Agni-V: India's most powerful strategic missile test-fired successfully

India's most formidable strategic missile, the over 5,000 km Agni-V, was tested from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast on Saturday morning. 

NEW DELHI: Agni-V, India's most competent strategic missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was tested on  January  31, 2015 in Odisha coast on Saturday morning. 

The 50-tonne inter-continental ballistic missile, the country's first such missile, was tested for the first time in a canisterised version. 

This was the third test-firing of the three-stage missile, as was earlier reported by TOI. 

Preliminary reports held that the test, conducted at 8.09am, was "successful" but a more detailed analysis was awaited.

It also came on the last day in office of missile scientist Avinash Chander, who contract as DRDO chief was abruptly ended earlier this month by the Modi government. 

A canister-launch system will give the forces the requisite operational flexibility to swiftly transport the ballistic missile and launch it from a place of their choosing. 

Consequently, the highly road-mobile Agni-V will be able to hit even the northernmost part of China if fired from close to the Line of Actual Control. 

Agni-V can carry a 1.1-tonne nuclear warhead over 5000 km.

Agni-V is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India.

It is part of the Agni series of missiles, one of the missile systems under the original Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

According to DRDO chief, the exact range of Agni V is "classified" or "understated" but afterwards he described Agni V as a missile with a range of 5500-5800 km.

As per Chinese reports, the controversial range of Agni 5 is stated to be around 8000 km.

An MIRV payload implies a single missile carrying several nuclear warheads, each programmed to hit different targets. - TNN 

Malaysian and Chinese relatives reject Malaysia's MH370 death declaration

More than 100 Chinese relatives of the lost passengers are requesting Malaysia take back their statement, according to posts in an online group they use. (File photo: Reuters)

SUBANG JAYA/BEIJING - Distraught relatives of passengers on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Friday called for Malaysia to withdraw its declaration that all onboard had died in an accident.

About 20 - mostly Malaysian but with some from China and the United States - gathered in Subang Jaya despite a downpour to tell reporters that "almost all families are unanimous in our stand that we do not want to declare our loved ones dead, without a shred of evidence".

"We call on Malaysia to withdraw their statement. It lacks a basis in evidence," said Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the plane, calling on authorities to apologise.

"However, almost all families are unanimous in our stand that we do not want to declare our loved ones dead, without a shred of evidence!!" 

“They gave up searching for survivors after 40 days.”

More than 100 Chinese relatives of the lost passengers are requesting Malaysia take back their statement, according to posts in an online group they use.

Family members, some of whom burst into tears as they spoke to reporters near a Buddhist temple in Beijing, said they had received little advance warning of the announcement, reported AFP. 

“Malaysia ignored the right of relatives to know the news first,” Jiang added.

Furious accusations from Chinese relatives that Malaysia had covered-up information about the loss of the flight during the 10-month investigation drew Beijing into the fray, straining bilateral ties.

Malaysia’s official declaration that MH370 was an “accident,” opens the door for compensation payments -- but several relatives who spoke to AFP said they were not interested in compensation without further investigations.

“We don’t want money. We want the truth about what happened,” said Hu Xiufang, whose only child, daughter-in-law and grandson were on the plane.

Chinese media reported on Friday that the father of an MH370 passenger died suddenly at his home just three hours after hearing the plane was missing. 

Mr Li Xiaohui, 60, whose son was onboard, had no known serious medical problems at the time of his death, a state-run outlet called The Paper reported. 

The relatives in China have formed a loose-knit group to express their demands, but China is wary of any unofficial organisations and they have met with harassment from police.

Around a dozen policemen on Friday surrounded relatives of MH370 passengers outside the temple, telling them not to speak to reporters and ordering journalists to leave the scene.

“The police stop us from speaking out, and threaten us,” added Dai Shuqin, whose younger sister was on the plane. “They bully us, that’s what Chinese police are like.” - AFP

New Rules in China Upset Western Tech Companies

HONG KONG — The Chinese government has adopted new regulations requiring companies that sell computer equipment to Chinese banks to turn over secret source code, submit to invasive audits and build so-called back doors into hardware and software, according to a copy of the rules obtained by foreign technology companies that do billions of dollars’ worth of business in China.

The new rules, laid out in a 22-page document approved at the end of last year, are the first in a series of policies expected to be unveiled in the coming months that Beijing says are designed to strengthen cybersecurity in critical Chinese industries. As copies have spread in the past month, the regulations have heightened concern among foreign companies that the authorities are trying to force them out of one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world for technology products and services.

In a letter sent Wednesday to a top-level Communist Party committee on cybersecurity led by President Xi Jinping, foreign business groups that represent major Western technology companies objected to the new policies and complained that they amounted to protectionism.

The groups, which include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, called for “urgent discussion and dialogue” about what they said was a “growing trend” toward policies that cite cybersecurity in requiring companies to use only technology products and services developed and controlled by Chinese firms.

The letter is the latest salvo in an intensifying tit-for-tat between China and the United States, which have clashed over online security during the last two years in what has begun to resemble a technological Cold War. While the United States has accused Chinese military personnel of hacking and stealing from American companies, China has pointed to recent disclosures of United States snooping in foreign countries as a reason to get rid of American technology as quickly as possible.

