While Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto was the frontrunner to win Presidential elections, very few expected him to win by a big margin. Days after the win Indian PM reached out to Prabowo sending him congratulatory message. Prabowo reciprocated by agreeing to further strengthen Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Prabowo is keen to purchase BrahMos missiles from India. Indonesia’s close neighbour Singapore is also hoping to maintain cordial ties with Subianto who signed defence agreement with the city state in 2022. Meanwhile, countries in the Indo-Pacific region are continuing with their initiatives to counter balance China. The head of a Japanese Defense Ministry expert panel said on Feb 19 that the nation’s planned 43 trillion yen ($290 billion) defense outlays for five years from the current fiscal year 2023 may be insufficient, citing recent price surges and a weaker yen. An Indian delegation was in Philippines to showcase its homegrown military technologies and equipment and explore defense industry tie-ups that would boost Manila’s defence modernisation efforts. Tensions are also rising in Taiwan Straits. Chinese coast guard personnel briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat near Taiwan-controlled islands next to China’s coast on Feb 19. This comes as Taiwan signed a NT$2.49 billion (US$79.2 million) deal with France to upgrade its Lafayette-class frigates. However, Singapore Defence Minister advocated that a conflict in Asia must be avoided at all costs. In an interesting move South Korea and the Netherlands on Monday (Feb 19) launched a dialogue on the semiconductor industry. Meanwhile at the Munich Security Conference last week the top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) countries have condemned North Korea’s arms transfers to Russia, calling it a direct violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
ANI | 19th February 2024
Indonesia’s newly-elected president, Prabowo Subianto, on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his congratulatory message and agreed to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between both countries to greater heights. He further emphasised that he looks forward to working closer with PM Modi.
The Economic Times | 18th February 2024
The emergence of Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto as the next president augurs well for Jakarta’s strategic partnership with New Delhi, given that he has shown keen interest in India’s defence capabilities and social security schemes, according to experts. Subianto had contested the presidential polls in 2014 and 2019, but never won. This time round, the 72-year-old former Special Forces commander has cornered enough votes to be sworn in as the next President of Indonesia. The army veteran has been a votary of strong ties with maritime neighbour India, and has been keen to purchase BrahMos missiles for the country. In 2020, notwithstanding the Covid-19 pandemic, Subianto flew to India to meet his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, eyeing expansion of defence partnership, sources said.
Prabowo’s experience as defence minister a boon for Singapore-Indonesia ties: Experts
The Strait Times | 18th February 2024
On Nov 21, 2023, a week before starting his campaign to be Indonesia’s next president, Mr Prabowo Subianto was in Singapore to receive the nation’s highest military award. In a statement about Mr Prabowo’s Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera), or Distinguished Service Order (Military) award, Singapore’s Ministry of Defence had highlighted how it was under him that the Defence Cooperation Agreement, an important document that strengthens the security relationship between the two countries, was ratified. The 2022 agreement that Mr Prabowo, 72, helped shape “represented a significant milestone in bilateral defence relations”, said Mindef. It added that he had made significant contributions to strengthen the close and long-standing bilateral defence relations between Indonesia and Singapore, and promoted closer collaboration.
Japan’s $290 billion defense spending plan still insufficient: experts
Kyodo News | 19th February 2024
The head of a Japanese Defense Ministry expert panel said Monday (Feb 19) that the nation’s planned 43 trillion yen ($290 billion) defense outlays for five years from the current fiscal year 2023 may be insufficient, citing recent price surges and a weaker yen. The spending plan is already much larger than in past years to address security threats from China’s military buildup and North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. But the panel’s head, Sadayuki Sakakibara, cast doubt on whether the government can strengthen its defense posture under the plan.
Indian industry delegation visits Philippines to boost defence modernisation tie-up
The Economic Times | 16th February 2024
An Indian delegation is currently in Philippines to showcase its homegrown military technologies and equipment and explore defense industry tie-ups that would boost Manila’s defence modernisation efforts. At the Indian Embassy-organised defense industry seminar in Philippines Makati City on Friday (Feb 16), 18 Indian companies showcased a number of defense items, ranging from aircrafts, drones, helicopters besides artificial intelligence-based technologies.
China coast guard boarded Taiwan tourist boat near front-line islands, says Taipei
Strait Times | 19th February 2024
Chinese coast guard personnel briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat near Taiwan-controlled islands next to China’s coast on Feb 19, the government in Taipei said, in an escalation of tensions after China said it would carry out regular patrols.
South China Morning Post | 19th February 2024
Taiwan has signed a NT$2.49 billion (US$79.2 million) deal with France to upgrade its Lafayette-class frigates, as the island’s military seeks to counter growing threats from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Observers said the upgrade, which will focus on combat systems, was a necessary move as the French-made warships had long been known for their poor defence capabilities. However, they might still be no match for the PLA, according to a Taipei-based analyst.
Conflict in Asia must be avoided at all costs: Ng Eng Hen
The Strait Times | 18th February 2024
The world cannot afford a conflict in Asia and it should be avoided at all costs, said Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen. He added that it will be in multilateral forums and via diplomatic solutions that such conflicts are pre-empted. Dr Ng was speaking on Feb 17 at the 60th Munich Security Conference in Germany, an annual high-level security conference that brings together heads of government, defence and foreign ministers, parliamentarians, military leaders, and security experts from around the world.
S. Korea, Netherlands launch semiconductor dialogue
Yonhap | 19th February 2024
South Korea and the Netherlands on Monday (Feb 19) launched a dialogue on the semiconductor industry in an effort to boost bilateral cooperation on the advanced sector, S Korea’s industry ministry said. The two nations held the inaugural meeting of the director-level Korea-Netherlands Semiconductor Dialogue in the Dutch city of Eindhoven on the day, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
G7 foreign ministers strongly condemn N. Korea’s arms transfers to Russia
Yonhap | 18th February 2024
The top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) countries have condemned North Korea’s arms transfers to Russia, calling it a direct violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan and the High Representative of the European Union issued the statement amid persistent speculation that the Sept. 13 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Russian spaceport might have led to an arms deal. The foreign ministers “also expressed their deep concern about the potential for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea or any Russian transfers to North Korea of conventional weapons or other dual-use items,” according to the statement issued after the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
