Latest news with #NantooBanerjee
Arabian Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Israel Is All Set To Take Over Gaza, West Bank Area
By Nantoo Banerjee Gaza's Hamas militants face an unmitigated disaster as Israel is all set to take full control over Gaza strip after a gap of almost 20 years. Simultaneously, Israel seems to be gearing up to annex a substantial portion (Area C) of West Bank ignoring protests from France, the United Kingdom and Sweden and even a section of its own people In Tel Aviv. Last week, Israel said it would establish 22 additional Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Hamas has few genuine supporters in the Arab world barring Iran and pro-Iran Houthis. Gaza may soon become a part of Israel's extended territory with Palestinian population vastly diminished due to death and displacement during the Israel-Hamas war since October 7, 2023. The present Gaza war follows several unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflicts in the past, including those in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021. Ironically, Israel gave up the control of the Gaza strip, one of the world's most densely populated settlements, in 2005. It withdrew from the Gaza strip and dismantled all its settlements. Israel also withdrew from the Philadelphi Route, a narrow strip of land adjacent to the border with Egypt, after Egypt agreed to secure its side of the border after the Agreement on Movement and Access, known as the Rafah accord. The Israeli army had invaded and took control of the Gaza strip in 1967 following a six-day war. It also captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem. At the time of Israel's withdrawal from the 40-kilometer-long Gaza strip, its population was as large as 1.3 million. The birth rate in Gaza is among the highest in the world. However, there was little room for a proper Jewish settlement there to govern the place without much tension. The Palestinian population is expected to be reduced significantly due to death and dislocation by the time of the end of the war, which seems to have reached the final stage. Nearly 70 percent of Gaza's Palestinian population are refugees, depending mostly on humanitarian assistance for their daily livelihood. The security-linked Israeli blockade of transport movement through the land, air, and sea has forced a good number of the Gaza population to flee the area or die of starvation. In a way, Gaza's refugee population has long been held captive by the Hamas militants running the show in the narrow strip. Once reacquired, Israel will ensure an adequate presence of Jewish population in Gaza to ensure its smooth management and make the strip economically viable. Once the Gaza strip is conquered and a good part of the West Bank comes under the full Israeli control, the country is expected to concentrate on realising its long-cherished dream to emerge as one of the world's top economic and military power. Currently, Israel is West Asia's most developed and advanced country, boasting the 17th largest foreign-exchange reserves in the world. It has the highest average wealth per adult in the 18-member West Asian region, including those on or near the Arabian Peninsula, as well as Turkey, Egypt, and Iran. Israel ranks 10th worldwide by financial assets per capita. Notably, as many as eight Arab states now openly and unabashedly deal with Israel. They are: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan. Assuming that Israel's fighting in Gaza and Lebanon will ease soon, the latest economic survey report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has forecast that the country's economy will grow at a rate of 3.4 percent in 2025 and 5.5 percent in 2026, which is faster than the OECD's average growth forecast for the global economy of 3.1 percent in 2025 and three percent in 2026. The OECD's growth forecast for the current year is lower than the Bank of Israel's projection of four percent and the Israel Finance Ministry's 4.4 percent. However, the OECD expects Israel's economy to rebound this year although it is pessimistic about the pace of growth, citing the risk of war-related spending that continues to take a toll on the country's finances. The 2023 US News & World Report ranked Israel among the world's 10 most powerful countries. It found the Israeli military the fourth strongest globally, behind only the US, China and Russia. The Report said Israel is also the world's sixth most politically influential power. It should be noted that Israel's bid to become a leading global economic and military power are multifaceted. They include strengthening of the country's high-tech sector, continuous innovation in defence technology, and fostering a robust economy. Several multinational corporations are setting up R&D centres in the country. It has a vibrant startup ecosystem, which attracts both local and international investment, and fosters innovation. Israel has a well-established and highly innovative defence manufacturing industry, developing advanced weaponry and technology. The country is a significant exporter of defence equipment. Israel wants to end the Gaza war as early as possible to concentrate on the country's economic development. In his first press conference of the year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that by the end of the current war, the entire Gaza strip would be under Israeli security control. Interestingly, Palestinians in the southern Gaza region have lately taken to the streets to protest against Hamas. Those Gaza-based Palestinian demonstrators were seen in videos posted on social media calling for an end to the war and for the removal of the armed group from Gaza. 