WORLD THIS WEEK ALSO IN NEWS

China: President Xi and President Raisi release joint statement on bilateral relations

Philippines: Coast guards increase their presence in the South China Sea

On 17 February, the Philippines coast guards decided to bolster their presence in the South China Sea over the disputed waters. The president is also aiming to deepen the ties with Japan and US to counter the growing influence of Beijing.

On 15 February, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, Ned Price reiterated that the Taliban has made private and public commitments to not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven for those who would plot against the United States and other countries. He made this statement in response to the UN report on al-Qaeda saying, “When it comes to other al-Qaida members, including those who are in Afghanistan, our message is twofold. One, to the Taliban, the Taliban has a commitment. It has made private commitments, it has made public commitments to uphold that it does not allow Afghanistan’s territory to be used as a safe haven for those who would plot against the United States.” He added, “Our second point is that we are prepared, willing, and able to take action ourselves if the Taliban is unable or unwilling to fulfil the commitments that it has made.”

Afghanistan: Taliban’s political office in Qatar meets with Chinese special envoy

On 13 February, a Russian warship docked in Cape Town harbour as part of South Africa’s previously announced joint military drill with China and Russia. The drills are expected to run for 10 days from 17 to 27 February in the port city of Durban and Richards Bay. The South African defence ministry defended the drills after facing severe criticism for its engagement with Russia by claiming that the country has hosted similar military exercises with France, the US and other western allies previously. Africa: Ukraine to launch training programme for diplomats

On 16 February, China and Iran released a joint statement regarding Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to China, where the leaders of the two countries agreed to promote bilateral cooperation. The joint statement stressed political, security, defence, economic, educational and cultural cooperation. Chinese President Xi Jinping concurred with President Raisi on the need to maintain peace and stability in the Persian Gulf. China and Iran also agreed to expand their cooperation on trade, agriculture, industry and renewable energy.

China: Two students injured at shooting in US University

On 13 February, a gunman opened fire at the Michigan State University, injuring two Chinese students, before killing himself with the same weapon. China’s Consulate-General in Chicago strictly condemned the shooting and later reported that the Chinese students were now recuperating at a local hospital.

The Consulate-General further urged the US to protect foreign nationals living in the country and provide appropriate security to the students.

The PCG will deploy BRP Teresa Magbanua, their flagship vessel, to patrol and aid in defending Filipino fishermen. This comes to light after the Philippines accused Chinese coastguards of using ‘military grade laser light’ leading to the temporary blinding of the Philippines crew. They criticized Chinese coast guards for approaching near 150 yards to the Philippines vessel calling it a “dangerous manoeuvre”.

Australia: Officials remove Chinese-made security cameras in government offices

On 14 February, Australian officials removed Chinese-made security cameras. The defence minister announced the removal of devices from buildings and politicians’ offices owing to security concerns. There are at least 913 Chinese security cameras in over 205 Australian government buildings. The defence minister said: “make sure that our facilities are completely secure”. At least 40 securities needed to be upgraded while they are not connected to the internet, they would be removed for precautionary measure. In a similar stance, US and Britain have taken such measures to refrain from installing Chinesemade cameras in sensitive areas.

On 13 February, the Foreign Secretary of India visited Nepal officially. He met the Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Both sides discussed “various sectors, including economic and development cooperation.” On 15 February, the Foreign Secretary of India visited Bangladesh officially. He called on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Hasina and conveyed India’s commitment to the relationship with Bangladesh as a part of the Act East and Neighbourhood First policy. Both sides discussed “Lines of Credit, trade and investment, connectivity, power and energy, defence and security, and peopleto-people ties.”

Pakistan: Director-General of IAEA in Islamabad for a two-day visit

On 15 February, the DirectorGeneral of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit where he is expected to attend bilateral meetings and visit institutions using nuclear technology in the fields of health, agriculture, industry, and power generation. The Foreign Office also issued a statement on Grossi’s visit and said: “The visit will provide an opportunity to Pakistan and the IAEA to explore avenues for further strengthening their ongoing cooperation in the area of peaceful applications of nuclear technology for the socioeconomic development of the country.”

Afghanistan: US urges Taliban to uphold promises made to ensure Afghan territory is not used as a safe haven for terrorists

On 17 February, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen while speaking to Tolo News stated that he met with the Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong. He said, “We discussed the empowerment of the relations of Afghanistan with China, trade, and the provision of facilities for Afghan traders, as well as educational scholarship and the solving of Afghan students' problems and also about Chinese investment in Afghanistan and the acceleration of Chinese projects in Afghanistan.”

Turkiye-Syria: Earthquake woes continue, as death toll crosses 43,000

On 14 February, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the country has launched a “comprehensive” four-day online training programme for African diplomats, as an effort to strengthen relations with the continent. The ministry said that the agreement was reached in October 2022 during the foreign minister’s visit to Africa. Kuleba said: “During my tour, our African partners showed considerable interest in studying Ukrainian diplomatic experience.” He added: “The course developed is a continuation of the renaissance of relations between Ukraine and African countries, and will also be our practical contribution to strengthening the stability of the African continent.”

Russia: CSTO to hold military drills in Kyrgyzstan after tensions with Amenia

On 17 February, the Turkish interior ministry updated the death toll to 39,672, and Syria reported 3,688, bringing the total number to 43,360. However, it is being estimated that there is a serious undercount in Syria, and the numbers are much higher than reported. The UN has called for more aid to be mobilized for the two countries. For Syria, the UN appealed for USD 400 million and for Turkiye, more than USD one billion. UN Humanitarian Aid Chief Martin Griffiths visited Turkiye and said “people have experienced unspeakable heartache. We must stand with them in their darkest hour and ensure they receive the support they need.”

South Africa: Russian warship arrives in Cape Town for joint military drills

On 14 February, the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Joint Staff, Anatoly Sidorov stated that the forces will hold joint military exercises in Kyrgyzstan. According to the chief, the Unbreakable Brotherhood-2023 drill which is part of the complex joint exercises Combat Brotherhood-2023, will include training of mixed groups of forces Interaction-2023, reconnaissance drill Search-2023, and nuclear, biological, and chemical protection drill Barrier-2023. Initially, the drills were to be held in Armenia, however, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he deems the drills as “unjustified” because the CSTO countries refused to condemn Azerbaijan’s actions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

About the Authors

Rashmi Ramesh and Akriti Sharma are PhD scholars in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Abigail Miriam Fernandez, Avishka Ashok, Anu Maria Joseph, Apoorva Sudhakar are Research Associates at NIAS. Femy Francis is a Research Intern at NIAS.