Latest news with #IndranilMukherjee
Newsweek
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
India Wades Into Contested South China Sea on Side of US Ally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. India will deploy warships to join South China Sea patrols next week in what analysts say is a "clear signal" of support for the Philippines in the U.S. ally's territorial dispute with China. Newsweek has contacted the Indian Defense Ministry and Philippine armed forces for comment via email. Why It Matters In the South China Sea, Beijing's expanding presence within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone has led to confrontations and pushed the U.S. treaty ally to deepen ties with Washington and regional partners, such as Japan and India. Like the Philippines, India shares long-standing territorial disputes with China. The Sino-Indian border has seen periodic skirmishes for decades, including a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in June 2020. India is also increasingly vying with China for geopolitical influence in the Asia-Pacific in line with New Delhi's "Act East" policy. What To Know Philippine and Indian naval forces will carry out a maritime cooperative activity (MCA) in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone from August 4 to 8, New Delhi Television Ltd. reported over the weekend, citing sources familiar with the matter. The exercises, the first between the two countries since 2021, is set to commence after an August 2 port visit in Manila by four Indian warships: the guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, survey ship INS Sandhayak, fleet tanker INS Shakti and anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan. In this photograph taken on December 15, 2022, the guided missile destroyer Mormugao is seen at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on the eve of its commissioning into the Indian Navy. In this photograph taken on December 15, 2022, the guided missile destroyer Mormugao is seen at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on the eve of its commissioning into the Indian Navy. Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a spokesperson for the Philippine navy, told reporters on Tuesday that further details about the operations would be released once the ships had arrived, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported. Beijing has not commented on the planned drills but has frequently criticized Manila over similar joint exercises with partners, calling them interference by outside powers in disputes between neighbors. India has previously expressed support for the Philippines in its maritime dispute with China. Last year, Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar reaffirmed "India's support to the Philippines for upholding its national sovereignty." The two countries have been increasing security ties. Last year, three Indian warships made a port call in the Philippines, which included talks between officials and cross-deck visits. In 2023, the Philippines became the first foreign country to take delivery of India's BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles as part of its military modernization program. In April, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the country was set to receive a second batch of the Russia-India-developed missiles. What People Are Saying Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, told Newsweek: "Partners who so far took part in the bilateral and multilateral MCAs are those who have expressed open support for Manila against Beijing's coercive behavior. … If this is the first bilateral MCA between India and the Philippines as designated officially, it sends a clear signal that India is signaling to be overtly supporting the Philippines in the South China Sea row with Beijing." Chester Cabalza, the president of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, told the Inquirer: "It truly builds up to the strategic clarity of pan Indo-Pacific strategy where India and the Philippines are sending a strong message to China in the South China Sea." What Happens Next Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to visit India next week to further bolster ties between the two countries.
India.com
19-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
New corridor at Bangladesh and Myanmar border, 'dangerous plan' in name of Rohingya Muslims, tension for India due to...
File Photo (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP) New Delhi: Since Operation Sindoor, the world's attention has been focused on the India-Pakistan border, but something significant is also happening at the northeastern border of the country, namely Bangladesh. Due to the civil war in Myanmar, a large number of Rohingya Muslims have sought refuge in Bangladesh in recent years. Bangladesh is looking for a way to facilitate the return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Dhaka in March and proposed the creation of a 'humanitarian corridor' for the return of Rohingya refugees. The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus is moving forward with this project. At first glance, this seems like a matter between Bangladesh and Myanmar, but this corridor could also become a concern for India due to the long border it shares with Myanmar and Bangladesh. According to a report by Firstpost, Bangladesh's National Security Advisor (NSA) and High Representative for Rohingya Affairs Khalilur Rahman intends to move forward with this corridor without any internal or external consent. Rahman is considered a staunch supporter of the United States, and it is believed that the United States is behind this corridor as well. Meanwhile, the Rohingya refugees settled in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, have been refusing to return to Rakhine, Myanmar. The Awami League, the party of Sheikh Hasina, is opposed to the government's decision to create a humanitarian corridor. Their argument is that the authority to make such decisions rests not with the interim government but with an elected one. The Awami League claims that this corridor could be used against the military junta in Myanmar. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has also criticized this. Many organizations are stating that the corridor poses a threat to Bangladesh's sovereignty. Decisions such as creating a corridor for Myanmar are bound to affect the fragile regional stability of India's neighborhood. Yunus's decision could strengthen the Arakan Army (AA), a rebel group fighting against the junta regime. This will help China increase its influence in Myanmar and will escalate regional instability. India is in contact with both sides. India has continued discussions with both parties – the junta and rebel groups – to secure its 1,640-kilometer-long border with Myanmar, but this corridor will complicate India's path. Khalilur Rahman's emphasis on a humanitarian corridor amidst political instability in Bangladesh indicates that Washington is working towards this. Recently, a significant cargo from the United States also arrived in Dhaka. This increases the likelihood that the corridor will be used to send weapons to the Arakan Army. There is also a fear that this corridor will not only be used to send military equipment to rebel groups in Myanmar, but it could also be used by terrorist organizations in Bangladesh for illegal drug trafficking. Myanmar is the largest center for opium cultivation and synthetic drug production. In this context, it is certain that concerns will increase for India along its long border with Myanmar and Bangladesh. This could lead to unrest along India's northeastern borders.
