International relations are and must be guided by cold pursuit of national interests, not emotions. Many mango Indians get influenced by emotions when it comes to Russia, US, Pakistan, rather than being guided by national interests. Relations are a means to pursue national interests, relations are not the end in itself.

If there is downgrading of economic ties between Taiwan & China as a punishment,which is likely, India must look to gain from it as Taiwanese companies look for alternatives. It’s not just semiconductors & electronics, but a whole lot of manufactured goods. Make for India & World OTOH, It will make strategic sense for Taiwan to try and deepen economic relations with India, which benefits India in terms of technology and manufacturing.

https://twitter.com/YusufDFI/status/1554757475685265409

India is the only country which not only has commie Left, but also some commie Right! The Left rightly gets called out for its love for China. But they are irrelevant now. The love for Chicoms among a section of Right, potentially influencing policy, is a national security threat Subversion to change a rival’s policy is a cheap alternative to coercion,deterrence or diplomacy. Why raise an army & invade an adversary when you can spread propaganda,pay off politicians, or dispatch internet trolls to achieve subtler but tangible gains?
foreignaffairs.com/articles/world…

Jaishankar on talks with Wang Yi
1- Talks on Ladakh: Still friction on going. Cannot say our relations are returning to normal. It’s not normal as long as there are forces on the border & violation of our agreements. (Did not sound hopeful either) 2- On Ukraine: Both sides have their PoV. BUT there was common agreement on need for diplomacy - impression of largely divergent views on Ukraine.
3- NO talks on Quad or Indo-Pacific
4- SJ raised the statement by Wang at OIC on Kashmir as objectionable. Issue discussed at length

Figures maybe off mark but everything from the West can’t be dismissed as propaganda..Their assertion on Russian plan to invade was also dismissed. Russian failure of logistics, vehicles,maintenance etc all a learning for India.India has to do its own assessment on Russia’s war. Good time to replug this by @StratPost on India’s VSHORAD procurement - summer trials held at the Mahajan range in India in 2012, Both missiles fired from the Igla-S ended up in the dirt stratpost.com/indias-vshorad…

Those targeting India’s vote, some eg:
Saudi/UAE war on Yemen condemnable.India has 6 mn people there. Dependent on oil. Wants their investments. India balanced

Khashoggi killing-condemnable: India will avoid.

India abstained on vote against Israel to investigate Gaza conflict. I dare say if there is a vote on Uighers, India would likely abstain against its arch enemy China. Statement would perhaps read - India supports human rights,is against discrimination against minorities etc, but abstain.
Because India doesn’t like interference in domestic affairs

https://twitter.com/YusufDFI/status/1498868268689281027

Iview of @MOFA_Taiwan in @CNNnews18 Lecture from Chini embassy coming in 5,4,3: We want the rest of the world to understand that Taiwan is situated separately from China and we are governing ourselves and we are one of the top democracies in the world.
news18.com/news/world/exc… .@MOFA_Taiwan : Taiwan is not under China’s jurisdiction. The people of the Republic of China and Taiwan have no mutual jurisdiction over each other. In Taiwan,we have a democracy. The president is democratically elected.We also have a parliament that is democratically elected
2/

This point was made by @DrSJaishankar yesterday when he said the US has done a lot in the past, but it can’t do it alone. The US too recognises the need for partners. India features high there and that’s India’s opportunity for its own development and security

https://twitter.com/YusufDFI/status/1492349779120357379

A point that I as someone who backs Quad have made is we cannot view 21st century alliances or partnership if you don’t like the term alliance, from the prism of 20th century alliance. Even the US is getting there. The US Indo-Pacific Strategy is very articulate.

https://twitter.com/yusufdfi/status/1492349779120357379

FACT SHEET: Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States
- Supporting India’s continued rise and regional leadership
- to deter aggression against U.S. territory and against our allies **and partners**

whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/… Link to the US Indo-Pacific Strategy whitehouse.gov/wp-content/upl…
- The PRC is combining its
economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might as it pursues a sphere of
influence in the Indo-Pacific and seeks to become the world’s most influential
power
1/

The politics and ego behind “choice” - Muslim girls holding the ABVP flag as part of a protest demanding a probe into the alleged rape of a Manipal student. In the communally sensitive coastal belt of Karnataka, the pictures ignited a controversy. 1/ theprint.in/india/viral-ph… 2/ A source from the CFI who did not wish to be named told ThePrint that the ABVP protest incident had outraged the organisation. It therefore started encouraging Muslim women to refuse to join ABVP events and to fight for their right to wear hijabs in the classroom

I made this post in general. Not directed at anyone. But one section of ppl have replied that they have “woken” up now. Validating my tweet & also accepting their regression. Sad.