With China’s Internet filters increasingly creating a world with two Internets, a Chinese one and a global one, new policies could further bifurcate the tech world, with national security considerations forcing hardware and software makers to sell to either China or the United States.

Several Chinese hardware makers have run into problems in the United States after warnings from Congress about their ties to the Chinese government.

For multinationals, the Chinese market is simply too big to ignore. China is expected to spend $465 billion in 2015 on information and communications technology, according to the research firm IDC, which says the expansion of China’s tech market will account for 43 percent of worldwide tech-sector growth.

Analysts said new Chinese policies like the bank rules and an antiterror law that is still in draft form will make doing business increasingly difficult in China for foreign hardware and software companies.

“I think they’re obviously targeting foreign vendors that are operating in China,” said Matthew Cheung, a researcher at the analytics firm Gartner. “They are promoting the local technologies so that local providers who have the capabilities to provide systems to these enterprises can get more market share.”

For instance, the bank rules say 75 percent of technology products used by Chinese institutions must be classified as “secure and controllable” by 2019.

Though analysts say “secure and controllable” — an emerging buzz phrase that peppers several new Chinese technology policies — may be open to interpretation, a chart attached to the banking regulations shows the troubles foreign companies could have winning that classification for their products.

For most computing and networking equipment, the chart says, source code must be turned over to Chinese officials. But many foreign companies would be unwilling to disclose code because of concerns about intellectual property, security and, in some cases, United States export law.

The chart also calls for companies that want to sell to banks to set up research and development centers in China, obtain permits for workers servicing technology equipment and build “ports” to allow Chinese officials to manage and monitor data processed by their hardware.

The draft antiterror law pushes even further, calling for companies to store all data related to Chinese users on servers within the country, create methods for monitoring content for terror threats and provide keys to encryption to public security authorities.

Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch, said in a news release that the law was “little more than a license to commit human rights abuses.”

The rules about encryption could prove problematic for Apple, which has used new encryption methods in the iPhone 6 that are based on a complicated mathematical algorithm tied to a code unique to each phone. Apple says it has no access to the codes, but under the proposed antiterror law, it would be required to provide a key so that the Chinese government could decrypt data stored on iPhones.

In the letter, the Western companies also voiced concerns about a broader “cybersecurity review regime” under which the Chinese government would assess the “security and controllability” of hardware, software and technology services sold in China, through audits and other checks. More details about the checks will be sent to the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs, the committee led by the Chinese president, in February, according to a recent report by Xinhua, the state-run news agency.

Prompted in part by the disclosures by Edward J. Snowden, the former United States intelligence contractor, the committee is leading the charge in consolidating and streamlining cybersecurity efforts in China, and analysts said it has most likely presided over or given tacit support to the new policies.

The leadership committee is also trying to wean the country from its reliance on foreign technology, a longstanding goal that has gained urgency after Mr. Snowden’s revelations.

“Banking is the first industry where we are aware a black-and-white regulatory document was issued,” said Jeffrey Yao, a vice president for enterprise research at IDC. “In some other industries, if you talk to the customers, many of them get the pressure to adopt the local brands, but in most of the cases they are via internal communications from the top officers.”

Zuo Xiaodong, vice president of the China Information Security Research Institute, said the new policies and the broader push for indigenous innovation were not intended to eliminate foreign companies from the market.

“In reality, it’s about the core elements of Chinese information technology. We don’t really control these. We’re under the yoke of others. If the others stop services, what do we do?” he said, noting that many Chinese companies and local governments had to scramble when Microsoft discontinued its support of Windows XP. “From a security perspective, that simply wasn’t acceptable. We’re breaking away from these types of circumstances.”

But a growing number of American technology executives have complained about new barriers to access to the Chinese market. John Chambers, the chief of the network equipment maker Cisco, has raised the issue, as have executives at the chip maker Qualcomm. Earlier this week, Microsoft’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, said his company was working through “geopolitical issues.”

Even if Beijing wants it to, the banking industry can’t yet do away with all foreign hardware makers, according to IDC’s Mr. Yao. Banks purchase billions in hardware and software to manage transactions, and Chinese companies can’t yet produce some of the higher-end servers and mainframes they rely on.

Mr. Yao said 90 percent of high-end servers and mainframes in China were still produced by multinationals. Still, Chinese companies are catching up at the lower end.

“For all enterprise hardware, local brands represented 21.3 percent revenue share in 2010 in PRC market and we expect in 2014 that number will reach 43.1 percent. That’s a huge jump,” he said.

Though Chinese companies stand to benefit, the letter from foreign business groups warned that China would hurt itself if it continued to follow its current policy trajectory.

“An overly broad, opaque, discriminatory approach to cybersecurity policy that restricts global Internet and I.C.T. products and services,” the letter said, referring to information and communications technology, “would ultimately isolate Chinese I.C.T. firms from the global marketplace and weaken cybersecurity, thereby harming China’s economic growth and development and restricting customer choice.” - nytimes

IPhone Sales in China Bolster Apple Earnings

Apple has made a series of moves to compete more aggressively in China. Credit Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is famous for setting trends.

