News Story: Indian firing kills 1 Pakistani civilian: Pakistan's army

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan's army said that at least one civilian was killed and four others injured in Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region on Wednesday.

"Indian troops resorted to unprovoked fire along LoC in Nikiyal Sector targeting civil population with heavy weapons including mortars and anti-tank guided missile (ATGMs)," a statement from the military said.

"Pakistan Army troops responded effectively on posts undertaking firing. Reports of casualties to Indian troops and material," the statement said.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC in the disputed Kashmir region and the Working Boundary in 2003. Both, however, routinely accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Chinese ships sail near disputed islands with Japan

Chinese coast guard vessels sailed near disputed islands claimed by Japan and China in the East China Sea on Monday, marking the second such incident in less than a week.

The four ships entered the waters surrounding the island chain, controlled by Japan and known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in China, at around 10:00 am (0100 GMT) and were moving in a southwest direction, according to the Japanese coast guard.

An online statement from China's State Oceanic Administration only said the four Chinese coast guard vessels were "patrolling in Chinese waters off the Diaoyu Islands."

Japan's coast guard said it was the second time since Thursday that four Chinese ships had entered its waters.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: Shifting tactics - China advances 'four sha' claim in South China Sea

Click Image to Enlarge

By Patricia Lourdes Viray

MANILA, Philippines — Shifting away from its nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea, Beijing has forwarded a new sovereignty claim over the island groups in the disputed waters.

China's "four sha" (Chinese for sand) claim covers sovereignty and maritime entitlements from four island groups in the South China Sea—the Pratas Islands, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands and the Macclesfield Bank area—according to a report from The Washington Free Beacon.

The Pratas Islands are occupied by Taiwan while the Paracel Islands are being disputed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Parts of the Macclesfield Bank are being claimed by China and Taiwan.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing territorial dispute between China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam over the ownership of the Spratly Islands.

According to the report, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has laid its new tactic to assert its claims over the disputed sea in a closed-door meeting with US State Department officials last month.

International law experts Julian Ku and Christopher Mirasola, however, said that China's four sha claims are no more lawful than its nine-dash line claim.

"The challenge for critics of Chinese claims in the South China Sea, however, will be effectively explaining and articulating why this shift does not actually strengthen China’s legal claims in the South China Sea," Ku and Mirasola said in an article published by Lawfare.

In July 2016, the United Nations-backed tribunal invalidated the nine-dash line claim and ruled that Beijing violated its commitment under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Story: Raziq Says Pakistan Positioning Insurgents Along The Durand Line

Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq (2015)

By Anisa Shahid

Pakistan has big plans for Afghanistan, has established large insurgent training camps on both sides of the Durand Line and have stationed militants along the de facto border, Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq told TOLOnews on Monday. 

Raziq also accused Iran, along with Pakistan, of supporting, equipping and training insurgents and said Pakistan is Afghanistan’s enemy. In line with this he called on the international community to increase pressure on Islamabad.

“They (Pakistan) have positioned terrorists on both sides of the Durand Line; they train them there and want to have control over the southern region and along Afghanistan’s shared borders with Iran and Pakistan. They want to weaken government and are involved in drug smuggling, the control of mines and with the money they earn in this way, they create terrorist centers here and finance them,” said Raziq.

According to him, Pakistan aims to transfer Quetta Council, known us Quetta Shura, to southern Helmand province where Taliban leaders and their families will be based.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Australia, Japan and India Look to South China Sea

HMAS Adelaide and her escorts leave Sydney for Exercises

By Noel Tarrazona

Three major countries in the Asia Pacific region are expected to continue to make their naval presence felt in the South China Sea amid the Philippine’s softening sovereignty stance in the disputed waters. 

Australia, Japan and India are all making moves in the region at a time when the Philippines is softening its stance, collaborating with China in oil and gas exploration and accepting the increasing presence of Chinese vessels within its exclusive economic zone.

Tokyo has just announced that  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an exclusive security meeting with India’s leader Narendra Modi to finalize a maritime security cooperation deal in response to the growing naval presence of China in the South China Sea.

