The Asia Hawk’s Post

Watch: What’s strategic autonomy and why is it important for India?

Let me clarify my position on India after a chaotic two days. I’ve routinely stated on the record that Modi’s foreign policy, based strictly on interests, has been quite successful—it’s now an “emerging great power.” But I still lament its utter unwillingness to support values. For example, I’ve discussed India’s “emerging great power” status here (https://t.co/aNnYAgfWF8); I’ve also advocated for India to serve as a diplomatic bridge between Russia and the West over Ukraine, via Observer Research Foundation (https://t.co/sULd7hoObN); And I’ve recently discussed the extreme fragility of the US-India partnership, which should worry everybody except Russia and China (https://t.co/fAl0QB7u6m); Lastly, yesterday I included India in an analysis on Russia’s approach to the Indo-Pacific more broadly. The problem from my vantage point is New Delhi is all too willing to accommodate, even when the policy deliverables simply aren’t there. (https://t.co/ftufXNOOaf)

Fingers crossed. All kidding aside, I assess that there's no way it would ever be as drastic as the title of the article suggests by any means due to India's consistent pragmatism, but it's nice that more people are noticing this shift as well. #questionoftheday #russian #india #geopolitics #relationships #internationalrelations https://lnkd.in/gzm6Zdxz

In a recent gathering, External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar was questioned about the competitive nature between the two Asian giants, India and China. He responded by emphasizing on the sovereignty question saying that the Chinese are free to do what they think is right for their nation and so is the case for India. In the light of economic slowdown in China, EAM Jaishankar's statement sends a signal to the world that deepening relations with India should not be taken seriously just because the world wants to diversify from China, but because India is a growing country with a vibrant future to invest in. Parent: THE GEOSTRATA #china #mea #drjaishankar #xijinping #india #security #reels #strategic #geopolitics 

Modi Muzzles Up! Why India’s Leaders Won’t Blast Biden’s ‘Xenophobic’ Slur? – OpEd  Eurasia Review, June 30, 2024   By Debashis Chakrabarti In an era where diplomatic exchanges are increasingly conducted in the public eye, the conspicuous silence from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in response to US President Joe Biden’s recent “xenophobic” remark about India has raised international eyebrows. This silence is not merely a diplomatic choice; it’s a strategic and calculated move shaped by a complex web of political, economic, and social factors. What drives this silence, and what does it reveal about India’s current political landscape? #biden#xenophobic#modi#jaishankar#humanrights

https://lnkd.in/gb3-bmnT I just came across to this video on strategic autonomy in The Hindu media organisation and and I have my rebuttle to this video. There is so much misconception regarding strategic autonomy in India. People define it just in terms of taking decisions independently as strategic autonomy; this is not strategic autonomy. Strategic autonomy means pursuit of national interests. Just the pursuit of independent decisions doesn't guarantee the pursuit of national interests. There have been many cases that show that decisions taken independently but not based on national interest have been disastrous for the country. The second is that balancing should not be just for the sake of balancing. If a country pursues a balancing approach just for the sake of balancing, it will not be able to secure its interests. Third, it is true that during a crisis there is no strategic autonomy if this strategic autonomy means taking an idealistic approach to foreign policy. But yes, if strategic autonomy is pursued realistically, then there is always strategic autonomy. For example, if a country tries to keep every other country happy and does balancing just for the sake of balancing, it is true that during a conflict situation, there won't be any country standing with it. If a country needs the support of another country, then this country should intensify its preparedness by intensifying its military engagement and getting prepared in advance by increasing its defence and security cooperation with that country. If the country thinks that it will pursue just a balancing approach by keeping all happy, then in times of crisis, there won't be any country supporting it. Addationally, there is such a misconception in India that entering into a security alliance means giving up strategic autonomy. This is again taking an ideological approach to strategic autonomy rather than defining it in terms of the pursuit of national interests. Turkey is a NATO ally, but still, it is purchasing S-400s from Russia. Every day, France bashes America. American allies don't always toe the US line. My point is simple: if a strategic alliance helps a country secure its borders and territorial integrity, it helps the country enhance its strategic autonomy. As India did in 1971, when India signed a treaty of peace and friendship with the Soviet Union to secure its national interest. Another point today is that India is not pursuing third worldism or Asian solidarity for scoring ideological points and moral leadership of the developing world. We saw what happened when India was attacked in 1962 and 1965, when no third-world country supported India. Today, India is pursuing the leadership of the global south to secure its interests rather than just become the leader of the global south for the sake of leadership.

For anybody who has a keen interest in World Geo Politics, this book is a must read specially coming from a diplomat who has had successful stints across the Globe and currently is on a mission of putting India's footprint on every nook & corner of the World. Not only it repeatedly captures the high and low level bandwidths of India's position with respect to China it also delves on the fact how we constantly are having a Friend-Foe relation with USA(even though most of the arguments between India and USA are kept under wraps). Excellent read specially if you are starting your day or ending it!

Today's Musing: Mr. Derek, what values are you talking about? You should first understand why India gets closure to Putin's Russia. The war Putin waged against Ukraine was due to the West/NATO/Biden violating their own promise post-Barlin Wall dismantling not to bark at the doorstep of Russia. They installed a dictator and human rights violator to rule Ukraine. Putin has a patriotic responsibility to protect its territory from NATO/US aggression. The US wants to sell its weapon to revive its arm industries. European countries reduced spending in defence affected the US army industries. Modi government has to keep inflation under control. This is what the West does not appreciate because they want Modi should be ousted and the Western inclined govt in New Delhi be formed so that missionary activities will be promoted. Inflation has a direct impact on elections in India where every six months there is this or that election. As India imports 80% of its fuel requirements, Modi has no option but to source it from cheaper sources. Fuel has a direct link with inflation. So Modi has a patriotic responsibility to save the country's economy from inflation and country's cultural ethos and value system from missionaries.

Can India and Japan, strategically located on opposite flanks of China, strengthen their strategic and economic bonds to counter Beijing's ambitions without provoking escalation and open conflict? had an insightful conversation with News 9 Live. Watch the full discussion here! https://lnkd.in/gFwcPkwF #IndiaJapanRelations #Geopolitics #StrategicPartnership #News9Live #indiajapan #indojapan #connectindiajapan #quad #quadalliance #chinajapan

By Sergey Lavrov* New York:  I think India is a great power, which sets its own national interests and chooses its partners. We know that India is being subject to enormous and completely unjustified pressure in the international arena. Recently, #India #SergeyLavrov