Saigon on April 30, 1975. Critics of the attendance ban welcomed Burns's presence, but insisted it was not enough. They said the Trump administration had already shown a lack of understanding about the importance of postwar reconciliation with a country that is now a strategic partner in efforts to counter China's influence across the region. Advertisement 'From where I sit, they don't have a clue,' said John Terzano, a founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, who has been returning to Vietnam since 1981. He said the United States had bumbled into the war and stayed too long because leaders at the time, like Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, saw Vietnam only through the lens of arrogance or parochial interests. Washington was now at risk of making similar mistakes, he added. Advertisement 'The ambassador is not here,' Terzano said. 'And the symbolic nature of that matters.' The Trump administration did not give a reason for the ban, though some US officials speculated that the White House did not want to be seen as celebrating an anniversary of defeat around the 100th day of Trump's second term. Analysts noted that the United States and Vietnam had elevated their ties in 2023 to a comprehensive strategic partnership as a step forward — not because of the war or a hunger for reconciliation, but rather because of urgent shared interests, which can transcend diplomatic squabbles. 'The US values its closer ties with Vietnam because of its strategic competition with China, while Vietnam hopes its closer ties with the US will greatly help its quest for security and prosperity,' said Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. Few countries in Asia are more hostile to China than Vietnam is. Vietnam's people see their national identity as embedded in their resistance to dominance from Beijing. As China's southern neighbor and former colony, Vietnam has frequent disputes with China over territory in the South China Sea, even as it welcomes Chinese investment. Roughly 30 percent of Vietnam's exports went to the United States last year, producing a large trade imbalance. But China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, and Trump's tariffs and his destruction of the US Agency for International Development have shaken Vietnam's bond with the United States. USAID recently suspended funding for removing land mines left behind from the war, and the cleanup of Agent Orange, an herbicide that causes cancer and birth defects. Advertisement Vietnam's goal has long been balanced relations with great powers. In an essay published Sunday in the state news media, To Lam, Vietnam's top leader and the general secretary of the Communist Party, stressed the power of personal reconciliation among former enemies. 'I have witnessed many moving encounters between Vietnamese veterans and American veterans — those who once stood on opposing sides of the battlefield, who once confronted each other at gunpoint, but who can now shake hands, converse, and share sincere understanding without lingering resentment,' he wrote. 'Today, Vietnam and the United States — once former adversaries — have become comprehensive strategic partners, cooperating for peace, for the benefit of both peoples, and for the security and stability of the region.' Yet Xi Jinping, China's leader, who recently visited Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, and the Trump administration have each warned Vietnam not to support the other. The US ambassador's absence at the 50th anniversary commemorations may now be seen as another attempt to pressure Vietnam into compliance. 'For many Vietnamese, the message is: 'You have to choose,'' Vuving said. 'For some others, the message is 'Vietnam's Communist regime is incompatible with a US partnership.'' This article originally appeared in
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Administration Eases Ban for U.S. Diplomats at Vietnam War Anniversary
The Trump administration, reversing a policy that angered Vietnam veterans, has eased a ban on senior American diplomats attending events for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. On Tuesday, the United States informed Vietnamese officials that Susan Burns, the U.S. Consul General, would attend a reception on Tuesday night with other diplomats and Vietnamese officials. Witnesses reported seeing her at the event, which was held at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, and one shared a photo with The Times. Marc E. Knapper — the U.S. ambassador and son of a Vietnam veteran — was not seen with Ms. Burns, though he had previously planned to represent the United States. Mr. Knapper is also not expected at the main event, which includes a parade and speeches on Wednesday, the actual anniversary of South Vietnam's surrender and the American evacuation from what was then Saigon on April 30, 1975. Critics of the attendance ban welcomed Ms. Burns' presence, but insisted it was not enough. They said that the Trump administration had already shown a lack of understanding about the importance of postwar reconciliation with a country that is now a strategic partner in efforts to counter China's influence across the region. 'From where I sit, they don't have a clue,' said John Terzano, a founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, who has been returning to Vietnam since 1981. He said that the United States had bumbled into the war and stayed too long because leaders at the time, like Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, saw Vietnam only through the lens of arrogance or parochial interests. Washington was now at risk of making similar mistakes, he added. 'The ambassador is not here,' Mr. Terzano said. 'And the symbolic nature of that matters.' The Trump administration did not give a reason for the ban, though some U.S. officials speculated that the White House did not want to be seen as celebrating an anniversary of defeat around the 100th day of Mr. Trump's second term. Analysts noted that the United States and Vietnam had elevated their ties in 2023 to a comprehensive strategic partnership as a step forward — not because of the war or a hunger for reconciliation, but rather because of urgent shared interests, which can transcend diplomatic squabbles. 'The U.S. values its closer ties with Vietnam because of its strategic competition with China, while Vietnam hopes its closer ties with the U.S. will greatly help its quest for security and prosperity,' said Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. Few countries in Asia are more hostile to China than Vietnam is. Vietnam's people see their national identity as embedded in their resistance to dominance from Beijing. As China's southern neighbor and former colony, Vietnam has frequent disputes with China over territory in the South China Sea, even as it welcomes Chinese investment. Roughly 30 percent of Vietnam's exports went to the United States last year, producing a large trade imbalance. But China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, and Mr. Trump's tariffs and his destruction of U.S.A.I.D. have shaken Vietnam's bond with the United States. U.S.A.I.D. recently suspended funding for removing land mines left behind from the war, and the cleanup of Agent Orange, an herbicide that causes cancer and birth defects. Vietnam's goal has long been balanced relations with great powers. In an essay published on Sunday in the state news media, To Lam, Vietnam's top leader and the general secretary of the Communist Party, stressed the power of personal reconciliation among former enemies. 'I have witnessed many moving encounters between Vietnamese veterans and American veterans — those who once stood on opposing sides of the battlefield, who once confronted each other at gunpoint, but who can now shake hands, converse and share sincere understanding without lingering resentment,' he wrote. 'Today, Vietnam and the United States — once former adversaries — have become comprehensive strategic partners, cooperating for peace, for the benefit of both peoples, and for the security and stability of the region.' Yet Xi Jinping, China's leader, who recently visited Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, and the Trump administration have each warned Vietnam not to support the other. The American ambassador's absence at the 50th anniversary commemorations may now be seen as another attempt to pressure Vietnam into compliance. 'For many Vietnamese, the message is: 'You have to choose,'' Mr. Vuving said. 'For some others, the message is 'Vietnam's Communist regime is incompatible with a U.S. partnership.'' Ms. Burns is expected at a parade for the anniversary on Wednesday, according to two people with knowledge of the U.S. confirmation that was sent to Vietnamese officials. The State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi did not respond to requests for comment.