With this development, the Indian external affairs ministry along with Japan’s counterpart  met with  U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in New York to discuss how to assert the freedom of navigation and respect for international law in the global maritime.

Earliser this year, Japan has sent a helicopter-carrying warship into the South China Sea after making a port call in Vietnam, and the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore has noted that Japan plans to continue to deploy  low-key patrols in Southeast Asia waters. Institute analyst Le Hong Hiep says that India is also looking at Vietnam as its entry point for establishing presence in the South China Sea. 

Read the full story at MarEx

News Story: Two Children Killed In Cross Durand Line Shelling By Pakistan

Pakistan Army A100 Rocket Launcher

At least two children were killed and three others were wounded in fresh rocket shelling from Pakistan on Thursday. 

The rockets landed in Nazian district in Nangarhar province – which lies along the Durand Line, the de facto border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

Nangarhar governor’s spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said Pakistani military has restarted the cross Durand Line incursions and has fired off dozens of rockets into Afghanistan recently. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Top brass of Pakistan, India speak after cross-border shelling of civilians

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and Indian military officials on Friday spoke after Indian cross-border shelling killed at least six civilians and injured 26 others on the Pakistani side, Pakistan's army said.

The army said earlier that Indian forces shelled Pakistani areas on Thursday along the border on the eastern Punjab province.

Special hotline contact was established between Pakistani and Indian director generals of military operations, and the issue of deliberately targeting Pakistani civilians was raised, an army statement said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Firing on Kashmir border claims civilian lives on both sides

NEW DELHI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- With no let up in skirmishes on Line of Control (LoC) and international border (IB) dividing Kashmir, the civilians on both sides of the divide continue to bear the brunt.

On Thursday evening, the two sides exchanged fire in Arnia, Ramgarh and R S Pura sectors along the International Border in Jammu and Samba districts.

According to police, the firing wounded four civilians, besides damaging several houses.

"Four civilians were injured in the firing," a police spokesman said. "The firing also perished cattle besides damaging residential houses."

The spokesman said authorities have evacuated around 800 civilians to safer places.

Meanwhile, four civilians including two women were killed on Pakistani side in Charwah sector on Thursday.

Read the full story at Xinhua

Related Story:

• 6 civilians killed, 26 injured in Indian firing: Pakistani army

News Story: Japanese city eyes change in name of disputed islands

NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- A city in the southern Japanese island prefecture of Okinawa said Thursday its mayor plans to propose changing the name of a group of islands over which it has administrative authority to officially include "Senkaku."

Ishigaki Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama is pushing for the name change of the Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea. The islands are currently known as "Tonoshiro, Ishigaki city," and the plan is to explicitly refer to them as "Senkaku, Ishigaki city."

The uninhabited islets, known as Senkaku in Japan and called Diaoyu by Beijing, are at the center of a territorial dispute between Japan and China.

Nakayama will submit the proposal to the city assembly for discussion during its regular session in December, and the name change is likely to be approved.

The mayor on Tuesday revealed his plan to change the islands' formal name. "I want the (plan) to be presented to the assembly for sure so that the formal address will now contain the (Chinese characters) 'Senkaku,'" he said.

The islands, located between Okinawa and Taiwan, which also claims the islands it calls Tiaoyutai, are said to be close to oil fields beneath the sea floor.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Story: China jabs back at Trump's barb over South China Sea

Beijing hit back Wednesday at US President Donald Trump's veiled criticism of its territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea, countering that the United States was a greater threat to sovereignty.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump decried "threats to sovereignty" in Ukraine and the resource-rich South China Sea, without explicitly mentioning Russia or China.

"We must uphold respect for law, respect for borders, and respect for culture, and the peaceful engagement these allow," Trump said.

China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, and has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The United States has conducted three "freedom of navigation" operations near islands held by China to challenge Beijing's maritime claims since Trump took office in January.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Story: India, Pakistan LoC skirmishes kill trooper

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- An Indian army trooper was killed Wednesday during skirmishes between troops of India and Pakistan on Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, police said.

