Kashmir terror attack: Indian Home Minister Amit Shah gives details of "Operation Mahadev"
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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Philippines, India shore up ties amid China tensions, US tariff risks
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) with Indian PM Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Aug 5. MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's state visit to India this week marked a deepening of Philippine efforts to diversify its strategic partnerships beyond traditional allies, as Manila grapples with escalating tensions in the South China Sea and economic headwinds from Washington's protectionist turn. 'Today, our relationship enters a new epoch,' Mr Marcos said in a joint media conference in New Delhi on Aug 5 as he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. 'India becomes only the fifth strategic partner of the Philippines.' The announcement came as Indian and Philippine Navy ships held on Aug 3 to 4 their first-ever joint maritime drills, notably within the Philippines' 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, an area that Beijing also claims. The timing and location of the exercises underscore the defence dimension of the new partnership at a time when China's assertiveness in the disputed waters is intensifying. Delivering rare public remarks in English, Mr Modi framed the moment in sweeping terms. He said: 'India and the Philippines are friends by choice and partners by destiny. From the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, we are united by shared values. Ours is not just a friendship of the past; it is a promise to the future.' Aligned Indo-Pacific strategies Defence analysts say the expanding security ties reflect a broader recalibration of Manila's foreign policy under Mr Marcos, who has sought to deepen ties with middle powers that share concerns over regional security but avoid great power rivalry. 'The naval drills and state visit happening at the same time was no coincidence. It's meant to project the mutuality of the interest of the two countries in the South China Sea,' said Dr Aries Arugay, a visiting senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. 'India is also asserting itself as a major power not just in Asia, but globally.' The new partnership formalises coordination that has been quietly building. In 2022, the Philippines became the first foreign buyer of India's BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in a US$375 million (S$483 million) deal – India's first major arms export. The first batch was delivered in 2024. India has also publicly supported the Philippines' legal position in the South China Sea. In 2023, in a rare move by an Asian government, it called on China to comply with the 2016 arbitral ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. 'India has become more sensitive to the security interests of its partners in South-east Asia, particularly the Philippines,' said geopolitical analyst Don McLain Gill of De La Salle University in Manila. 'So this shows you also Manila's willingness to incorporate India deeper into its security calculations.' From New Delhi's perspective, Manila is no longer just a marginal partner in Asean, said Mr C. Uday Bhaskar, a retired military official and director of the Society for Policy Studies in New Delhi. 'The Philippines is important for India... because the Philippines has a distinctive maritime relevance in the region and it has taken on a definitive stand vis- a -vis China,' he said. Manila's purchase of the BrahMos system 'gave credibility' to India's ambitions as an arms supplier. Going beyond arms sales The partnership is expected to expand beyond procurement. Philippine officials have expressed interest in India's Akash surface-to-air missile system, and talks are under way for India to import Philippine nickel, a critical mineral used in steel and defence production. 'India is also pursuing its own self-reliance efforts, and it seeks to present itself not just as a partner that sells arms, but as a partner that builds capacities,' said Mr Gill. Indian Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) P. Kumaran said both countries are exploring cooperation on submarine infrastructure, ship design and naval modernisation. This aligns with both countries' push for self-reliant defence postures. India, traditionally non-aligned, has always been wary of China, particularly since the deadly 2020 border clash in Ladakh, which froze bilateral ties. Ties are on the mend but distrust still remains high. 'If you notice, India and the Philippines represent different points in the Indo-Pacific region. From the perspective of geopolitics, it's a big deal for the two nations to have a strategic security relationship,' said Dr Arugay. While defence was the centrepiece of Mr Marcos' visit, economic diversification was also high on the agenda. Both countries have been impacted by US President Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies: T he Philippines faces a 19 per cent tariff, while Mr Trump has threatened higher duties on Indian goods over its oil trade with Russia. Delhi and Manila are working toward s a bilateral preferential trade agreement. Philippine trade with India exceeded US$3.3 billion (S$4.25 billion) in 2024 but remains modest. Mr Kumaran cited potential cooperation in seaweed farming, rice research, biofuels and renewable energy. He also said India has offered oil and gas consultancy support, noting the Philippines' high oil import bill. Unlocking soft power cooperation Beyond defence and trade, the two leaders signed agreements covering science and technology, mutual legal assistance, digital tech, outer space, and cultural and tourism exchanges. Both sides agreed to reciprocal visa-free entry for tourists, with direct flights between Manila and New Delhi set to resume later this year. 'These soft-power agreements are ways to lock in the cooperation, so it will not just be at the level of pledges,' Dr Arugay said. 'These people-to-people, socio-cultural exchanges always have the value of complementing the defence and economic deals.' The two countries also committed to regular maritime security dialogues, alternating between New Delhi and Manila – similar to both countries' arrangements with Australia and Japan. Mr Marcos' visit caps a broader strategy of hedging. With uncertainty over future US tariffs and China's pressure in the South China Sea, the Philippines is positioning itself for a world where great power competition is fluid and unreliable. 'In the end, the Marcos administration has learn t from the past that it cannot overly rely on the US for all its security and defence needs,' said Dr Arugay. 'And it's hard to get a hook on India. So this is a big achievement.'