'Out! Out! Out! All of Hamas, out!' they chanted. With the head of the Hamas armed wing, Mohammed Sinwar, killed in an Israeli strike last week, the Gaza war is most unlikely to last long. (IPA Service)
Arabian Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Growing Islamic Terrorism Is A Global Phenomenon
By Nantoo Banerjee Pakistan is back in the business of pushing Jihadists into India. It is the same old story. Last week, barely 12 days after the announcement of a ceasefire on 10 May, Pakistani terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir's Kishtwar district killed an Indian soldier in an encounter with the security forces. When were those Pakistani Jihadists pushed to J&K – before, or after the May 10th ceasefire? Has the Pakistani deep state taken seriously India's warning that the country may resume military attacks on Pakistan if the latter fails to keep a tight rein on its Islamist terror outfits to prevent attacks on India? Ironically, the latest Pakistani terror attack took place at a time when India's all-party delegations of Parliamentarians were out to campaign on 'India's Operation Sindoor Global Outreach' to tell the countries across the world that Pakistan only thrives on terrorism. Last week, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said that over 20,000 Indians have been killed in terrorist attacks in the last four decades. 'Pakistan state-sponsored cross-border terrorism in India seeks to hold hostage the lives of civilians, religious harmony, and economic prosperity,' he said. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, there were reports of as many as 87 incidents of killing involving 273 terrorists across India since January, this year alone. It provided data specifically for Jammu and Kashmir, showing 18 incidents of killing and involvements of 25 insurgents cum extremists. In 2024, India experienced 61 terrorist attacks in J&K. The most agonizing part is that almost all Islamist terror attacks on India are sponsored by the state of Pakistan and its agencies. These attacks include the one on India's Parliament on December 13, 2001, by five Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. Will the state of Pakistan ever rein in its Islamist terror outfits? Most unlikely. The state of Pakistan and its military are said to be deeply linked with the grooming of terrorists and helping them sneak into India through the complex and highly militarized boundary, covering approximately 3,323 kilometres, between the two countries. The India-Pakistan border covers two parts of India. They include India's states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and Pakistan provinces of Sindh and Punjab. The border also includes Sir Creek, a tidal estuary in the Rann of Kutch. The Line of Control (LOC), established in 1972 after the Indo-Pak War, divides the territory into Indian-administered Kashmir (J&K and Ladakh) and Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. The India-Pakistan border has always remained a source of high tension and conflict, with numerous cross-border incidents, military standoffs, and wars. The border remains one of the world's most dangerous international boundaries with Pakistan reported to be constantly pushing trained terrorists into India to unsettle the country's peace and security. The continuing Pakistan-sponsored Islamist terrorism may be an extremely unfortunate part of the relationship between the two south Asian nations, but they seem to follow a global pattern as Islamist terrorism is growing across the world. Barely five months passed through the current year, there have already been several notable Islamic terror attacks. A mass stabbing in Iraq on April 1, was attributed to Anti-Assyrian sentiment and the Islamic State insurgents. On April 15, a massive bombing was linked to terrorism in Pakistan and the Balochistan insurgency. From April 13, a series of arson and shooting incidents occurred in Europe for several days, all said to be linked with Islamist terrorism. These events highlight the ongoing nature of Islamist terrorist threats in various regions. The growing Islamic terrorism has not spared most countries in the world, having a recognisable Islamic population, except China. The latter has shown the world how to control religious violence. A vast majority of Chinese Muslim adults come from 10 ethnic minority groups that traditionally practice Islam, the two largest being those from the Hui community and Uyghurs. Most of China's Muslims live in