New York, (PTI) The Quad nations of India, Japan, Australia and the US called on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from within their territory and highlighted that practical cooperation among Indo-Pacific partners would result in denying safe haven to ransomware actors in the region.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australian Penny Wong met here on Friday for the Quad Ministerial meeting on the margins of the high-level 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Ahead of their meeting, the ministers signed the guidelines to operationalise the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership for the Indo-Pacific announced by Quad leaders in May 2022.

Quad also announced a statement on ransomware, calling on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from their territory.

According to the Quad Foreign Ministers’ statement on Ransomware, they voiced their commitment to an open, secure, stable, accessible, and peaceful cyberspace and support regional initiatives to enhance the capacity of countries to implement the UN Framework for Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace.

“We strongly believe that focused initiatives for enhancing the cyber capabilities of Indo-Pacific countries would ensure the security and resilience of regional cyber infrastructure,” it said.

Quad also welcomed the negotiations of a possible new UN cybercrime convention as a long-term means to address cybercrime more broadly which will have utility in countering ransomware.

“We underscore the need for a new treaty to be drafted in a technologically neutral and flexible manner, which does not describe specific technologies or criminal methodologies,” it said.

Recalling the last Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in February this year, the ministers voiced their commitment to addressing the global threat of ransomware, which has been an obstacle to Indo-Pacific economic development and security.

“The transnational nature of ransomware can adversely affect our national security, finance sector and business enterprise, critical infrastructure, and the protection of personal data. We appreciate the progress made by the 36 countries supporting the U.S.-led Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) and the regular, practical-oriented consultations against cybercrime in the Indo-Pacific region,” it said.

The ministers called on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from within their territory.

“We exercise responsibility to assist each other in the face of malicious cyber activity, including from ransomware, against critical infrastructure,” they said, adding that they also signal their collective will to fight ransomware threats to the cyber infrastructure that enables Indo-Pacific economic development and security.

“We commit to further cooperate on capacity-building programs and initiatives that are aimed at enhancing regional cybersecurity and improve resilience against ransomware attacks in the Indo-Pacific. The Ministers highlight that practical cooperation in countering ransomware among Indo-Pacific partners would result in denying safe haven to ransomware actors in the region.

“We focus on results-oriented efforts to assist partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen their resilience, trust, and confidence in cyberspace, and effective incident-response capabilities,” it said.

They underscored the importance of the multistakeholder approach to building counter-ransomware capacity building, including promoting the role of existing mechanisms such as the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE).

They recognised the multistakeholder approach to internet governance will uphold our shared values in the design and use of technologies and cyberspace across our region.

The guidelines on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) have been designed to respond to the vulnerabilities of the Indo-Pacific region and will serve as a dedicated framework for Quad partners to coordinate their disaster response operations in the region.

The mechanism will augment their capacity and capability, interoperability and operational synergy to undertake HADR operations, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Under the partnership, Quad partners will promote inclusion by advancing gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, ensuring persons with disabilities are agents and beneficiaries of humanitarian action, and by ensuring indigenous people, minority groups and persons in vulnerable situations are not left behind. The guidelines call for zero tolerance for inaction on tackling Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH).

The statement said that the response operations will be guided by the core principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality as outlined in the relevant United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the provisions of humanitarian assistance.

A request for international assistance is needed before Quad partners may act in coordination under the Partnership. Quad partners may provide joint or coordinated individual assistance in crisis preparation or alert, crisis-response or post-crisis review phases of disaster response.

Any humanitarian action will be carried out with respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of the affected state.

“The signing of these Guidelines marks a significant moment in Quad cooperation, which traces its origin from the 2004 ad hoc Tsunami Core Group which catalyzed international response efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami that devastated many countries in the region,” it said.

Quad partners will meet twice a year to share lessons and operational updates and will conduct at least one scenario-based tabletop exercise to improve preparedness, coordination and interoperability.