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
India accuses EU, US of double standard over Russian trade
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox India has sharply criticised the US and the EU, saying it is being unfairly singled out by them over its Russian oil purchases. NEW DELHI - India has sharply criticised the United States and the European Union, saying it is being unfairly singled out by them over its Russian oil purchases when they both trade extensively with Moscow despite the war in Ukraine. India's criticism followed a renewed threat by US President Donald Trump on Aug 4 to raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases, deepening the trade rift between the two countries. In a rare show of unity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Congress on Aug 5 condemned Mr Trump's repeated criticism of New Delhi. India's Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued late on Aug 4 that 'it is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia'. 'It is unjustified to single out India,' the ministry said. It said the EU conducted 67.5 billion euros (S$100.34 billion) in trade with Russia in 2024, including record imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reaching 16.5 million metric tons. The United States, the statement said, continues to import Russian uranium hexafluoride for use in its nuclear power industry, palladium, fertilisers and chemicals. It did not give a source for the export information. The US embassy and the EU's delegation in New Delhi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Both the United States and EU have sharply scaled back their trade ties with Russia since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In 2021, Russia was the EU's fifth-largest trading partner, with goods exchange worth 258 billion euros, according to the EU executive European Commission. Sudden rift The sudden rift between India and the US has been deepening since July 31, when Mr Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods being shipped to the US and for the first time threatened unspecified penalties for buying Russian oil. India is one of the biggest buyers of crude from Russia, importing about 1.75 million barrels per day from January to June 2025, up 1 per cent from a year ago. Indian refiner Nayara Energy, a major buyer of Russian oil which is majority owned by Russian entities including oil major Rosneft, was subjected to European Union sanctions targeting Russia's oil and energy industry in July. India has said it does not support 'unilateral sanctions' by the EU. Trade experts say Mr Trump's tariff could badly hurt India's economy. Mr Ajay Srivastava of the New Delhi-based Global Trade Research Initiative said he expected Indian goods exports to the US to fall 30 per cent in the current fiscal year ending March 31, to US$60.6 billion from US$86.5 billion in the 2025 fiscal year. India's equity benchmarks fell after Mr Trump's renewed threat of harsh tariffs on goods from India. Mr Manish Tewari, a member of parliament and Congress leader, said Trump's 'disparaging remarks hurt the dignity and self-respect of Indians'. 'The time has come to call out this constant bullying and hectoring,' he added. BJP Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda quoted Henry Kissinger - the most powerful US diplomat of the Cold War era - in a post on X: 'To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal.' REUTERS
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
India's top court to hear Kashmir statehood plea
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Indian security personnel stand guard on a street during the sixth anniversary of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's partial autonomy. NEW DELHI - India's top court will hear a plea for the restoration of Kashmir's federal statehood later this week, court officials said Aug 5, as the region marked six years under direct rule from New Delhi. The hearing, scheduled for Aug 8 in the Supreme Court, follows an application filed by two residents of the Muslim-majority territory, where a separatist insurgency has raged for years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government in August 2019 revoked Kashmir's limited autonomy and brought it directly under federal control. The move was accompanied by mass arrests and a communications blackout that ran for months as India bolstered its armed forces in the region to contain protests. The removal of Article 370 of the constitution, which enshrined the Indian-administered region's special status, was challenged by Kashmir's pro-India political parties, the local Bar Association and individual litigants. The Supreme Court in December 2023 upheld removing the region's autonomy but called for Jammu and Kashmir, as the Delhi-administered area is known, to be restored to statehood and put on a par with any other Indian federal state 'at the earliest and as soon as possible'. 'We have moved an application seeking a definitive timeline for the restoration of statehood,' said the petitioners' lawyer, Soayib Qureshi. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 'She had a whole life ahead of her': Boyfriend mourns Yishun fatal crash victim Singapore Doctor hounds ex-girlfriend, threatens to share her intimate photos, abducts her from public street Singapore Beauty industry consumers hit by 464% rise in prepayment losses in first half of 2025 Sport S'pore National Olympic Council launches book series honouring local athletes in celebration of SG60 Singapore New cargo handling centre at Changi Airport reduces processing time; test bed for future T5 ops Singapore Over 5,900 vape products found in car at Woodlands Checkpoint Singapore 13 taken to hospital after accident involving SBS buses, car in Tampines Singapore Elderly man charged after he allegedly molested, performed sex act on 'vulnerable' man 'It has been quite some time since the court asked for it and elections have also been successfully held.' Last November, Kashmir elected its first government since it was brought under New Delhi's direct control, as voters backed opposition parties to lead its regional assembly. But the local government has limited powers and the territory continues to be for all practical purposes governed by a New Delhi-appointed administrator. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the neighbours were granted independence from British rule and partitioned in 1947. Indian security forces were deployed in force in the Himalayan territory on Aug 5, eyeing protests demanding the restoration of its special status. AFP
