Indo-Pacific Monitor
Fighting on the Thailand-Cambodia border erupted again on December 08, as the truce overseen by US President Trump on October 26 broke down. The Defence Ministers of the two countries agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on December 27. This continued to hold despite reports of Cambodian intrusions with drones over Thai territory on December 29.
Terror reared its head in Australia on December 14, when a father-son duo opened fire on people celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, killing 15 persons and injuring 27 others. Australia moved to tighten its gun laws in the wake of the incident.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin visited India for the 23rd India Russia Annual Summit on December 4-5. The driving impulse of this summit was economic cooperation, and there were no major announcements regarding defence and security cooperation.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman from December 15-18, enhancing bilateral ties with all three countries.
India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu in Sri Lanka during the first week of December in response to the devastation caused by cyclone Ditwah. The operation reaffirmed India’s status as the first responder in regional humanitarian contingencies.
French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by an 80-strong business delegation, made his fourth state visit to China on December 3-5. He called on Chinato address unsustainable trade balances and provide fairer market access.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto visited Moscow on December 10 and met Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders explored enhanced ties, including in the sectors of nuclear power, military technical cooperation, agriculture and industry.
The Trump administration notified Congress of its intent to sell arms worth more than $11 billion to Taiwan on December 17. In response, China launched exercises simulating a full blockade of Taiwan on December 29, and announced sanctions against several US defence firms.
China’s Coast Guard vessels attacked Filipino fishing boats at Sabina Shoal with water cannon on December 12, causing damage to the boats and injuries to crew.
The Pentagon completed its review of AUKUS and intends moving full steam ahead on providing nuclear submarines to Australia. AUKUS defence ministers met at the Pentagon on December 10 and reiterated their commitment to ensuring long-term success of the partnership
As the Gaza ceasefire held and Houthi attacks stopped, container vessels were reported to have begun returning to the Suez Canal route for their passage between Europe and Asia.
Quad activities continued, with the Quad Counter-Terrorism Working Group meeting at New Delhi on December 4-5, the US hosting an annual Quad HADR tabletop exercise and strategic meeting in Honolulu from December 2-5, and the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network conducting a field training exercise at Guam on December 16.
The US National Defense Authorisation Act was signed into law by President Trump on December 18. It envisages a total expenditure of $900.6 billion for defense, including $291 billion for operations and $234 billion for personnel.
Japan’s cabinet approved a supplementary budget request including an additional ¥ 1.1 trillion (about $ 7 billion) for defense in FY 2025-26 on December 03. On December 26, the cabinet also approved a budget request of ¥122.3 trillion ($ 783 billion) for FY 2026-27, including ¥8.8 trillion ($56.4 billion) for defense. Both requests have to be approved by the Diet.
An unnamed official in the Takaichi cabinet sparked a debate on Japan’s nuclear status on December 18 by saying that Japan needs nuclear weapons because of a worsening security environment. Although Japan’s Cabinet Secretary clarified that Japan’s nuclear policy had not changed, the debate continues.
China’s Customs Agency announced that the country’s trade surplus for goods and services had reached $ 1.08 trillion through November. This is the first time that China’s trade surplus has crossed $ 1 trillion, that too despite US sanctions.
India successfully tested the K-4 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile, with a range of 3500 Km, on December 24. China tested the YJ-20 hypersonic missile from a Type 055 destroyer for the first time on December 28.
These and other developments are covered in this Indo-Pacific Monitor Vol. VI, Issue 12. To read about them, please see the PDF attached.