“The partnership will coordinate HADR operations with the UN and other international agencies and donors, regional and local governments, public and private organisations, and non-government organizations where appropriate and in the best interest of humanity,” it said. PTI 

 New York, (PTI) The Quad nations of India, Japan, Australia and the US reaffirmed their conviction that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the region.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australian Penny Wong met here on Friday for the Quad Ministerial meeting on the margins of the high-level 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Ahead of their meeting, the ministers signed the guidelines to operationalise the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership for the Indo-Pacific announced by Quad leaders in May 2022.

Quad also announced a statement on ransomware, calling on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from their territory.

In a joint readout of the Quad Ministerial Meeting, the nations “reaffirmed our conviction that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.” “We strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the region. We also reaffirmed our unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality, ASEAN-led regional architecture, and practical implementation of ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific,” it said.

In the meeting, the ministers underscored the Quad’s unwavering support for the UN Charter, including its three pillars, and their steadfast commitment to strengthening and reforming the UN and international system.

“The Quad affirmed its support for a UN that solves the consequential challenges of our time and safeguards our shared and interconnected resources. This includes the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” it said.

They said thay are also committed to advancing a comprehensive UN reform agenda, including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council, so that the Council reflects the current global realities and incorporates more geographically diverse perspectives.

“We underscored the need to address attempts to unilaterally subvert the international and multilateral system, including in the UN,” it said.

The minsters signed guidelines to operationalise the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership for the Indo-Pacific announced by Quad leaders in May 2022 and said they look forward to the counter-terrorism tabletop exercise being hosted by Australia later in 2022.

“We reiterated the Quad’s commitment to supporting regional partners’ efforts to improve their maritime security and domain awareness. We support the ongoing efforts, in close consultation with regional partners, to take forward the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness.

“We will continue to leverage our collective expertise to support the region to respond to other challenges, such as education and disinformation, as well as advance the initiatives set forth by Quad leaders on health security, climate change, infrastructure, peaceful use of outer space, critical and emerging technologies, and cybersecurity,” it said.

The ministers intend to meet in person for the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi in early 2023.

“The Quad’s vision is for a region where the rules-based international order is upheld, and where the principles of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are respected,” the statement said.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said the meeting was particularly timely because the world is going through a very difficult period, “the global repercussions of the Ukraine conflict, we are seeing climate events and emergencies” on an unprecedented scale.

He said given the turbulent times, it’s particularly important that the Quad goes further in the constructive agenda that they have set for themselves and that the four nations work together in delivering the public goods.

He added that the HADR partnership, which was discussed and finalised in Tokyo, is extremely timely. He said there are other initiatives in the making, some little further in the pipeline like the STEM fellowship and they are working on the economic framework as well as the maritime domain awareness. He added that the meeting is also an opportunity for the four nations together to discuss how to strengthen the UN-led multilateral system.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said the meeting was particularly timely because the world is going through a very difficult period, asserting that with the “global repercussions of the Ukraine conflict, we are seeing climate events and emergencies” on an unprecedented scale.

He said given the turbulent times, it’s particularly important that the Quad goes further in the constructive agenda that they have set for themselves and that the four nations work together in delivering the public goods.

He added that the HADR partnership, which was discussed and finalised in Tokyo, is “extremely timely.” Jaishankar said there are other initiatives in the making, some little further in the pipeline like the STEM fellowship and they are working on the economic framework as well as the maritime domain awareness.

He said that the meeting is also an opportunity for the four nations together to discuss how to strengthen the UN-led multilateral system. In his remarks, Blinken said that the meeting on the margins of UNGA is evidence that the Quad is strong and getting stronger, strengthening “our multilateral cooperation”.

He said the members of the grouping know well the significant challenges “that we face as well as the opportunities that are before us, demand more than ever that we work together.” “No one of us alone can do what is necessary to meet these challenges and seize these opportunities. And that’s an inspiration behind the Quad,” Blinken said, adding that this is the first time that the Quad foreign ministers have gotten together at the United Nations General Assembly.

“So, my hope is that this will become a regular feature of these meetings,” he said.

He said the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Guidelines lay the groundwork for the nations to cooperate and coordinate more on, for example, climate disaster responses.