The trooper was killed along LoC in Keran sector of frontier Kupwara district, about 130 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: China Claims to Have Arrested Japanese Spy

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced the arrest of a Japanese citizen who is suspected of espionage. The arrest occurred close to the border between China and North Korea.

Ken Higuchi was arrested in the port city of Dalian, Liaoning province, less than 200 miles from the China-North Korea border. The Dalian City National Security Bureau is probing Higuchi to determine if he is a spy against China or not.

Monday is Respect for the Aged Day, a national holiday in Japan where non-essential government workers have the day off. As such, the Japanese Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the arrest.

In March, China detained six Japanese nationals under suspicions of espionage. Like Higuchi, the men were arrested in port cities. Three of the detainees claimed that they were doing geological research into Chinese hot springs, and they along with a fourth man were released in July. The other two remain in custody.

News Story: India, Pakistan troops exchange fire on Kashmir border

by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The troops of India and Pakistan exchanged heavy fire and shelling on Monday for the fourth-straight day on the International Border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said.

The exchange of fire was reported along the IB in Arnia area of R S Pura sector of Jammu, the winter capital city of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Pakistani troops again violated the cease-fire by firing mortars and resorting to heavy firing in Arnia sector along the IB last night. The shelling targeting Indian positions and civilian areas started around 9:00 p.m. (local time) and was intermittently going on since then," a police official said.

According to Indian officials, the border guards posted in the sector effectively retaliated to the firing and the exchange of fire continued for several hours.

No casualty was reported on the Indian side in the fresh exchange of fire, officials said.

On Saturday night a woman was killed and five others wounded in Arnia sector.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: China Objects to Japanese Investment in India's 'Disputed' Northeastern Frontier

In a marked departure from traditional policy, India has opened up the northeastern frontier region to foreign investments, but China says the border is “disputed” and until a resolution is agreed upon, the involvement of third parties would not be welcomed.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – A day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wrapped up his two-day India visit, promising enhanced bilateral strategic and economic ties, including stepping up investments in the remote northeastern states of India, China’s Foreign Ministry took the chance to remind India about its claims over the region.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China is against any foreign investments, including from Japan, in India’s northeast region and is opposed to any third party’s involvement in resolving its border disputes with the country.

“You also mentioned the Act East policy. You must be clear that the boundary of the India and China border area has not been totally delimited. We have disputes on the eastern section of the boundary,” Chunying said during a regular media briefing in Beijing.

News Story: India-Pakistan border skirmishes kills border guard on Kashmir border

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- An Indian border guard belonging to Border Security Force (BSF) was killed Friday during skirmishes between troops of India and Pakistan on International Border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said.

The exchange of small arms and artillery was reported along the IB in Arnia area of Ranbir Singh Pura sector of Jammu, the winter capital city of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"The firing is still going on," the officials said.

On Wednesday night, three border guards were wounded in a similar exchange. Indian border guards also claimed killing two Pakistani rangers.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: 5 years after nationalizing Senkakus, Japan still looking for solutions with China

As the Japanese and Chinese governments both show signs of working to repair relations, the territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands remains a delicate issue as Japan marked the fifth year since its nationalization of the islets in Okinawa Prefecture.

"There is no doubt both historically and under international law that the Senkaku Islands are a part of Japan's territory," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga at a press conference held on the fifth anniversary of the nationalization of the islands on Sept. 11. Of the Chinese government ships that repeatedly sail into Japanese waters around the islands in protest, Suga said, "The repeated incursion into our territorial waters is truly regrettable. We would like to handle the situation firmly and calmly."

After Japan nationalized the Senkakus, incursions into the waters around the Senkaku Islands by China Coast Guard ships became regular, and in November 2013, the Chinese government designated an air defense identification zone as guidelines for scrambling fighter jets in the East China Sea that included the airspace above the islands. Since then, Chinese government ships -- remodeled naval vessels -- also began appearing in the waters nearby, and in June 2016, the Chinese military sailed a naval ship into the contiguous zone near the Senkaku Islands for the first time.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

Think Tank: More than just about Belt and Road - does China hold territorial ambitions in Central Asia?