In China, though, Apple has found success by following one.

For years, Apple rivals like Samsung offered large-screen smartphones. Although the bigger phones sold well in China, Apple held off on releasing a similar model, and the country remained a weak spot. But Apple introduced its own versions last September, and now the sales spigot is wide open.

The company on Tuesday reported $16.1 billion in revenue from “greater China” — which includes mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — in its first fiscal quarter, up 70 percent from the same period a year ago. Canalys, a research firm, estimates that Apple is now the No. 1 smartphone maker in China.

The success in China helped push Apple to a blockbuster first quarter, increasing overall profit to $18 billion and revenue to $74.6 billion. In the same quarter a year ago, the company had profit of $13.1 billion and revenue of $57.6 billion.

Overall sales of iPhones shattered analysts’ predictions. Apple said it sold 74.5 million iPhones in the quarter, as many as 12 million more than expected.

Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said on the company’s earnings call that excitement in China over the new phones, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, was “phenomenal.” He also noted that the new iPhones had attracted the highest number of customers who switched from an Android device.

“It’s an incredible market,” Mr. Cook said. “People love Apple products. And we are going to do our best to serve the market.”

Not too long ago, sales of Apple products in China were slipping. Last October, Apple was the No. 6 smartphone maker in China, trailing its Asian rivals Huawei, Lenovo, Samsung, Xiaomi and Yulong, according to Canalys.

For Apple, gaining a foothold in overseas markets like China has become increasingly vital. Its growth has slowed over the last few years as the smartphone market has become saturated in the United States and parts of Europe.

Over the last couple of years, Apple has made a series of moves to compete more aggressively in China. In late 2013, it reached an important deal to sell iPhones with China Mobile, the largest wireless network in the world, with more than 800 million subscribers. The company also continues to build its operations in greater China and has plans to open 25 new stores over the next two years, adding to the 15 stores it currently operates in the region.

In 2013, Apple released the iPhone 5C, a lower-cost version of the smartphone that analysts thought would help increase its growth in China. But the latest numbers suggest that consumers in China wanted bigger iPhones, not cheaper ones.

In an interview, Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer, declined to say how many iPhones were sold specifically in China. But he said that iPhone sales in greater China were up 83 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago.

Mr. Maestri also noted that iPhone sales were still higher in the United States than in China. Some earlier news reports had predicted that Apple’s sales in China would surpass sales in the United States.

Most of Apple’s revenue in the quarter came from the Americas, where Apple reported $30.6 billion in sales. Mr. Cook recently said it was only a matter of time until most of Apple’s sales came from China.

The company’s overall revenue, almost $75 billion, easily beat analysts’ average estimates of $67.7 billion, according to a poll by Thomson Reuters. The company’s shares, which have gained more than 50 percent in the last year, rose more than 5 percent in after-hours trading.

Ben Bajarin, a technology analyst for Creative Strategies, said Apple’s earnings showed that it did not hurt for the company to be late to releasing larger smartphones.

“Everybody was saying they’re losing share — maybe they’ll never get it back,” he said. “Sure enough, there was tremendous demand. The fact that they weren’t first didn’t really hurt their customer base.”

Strong sales of Macs also contributed to the company’s growth. The company said it sold 5.5 million of the computers in the quarter, up from 4.8 million in the same quarter of last year.

But iPad sales continued to shrink. The company sold 21.4 million iPads in the quarter, down 18 percent from 26 million in the quarter a year ago.

Mr. Maestri said it had become clear that customers were upgrading to newer models of iPads more slowly than they upgraded iPhones. But he said the company was pleased with overall customer satisfaction with iPads.

“We feel confident about the future of iPad,” he said.

On the earnings call, Mr. Cook said he continued to be optimistic about the iPad, partly because there were still many customers buying iPads for the first time. Over 70 percent of people buying iPads in China are first-time buyers, he said.

Increasingly, though, the company’s fortunes rely on the iPhone. Sales of iPhones accounted for 69 percent of the company’s revenue in the quarter, up from 56 percent in the same quarter a year ago.

“A bet on Apple is increasingly a bet on the iPhone,” said Toni Sacconaghi, a financial analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. “The good news is, iPhones are great. The bad news is, right now that’s driving over 100 percent of the revenue growth of the company.”

Many investors would like to see Apple’s revenue be more diversified, which is raising some of the expectations for Apple’s coming entry into the smartwatch market.

On Tuesday, the company said its smartwatch, the Apple Watch, was set to be released in April.

Mr. Cook said he had been wearing his Apple Watch every day.

“I can’t live without it,” he said. - nytimes

US media sees geopolitical implications of Obama's India visit

Washington: Taking a generally positive view of US President Barack Obama's India visit, the US media has suggested that his personal chemistry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had opened a new chapter in India-US relations. "After years of near misses and unfulfilled promises," Obama and Modi "appear to have set relations between their democracies on a deeper, perhaps even revolutionary, path," the influential New York Times commented. 

"Part of the improvement in bilateral relations has to do with the personal chemistry between the two, which by all accounts appears warm and genuine," it said in an editorial titled "A New Chapter for America and India." Apart from "plenty of colourful symbolism" the Times said "There are strategic imperatives at work as well." 