“We’re looking forward to continuing to explore the many ways that the Quad enables us to deepen our cooperation. Our leaders have set out a very significant agenda for us when they met. We’re following through on a lot of that work,” he said.

Wong said Australia is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific inclusive and resilient and to a Quad that is a force for good and which is committed to bringing tangible benefits to the region and ensuring a region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and in which sovereignty is respected, where countries are free to make their own choices.

“None of us in this room want to see a region in which countries are not able to make those sovereign choices, where any one country or any one perspective dominates. We do know our region is being reshaped, economically and strategically, the four nations will work together to better navigate this period of change together,” Wong said.

Hayashi said today the world is witnessing direct attempts to unilaterally change the status quo. The free and open international order based on the rule of law is under threat.

“So, it’s extremely significant for us to demonstrate together to the international community our firm commitment,” Hayashi said.

In 2017, Japan, India, Australia and the United States. given shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the “Quad” or the Quadrilateral coalition to counter China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region. PTI 

Washington, (PTI) The United States is heartened by the recent comment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is not the time for war in Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Modi had met President Putin in Uzbekistan city Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which concluded last week, and during the meeting Modi told the Russian president, “Today’s era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this.” On his part, Putin told Modi that he was aware of India’s concerns over the Ukraine conflict and that Russia will do everything possible to end it as soon as possible.

The US has said that it is heartened by the comments made by Prime Minister Modi.

“We were heartened by Prime Minister Modi’s comments last weekend,” Dr Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs told a group of reporters and think-tank experts during a virtual round table.

Recently, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also told reporters at a White House news conference that what the prime minister said was “a statement of principle on behalf of what he believes is right and just (and) it was very much welcomed by the US.” Ratner said that US shares India’s commitment to seeing a swift and peaceful resolution of the conflict and continue to engage regularly on this issue.

“We obviously recognise that India has a long and complicated history in terms of its security partnership with Russia and has been in the process over the last many years of diversifying its arms and imports as well as prioritising its own indigenous development, and we want to support them,” Ratner said.

“We want to support India on both fronts and are doing so. We think the trend lines are heading in the right direction. We are deeply engaged in conversations on exploring opportunities for co-development and coproduction. We are also looking for ways to support India’s own indigenisation which we know is a huge priority for Prime Minister Modi and in the military there,” said the senior Pentagon official.

Responding to another question, he said the US is taking a hard look at the co-development and coproduction under Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI).

“We are taking a hard look now at DTTI more broadly and actively discussing with the Indian government how we can adapt the initiative to meet the scope and ambition of our defense partnership. This is an area where we see a lot of great promise. Our leaders are fairly focused on this and again the Two Plus Two ministerial next spring are hoping to have some progress to announce on this front,” he said.

Responding to another question, Ratner said that recent US action with Pakistan on F -6 is not designed as a message to India as it relates to its relationship with Russia.

“The decision inside the US government around the F-16 issue was made predicated on US interests associated with our defense partnership with Pakistan which is primarily focused on counterterrorism and nuclear security and as the (Defense) Secretary made clear to (Defense) Minister Rajnath) Singh during their call last week, this case did not include any upgrades or munitions,” he said.

“We have been engaging with our Indian counterparts, both in advance of the announcement to preview it and during my visit with Assistant Secretary Lew in Delhi as well. So we thought it was quite important to be as transparent as we could with Indian counterparts both in advance and during that decision and it provided a good opportunity to have a healthy exchange on both the US rationale for its limited security partnership with Pakistan as well as a good opportunity to hear India’s concerns about that,” Ratner said. PTI 

– BRICS nations reject ‘double standards’ in countering terrorism, call for expeditious adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

– BRICS Foreign Ministers supported all efforts conducive to peaceful settlement of situation in Ukraine.

– Mexico wants UN panel, including secretary-general Guterres, Pope, PM Modi, borker peace between Russia, Ukraine.

– Want to see India play active part on world stage that its size, economic heft dictate: UK.

– World leaders joined US in seeking reforms in UN Security Council.