Connor Dilleen

During a speech at the National Press Club in August, the political leader of the Tibetan diaspora, Lobsang Sangay, speculated that China may use the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to seize territory in the same way that it used a road project in Tibet as the first step in taking control over the country.

While Sangay’s claim was likely intended to draw attention and sympathy to Tibet, it provides an interesting perspective from which to assess China’s relationship with its Central Asian neighbours and the scale of BRI investments in the region.

As noted by Geremie Barme, a former head of the ANU’s Centre for China in the World, in a rebuttal of Sangay’s comments, for China ‘Tibet was about resources, while it sees most of the rest of the world as markets’. China is investing heavily in BRI projects across Central Asia, and much of that investment is focused on exploiting local resources and developing critical transportation hubs, rather than pursuing domestic markets. Thus, Central Asia potentially fits Barme’s ‘Tibet’ characterisation rather than the ‘market’ model.

But China’s investment in Central Asia carries significant risks, and those risks give rise to questions about China’s risk calculus in Central Asia. Barme’s riposte to Sangay—which contained an interesting point on the extent of China’s imperial ambition and China’s willingness to pay the price associated with such ambition—potentially sheds some light on what China’s risk calculus may be.

News Story: Japanese PM expects progress in concluding Japan-Russia peace treaty

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Japan have agreed to continue dialogue and sign a peace treaty in the foreseeable future, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday.

"The most important thing for Japanese-Russian relations is the conclusion of a peace treaty, (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin said so during his visit to Japan. This time, we came to a new resolution to sign a peace treaty with our own hands," Abe said following talks with Putin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held here.

The Japanese prime minister said he and Putin had also agreed to have another meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Vietnam in November.

"We intend to maintain dialogue with him, taking advantage of every opportunity," he said.

Earlier at the plenary session of the EEF, Abe urged the two countries to improve bilateral ties and end the abnormal situation concerning the long-delayed peace treaty.

"A number of things that Russia and Japan could not achieve over the last 70 years were set to motion in the past single year. And if we continue our steps forward for another year and then another after that, then we will see a bright future in which the potential of Japan-Russia relations will be fully revealed," Abe said.

Towards this end, Russia and Japan must put an end to "the unnatural state of affairs" of still not having a peace treaty, he said, adding that the two countries should try and carve out a new era for bilateral relations.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: India's army chief says China 'testing limits' after stand-off

India's army chief has said his country must be prepared for war and accused China of "testing our limits", days after the nuclear-armed neighbours ended one of their worst border stand-offs in decades.

General Bipin Rawat said India could not afford to be complacent and should be prepared for the possibility of an all-out war.

"As far as our northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles has started," Rawat said late Wednesday at a Delhi-based think-tank, in reference to China.

"The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner... testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations which could gradually emerge into conflict."

"Whether these conflicts will be confined or limited in space and time or whether these can expand into an all-out war along the entire front (remains to be seen)," the Army chief said.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: Army Chief - India Must Be Ready for War on 2 Fronts

India’s army chief has warned the nation to be prepared for a possible two-front war — with China and Pakistan — at the same time.

General Bipin Rawat warned China would continue its efforts to “nibble away” at India’s territory, as it did during a recent standoff in the Himalayas that ended last week. He said more incidents like the standoff at Doklam plateau in Bhutan could lead to a larger conflict on India’s northern border.

If that were to happen, Rawat warned, it is possible Pakistan would seize the opportunity to strike its arch nemesis from the west.

“We have to be prepared for conflict on the northern and western borders,” he said.

“As far as our western adversary is considered,” he said in reference to Pakistan, “we don’t see any scope of reconciliation because their military, the polity, and the people in that nation have been made to believe that India wants to break their country into pieces.”

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since both nations gained independence from Britain 70 years ago. India and China have also fought once since then.

All three nations are nuclear powers, but Rawat said that will not necessarily be a deterrent.

“Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence. Yes, they are. But to say that they can deter war or they will not allow nations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true,’’ he said.

Rawat made the comments at a seminar organized by the Center for Land Warfare Studies, a New Delhi-based think tank.

This story first appeared on Voice of America & is reposted here with permission.