The India-US LEMOA comprises the encouragement of interoperability between militaries and norms for the sale of sophisticated technologies.
Towards the end of August, India and the US signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) at a meeting between India’s Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar and US Secretary of Defence, Ashton Carter, during the former’s visit to Washington. The LEMOA has been in the offing for over a decade and as described by the US, is one of the foundational agreements for military to military cooperation. The LEMOA comprises the encouragement of inter-operability between militaries and norms for the sale of sophisticated technologies. At the heart of the agreement lies the establishment of common standards and regulations for military to military cooperation.
The agreement also offers access to the militaries of both countries for refueling and logistical support covering the use of port of calls, assistance in disaster relief, training and humanitarian activities and increasing the efficacy of joint exercises. In other words, it makes a number of lengthy processes of bilateral military cooperation streamlined and therefore more effective and capable. It formalises many ad-hoc procedures. For instance, existing military and logistical collaboration is carried out on a case by case basis which is a lot more cumbersome than what will be facilitated by the LEMOA coming into practice. The LEMOA is part of the four foundational agreements that the US has encouraged India to sign. The other three include, End User Verification Agreement (which the US and India had already signed), a Communications Interoperability & Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and the Basic Exchange & Cooperation Agreement on geo-spatial services (BECA).
The agreement sparked apprehension in India among some who believe that it makes way for increased US influence and also might convey the perception that India is becoming a close military partner of the US. These were the primary concerns which provided domestic opposition and delayed the finalisation of the agreement for so many years. Regarding the first concern, it needs to be understood that the LEMOA in no way creates room for the stationing of US troops or military assets in the country — a position Delhi does not and must not allow for any external power. The agreement is essentially a logistical contract allowing greater scope for cooperation and efficiency among the militaries of both nations. With respect to the second point of concern, it has to be noted that the agreement is signed by over 100 countries which are to differing degrees allies and also non-allies of the US. That the agreement would automatically signal alliance is not statistically accurate. It is also inaccurate that India will inevitable be drawn into conflicts in which the US is involved because of this agreement.
As India enhances its bilateral and strategic relationship with the US, the LEMOA marks a new level in their political and strategic cooperation. Delhi needs to use the agreement to its benefit especially in terms of outreach to regions where it does not have a presence and in conducting operations in far seas in the Indian Ocean — an emerging area of maritime politics in recent years.
MEDIA WATCH
US, India sign military logistics agreement
The United States and India signed an agreement on August 29 governing the use of each other’s land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, a step toward building defence ties as they seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China. Welcoming the signing of the bilateral ‘Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement’ (LEMOA), Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said the pact will facilitate opportunities for “practical engagement and exchange.”
Source: The Times of India
Island standoff clouds China-Japan ties in run-up to G-20
With tensions high in the disputed South China Sea, it would seem an odd moment for Beijing to pick another territorial fight with a neighbor. Still, China chose to send more ships near Japanese-administered islets in the East China Sea in recent months, triggering a flurry of protests from Tokyo. That’s even as President Xi Jinping prepares to host global leaders including Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Hangzhou.
Source: Bloomberg
‘All will lose’: Vietnam warns of losses over South China Sea conflict
Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang warned on August 31 that there would be no winners in any armed conflict sparked by territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Quang, who is on a state visit to Singapore, told a forum that recent developments there were threatening regional security. The Vietnamese leader did not mention any country but there is growing unease over China’s actions.
Source: Hindustan Times
ONGC Videsh Ltd. to stay put in South China Sea for strategic reasons
Despite not having found any hydrocarbon, India’s ONGC Videsh Limited (ONGC) will stay put in South China Sea for exploration off the coast of Vietnam. The Vietnam government has given another extension to OVL for exploration in deep sea Block 128, which is located in contested waters, allowing India to maintain its presence there purely for strategic reasons. Beijing has in the past repeatedly warned against exploration activities in the region and has asked India to instead consider a “joint development” with China.