Wow do we call these “woken” chaps as “woke” ? 😂😂

https://twitter.com/YusufDFI/status/1490157757713960961

India’s goal was/is development-become a middle/upper middle income country.We rank 144 (2020). Some got left behind on socio-economic parameters because of their own issues & “appeasement”. Others progressed. Now for some “civilisational or ideological goals” we want to go back.

Combat drones: We are in a new era of warfare : The combat drone was once the preserve of military superpowers but no longer. Its use by insurgents and smaller nations is already changing the nature of battle

1/ from bbc.com/news/world-600… the use of UAVs has moved from counter-terrorism or counter-insurgency warfare into full scale conventional combat. Indeed, up ahead, a new third age of drone warfare beckons as technology becomes ever more sophisticated and linked to artificial intelligence
2/

Russia’s trade with China more than doubled between 2015 and 2021. From $64 b to $146 b - after Crimea annexation.
In 2010 Ind-Russia set trade target of $15 b by 2015. Our trade was about $6 bn in 2015, largely weapons import.
2025 target is $30 b. 2020-21 trade stood at $8 b Our external trade is private enterprise driven. Would our businesses invest in Russia or in the West? Where will Indian industry looking for investment and tech head to? India has huge gas requirement. Even that didn’t materialise properly with Russia which sued ONGC for $$

#Tibetans Protest against China
Chinese flag burnt in Delhi
#BoycottBeijingOlympics
#Tibetans Protest against China
Tibetans stamping their feet on Chinese flag in Delhi

#BoycottBeijingOlympics

IMO, there is no place for burqa in schools & colleges. And these students may end up harming other Muslim girls’ admission in the future, even if they say they don’t wear. Muslim groups will use these students to virtue signal as “role models” & pressure girls to adopt burqa 😏

https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/1483824240008835079

From 2008 before Erdogan lifted it: Women have been banned from covering their heads in all state offices and institutions in Turkey for decades. In the 1980s the headscarf was also prohibited at all universities, declared a symbol of political Islam news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/72…

On Pakistan’s national security policy wrt India:
1- Blames India for impeding connectivity in the subcontinent
2- It wants to challenge India declaring itself as a net security provider
3- Accuses India & genocide in Kashmir.continue to support (= terrorism)
1/ 4- Wants to improve relations with India with “Just and peaceful” resolution of Kashmir at its core
6- Calls “Hindutva” it’s security threat
7- Concerned about India’s military modernisation, getting nuke exception.
2/

Bhishma says in his instructions to Yudhishthira that whatever creates conflict is Adharma, and whatever puts an end to conflict and brings about unity and harmony is Dharma.... punarnava.org/dharma.php
1n 2n ...Anything that helps to unite all and develop pure divine love and universal brotherhood, is Dharma. Anything that creates discord, split and disharmony and foments hatred, is Adharma....

I sent some samples of some products to Australia against payment via courier. Got notice from bank that this payment needs corresponding customs shipping bill. I have none.Possible scrutiny later, all for a small amount. Fix our laws, rather get rid of useless laws & regulations

https://twitter.com/httweets/status/1320239927313928192

Was having lunch with my clearing agent. He talked about a couple of cases -
- Garment export.
1- Customs chaps think it’s their birthright to pick up stuff they like.
2-Accuse of inflating invoice value to get drawback-time+$+₹ lost
India’s garments export have shrunk BTW
1/2

At least 30% kirana shops in Mumbai alone are on the verge of closure. More than 50,000 small sweet shops, those selling plastics, toys, bags and other small items have already vanished in parts of Karnataka deccanherald.com/business/econo… Only 7% of the 7 crore small businesses are able to obtain finance from banks and other financial institutions, while the rest 93% traders are dependent upon informal source like family and friends to meet their financial requirements. deccanherald.com/business/econo…

Over 10,000 Indians, entities from politics to business, judiciary to media, even crime-accused, tracked by big-data firm linked to Chinese govt. indianexpress.com/article/expres… The goal of mining data to push what it [Chinese co] calls “hybrid warfare” — using non-military tools to achieve dominance or damage, subvert or influence. These tools include, in its own words, “information pollution, perception management & propaganda.” indianexpress.com/article/expres…

Trust me, this is not new.
A few years ago, my supplier in Taiwan made business cards and couriered me, about 300 of it. I was made to pay customs on it. About ₹1000. Cost of making cards in India is ₹1 each.

And I don’t want to get started on my regular commercial shipments.

https://twitter.com/shenoyn/status/1302487874466537472

My supplier sends compliments in my shipment. For them its as a matter of routine, but ends up costing me in delayed clearance & ₹ as customs want invoice & packing list for it. And also a share of the compliments, or all of it 🤷‍♂️.
I requested my supplier to stop sending