"Both leaders need to expand their economies, and both see the other as a crucial partner in offsetting China's increasingly assertive role in Asia," it said suggesting "The potential for cooperation is considerable." 

With their talk of an "enduring commitment," Obama and Modi "have raised expectations and set a firm basis for moving forward," the Times said. But "Building a true partnership will take sustained efforts over many decades." 

The Wall Street Journal in a review titled "A US-India Nuclear Test" suggested "Obama's visit leaves Modi with a chance to show his reform chops." 

"Given the once-frosty relations between the US and India, it is worth celebrating the bonhomie displayed by Messrs. Modi and Obama this week, along with the growing cooperation between US and Indian defence planners," it said. 

"Yet protectionist policies and political dysfunction in New Delhi continue to limit India's growth as an economic and diplomatic power," the Journal said. "The latest US-Indian civil-nuclear pact is a test of Mr. Modi's ability to overcome political resistance to pro-market reforms," it said. 

CNN also wondered "Is Obama-Modi 'bromance' a turning point in US, Indian relations?" 

"The biggest takeaway from Obama's three days in India was the symbolism of the leaders of the world's two biggest democracies cozying up," it said. "But others would have seen greater geopolitical implications." 

"Unlike Obama's previous India visit in 2010, Pakistan was not a focus -- at least in public statements," the news channel noted. "Instead, India seems to be positioning itself for a more global role, playing a part in issues that go beyond its borders." 

Giving "symbolism its moment and its due," CNN suggested "Maybe it will make India a more prominent player in global issues, over time."  

"And maybe, just maybe, India and the US may move a little closer to forming the 'defining partnership' that Obama first promised in 2010," it said.

Obama's visit to India had angered Pakistan, the Los Angeles Times suggested citing Islamabad's comments lambasting the US "selectivity and discrimination" favouring rival India. 

"The comments reflected deep concern in Pakistan that Obama's heavily choreographed embrace of India and its ambitious new prime minister could jeopardise Islamabad's lucrative but troubled relationship with Washington," it said. - IANS

Can’t win climate fight without India: Obama

NEW DELHI: The US could not get a climate deal with India, but President Barack Obama on Tuesday made a strong pitch for emission cuts and said the world does not "stand a chance against climate change" unless developing countries like India cut their carbon emissions by reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

"I know the argument made by some, that it's unfair for countries like the United States to ask developing nations and emerging economies like India to reduce your dependence on the same fossil fuels that helped power our growth for more than a century," said Obama in his Town Hall address.

"But here's the truth: even if countries like the United States curb our emissions, if growing countries like India — with soaring energy needs — don't also embrace cleaner fuels, we don't stand a chance against climate change," he said in his last public speech before leaving the country.

Though India does not deny the importance of mitigation (emission cuts), the country lays greater emphasis on fighting climate change through massive adaptation measures and by moving on renewable energy (solar, wind and bio-fuels) path if it gets economically viable technology and investment.

India took this stand at all platforms and meetings ahead of Obama's visit. As a result, both the countries agreed for cooperation in renewable energy sector but did not go for the climate agreement that may factor in India's emission cut targets.

Obama, in fact, welcomed India's "ambitious targets" for generating more clean energy and promised to help the country to achieve this. He said, "We will continue to help you deal with impacts of climate change because you shouldn't have to bear that burden alone."

He also said with the breakthrough achieved during this visit, the two countries can finally move to fully implementing the civil nuclear agreement which would mean more reliable electricity for Indians and cleaner energy that helps fight climate change.

Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device. - TNN

Adviser: Oil not seen high on agenda of Obama-Salman talks

U.S. President Barack Obama stands alongside Saudi King Salman (R) after arriving on Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh on Jan. 27, 2015. (AFP)

Oil is not expected to be high on the agenda of a meeting on Tuesday between U.S. President Barack Obama and new Saudi King Salman, Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser, told reporters.

Obama, joined by a 30-member delegation of U.S. diplomats, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to pay U.S. respects after the death of King Abdullah.

Rhodes told reporters that Obama’s trip to Saudi Arabia is “an opportunity to both pay respect to the legacy of King Abdullah, who was a close partner with the United States and also to touch base on some of the issues where we’re working together with the Saudis.”

Asked if oil would feature, Rhodes told reporters: “Generally speaking, frankly, we have that dialogue with the Saudis in the channels our governments work on energy policy.”

“It only becomes a leader-to-leader conversation usually when there’s a particular crisis point. So energy and oil is certainly part of our relationship and an ongoing dialogue with Saudi Arabia. I wouldn’t expect it to be high on the agenda today.”

Obama’s trip underscores the importance of the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States, which extends beyond oil interests to regional security. Rhodes told reporters that Obama and King Salman will discuss fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the volatile crisis in Yemen, and the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear problems. Saudi Arabia is a member of the U.S.-led coalition currently fighting ISIS militants.

"We do believe that Saudi policy will remain quite similar to how it's been under King Abdullah," he said, adding Obama wanted to forge the same kind of "close relationship" with Salman as he had with his predecessor.

