Maldives Defence Minister signs military aid agreement with China

[kurup]

then too bad for India who can only play a minor role with dealing with them and you are never that close as China enjoys with some of her neighbors.

Some of those neighbours who don't even have a military ......Good luck with your aid .

 

[SinoChallenger]

LOL at indians going bonkers from inferiority

Even if China builds a naval base in Srilanka but it ships will never be allowed to be based on Srilanka as India will not allow Chinese Navy ships to enter IOR. And one brahmos missile with CL-20 warhead will be good enough to handle these type of bases.

On the contrary if India builds a naval base in Vietnam it can easily sail their warships around near those waters citing reason that it sees those disputed water as Vietnam's area of influence, same what it is doing these days on some occurrence.

LOL at Brahahahamos. india lacks the recon to use brahahahamos beyond visual range against moving targets. It can't even be fired from aircraft. Chinese air defense destroyers can defend against a dozen simultaneous brahahahamos, nevermind just one.

 

[samv]

By the same logic even SA nation has strong trade links with India

China is Australia's biggest trading partner, in the sense that Australia exports more to China than to any other country, with more than $80 billion worth of trade between the two countries. After China it is Japan. Australia is not going to sacrifice its ginormous trade with China which is driving its economy in order to stand by India.

India is hardly the biggest trading partner of any country in South Asia barring Nepal and Bhutan if I'm not mistaken.

 

[ahfatzia]

India's clout in question as regional troubles mount & diplomatic efforts fall short


NEW DELHI -- India is a world power, so allies in the West would like to believe, but recent developments in its own backyard reveal the limits of the country's influence and still weak diplomatic force, said analysts.

Even in the historically favorable parts of its volatile neighborhood, New Delhi has suffered reversals in recent weeks, particularly in a high-profile spat with the Maldives, a tiny nation of 300,000 people.

Earlier this month, the Maldives kicked out Indian infrastructure firm GMR and cancelled its US$511 million deal to run the airport, thumbing its nose at Indian threats to cut off aid.

“The Maldives deal collapse can be considered as an isolated event, but it does cast a shadow over India's ability to take care of its economic interests in the region,” said Wilson John, who heads the Observer Research Foundation think-tank in New Delhi.

The alliance with Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed appears to be heading the way of ties with counterpart Mahinda Rajapakse in neighboring Sri Lanka, a relationship which has deteriorated steadily over the last few years.

Clashes over Rajapakse's treatment of ethnic Tamils, a politically important group in India, as well as the arrests of Indian fishermen have raised tensions.

New Delhi has also been angered by huge duties imposed on imported cars. Leading Indian business group CII believes Sri Lankan tariffs of up to 200 percent could hit 15 percent of India's car exports.

In the Maldives and Sri Lanka, some see the hand of China, which has forged ties with the governments in Colombo and Male and now offers a richer and more generous alternative to India for investment and infrastructure funding.

India's new foreign minister, Salman Khurshid, acknowledged as much last week when he said that New Delhi would have to “accept the new reality of China's presence in many areas that we consider an exclusive playground for India.”

This signaled a more pragmatic approach than his predecessor, S.M. Krishna and others in the Indian security establishment, who are alarmed by China's maritime strength and growing influence in the Indian Ocean.

“We know how to resolve our disputes with all the countries in the region. It is a slow-moving process but we are moving in the right direction,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told AFP.

“You see, we cannot send our troops to resolve them.”

In its northeastern neighbor Myanmar, India trails far behind China as the army-ruled country opens up to investment, and critics say New Delhi has been slow to react to recent pro-democracy changes.

“India is still not sure how to deal with Myanmar,” said Sujit Dutta, a professor of international conflict studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi.

“At one level India wants to do business with Myanmar, but (it) is also uneasy in dealing with the military regime.”

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is poised to benefit from further pro-democracy moves, made the barbed comment in New Delhi last month that she had been “saddened” by India's engagement with her country's ruling military junta.

Elsewhere in India's neighborhood, once described by then U.S. President Bill Clinton as “the most dangerous place in the world,” the picture is bleak with the exception of Bangladesh, where previously poor relations have improved.

A peace dialogue between India and nuclear-armed Pakistan shows few signs of making real progress and despite a warming in rhetoric Indian Prime Minster Manmohan Singh recently declined an invitation to visit Islamabad.

In the deadlocked and dysfunctional politics of Nepal the ruling Maoists, who are closer to China and instinctively anti-Indian, still hold sway while even tiny Bhutan is starting to see the benefits of closer ties with Beijing.

“Small neighboring countries find India's attitude to be very bossy,” said analyst John. “They prefer China because it does not openly get involved in domestic affairs. Their tilt towards China cannot be denied.”

Despite problems in the region and its tiny diplomatic service comparable in size to that of Singapore, India is looking to spread its commercial and diplomatic presence further afield with a “Look East” policy aimed at east Asia.

Such ambitions are being encouraged by the United States and other Western backers who see democratic India as a natural ally in Asia and a future counterweight to China.

