The Week That Was – 19 December
December 15, 2010 by Team SAI
Filed under Uncategorized
Wen Jiabao’s Visit
“China and India are partners for cooperation, not rivals in competition,” he said. “There is enough space in the world for the development of both China and India and there are enough areas for us to cooperate.”
Key events in Sino-Indian relations CNN
China succeeds in blasting new tunnel across Arunachal to impact Wen-Singh talks TOI Indian observers said the new 3.3 kilometer tunnel, which connects a 117-km long highway to Bomi country, provide additional support to Chinese armed forces. The move is bound to aggravate India’s worries as Motuo is the point where the Brahmaputra enters India.
The official CCTV television carried reports of celebration with workers dancing and tossing around in the tunnel but did not mention that it was next door to India.
Wen brings up stapled visas, doesn’t promise solution TOI Not India but Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao raised the contentious stapled visa issue and suggested ‘in-depth’ consultations between the two sides to resolve the issue.
Pak wall splits India, China HT Finally, it was the P-word that popped up as a roadblock. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s response to the issues India considers its “core concerns” was perceived by his hosts as inadequate even though his visit yielded significant success in the area of bilateral trade. Wen, whose trip was expected to normalise relations between the two countries, which have spent the last year-and-a-half sparring over issues ranging from Beijing’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh to the damming of the Brahmaputra to reported incursions by Chinese soldiers into Indian territory, failed to allay New Delhi’s concerns that Beijing is increasingly subscribing to Islamabad’s position on Kashmir.
Disputes shadow China-India PM talks Dawn Talks on the border issue have yielded no progress, and India fears China is becoming more assertive about its territorial claims.
India, China sign $16 bn deals HT Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao gave a thumbs-up to large fund flows and deals between China and India on Wednesday as he arrived with 300 industry leaders in tow for a visit that aims to build trust through trade. “It is necessary to ease restrictions concerning approval procedures, capital flow and entry and exit of people, thus creating more favourable conditions for mutual investment,” Wen told corporate captains at a meeting organised jointly by the three apex chambers — CII, FICCIand Assocham. Shortly after his 10-minute address, Indian and Chinese companies signed 49 deals worth $16 billion (R70,000 crore).
India and China sign six agreements ANI Video
China says won’t give up on Pak, signs $35 bn worth deals TOI
US won’t object to N-deal between Pakistan and China: US envoy TOI
Chinese premier, Indian PM reach consensus on bilateral, int’l issues XINHUA Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to promote bilateral relations.
Chinese military buildup far exceeds its defensive needs: US Indian Express ‘Many of China’s newly acquired capabilities go well beyond what might be needed in nearby waters.’
China’s military a global concern: Japan TOI Japan needs to focus on the rise of China and not the Cold War threat of Russia in defining its security goals, according to new defense guidelines announced Friday.
Af Pak
The Afghanistan Review NYT There is not a lot of comfort or clarity to be found in President Obama’s strategy review of the war in Afghanistan.
Obama repeats ‘do more’ mantra Dawn “Progress has not come fast enough, so we will continue to insist to Pakistani leaders that terrorist safe havens within their borders must be dealt with.”
Obama trumpets U.S. gains in Afghanistan CNN
President Barack Obama asserted Thursday that the United States is making significant progress in the nine-year war in Afghanistan, but warned that the conflict “continues to be a very difficult endeavor.”
We are “on track to achieve our goals” of disrupting, dismantling and defeating al Qaeda and eroding “its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future,” he said. The gains, however, are fragile.
The president noted, among other things, that there has been a “successful increase” in the recruitment and training of Afghan forces due partly to the July 2011 deadline set by the administration to start withdrawing the U.S. military.
Obama says U.S. on track to achieve goals in Afghanistan Xinhua U.S. President Obama on Thursday said the United States is on track to achieve its goals in Afghanistan, but the achievements made there are “fragile and reversible.”
U.S.: Afghan gains “fragile,” “reversible”
U.S. intelligence blasts Afghanistan war
‘Gains remain fragile and reversible’ CNN From a strictly military point of view, this sentence in President Barack Obama’s review of the Afghan war may be the most critical. U.S. and coalition forces can’t turn over security to Afghans if local security forces can’t hold an area — and that’s the key to U.S. forces coming home.
