The Indo-Pacific Digest
Abhishek Kumar
Hello and welcome to the Indo-Pacific Digest, a weekly newsletter about geo-political and geo-economic developments in the Indo-Pacific region. The newsletter primarily covers the region's emerging dynamics and makes our readers aware of what the stakeholders are doing in their respective domains.
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US Military to conduct Military Exercise in Indo-pacific.
(Reuters) On Friday, a senior US military source said that 4,000 soldiers, largely from Indonesia and the United States, will perform a combined military exercise next week to highlight "the significance of a free and open Indo-Pacific area."
The Annual "Super Garuda Shield" exercise occurs amid a backdrop of heightened tensions with China over the latter's growing aggressiveness in the region, which the United States described as "much larger in scope and size than prior exercises."
The regional exercise, which will take place on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan from August 1 to 4, will also include troops from Singapore, Australia, and Japan participating in the first time.
NATO's First Chair of the Military Committee attended the Indo-Pacific Chief of Defense Conference
(NATO) Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, attended the 24th Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Conference in Australia from July 25 to 27, 2022. He met with the Vice-Chief of Defence of the Republic of Korea, the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, and the Chiefs of Defence of the NATO Partners Australia, Japan, and Mongolia on the sidelines of the meeting.
The conference, hosted by the US Indo-Pacific Command in collaboration with the Australian Defense Forces, intends to give participants a place to discuss shared security problems, strengthen bilateral ties, and promote security cooperation. The themes for this year concentrated on regional changes, the effects of climate change, new technology, and the regional implications of the war in Ukraine.
"As the first Chair of the NATO Military Committee to ever attend this conference, it was a great honor to be included, but it also demonstrates the new reality that global problems require global solutions. We could share very interesting perspectives on common issues we are all facing. Destabilizing situations in the Indo-Pacific can easily affect the Euro-Atlantic Region and vice versa. Only by working together can we tackle these threats and work on viable and lasting solutions", Said Admiral Bauer.
Admiral Bauer discussed the region's persistent maritime difficulties with Admiral Chris Aquilino, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, concerning freedom of navigation and sea lines of communication.
Ketagalan Forum 2022 held in Taipei
(Central Tibetan Administration) The Ketagalan Forum—2022 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue was co-organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Prospect Foundation and took place in Taipei on July 26. The event aimed to improve communication and cooperation with all pertinent parties to maintain and advance peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
Representative Bawa Kelsang Gyaltsen from the Office of Tibet was there, along with other notable guests such as Chen Tan Sun, the chairman of the Prospect Foundation, who gave the welcome address. The forum was virtually addressed by TSAI Ing-Wen, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and former President Behgjet Pacolli of the Republic of Kosovo. It was chaired by Tien Chung Kwang, Deputy Minister of MOFA. Other distinguished guests and experts were from relevant countries like Canada, France, Singapore, Germany, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The forum, divided into four panels, deliberated on the new cold war between democracy and authoritarianism, responses to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the Indo-Pacific order, and how the US-China rivalry and sanctions on Russia are affecting and reshaping the global economy. Additionally, The forum will feature a dialogue among Taiwanese, US, and Japanese lawmakers, underscoring the importance of trilateral cooperation.
The discussion at the forum, which was divided into four panels, focused on the new cold war between democracy and authoritarianism, responses to the Indo-Pacific order's effects on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and how the US-China rivalry and Russian sanctions are affecting and reshaping the world economy. A discussion between politicians from Taiwan, the US, and Japan was also included in the conference, highlighting the value of trilateral collaboration.
United States Indo-Pacific Commander visits RAAF Base in Amberley, Australia.
(Australian Government Defense) Admiral John C. Aquilino, the Commander of American military operations in the Indo-Pacific, paid a visit to RAAF Base Amberley on July 31 while in Australia for the 24th Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense (CHODs) conference.
As part of the Enhanced Air Cooperation (EAC) initiative, US personnel from the 509th Bomb Wing were stationed in Australia. Admiral Aquilino met with top Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) officials.
Air Commodore David Paddison CSC, the Commander of the Combat Support Group (Australia), welcomed the Commander of the US forces in the Indo-Pacific from the RAAF.
To build on a wide range of long-standing air exercises and training engagements conducted between Australia and the US, the EAC program was launched in February 2017.
To facilitate seamless cooperation between the Australian Defence Force and US air elements, EAC wants to further develop air-to-air integration between them. Through exercises and training operations, it also gives Australia and the US the chance to strengthen their relationship with regional partner air forces.