"They didn't always agree, they were candid in their differences, but they were also were able to do a lot of things together," he said referring to late King Abdullah.

Obama's visit comes as Washington struggles with worsening strife in the Middle East, where it counts Saudi Arabia among its few steady partners in a campaign against ISIS militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria. 

The U.S. security headache worsened last week with the resignation of Yemen's government after clashes in the capital involving Iran-backed rebels -- a setback to U.S. efforts to contain al Qaeda in that country and to limit the regional influence of Shi'ite Muslim Iran. -  Reuters

The first time a U.S. president met a Saudi King

U.S. President Obama and first lady Michelle are greeted by Saudi Arabia's King Salman as they arrive at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. (Reuters)

President Barack Obama arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday at the head of a heavyweight delegation including senior U.S. officials to meet the new Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

King Salman greeted Obama, who was accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama, soon after Air Force One touched down at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Obama, who arrived after cutting short a trip to India, was greeted by a military honor guard and later a military band played the national anthems of the two countries, which have enjoyed more than 80 years of bi-lateral relations.

King Salman headed a large reception of senior Saudi officials welcoming Obama, who has visited the Saudi kingdom as U.S. president on two previous occasions.

Obama arrived in Riyadh at the head of a large delegation, which included senior officials from past and present administrations, members of the U.S. Congress – both Republican and Democrat – and top U.S. security officials, signaling the strong ties between the two states.

Joining Obama in paying respects over the death of King Abdullah was Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived on a separate flight from Germany, as well as Republican statesmen James Baker, who served as secretary of state in the George H.W. Bush administration, and Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state for President George W. Bush.

CIA Director John Brennan, Lisa Monaco, Obama’s counterterrorism adviser and Susan Rice, the U.S. National Security adviser.

Former security officials Stephen Hadley, a former U.S. National Security adviser, and Brent Scowcroft, national security advisor to presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush were also listed as part of the delegation.

Members from both ends of the U.S. political spectrum also took part in the visit, including Democrat Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senator John McCain, who is often critical of Obama’s foreign policy.

Ben Rhodes, the U.S. deputy National Security advisor, told reporters the trip to Riyadh was an “opportunity to both pay respects to the legacy of King Abdullah, who was a close partner with the United States and also to touch base on some of the issues where we’re working together with the Saudis.”

He said the issues included the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the situation in Yemen, the Iranian nuclear negotiations and the broader U.S.-Saudi relationship, according to a White House statement.

Rhodes said his understanding was that the majority of the delegation flew from the U.S. to Ramstein in Germany, where they met up with Secretary of State John Kerry to travel to Riyadh.

He said once the U.S. learned of King Abdullah’s death it worked to put together a delegation “that represented people who had been invested in the Saudi relationship for a long time and who had known King Abdullah well.”

Officials wanted the high-level delegation to be bipartisan and contain members of Congress because of the body’s interest in U.S.-Saudi policy.

Former Secretary of State Baker was quoted by the New York Times as stressing the importance of showing Saudi Arabia how much the United States valued the relationship between the two countries.

“This is an extraordinarily critical and sensitive time in the Middle East, when everything seems to be falling apart,” he was quoted as saying on board Kerry’s aircraft.

King Abdullah died on Friday after a short illness and was succeeded by King Salman.

World leaders flocked to the Saudi capital Riyadh over the weekend to pay tribute to the late king.

Shortly after King Abdullah’s death, the White House issued a statement hailing him as a “candid” leader who “had the courage of his convictions.”

“As our countries worked together to confront many challenges, I always valued King Abdullah's perspective and appreciated our genuine and warm friendship,” said Obama.

“The closeness and strength of the partnership between our two countries is part of King Abdullah’s legacy.”

Kerry said in King Abdullah’s death, the United States had lost “a man of wisdom and vision.” -   Al Arabiya News

China Tries to Stay Aloof From a Warming U.S.-India Relationship

BEIJING — When Chinese troops provoked a standoff with Indian forces on a disputed border high in the Himalayas just before President Xi Jinping of China arrived in India last year, a pall fell over what was supposed to be a landmark visit.

That episode, emblematic of China’s recent aggressiveness in the region, recurred in the minds of some Chinese analysts over the past few days as China observed the warmth between President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India during Mr. Obama’s visit to New Delhi.

At the time of Mr. Xi’s trip in September, the Ministry of National Defense in Beijing sheepishly conceded that a Chinese incursion into Indian territory had probably occurred, and people here know that the troop movement, though small in the scheme of things, emboldened Mr. Modi to warn Mr. Xi about China’s expansionist tendencies.

There were no such lectures between Mr. Modi and Mr. Obama.

“China’s primary task is to deal with India with sophistication,” Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said this week. “But it’s not China’s talent to deal with India in this way.”

The reaction in China to the breadth of strategic and economic issues discussed by the United States and India during Mr. Obama’s visit and to their obvious, though not publicly expressed, mutual anxiety about China has been cool but controlled.

China can see that India’s steadfast policy of navigating an independent position, aloof from power plays in East Asia, is crumbling under the forceful Mr. Modi. Beijing is also aware that India’s problems with the United States, based in large part on Washington’s relationship with India’s archenemy, Pakistan, have diminished, analysts said.