the country's northwestern region, particularly in the areas of Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang, bordering Central Asia's Muslim republics. Unlike in most other countries with Muslim population, China seems to have ensured even a birth control system to contain the Muslim ratio. Paradoxically, China seems to enjoy a fearful respect from all Islamic countries. China practically controls the Islamic states of Pakistan and Bangladesh as also Sri Lanka, a majority Buddhist country, through trade, economic and military cooperation. Along with innocent civilians, terrorists are also dying in hordes as the countries with significant or growing Muslim populations constantly take innovative measures to tackle terrorism. The latest Global Terrorism Index revealed a significant increase in terrorist deaths, with 8,352 fatalities, the highest since 2017. The recent terrorist attacks were more deadly, particularly in the Central Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, a new epicentre of terrorism. Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates, along with Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam Muslimeen (JNIM), a franchise of Al-Qaeda, were the most active terrorist organizations in this region. The Vision of Humanity identified IS and its affiliates as the deadliest, responsible for 1,805 deaths across 22 countries. Other major groups include Pakistan's Tehrik-e-Taliban and Al-Shabaab. Although the number of terrorist incidents, last year, decreased by 22 percent, the average number of people killed per attack increased by 56 percent, making them more lethal. The 'Lone Wolf' attacks in the western world, driven by individuals radicalized online, increased significantly, with a rise in terrorist incidents and arrests, particularly in Europe. Last year, Europe faced several major Islamist terror attacks, including the deadly Moscow Crocus City Hall attack killing 145 people and injuring many more. Other than this specific incident, terrorist attacks in the West, particularly in Europe, doubled to 68, indicating a significant increase in Jehadist violence on the continent. Lone Wolf attacks have become increasingly prominent in the West, accounting for a significant portion of fatal attacks in recent years. Islamist terror groups like ISKP (Islamic State – Khorasan Province), a regional branch of the IS Salafi jihadist known to be highly active in Central and South Asia, have threatened to target major sporting events, including the Paris Olympics. In West Asia, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State remain committed to conducting attacks against the US homeland as well as US interests. Israel has degraded Hezbollah's and Hamas's capabilities, while the Houthis have become a more active regional threat. Africa remains the most active centre for Salafi-jihadist organizations. It should be noted that Hindu-majority secular India features prominently in the global Islamist terror targets. And, Pakistan and Bangladesh form the two major export centres of Jihadists into India. While Islamist terror attacks from Bangladesh are suspected mostly by Lone Wolf groups having little link with the state administration and army, the ones originating from Pakistan seem to have strong connections with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Pakistani Jihadists are believed to be mostly ISI recruited and trained. Incidentally, India's own intelligence agency, Research and Analytical Wing (RAW), may have substantial information on India-specific Jihadi training establishments in Pakistan. A coordinated effort among India's central and state intelligence agencies, particularly those in border states such as J&K, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, should help locate Islamist Jehadi export networks and, in the process, help the army, police and other security forces smash the Jehadi design in advance before it targets the country's civilians and their dwellings. (IPA Service)
Arabian Post
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Pakistan's Nuclear Threat To India Is Real
By Nantoo Banerjee It may be good that the latest armed conflict between India and Pakistan ended quickly before it could blow up into a full-scale war leading to massive destruction of life and property and economic disaster in both the countries – maybe more so in Pakistan than in India. However, the abrupt end of the conflict, which seriously damaged Pakistan's military infrastructure, seemingly due to Pakistan's possible nuclear threat is a matter of major concern. Of all the nine nuclear armed states, Pakistan is probably the world's biggest terrorist state that had secretly sheltered the world's most notorious, violent and wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden in an army cantonment area. Pakistan's ways are equally unpredictable. Formerly a close ally of the United States, Pakistan is now heavily dependent on China, militarily and economically. Reports suggest that a bewildered Pakistan, cornered by a barrage of Indian missile attacks on its military assets, was