DPG Indo-Pacific Monitor
Indo-Pacific Monitor
Authors Commodore Lalit Kapur (Retd.)
Date: November 30, 2024
Elections in the US on November 05 resulted in a decisive victory for Donald Trump. His Republican party also gained control of the Senate and retained its majority in the House of Representatives.
In other elections, Dr. Navin Ramgoolam was elected Prime Minister of Mauritius on November 10. In Sri Lanka, Harini Amarasuriya was appointed Prime Minister following the decisive victory of the National People’s Power coalition led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on November 14.
Shigeru Ishiba was designated the 103rd Prime Minister of Japan following voting in the Diet on November 11. He leads a minority government, indicating a period of political instability lies ahead for Japan. While Ishiba’s agenda is heavily focused on domestic issues, his initial remarks on foreign policy indicate possible changes in Japan’s outlook.
The Philippines introduced a new Maritime Zones Act on November 08, specifying its territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. China condemned the move, describing it as an attempt to enshrine the “illegal” South China Sea arbitration award into domestic legislation, and asserting that the Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands were indisputably China’s territory.
The Philippines also brought into force a new Archipelagic Sea Lanes Actto which China responded on November 10 by promulgating the baseline for the Scarborough Shoal and renaming what it claimed were Chinese islands in the Spratly group.
On November 27, a Russian spokesperson stated that if the US places Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles in Japan, it would retaliate by deploying short range and intermediate range missiles in East Asia.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto visited Beijing from November 08-10. Outcomes included commencement of defence and security cooperation, including exercises between the two countries, and an implicit acknowledgement of the existence of a dispute over maritime boundaries in South China Sea in modification of a long-held Indonesian position.
Prabowo followed up with a visit to the US from November 10-13, signalling a desire for equidistance in Indonesia’s relations with China and the US.
Presidents Joe Biden of the US and Xi Jinping of China met on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Lima on November 16. China’s readout of the meeting was marked for its prescriptive lessons, while the US highlighted both convergences and differences.
Leaders of the G20 met in Rio de Janeiro on November 18-19. Their joint statement focused on Brazil’s priorities for its presidency: social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty; sustainable development, climate action and the energy transition; and the reform of global governance institutions. Amongst meetings on the sidelines were the second Australia-India Annual Summit, an India-Italy Summit, and the second US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Summit.
ASEAN defence ministers met in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on November 20, followed by a meeting of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus on November 21. India was represented by its Defence Minister, who also met his Chinese and American counterparts on the sidelines.
Vietnam and Malaysia upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership on November 21. Malaysia and South Korea elevated their relations to a strategic partnership on November 25.
Japan and Italy concluded an agreement for reciprocal provision of supplies and services between their armed forces on November 25.
Three flight tests during the month spoke of India’s advancing missile programme. A long-range land attack cruise missile was tested on November 12. This was followed by the test of a long-range hypersonic missile on November 16. On November 27, India reportedly tested the K4 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile from INS Arighaat.
India and Japan concluded a Memorandum of Implementation for the co-development and co-production of the UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) mast in India on November 16.
The maiden Russia-Indonesia naval exercise took place off Surabaya from November 05-08. An exercise between the Russian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy took place off Sattahip on November 26.
Australia announced on November 25 that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Mogami class and ThyssenKrupp Marine System’s Meko A200 designs had been short listed for its future frigate programme.
These and other developments are covered in this Indo-Pacific Monitor Vol. V, Issue 11. To read about them, please see the PDF attached.
In other elections, Dr. Navin Ramgoolam was elected Prime Minister of Mauritius on November 10. In Sri Lanka, Harini Amarasuriya was appointed Prime Minister following the decisive victory of the National People’s Power coalition led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on November 14.
Shigeru Ishiba was designated the 103rd Prime Minister of Japan following voting in the Diet on November 11. He leads a minority government, indicating a period of political instability lies ahead for Japan. While Ishiba’s agenda is heavily focused on domestic issues, his initial remarks on foreign policy indicate possible changes in Japan’s outlook.
The Philippines introduced a new Maritime Zones Act on November 08, specifying its territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. China condemned the move, describing it as an attempt to enshrine the “illegal” South China Sea arbitration award into domestic legislation, and asserting that the Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands were indisputably China’s territory.
The Philippines also brought into force a new Archipelagic Sea Lanes Actto which China responded on November 10 by promulgating the baseline for the Scarborough Shoal and renaming what it claimed were Chinese islands in the Spratly group.
On November 27, a Russian spokesperson stated that if the US places Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles in Japan, it would retaliate by deploying short range and intermediate range missiles in East Asia.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto visited Beijing from November 08-10. Outcomes included commencement of defence and security cooperation, including exercises between the two countries, and an implicit acknowledgement of the existence of a dispute over maritime boundaries in South China Sea in modification of a long-held Indonesian position.
Prabowo followed up with a visit to the US from November 10-13, signalling a desire for equidistance in Indonesia’s relations with China and the US.
Presidents Joe Biden of the US and Xi Jinping of China met on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Lima on November 16. China’s readout of the meeting was marked for its prescriptive lessons, while the US highlighted both convergences and differences.
Leaders of the G20 met in Rio de Janeiro on November 18-19. Their joint statement focused on Brazil’s priorities for its presidency: social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty; sustainable development, climate action and the energy transition; and the reform of global governance institutions. Amongst meetings on the sidelines were the second Australia-India Annual Summit, an India-Italy Summit, and the second US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Summit.
ASEAN defence ministers met in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on November 20, followed by a meeting of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus on November 21. India was represented by its Defence Minister, who also met his Chinese and American counterparts on the sidelines.
Vietnam and Malaysia upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership on November 21. Malaysia and South Korea elevated their relations to a strategic partnership on November 25.
Japan and Italy concluded an agreement for reciprocal provision of supplies and services between their armed forces on November 25.
Three flight tests during the month spoke of India’s advancing missile programme. A long-range land attack cruise missile was tested on November 12. This was followed by the test of a long-range hypersonic missile on November 16. On November 27, India reportedly tested the K4 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile from INS Arighaat.
India and Japan concluded a Memorandum of Implementation for the co-development and co-production of the UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) mast in India on November 16.
The maiden Russia-Indonesia naval exercise took place off Surabaya from November 05-08. An exercise between the Russian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy took place off Sattahip on November 26.
Australia announced on November 25 that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Mogami class and ThyssenKrupp Marine System’s Meko A200 designs had been short listed for its future frigate programme.
These and other developments are covered in this Indo-Pacific Monitor Vol. V, Issue 11. To read about them, please see the PDF attached.