But for the moment, China appears to be banking on India’s long-held position that it will not sign up as a permanent ally of anyone, including the United States.

Moreover, China has seemed eager not to be too negative about the Obama visit so as not to damage the progress, even if limited, made during Mr. Xi’s three days in India. Beijing, now anxious to play down the suspicions between it and New Delhi, sees big opportunities in Indian infrastructure and technology projects as Mr. Modi tries to kick-start the economy.

“We know India does not want to be part of a containment policy against China,” said Hua Chunying, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. “We believe that the zero-sum game belongs to the last century.”

Still, China has paid close attention to the active foreign policy of Mr. Modi, who since assuming office has cultivated not only the United States but also Japan, China’s main rival in East Asia.

China has taken comfort in its economic relationship with India, to which it sells far more than India sells to China. But during a visit to New Delhi last year, the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, outstripped China on the economic front in advance.

Mr. Xi promised $20 billion in investments in India over the next five years, something of a letdown in New Delhi. Word before his visit had put the investment at $100 billion. In contrast, Mr. Abe had already pledged $32 billion to help improve India’s weak infrastructure.

Mr. Modi enjoys an especially close personal bond with Mr. Abe — the Indian leader is an admirer of Japanese culture — and it was at Mr. Modi’s suggestion that Japan was invited last year to join naval exercises with the United States and India. Beijing was displeased.

Mr. Modi did not stop there: During his talks with Mr. Obama, he suggested revitalizing a loose security network involving the United States, India, Japan and Australia, a grouping that China views with suspicion.

For his part, Mr. Obama persuaded Mr. Modi to sign a statement that implicitly criticized China for its provocative moves in the South China Sea. India had already expressed concerns about China’s behavior in that arm of the western Pacific and is cooperating with Vietnam, another critic of China, on an oil-drilling venture in the area’s waters.

“China feels unhappy but not surprised” about India’s siding with the United States on the South China Sea, said Wu Xinbo, the director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. “Will that have any impact on China’s maritime policies? No. What India can do is not substantive in the regional situation.”

China also expressed concerns this week about Mr. Obama’s offer to support India’s membership in the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, an organization devised to ensure that civilian nuclear trade was not diverted for military uses.

India’s possible membership in the organization was part of a deal worked out between Washington and New Delhi that broke a five-year logjam preventing American companies from building nuclear power plants in India.

India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and if it joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group, it would be the only member not to have signed the treaty, which is supposed to prevent states from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“We support the group carrying out discussions on admitting new members, and at the same time we encourage India to take the next steps to satisfy the relevant standards of the group,” Ms. Hua, the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said of India’s proposed membership in the suppliers group.

For China, the biggest long-term worry about the developing relationship between New Delhi and Washington may be the advanced military technology that the United States will probably sell to India in the future, said Mr. Wu of the Center for American Studies.

At the moment, Mr. Wu said, “we don’t view India as a major threat.” But that could change with more American military sales to India.

“That will touch China’s security nerve,” he said. “The more advanced Indian capability will increase the pressure on China.” - nytimes

Obama, India’s Modi claim breakthrough on nuclear issues

NEW DELHI — President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday that the two countries have made progress toward resolving nuclear issues at the start of a three-day visit that is heavy on pageantry and symbolism.

Obama said the two countries have reached a “breakthrough understanding” that would make it easier for U.S. and foreign firms to invest in Indian nuclear power plants. Indian law holds suppliers, designers and builders of plants liable in case of an accident, making companies loath to invest in the country's nuclear plants, and the two governments have not agreed on how to track nuclear material.

The understanding, though short on specifics, moves toward resolving one of a number of nuclear-related issues that have hamstrung the countries for years and has prevented the implementation of a landmark nuclear deal reached during the George W. Bush administration.

“We’re committed to moving towards full implementation. And this is an important step that shows how we can work together to elevate our relationship,” Obama said.

The White House said the agreement was reached through a combination of insurance pools and an assurance that reducing the liability would be within the framework of the 2008 agreement. It will now be up to companies to decide whether or not to go forward with doing business in India. Officials said that, despite the law, the change would not require additional legislation in India.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh staked his first term on the landmark civil nuclear agreement, which ended India’s three decades of nuclear isolation and held the promise of billions in sales and thousands of jobs for U.S. energy companies. The U.S. government and private sector were stunned when the legislature passed the liability law. It has remained a bone of contention between the two countries for years, with both talking about ways to interpret the law that would be more amenable to large, multinational nuclear corporations.

During that time, India’s enthusiasm for nuclear power was dampened by the nuclear disaster in Japan and the difficulty of securing land on which to build nuclear reactors. Nuclear power today represents only about 2 percent of India’s total installed power capacity.

The announcement contained few specific details, and some are skeptical.

“The Indian government is going to town saying breakthrough, breakthrough, but there are a lot of questions that still remain," said R. R. Subramanian, a senior scholar on nuclear disarmament at the Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis. 

