DPG Indo-Pacific Monitor
Indo-Pacific Monitor
Authors Commodore Lalit Kapur (Retd.)
Date: July 02, 2024
Indo-Pacific activity was at relatively low key during the month, with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the G7 Summit, taking up diplomatic attention.
Elections in India returned Prime Minister Modi and the National Democratic Alliance to power with a reduced majority. India’s international activity picked up after elections, with Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visiting Sri Lanka and the UAE.
In other regional elections, Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected President of South Africa on June 14 with the support of the Democratic Alliance and other parties, after his African National Congress failed to obtain a majority.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to North Korea on June 18-19, signing a comprehensive partnership treaty under which the two countries pledged to assist each other in the event of an external attack. He also visited Vietnam on June 20, signing 11 memorandums of cooperation in areas ranging from civil nuclear cooperation to energy and education.
US National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan undertook his twice postponed visit to India for the annual review meeting of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) on June 17. An ambitious and expansive Joint Statement was issued on the occasion.
In the South China Sea, tensions between China and the Philippines escalated following a Philippines’ submission seeking an extended Continental Shelf before the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, and a navy-led attempt to resupply its outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal.
Exercise RIMPAC 2024 commenced off Hawaii on June 27. The US, Japan and ROK carried out the first edition of Exercise Freedom Edge from June 27-29, bringing to fruition an agreement during the trilateral Camp David summit in August 2023.
The first group of Australian submarine workers proceeded to Pearl Harbour for training on maintenance of Virginia Class submarines on June 22. Australia also approved the life extension of its Collins Class submarines on June 5, with the first boat scheduled to commence in 2026.
These and other developments are covered in this Indo-Pacific Monitor Vol. V, Issue 6. To read, please see the PDF attached.
Elections in India returned Prime Minister Modi and the National Democratic Alliance to power with a reduced majority. India’s international activity picked up after elections, with Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visiting Sri Lanka and the UAE.
In other regional elections, Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected President of South Africa on June 14 with the support of the Democratic Alliance and other parties, after his African National Congress failed to obtain a majority.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin paid a state visit to North Korea on June 18-19, signing a comprehensive partnership treaty under which the two countries pledged to assist each other in the event of an external attack. He also visited Vietnam on June 20, signing 11 memorandums of cooperation in areas ranging from civil nuclear cooperation to energy and education.
US National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan undertook his twice postponed visit to India for the annual review meeting of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) on June 17. An ambitious and expansive Joint Statement was issued on the occasion.
In the South China Sea, tensions between China and the Philippines escalated following a Philippines’ submission seeking an extended Continental Shelf before the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, and a navy-led attempt to resupply its outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal.
Exercise RIMPAC 2024 commenced off Hawaii on June 27. The US, Japan and ROK carried out the first edition of Exercise Freedom Edge from June 27-29, bringing to fruition an agreement during the trilateral Camp David summit in August 2023.
The first group of Australian submarine workers proceeded to Pearl Harbour for training on maintenance of Virginia Class submarines on June 22. Australia also approved the life extension of its Collins Class submarines on June 5, with the first boat scheduled to commence in 2026.
These and other developments are covered in this Indo-Pacific Monitor Vol. V, Issue 6. To read, please see the PDF attached.