considering a nuclear response to teach India a lesson. Pakistan is the world's seventh largest nuclear-armed power with some 170 nuclear warheads — all targeted at its single major enemy, India. Nuclear arms are Pakistan's key weapon of mass destruction. Thankfully, Pakistan is yet to develop substantially other three weapons for the purpose – biological, chemical and radiological. Unlike India, Pakistan pays little attention to the so-called nuclear doctrine. In the case of war with India, Pakistan will not even blink before using its nuclear warheads with the 'first strike' option if it finds an Indian military aggression deeply penetrating through its defences causing a major setback that can't be reversed by conventional means. The 'first nuclear strike' option could be lethal as it can defeat the other belligerent nuclear power by destroying its arsenal to the point where the attacking country can survive the weakened retaliation while the opposing side is left unable to continue war. The Pakistan armed forces and government were clearly bamboozled by the extremely swift moves by the Indian defence forces that nearly rattled its war machinery. In the early hours of May 10, Indian missiles hit Pakistan's Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, where the headquarters of the nuclear-armed country's military is located. A thoroughly confused Pakistan probably considered the nuclear option. It is possible that the US had a tip-off about Pakistan's intention. India may deny but the White House had promptly responded by asking the two belligerent nations to go for immediate ceasefire. And, both sides agreed and the fight stopped abruptly. In fact, US President Donald Trump upstaged both New Delhi and Islamabad to announce a 'full and immediate' India-Pakistan ceasefire hours before the Indian government and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the development. Within days after the ceasefire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi served a strong message amid tensions with Pakistan, declaring that 'India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail.' In his first address to the nation after 'Operation Sindoor', Prime Minister Modi said, 'No nuclear blackmail will be tolerated anymore. Terrorist attacks on India will have to face a befitting reply, and the response will be on our terms.' He said India will not be intimidated by nuclear threats. 'Any terrorist safe haven operating under this pretext will face precise and decisive strikes,' the prime minister added. However, it may be difficult to entirely ignore the Pakistani 'nuclear blackmail' factor until the country is able to neutralise Pakistan's nuclear war capability which is singularly directed towards India. Tiny Pakistan, only 25 percent of India's geographical size, has as many as 170 nuclear warheads – 10 less than India's, according to the think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). As of January 2024, SIPRI estimated there were 12,121 nuclear warheads worldwide. Of these, about 9,585 were held in military stockpiles, with 3,904 actively deployed – 60 more than the previous year. The US and Russia together account for more than 8,000 nuclear weapons. Pakistan's nuclear warheads can be delivered from the land and air. Pakistan is yet to have the sea delivery capability for its nuclear arsenal. Today, a single nuclear warhead can kill hundreds of thousands of people, with lasting and devastating humanitarian and environmental consequences. Jihadist Pakistan's 'nuclear blackmail' can't be taken lightly as the country had spent billions of dollars to build the nuclear arsenal and deployment system marking India as its sole target. It has developed long-range ballistic missiles which can deliver nuclear warheads even beyond 3,500 kilometres. Pakistan's longest-range missile system is the Shaheen-III, which was first tested in 2015 and had an estimated range of 2,750 kilometres. Pakistan is even ahead of Israel and North Korea in nuclear warhead stocks. Pakistan is reportedly one of the four countries yet to deploy nuclear warheads. The other three are: India, Israel and North Korea. However, deployment of nuclear warheads is not a big deal. They can be done within hours depending on the delivery system and the specific requirement. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) launched from land can be deployed within minutes. The same is the case of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Despite the massive production of nuclear weapons by the 'Enabled Nine' year after year, none of them has shown the courage to use them against their adversaries in a war since the first and the last nuclear strikes were made by the US, dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki towards the end of the 2nd World War in August, 1945. The US was the first country to produce atomic bombs during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, testing the first nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945. Today, the nuclear weapons produced by China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the US are several times more powerful than the nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They are capable of decimating the entire world. In this context, the two pertinent questions are: Will Jihadist Pakistan ever stop its frequent state-sponsored dangerous terrorist attacks on innocent Indians on Indian soil and 'nuclear blackmail'? Probably not. A Jihadist nation, which can secretly shelter Osama bin Laden, the world's most dreaded terrorist and mass murderer, and kidnap and butcher a young 'The Wall Street Journal' scribe, Daniel Pearl, near Karachi just because he was a Jew, can hardly be trusted. Pakistan's nuclear threat against India may be real. (IPA Service)