But while U.S. President Barack Obama hailed India as a fully fledged “world power” during a visit in 2010, the country's might in global affairs and ability to bring its size to bear remain in question.

India's clout in question as regional troubles mount & diplomatic efforts fall short - The China Post

 

[jbond197]

^^
Chinese mouthpiece articles. Do they ever talk about China's backyard? Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, South Korea and every country in East Sea are angered by constant bullying of China and it's act of trying to grab other countries land illegally.

 

[ahfatzia]

^^^I'm surprised a veteran like you would say China Post is a China mouthpiece. On the contrary the paper is anti China and besides the writer is from AFP if you look into the link.

 

[Viet]

India's clout in question as regional troubles mount & diplomatic efforts fall short

NEW DELHI -- India is a world power, so allies in the West would like to believe, but recent developments in its own backyard reveal the limits of the country's influence and still weak diplomatic force, said analysts.

India's clout in question as regional troubles mount & diplomatic efforts fall short - The China Post

I admit having underestimated China´s diplomacy. In contrast to their childish policy in East and South East Asia, the Chinese do smart moves in South Asia. India shall think how to counter.

 

[Spring Onion]

Defence aid is a preempt by China to counter setting up of American base in Maldives.. But let's see what happens next? US is very close anyways in Diego Garcia..

Before Us-Indo nuclear deal Diego Garcia was the one that was giving Indian pangs in the past.

Not a good idea to put your eggs in Diego Garcia basket

 

[Anony]

We have missiles of diferent ranges,besides.you try to stop Chinese naval ships and see what's gonna happen.

Ask your navy ships to enter IOR first. Then only we can stop them. Till now they have never shown that courage. Yes ofcourse one incident when they managed to come in 100km inside but was finally chased out.

 

[Viet]

correct me if I m wrong,my understanding of this sentence is that Vietnam will allow Indian ships to use their port facilities,no where mentioned an Indian navy base construction was granted in this report.

You are right: no foreign military bases on Vietnamese soil!
Vietnam allows all foreign ships (including Chinese warships) to be docked and received maintenance. As key strategic partner only Russian vessels receive privilege access to Vietnamese ports.

This is the current policy. However, that can be changed or modified if security situation for us changes.

 

[ahfatzia]

I admit having underestimated China´s diplomacy. In contrast to their childish policy in East and South East Asia, the Chinese do smart moves in South Asia. India shall think how to counter.

Childish policies? Perhaps only Aquino and the forumers in here think so, certainly not the think tanks in Washington and Tokyo or your country's political elites. They know exactly what China's aims are and are doing everything possible to counter them, including world wide propaganda. Sure there are some inter agency snafus, like the passport thing and the intended boarding searches in SCS, but both can be easily mended. For the former the central government simply are not using such passports and, for the latter, the order from the top is 'don't do it' but leave an option if situations are called for.

Aside from the local levels China didn't spend trillions of dollars to educate her young generations in the past few decades for nothing. Now those young guns are matured and are contributing in every area.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Yup, just as I thought. The full containment strategy of India is in full effect. This is the first step in a multi-step process where the final step is building military bases in these countries. You just watch.

Well done CPC!

And do u think these isolated bases will be of any help in a war?These tiny enclaves will be cut off and obliterated by IN and IAF.

LOL at indians going bonkers from inferiority

LOL at Brahahahamos. india lacks the recon to use brahahahamos beyond visual range against moving targets. It can't even be fired from aircraft. Chinese air defense destroyers can defend against a dozen simultaneous brahahahamos, nevermind just one.

Don't worry ,1 squadron of sukhois with barhmos at andaman is enough to paralyze any chinese entry attempt to the IOR through malacca.

 

[timetravel]

Indian Partners - Japan, Vietnam, US, Russia, South Korea, Australia, Nato

and Chinese finding solace and showing bravado in having some support from countries like north Korea, maldives, sri lanks

 

[Viet]

Childish policies? Perhaps only Aquino and the forumers in here think so, certainly not the think tanks in Washington and Tokyo or your country's political elites. They know exactly what China's aims are and are doing everything possible to counter them, including world wide propaganda. Sure there are some inter agency snafus, like the passport thing and the intended boarding searches in SCS, but both can be easily mended. For the former the central government simply are not using such passports and, for the latter, the order from the top is 'don't do it' but leave an option if situations are called for.

Aside from the local levels China didn't spend trillions of dollars to educate her young generations in the past few decades for nothing. Now those young guns are matured and are contributing in every area.

Well, I see things a bit different as you probably know. China´s diplomacy may score success in South Asia, but not in East Asia and South East Asia where you have to compete with Japan and Vietnam respectively. We know how to play the game. Cambodia is a only field where both sides clash regulary, and it is still not decided who will win.

Sure, Uncle Sam is seen as a master and peacekeeper in the region. Everybody knows the US has own agenda too. It is just funny to see how Chinese media soften the tone towards Japan after Abe won.

Childish policy? yes, and it is a dangerous game what China plays currently.

 

[blood]

while india plays big with countries like japan , south korea and russia ,china is happy with puny nations like sri lanka and maldives