India’s Proximity Archives

South Asia 
During his official visit to China from December 2nd to 5th, Nepal’s Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli met with President Xi Jinping and held bilateral discussions with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The meeting between Nepal and China resulted in the signing of nine agreements, including an agreement for the construction of the Tokha-Chhahare tunnel, an agreement to enhance Nepal-China trade, and a commitment to provide USD 20 million in cash assistance. In a statement, President Xi Jinping highlighted Nepal’s importance in China’s regional diplomacy, affirming Beijing’s willingness to collaborate with Kathmandu to push for progress in their strategic partnership. Although the joint statement expressed a willingness to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network (THMDCN) and the BRI cooperation framework “as soon as possible,” both nations have yet to set a firm date for signing the revised BRI deal.

Southeast Asia
Philippine and Chinese Coastguards have reported conflicting versions of a maritime confrontation around the contested Scarboroough Shoal in the South China Sea, the latest row in a longstanding dispute between the two neighbours. On December 3, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Chinese Navy and Coastguard vessels had taken “aggressive actions” against a routine patrol by it and the fisheries bureau. In a statement the PCG spokesperson said that the Chinese Coastguard fired a water cannon at a PCG vessel “aiming directly at the vessel’s navigational antennas,” The incident follows a diplomatic spat in November after China drew baseline "territorial waters" around the shoal, which Beijing claims as Huangyan Island. 

East Asia
In an unprecedented move, South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared “emergency martial law” in an unannounced television address on December 3. He accused the opposition of sympathising with North Korea and paralysing the government with anti-state activities. After the declaration of martial law, South Korea plunged into political turmoil, with parliament swiftly rejecting the move and protests erupting across the nation. Yoon's own party leader, Han Dong-hoon, the National Assembly speaker opposed the move and declared the measure invalid. In a rapid response to the martial law declaration, the South Korean National Assembly convened and voted unanimously to reject the martial law order. This vote effectively nullified the president's decision. Martial law was withdrawn within six hours of announcing it. It was the first time since 1980 that martial law was declared in South Korea. 

West Asia
The Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into the city of Aleppo in Northwest Syria on November 30, marking its first major assault on President Bashar al-Assad's regime since 2020. Syria has redeployed its army in the region while the Russian Air Force conducted airstrikes in Aleppo and Idlib in support of the Assad regime. In a joint statement issued on December 1, the US, UK, France, and Germany emphasised the need for de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and a Syrian-led political solution to the conflict in accordance with UNSCR 2254.

Central Asia
On November 28, Kazakhstan hosted a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), including a meeting involving the leaders of the Russia-led military alliance’s member states. Following the meeting, the heads of state inked 14 separate documents, including a declaration in which they declared their commitment to develop further the CSTO and their intention to continue interaction between member states. The members approved the Declaration of the Collective Security Council. 

Indian Ocean Region
On November 28, 2024, the Ministries of Defence of India and the United Kingdom signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) in Portsmouth for cooperation on design and development of an electric propulsion system for the Indian Navy. This agreement was part of the third Joint Working Group Meeting of the Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership. The SoI establishes a framework for co-design, co-creation, and co-production of electric propulsion capabilities for future naval vessels, including Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) that are planned to be constructed at Indian shipyards.