– Brazil, India and S Africa’s role appreciated in international affairs, support their aspiration for greater role in UN: BRICS statement.

– Stories on COVID-19 pandemic and monkeypox outbreak. PTI 

Pittsburgh, (PTI) Mexico has proposed to the United Nations to set up a committee that would include India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pope Francis and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to mediate permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine.

The proposal was put forward by Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón, the foreign minister of Mexico, while participating in a UN Security Council debate on Ukraine in New York.

This came days after Modi, who met Putin on the sidelines of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand, told the Russian leader that “today’s era is not of war”. The Indian prime minister’s remarks have been welcomed by the western world including the United States, France and the United Kingdom.

“Based on its pacifist vocation, Mexico believes that the international community must now channel its best efforts to achieve peace,” Casaubón said.

“In this regard, I would like to share with you the proposal of the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to strengthen the mediation efforts of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through the formation of a Committee for Dialogue and Peace in Ukraine with the participation of other heads of state and government, including, if possible, His Excellency Narendra Modi and His Holiness Pope Francis.” He said the objective of the committee would be to generate new mechanisms for dialogue and create complementary spaces for mediation to build confidence, reduce tensions and open the way for lasting peace.

Casaubon said the Mexican delegation will continue with the necessary consultations to contribute towards generating broad support for the mediation efforts led by the UN secretary-general as well as for the committee, “whose formation we hope will proceed with the support of the UN member states that so decide”.

“As the Secretary-General has said, it is time to act and commit to peace. To settle for war is always to go to the precipice,” he said.

The Mexican foreign minister argued that peace can only be achieved through dialogue, diplomacy and by building effective political channels.

“Indifference is unacceptable, just as it is unacceptable to simply lament the fact that, so far, in the case in question, the Security Council has not been able to fulfil its essential responsibility,” he said.

“The reasons why this Council can become dysfunctional are well known. It is up to us to correct them. The time is right to consider, in all seriousness, the structural reforms required to do so,” Casaubon added. PTI 

New York [US], September 22 : During United Nations General Assembly week, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation–alongside governments, philanthropies, the private sector, NGOs, and global and community leaders–announced commitments totalling USD 1.27 billion to improve and save millions of lives.

The funding will address overlapping global crises that have reversed the progress already made toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). The foundation’s sixth annual Goalkeepers Report notes that nearly every indicator of the Global Goals is off track at the halfway point for achieving them by 2030. Despite these challenges, the report highlights opportunities to accelerate progress by investing in long-term solutions and innovative approaches to entrenched issues, including poverty, inequality, and climate change.

“This week has underscored the urgency of the challenges we face, and the promise of sustainable solutions that save and improve lives,” said Mark Suzman, Gates Foundation CEO. “We can get back on track toward the SDGs, but it’s going to take a new level of collaboration and investment from every sector. That’s why our foundation is significantly stepping up our commitment to help confront crises now and ensure long-term impact across critical determinants of health and development.”

Today’s Goalkeepers event convened global leaders and changemakers to discuss current and future efforts to achieve the Global Goals. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Bill Gates; Melinda French Gates; more than 300 young changemakers; and other emerging and established leaders from around the world participated in the event.

“The last time we gathered in person for Goalkeepers, we talked about how the most well-intentioned programs can perpetuate inequities if the communities they want to reach aren’t involved in the design,” said Co-chair Melinda French Gates. “A lot has changed since 2019, but one thing hasn’t: We won’t make progress toward the Global Goals unless those with lived experiences have a seat at the table. I’m proud of our Goalkeepers Award winners and the many partners from all corners of the world who are working to develop this next generation of leaders.”

Also today, at the Global Fund Replenishment Conference, governments and the private sector joined together to pledge a record-high level of commitment that will advance the goal of achieving good health and well-being for all. The funding will go toward the Global Fund’s goal of saving 20 million more lives from HIV, TB, and malaria; building more resilient health systems to prevent future pandemics; and putting the world back on track to end these diseases by 2030. Today’s pledge includes the foundation’s largest commitment yet to the Global Fund of $912 million.