The spy who came into the heat TOI Long-time U.S “ally” Pakistan has broken the spy world’s unwritten compact by publicly identifying the CIA Station Chief in Islamabad in an act that has sent ripples through the American espionage community, including the famed Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
The split in Pakistani and American interests NYT David Ignatius. Can Pakistan do any more to fight insurgents?
Could there be a Tet Offensive in Afghanistan? NYT George Will Could the Taliban match in Afghanistan what North Vietnam achieved in 1968?
Rethink ‘fight then talk’ in Afghanistan CNN By Patrick Doherty, Special to CNN Now it is time to pivot the strategy to “fight, build and talk.” Security for the Afghans is still absolutely necessary. But at the same time, we must work with our partners to devise and put into play a viable political and economic agenda for the country. For our mission to succeed, Afghans must be willing to fight for a future they believe in and can trust.
Administration’s next big Afghan battle: How many troops to withdraw
(By Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Scott Wilson, The Washington Post)
Taliban Extend Reach to North, Where Armed Groups Reign NYT By ALISSA J. RUBIN The growing fragility of the Afghan north highlights the limitations of the American effort, hampered by waning political support at home and a fixed number of troops.
On Borrowed Time President Obama and his advisers must do more to secure a commitment from Islamabad to go after the Taliban
US sticks to July for Afghanistan pullout start TOI
US on track to achieve its goals in Af-Pak region: Obama TOI
Intelligence Reports Offer Dim Views of Afghan War NYT As President Obama prepares a strategy review, two reports say there is a limited chance of success unless Pakistan hunts down insurgents.
US wants North Waziristan operation, but will wait Dawn ”We would like them to move tomorrow, but we understand they’re telling us honestly about the capacity of their military.”
Afghan Report Exposes a Split Over Pullout Timelines NYT
The White House report on Afghan strategy was notable as much for what it did not say as what it did, reporting military gains but also acknowledging their fragility.
US committed to partnership that is supportive of Pakistan’s interests: White House - Associated Press of Afghanistan: “The White House on Thursday said the U.S. is steadfast in its commitment to an enduring partnership with Pakistan that is supportive of the South Asian country’s interests as the Obama Administration noted ‘significant progress’ in dismantling al-Qaeda along Pakistan’s Afghan border. … According to a summary of the annual review the U.S. would continue the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, and sustain senior level engagement including an exchange of visits by Presidents Obama and Asif Ali Zardari. The document describes Pakistan as being central to efforts to defeat al-Qaida and prevent its return to the region. ‘We seek to secure these interests through continued, robust counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency cooperation and a long-term partnership anchored by our improved understanding of Pakistan’s strategic priorities, increased civilian and military assistance, and expanded public diplomacy.’”
US Afghan war review is propaganda: Taliban - The Nation, Pakistan: “The Taliban on Friday rejected the review of President Barack Obama’s year-old war strategy in Afghanistan, saying that it has failed on both the military and the civil administration fronts.
Steady in Afghanistan
THE SALIENT conclusion of the Obama administration’s review of the Afghan war is that it is too early to tell whether the strategy that the president announced a year ago is working. President Obama was appropriately cautious in his summary Thursday, saying that while “we are on track to meet our…
(The Washington Post)
Iran
Suicide bombers kill at least 38 in Iran TOI
Food For Thought: A Dimension to Nuclear Warfare Jerusalem Post ‘Stuxnet virus set back Iran’s nuclear program by 2 years’
December 16
Bangladesh to honour 226 Indians for role in 1971 ‘Liberation War’ TOI
The liars collective Dawn Is the Pakistani media becoming a chaotic hub of agency men who are willing to lie to protect their patrons?
Related articles
- B’desh embassy to mark V-Day (thehimalayantimes.com)
- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to visit India, Pak (ibnlive.in.com)
- China tunnel links last isolated county to highway (sfgate.com)
- China, India hope to build trust amid tensions (cnn.com)
- China, India appeal for deeper ties, not tensions (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- The west’s Chindian nightmare unfolds (ftalphaville.ft.com)
- “Let’s be sensitive to each other’s concerns” (thehindu.com)
- India, China agree to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion – The Hindu (news.google.com)
