Oceania

Understanding AUKUS: The Submarine Deal, Restraining China and Geopolitical Implications
Analysis, Featured, North America, Oceania, World

Understanding AUKUS: The Submarine Deal, Restraining China and Geopolitical Implications

Despite its indifference towards AUKUS, India will welcome the arrangement to support a free and open Indo-Pacific in light of the increasingly assertive attitude of China in the region. India’s concerns regarding "encirclement" by China may also be partially mitigated by AUKUS. The unparalleled rise of China has been one of the most notable geopolitical phenomena. It espouses greater ambitions, and under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, a newly assertive China is pursuing a sophisticated strategy that exploits all elements of state power to strengthen its position in the world. Across much of the Indo-Pacific region, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using military and economic coercion to bully its neighbours. This predatory conduct increases the risk of conflict. Ev...
India & Australia – Enhancing Relations at the time of Geopolitical upheavals
Analysis, Featured, Oceania, World

India & Australia – Enhancing Relations at the time of Geopolitical upheavals

India and Australia have commercial ties dating back to the 18th century when India played a central role in nourishing the young colony. Trade with Australia came to be an important element in the operations of the East India Company in Bengal. For the next half-century, Australia’s most immediate and direct links were with India rather than London, as bureaucrats, merchants, chaplains, and judges moved between the two colonies. India was an important source of food and provisions for Australia; by 1840 a ship was leaving Sydney for India roughly every four days, and merchants in Calcutta grew rich from supplying the new outpost. At the beginning of the 19th century, several British colonial families from India made a life for themselves in the new Australian colonies. Australi...
Revisiting Jacinda Ardern’s tenure – Hype vs Reality!
Featured, Oceania, World

Revisiting Jacinda Ardern’s tenure – Hype vs Reality!

As one of New Zealand's celebrated Prime Ministers, Jacinda Ardern's policies and politics have been appreciated and scrutinized the world over. Here's a look at her phenomenal political journey. Jacinda Ardern who served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand resigned from the PM post last week. This news sent shockwaves across the globe. She has been one of the most influential politicians of her time. In her resignation speech, she famously said, "I no longer have enough in the tank". Jacinda became the PM in 2017, her popularity was such that 'Jacida-mania' was a norm in the country. She ran for elections in 2017 which created a new political atmosphere in Wellington. She was known for her humane and empathetic approach. This side of her personality was seen during the Ch...
Australia to invest Rs 1500 crore in India in a big boost to the economic ties between the two countries
National, Oceania

Australia to invest Rs 1500 crore in India in a big boost to the economic ties between the two countries

The summit between India- Australia that took place in the midst of the crisis in Ukraine, which also figured in the talks between the two leaders, focused on the economic aspects of the relations between the two countries. The two leaders had earlier met in person on the sidelines of the QUAD leader's summit. Reports say that  Australia PM Scott Morrison is likely to announce investment of Rs 1500 crore in India in several sectors. Both prime ministers Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison have committed to closer bilateral ties in several sectors like trade, critical minerals, migration, mobility and education. India-Australia Economic Relations  India was Australia's first major trading partner with imports through the east india company.  The exports from Australia to India dates...
Civil unrest in the Solomon Islands: China to blame?
Oceania, World

Civil unrest in the Solomon Islands: China to blame?

https://youtu.be/7eCa27uBBc0 Many people have been killed in the violent anti-government protests in the Solomon Islands which began on 24 November 2021. During the unrest, buildings were set ablaze and shops looted by protesters angered by problems such as high unemployment and crowded housing. The unrest followed protests by residents of Malaita who opposed a decision by the government in 2019 to formally recognise China instead of Taiwan. The peaceful protests against the government's decision to recognize China over Taiwan turned violent as protesters attempted to storm Parliament. The government responded by deploying the police in which they used tear gas on the protesters and also requested neighbouring countries for support. As a result, Australia and New Zealand de...
Why AUKUS is good for India
Analysis, Asia, Featured, Oceania, World

Why AUKUS is good for India

Just days ahead of the first Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) between India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia dropped a bombshell with the announcement of another alphabet soup of acronym named AUKUS. The formation of AUKUS is to help the Southern hemisphere behemoth to get its hands on eight nuclear-powered submarines with America sharing its time-tested technology to balance the Pacific with the aim not to arm the new subs with nuclear weapons which one must take with a pinch of salt. But for Australia, this new deal means that it will now have access to information & technology sharing, integration of security in defense-related science, a...
US, Britain, Australia Nuclear submarine deal – Reshaping Indo-Pacific relations
Oceania

US, Britain, Australia Nuclear submarine deal – Reshaping Indo-Pacific relations

https://youtu.be/iW1INPwJUfc The U.S., Britain and Australia have announced they are forming a new security alliance to counter the rise of China in the Pacific. The new alliance will help equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and reshape relations in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Japan, Taiwan and Australia have been concerned about China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea and it's hegemonic attitude. With China's influence growing in the region after Afghan debacle, the US needs allies to counter the rise of China. Britain on its part seeks to reassert its global position after it left the European Union under Brexit. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new alliance would allow the three nations to focus on an increasingly complicated part o...
India and Australia agree to share low-emissions technology, hydrogen development and low-cost solar programs
National, Oceania

India and Australia agree to share low-emissions technology, hydrogen development and low-cost solar programs

Addressing the press in Washington D.C., Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters “Unless we can get the technology transformation occurring in developing countries, then I fear that the ambitions that so many have for addressing climate change will be frustrated. If we want to make a difference on climate change, we’ve got to make a difference everywhere, not just in advanced economies”, he said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a press release after the meeting said that the leaders would work to address climate change and explore clean technology. “In this regard, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environment protection,” it said. PM Modi also extended an invitation for Morrison to visit India. “The prime ministers agreed...
Over 10 million Australians ordered into snap-lockdowns as Corona virus cases rises across country
Oceania, World

Over 10 million Australians ordered into snap-lockdowns as Corona virus cases rises across country

Several Australian cities are going for snap lockdowns after reporting a spike in the number of Covid19 cases. Brisbane went in for a 3-day snap lockdown, starting June 29. Similar measures were imposed in Sydney, Perth and Darwin in recent days. Brisbane, surrounding coastal regions and the small northern city of Townsville are also subject to the latest order. The lockdown came after an unvaccinated hospital worker spent up to 10 days travelling around Queensland while infectious. Perth went in for a four-day snap lockdown after a local cluster grew to three cases. The largest outbreak was in Sydney, where 150 people tested positive for COVID-19 since mid-June, with the city’s residents now under stay-at-home orders for two weeks. In all locked-down areas, people are genera...
Japan and Australia Team up to counter unilateral attitude of China: Should India sign similar Reciprocal Access Agreements?
Analysis, Featured, Oceania

Japan and Australia Team up to counter unilateral attitude of China: Should India sign similar Reciprocal Access Agreements?

China has created unrest in the world due to its authoritarian military dictatorship and unilateral actions. It has directly attacked, threatened and ordered its neighbors and has changed land, air and water boundaries unilaterally. It has neither accepted international conventions nor respects international freedom of navigation.  Every neighbor of China feels threatened by its acts. Many countries are increasing their military spending to counter China’s military might and forming alliances to safeguard their national interests and security.  Recently Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, with Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton announced that Australian ships will be guaranteed protection if they request it from...