Arabian Post
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Post
To Strike Or Not To Strike Pakistan Is The Big Question Before India
By Nantoo Banerjee Amazing are the ways of the Indian government and the country's political satraps to deal with frequent Islamist terror attacks on India's innocent citizens. In the last one month or so, the organized Islamist terror in West Bengal's Muslim-majority Murshidabad district had led to massive destruction and displacement of over 150 Hindu families. Within weeks of the incident came the attack on scores of innocent tourists at picturesque Pahalgam in the Muslim-dominated state of Kashmir (J&K) in another far corner of the country. The trousers of around 20 victims of the dastardly Pahalgam attack – all males – were reportedly found unzipped or pulled down by the team of officials that carried out the first examination of the 26 lifeless, bullet-riddled bodies, in what is being seen as a confirmation that Islamist terrorists had established the faith of the tourists before killing them. These terrorists are not political militants. They are jihadists, or killers of Kafirs. No words are strong enough to condemn the abominable religion-centric cruelty. Surprisingly, the Indian government is yet to act rigorously. The perpetrators of such horrific crimes are yet to be traced and brought to justice. The J&K chief minister had at least accepted his government's failure to protect the innocent tourists and told the state assembly that 'I did not know how to apologise to the families of the deceased. Being the host, it was my duty to send the tourists back safely. I couldn't do it. I do not have the words to seek an apology,' he added. However, the Indian government, which maintains around 500,000 military and paramilitary personnel in J&K, is yet to take responsibility for the Islamist massacre of Pahalgam tourists. In West Bengal, neither the state nor the central government took responsibility for the gruesome religious violence on innocent Hindu residents at Murshidabad hamlets. Instead of acting fast to teach its belligerent neighbour Pakistan, known to be a perpetual source of Islamist terror attacks on India, an exemplary lesson, the Indian government has so far been mostly into chest-thumping. India's home minister, who visited Srinagar, the J&K state capital, after the incident and convened a meeting with top security officials, wrote on social media: 'We will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences.' With India clamouring that terrorists involved in the Pahalgam massacre were from its arch-enemy Pakistan, the Indian prime minister has vowed to pursue the assailants to the 'ends of the earth.' Unfortunately, there is little action still to be seen on ground. So far, they all appeared to be empty threats. Such threats have been helping Pakistan to internationalise the issue and gather support from friends like China. India's threat to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the water flow in the Indus basin between India and Pakistan, is yet to be executed. Such an action could probably wreak havoc on Pakistan's agriculture and economy. Although several days have passed after the Pahalgam killings, there is practically no clear sign of any punitive Indian action against Pakistan except for some battle-like military drills by the Indian Navy and Air Force within the country's western and northern fronts. The military exercise has given Pakistan a handle to tell the world that it expects India to launch a military incursion soon on the country. As a result, India is now under external pressure to bite the dust. Paradoxically, almost in a similar situation on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants hurled missiles to kill hundreds of Jewish revellers, including women and children, celebrating their religious holiday, Simchat Torah, with song and music at an open setting in Southern Israel, bordering Gaza strip, the Israeli government did not waste much time to militarily attack Hamas terrorists with full force. The Israeli attack on the militants is still on, killing over 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank and southern Lebanon, so far. None of the adjoining 22 Arab countries, all members of the Arab League, came in support of Gaza militants to force Israel stop killing innocent Gazans. The Arab League members include Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen. Only Yemeni Houthis have partly supported Gaza militants. If India reacted instantly to launch military attacks on Pakistan soon after the Pahalgam massacre, Pakistan would have probably come to terms with India making promises to help trace those terrorists. India's seeming indecision on attacking Pakistan is making the matter complicated. A war-like tension between the two countries may lead to more jihadist subversions in India. Less than a year ago, in June 2024, Pakistan-linked jihadists killed nine people and injured three dozen others after they opened fire on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims. The government did little to bring the terrorists to justice. Even this time, India's response has remained limited to detentions of people suspected of supporting secessionist groups; and raids and demolitions of the homes of rebels, in Kashmir, banning all imports from Pakistan, suspending all postal services from the country and barring its ships from entering Indian ports. India has temporarily shut down tourism in parts of the Kashmir valley. It is also expelling Pakistani citizens living in India, including the families of former Kashmiri rebels who were invited as a part of a rehabilitation programme. The naked demonstration of religious killings at Pahalgam was almost instantly condemned by the United Nations and a number of countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and stressed that 'attacks against civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances.' US Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting India with his family during the Pahalgam massacre, called it a 'devastating terrorist attack.' He added on social media: 'Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack.' US President Donald Trump noted on social media the 'deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir. The United States stands strong with India against terrorism.' Other global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister GiorgiaMeloni, condemned the attack. 'The United States stands with India,' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X. If the primary function of a state is to protect the life, liberty and property of its citizens, the growing attacks on Hindus in recent months, may suggest India has practically failed in this regard. Pressure is growing on the country's prime minister and his so-called Hindu nationalist government to mount a military response to the Pakistan-backed Jihadi attack on innocent tourists at Pahalgam. The government can't escape its responsibility by merely giving 'free hand' to armed forces to respond to the Pahalgam Jihadist attack. The attack was not on the armed forces as it happened on February 14, 2019, after a suicide car bombing killed 40 paramilitary troops in Pulwama in Kashmir. The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammad. The Indian armed forces retaliated soon after with its air force heavily bombing down Jaish-e-Mohammad camps near the Pakistani town of Balakot reportedly killing 'a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis' in the region. It is time that India acts quickly and decisively against all forms of religious terrorism to protect its citizens. (IPA Service)
Arabian Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
China's Warning Against Nations Striking Trade Deals With The US Is Absurd
By Nantoo Banerjee Hit by the massive US import tariff, export-led China seems to have gone crazy as its No.1 export destination, the United States of America, has suddenly gone out of reach after US President Donald Trump's prohibitive import tariff on China. Shockingly, China has issued a warning against countries seeking to strike a broader economic deal with the United States at its expense, ratcheting up its rhetoric in a spiralling trade war between the world's two largest economies. Notably, India, the second largest trade surplus destination of China after the US, is currently negotiating with the US for a new trade deal. With India's exports to the US and imports from China reaching an all-time high in 2024-25, China is clearly worried about India's possible import trade shift from China to the US. With the US, India had a merchandise trade surplus of $41.18 billion during the last financial year while its trade deficit with China reached a record level of over $99 billion. The US accounted for nearly 19.78 percent of India's total exports and 6.29 percent of the total imports. China proved to be India's biggest avenue of foreign exchange drain as the country's trade deficit with China reached an all-time high at $99.2 billion in 2024-25. China's massive merchandise export push towards India witnessed a 17 percent export growth for China over the previous year while the country further stifled its imports from India. During the last fiscal, India's exports to China decreased by 14.5 percent, reaching only $14.25 billion, a drop from $16.66 billion in the previous year. With India now negotiating with the US for a fresh trade deal between the two countries, China