Source: The Times of India
Don’t mention South China Sea, Government tells ASEAN
The National Assembly will petition ASEAN officials to remove a reference to the South China Sea maritime dispute from an upcoming joint statement, officials confirmed on Tuesday, a move some analysts and diplomats say will again threaten regional cohesion. The request marks just the latest such intervention dating back to 2012. Cambodia has refused to join other Asean members in issuing statements disputing China’s sweeping efforts to assert control over waters that also are claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.
Source: The Cambodia Daily
Philippines seeks formal talks with China amid South China Sea tension
The Philippines wants formal negotiations with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation, the Southeast Asian nation’s special envoy, Fidel Ramos, said on Friday, after a meeting with former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying. Ramos was speaking near the end of a trip to Hong Kong undertaken in a bid to rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
Source: Reuters
India has to decide its stand on South China Sea: Wang Yi
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Friday said that India has to decide whether it wants to support China on the South China Sea dispute. “It is up to India what position it has to take,” Wang said in response to a question whether he is in India to seek its support on the South China Sea dispute. Wang, who is on a three-day tour to India , arrived in Goa on Friday morning to hold a meeting with Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar over BRICS Summit.
Source: The Times of India
Indonesia stresses peace and stability in South China Sea
Indonesia has reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea (SCS) to all claimant parties in the region following Vietnam’s move to fortify several of its islands with rocket launchers. Responding to media reports on Vietnam’s move to fortify the disputed Spratly Islands with rocket launchers, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said on Thursday that all parties must apply self-restraint, adding that any action by one party could result in a counter-reaction from other parties.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Vietnam moves new rocket launchers into disputed South China Sea
Vietnam has discreetly fortified several of its islands in the disputed South China Sea with new mobile rocket launchers capable of striking China’s runways and military installations across the vital trade route. Diplomats and military officers told Reuters that intelligence shows Hanoi has shipped the launchers from the Vietnamese mainland into position on five bases in the Spratly islands in recent months, a move likely to raise tensions with Beijing.
Source: Reuters
New satellite keeps eye on sea interests
China is putting its nearby waters under more effective surveillance with its newly operational high-tech satellite. Launched on Wednesday morning, the Gaofen 3 high-resolution Earth observation satellite will help the nation beef up its capabilities to safeguard its maritime interests and to help forecast and warn of natural disasters, space program officials said. The satellite was delivered by a Long March 4C rocket that blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province.
Source: China Daily
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Books
Wu Shicun and Nong Hong (Eds.), Recent Developments in the South China Sea Dispute: The Prospect of a Joint Development Regime, Routledge, August 28, 2016
Mark Barnes, The Impact of the Johnson South Reef Skirmish on the South China Sea Conflict, Grin Verlag, August 18, 2016
Commentaries
Bilahari Kausikan, The lesson Hong Kong must learn from the South China Sea, South China Morning Post, August 28, 2016
Liu Zhen, Why China’s G20 is the moment of truth for the Asian giants, South China Morning Post, August 28, 2016
Prashanth Parameswaran, The Natunas: Why Is Indonesia Developing A South China Sea Flashpoint?, The Diplomat, August 26, 2016
Jennifer Lind, South China Sea as a Chinese Lake, The New York Times, August 23, 2016
Euan Graham, The Hague Tribunal’s South China Sea Ruling: Empty Provocation or Slow-Burning Influence?, Council on Foreign Relations, August 18, 2016
Abhijit Singh, “Why the South China Sea is on the Verge of an Environmental Disaster”, The National Interest, August 13, 2016
Mico A. Galang, Philippines–Vietnam partnership can help manage South China Sea dispute, East Asia Forum, August 13, 2016
Mike Scrafton, The Real South China Sea Danger: A Brewing Security Dilemma, The National Interest, August 11, 2016
Robert A. Manning and James Przystup, A Line In the Sea, Foreign Affairs, August 10, 2016
Editor: K. Yhome
Associate Editor: Pratnashree Basu
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