Obama and Modi said they have made progress on other issues, including climate change, saying they are committed to phasing out carbon emissions and pursuing a “strong global climate agreement” at talks in Paris later this year. The two countries reached an agreement in September to help the country shift to renewable fuels.

Asked whether the landmark climate deal with China put pressure on India to cut its emissions, Modi said that “India is an independent country." He added that "there is no pressure on us from any country or any person” but that there is pressure on all people to combat climate change.

Renewable energy is scarce and expensive here, and about 300 million people live without power. Coal power is growing rapidly.

The countries renewed their 10-year defense framework agreement and have agreed in principle to pursue co-development of weapons.

The progress was, in many ways, dwarfed by talk of the budding close relationship between the two men, which started when Modi came to Washington in September as the two countries looked to revive their stagnating relationship.

Modi broke with tradition and met Obama at the airport, giving the president a big hug after he bounded down from Air Force One. Obama was welcomed at a lavish ceremony at the presidential palace on a cool, foggy afternoon, traveling there in a limousine trailed by dozens of red-clad men on horseback and receiving a 21-gun salute. On Sunday night the president attended an extravagant state dinner. He and First Lady Michelle Obama were ushered into a great hall at the presidential palace by a military escort, announced by trumpets.

“Barack and I have forged a friendship,” Modi said earlier through an interpreter. He made a statement in English and answered questions in Hindi. “There is openness when we talk, and we even joke and share a lot together.  I think this is a chemistry which has not only brought Washington and Delhi, Barack and I, closer, but also the two peoples of the two countries closer.

The trip is one filled with symbolism that they hope will translate to a stronger relationship between the two countries. Obama is the first president to visit India twice while in office, after receiving an unprecedented invitation to be the guest at the annual Republic Day parade, which celebrates the adoption of the Indian constitution.

The personal relationship between the two men blossomed when Modi traveled to Washington in September. The two men talked over a lavish dinner, even though Modi was on a religious fast, and visited the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, where they invoked Mohandas Gandhi.

Obama visited the site that holds Gandhi’s ashes on Sunday, slowly walking around the memorial and ​throwing rose petals on it. Obama spread dirt around a sapling, watering it with a silver pitcher and said repeatedly, "big and strong."

His friendship with Modi came as somewhat of a surprise. Obama tends to be reticent among world leaders, rarely striking up friendships in the way that his predecessor, George W. Bush, did. The notable exception is British Prime Minister David Cameron, whom Obama has on occasion called “bro.”

The rapport between the two men, forged over talk of campaigning, governing and ascending politically after coming from humble backgrounds, came shortly after Modi was elected and the two countries saw the visit as a way to try to revive their relationship. It came at a time when India felt overlooked by the administration’s focus on other Asian countries -- and as the U.S. realized that it needs India as a counterweight to China.

“I think from the very beginning, there were quite a few things that actually led to that personal affinity and that ability to build rapport,” said Phil Reiner, the Senior Director at the National Security Council for South Asia.

In many ways, having Modi be the leader to advance the U.S.-India relationship is surprising, given his fraught relationship with the United States. In 2005 the State Department revoked his visa on grounds that he had violated religious freedom by not doing enough to stop Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002 while he was chief minister of the state of Gujarat. More than 1,000 people were killed.

Despite this, Modi has taken a number of pages from the U.S. playbook when it comes to campaigning and governing. Modi employed campaign tactics modeled after Obama’s, using social media and micro-targeting and displaying posters akin to the one Shepard Fairey made of Obama. In August, Modi chanted Obama’s campaign phrase, “Yes We Can,” at a rally.

“In some ways Modi is the most American-like Indian politican there’s been in years,” said Tanvi Madan, a fellow and director of the India Project at the Brookings Institution. - washingtonpost

US President Barack Obama won't see the Taj Mahal as Agra visit cancelled

NEW DELHI: In a dramatic development three days ahead of the trip to Agra, US President Barack Obama may have cancelled his trip to Taj Mahal in Agra scheduled on the afternoon of 27 January.

A senior Indian government official told ET that the US President may have cancelled his much anticipated trip to Agra. Michelle Obama would have also accompanied her husband on the trip.

The official, however, refused to cite the reason for cancellation. It is speculated that the trip may have been cancelled on security grounds.

Sources said that as it was the US which cancelled the trip, the announcement to this effect should be made by the Obama administration. The USA Embassy was not available for comments. The MEAs protocol division too did not comment on the issue.

It is rather unusual to cancel this Agra leg of Obama trip as the US pre-advance team visited Agra in December which was followed by visit of advance team last week & joint security drills as late as yesterday.  -  ET Bureau 

Barack Obama to go to Riyadh on Tuesday to meet new Saudi king: White House

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to meet with new King Salman to pay respects after the death of King Abdullah, the White House said on Saturday.

Obama is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Sunday where he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend the Republic Day parade.

He will cut short his trip, missing a planned tour of the Taj Mahal, to travel to Saudi Arabia, the White House said.

The White House had originally planned that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden would lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia, but now that Obama will travel to Riyadh, Biden will remain in Washington. - Reuters

Obama in India: US, India agree to a "new vision" for Asia Pacific

It said the two countries will "oppose terrorism, piracy, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction within or from the region."

NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama's three-day India visit begins today. Obama will be attending the Republic Day celebrations as a chief guest. This is the first time that a US President will attend India's Republic Day celebrations. On his second visit to India, he is accompanied by his wife Michelle Obama. Stay with TOI for live updates.

Seeking to enhance their strategic cooperation, India and the US today agreed to a "new vision" for Asia Pacific by deciding to advance their shared security concerns in the region.

To support regional economic integration, the two countries decided to promote accelerated infrastructure connectivity and economic development, including by enhancing energy transmission and encouraging free trade and greater people-to-people linkages.

As part of the understanding, the two sides will "oppose" terrorism, piracy and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction within or from the region.

"We have also agreed to a new vision for Asia Pacific so that we are doing more together to advance our shared security and prosperity in this critical region," US President Barack Obama said in his media statement during joint press interaction here. 

The White House later said in a statement that to support regional economic integration, India and the US will promote accelerated infrastructure connectivity and economic development in a manner that links South, Southeast and Central Asia, including by enhancing energy transmission and encouraging free trade and greater people-to-people linkages.

"Regional prosperity depends on security. We affirm the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea.

"We call on all parties to avoid the threat or use of force and pursue resolution of territorial and maritime disputes through all peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," the statement said. 

It said the two countries will "oppose terrorism, piracy, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction within or from the region." - PTI

Obama looking to leverage ties with Modi during India trip

Soldiers conduct a dress rehearsal in New Delhi on Friday for India's Republic Day parade. The capital will turn into a virtual fortress for U.S. President Barack Obama's visit this weekend, with heightened security measures in place. | REUTERS

NEW DELHI – Barack Obama will do something in India on Monday that an American president almost never does in public: He’ll sit in one place, in a foreign country, for hours.

Obama will be the official “chief guest” at India’s Republic Day parade. The first U.S. president invited to attend, his presence will signal an increasingly close relationship between partners with a sometimes prickly history.

Though presidents avoid lingering in public for security and schedule reasons, Obama will remain on a reviewing stand alongside his host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the view of thousands of spectators and a television audience of millions.

The unusual appearance, also making him the only two-time U.S. presidential visitor to India, caps a remarkable turnaround in bilateral ties since the December 2013 arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York.

“As we look forward at the kind of global priorities where we want to make progress the next two years, we literally cannot achieve our objectives without cooperation from India,” Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, told reporters earlier in the week.

For Obama, who’s scheduled to begin a three-day visit to India on Sunday, strong ties with New Delhi offer potential payoffs on multiple issues. Modi, an economic reformer elected in a May 2014 landslide, wants American cash, technology and expertise along with a potential hedge against China.

Obama’s arrival comes as the global spotlight is increasingly turned to this nation of 1.2 billion people. India next year will become the world’s fastest-growing major economy as China slows, according to the International Monetary Fund’s latest projections.

“The universe is conspiring to bring us ever closer,” said Baijayant Panda, an opposition member of parliament.

 U.S.-Indian economic ties, despite great potential, remain stunted. Total U.S. trade with China, which has approximately the same population as India, tops $560 billion, roughly nine times the size of Indo-U.S. commerce.

The two leaders will discuss defense cooperation, climate change, trade, counterterrorism and regional threats. They’ve also yet to resolve long-standing differences over the implementation of a landmark 2005 civil nuclear agreement.

Obama’s high profile in India reflects the transformation of the two countries’ relationship from the barely veiled antagonism of the Cold War, when India championed the nonaligned movement and relied upon the Soviet Union for arms. Today, the U.S. is India’s top military supplier.

Yet just two weeks later, he welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to New Delhi and sought Chinese investment alongside cash infusions from the U.S., Japan and elsewhere. In recent years, China overtook the U.S. as India’s top trading partner.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was also received warmly when he visited New Delhi last month. And India has balked at endorsing the U.S.-led sanctions on Russia following its military intervention in Ukraine.

The sudden parade invitation was only the latest unexpected move by Modi, who became prime minister in May 2014 after nearly a decade of pariah status in the eyes of the U.S. government. In 2005, the U.S. denied him a visa for his alleged failure to respond adequately to religious violence in 2002 that killed almost 1,000 Muslims in his home state of Gujarat, which he governed as chief minister. Modi denied allegations that he had failed to protect local Muslims, and a subsequent Indian government investigation later found no evidence to support the charges.

Once in power, he put aside any personal pique to focus on how the U.S. could help transform the Indian economy.

To attract investment, Modi has eased limits on foreign holdings in defense and railways and plans additional changes. Foreign direct investment of $16.2 billion in the six months ended in September was up 11 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the Finance Ministry.

Modi has wooed U.S. investors since convincing Ford Motor Co. to invest $1 billion in an auto plant outside of Ahmedabad when he was chief minister of Gujarat. During his U.S. visit four months ago, he met the CEOs of companies including Pepsico Inc., Google Inc., General Electric Co. and Boeing Co.

“For the prime minister, if India is to get out of being a developing country, there are things the Americans can help him with that no one else can,” said Indrani Bagchi, a foreign affairs commentator with the Times of India. -  .japantimes.