is visibly upset. China has accused Washington of abusing its import tariff mechanism to corner the world's largest exporter. Beijing will firmly oppose any party striking a deal at China's expense and 'will take countermeasures in a resolute and reciprocal manner,' its Commerce Ministry said in a statement. Ironically, the threat – if China is serious about its implementation – is expected to vastly benefit India. In fact, India should raise a massive import trade barrier against China to protect its industry and local employment until China allows substantial import of goods from India on a reciprocal basis to bridge the large trade gap. The Trump administration is believed to be pressuring nations seeking tariff reductions or exemptions from the US to curb trade with China, including imposing monetary sanctions. President Trump has paused the sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries on April 2 except those on China, singling out the world's second largest economy for the biggest merchandise import levies. Over the years, increasing imports from China have seriously impacted the growth of the domestic industry and employment in the US. Now, the US seems to be determined to arrest the trend. This explains President Trump's move to raise tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent, prompting Beijing to slap retaliatory duties of 125 percent on US goods, effectively erecting trade walls against each other. 'The United States has abused tariffs on all trading partners under the banner of so-called 'equivalence', while also forcing all parties to start so-called 'reciprocal tariffs' negotiations with them,' a Chinese Commerce ministry spokesperson said. Chinese President Xi Jinping started hopping around the leading ASEAN countries with the intention of partly covering China's export loss to the US. Not many ASEAN nations are, however, seemed to be convinced as they are also suffering from increasing trade deficits with China. President Xi Jinping visited some of the Southeast Asian countries in a move to bolster regional ties, calling on its ASEAN trade partners to oppose unilateral bullying by the US. ASEAN has 10 member countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Interestingly, economic ministers from Thailand and Indonesia were recently in the US, with Malaysia set to join later last week, all seeking trade negotiations with the US administration. The trade between ASEAN and the US totalled around $476.8 billion in 2024, according to the US estimates, making Washington the regional bloc's fourth-largest trading partner. In fact, ASEAN accounts for China's largest export destination. Last year, China's exports to ASEAN reached US$586.52 billion, a 12 percent increase compared to the previous year. This growth has led to higher trade deficits for some ASEAN countries and has put pressure on local industries and employment due to the influx of Chinese goods. Increasing trade deficits with China have been haunting major ASEAN countries as in the case of India. Last year, Chinese exports to ASEAN grossed $586.52 billion (up 12 percent) while Chinese imports from ASEAN stood at only $395.81 billion. ASEAN's exports to China saw a barely two percent growth. China's export growth to ASEAN countries has led to increasing trade deficits for some of the member nations and has put pressure on local industries due to the large influx of Chinese goods. Not many ASEAN countries trust China when it comes to trade. They find the US a much reliable trading partner. Last year, total merchandise trade between the US and ASEAN countries amounted to $476.8 billion. The US imports from ASEAN were $352.3 billion, a 13.3 percent increase from the previous year, leading to a US trade deficit with ASEAN at $227.7 billion, a 11.6 percent rise from 2023. Under such circumstances, few countries are ready to take seriously China's threat to retaliate against those trying to negotiate bilateral trade and economic deals with the US. Most of the countries, including India, find the US a more reliable trading partner than China. As for India, the country's trade deficit with China has surged, reaching a record level, with imports from China far outpacing exports. China has been consistently blocking imports from India. It has also been using Nepal to push all kinds of Chinese goods into India. China has become India's top import source in various industrial product categories. With the US-China trade relation having reached its nadir, there are strong concerns about Chinese exporters diverting production to India due to US tariffs and further resorting to dumping practices. Fortunately, India and the US have already finalised the terms of the ongoing Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations, aiming for balance and reciprocity in trade relations. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, India may be the first country to sign a trade deal with the Trump administration. The trade pact is expected to boost market access, reduce tariffs, and bridge trade deficits for mutual benefits. (IPA Service)