“We see the greatest progress when governments, the private sector, and local communities collaborate in global health programs,” said Bill Gates, co-chair. “The commitment this week to combat preventable diseases and save millions more lives through the Global Fund replenishment is a great step forward in getting back on track to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Accelerating Progress Toward Global Goals

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the following commitments this week:

– USD 912 million pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

This is the foundation’s largest commitment yet to the Global Fund. Since 2002, health programs supported by the Global Fund partnership have saved 50 million lives. This funding will help accelerate efforts to end HIV, TB, and malaria by 2030 and build resilient health systems needed to protect against future pandemics. It also will be instrumental in reducing the disproportionate impact of these diseases on women and girls.

– USD 100 million to help alleviate the food crisis disproportionately impacting communities in Africa and South Asia and address its underlying causes

This funding will go to:

– The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to support national governments in rebuilding resilient, sustainable local food systems

– The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) to make fertilizers affordable and accessible for smallholder farmers

– The CGIAR’s Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture research center to accelerate work that is already supplying farmers with improved and new varieties of crops, such as beans high in iron; sweet potatoes naturally rich in vitamin A; and naturally hardy cassava, millet, and sorghum

– Working with partners to supply sustainable feed and fodder to African families that depend on livestock as a critical source of income and nutrient-dense food

– Working with partners to strengthen local food systems by empowering women farmers with the tools and resources they need to succeed and support their communities

In addition, the foundation will double its previous commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund–from USD 10 million to USD 20 million. Our investment will support the fund’s expansion beyond ready-to-use therapeutic food to include preventative nutrition products for both women and children.

– USD 200 million to expand global Digital Public Infrastructure

This funding will help expand infrastructure that low- and middle-income countries can use to become more resilient to crises such as food shortages, public health threats, and climate change, as well as to aid in pandemic and economic recovery. This infrastructure encompasses tools such as interoperable payment systems, digital ID, data-sharing systems, and civil registry databases.

– USD 50 million to Partners in Health Scholarship Fund to attend the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda

This commitment will help catalyze efforts to raise USD 200 million. The scholarship fund will support students, 75 per cent of whom are women, to attend UGHE and help accelerate efforts to increase the number of health care workers in Rwanda and around the world.

Celebrating Global Goalkeepers

In recognition of the remarkable work of world leaders to advance the Global Goals, the foundation also announced the winners of its 2022 Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards on September 20.

– Progress Award – Dr. Radhika Batra, co-founder of the nonprofit organization Every Infant Matters, which provides last-mile health solutions to disadvantaged children in India

– Changemaker Award – Zahra Joya, a journalist from Afghanistan who founded and self-funded Rukhshana Media, an online news agency focused exclusively on covering issues that affect the women of Afghanistan

– Campaign Award – Vanessa Nakate, a climate justice activist from Uganda and founder of the Africa-based Rise Up Movement and the Green Schools Project

– Global Goalkeeper Award – Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission

Note to editors

Media inquiries should be directed to [email protected].

Goalkeepers Report 2022

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people–especially those with the fewest resources–have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

Goalkeepers is the foundation’s campaign to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (or Global Goals). Goalkeepers publishes an annual report alongside hosting an event, facilitating a yearly awards program, and convening a global community of collaborative and diverse changemakers who believe that progress is possible, but not inevitable.

On September 25, 2015, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Global Goals. These are a series of ambitious objectives and targets to achieve three extraordinary things by 2030: end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.

 

The White House is once again downplaying an assertion by President Joe Biden that American military personnel would defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion by the Chinese military, saying he was answering a hypothetical question that was not a reflection of any official policy change.

Biden reiterated a previous pledge to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion, though he specified that “US men and women” would be involved in the effort. The comments marked yet another instance of the President appearing to venture beyond the United States’ longstanding policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the issue.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s Phil Mattingly during Tuesday’s White House press briefing that Biden had answered a “hypothetical question” on “60 Minutes,” adding, “When the President of the United States wants to announce a policy change, he will do so. He has not done so.”

Sullivan reiterated that the White House continues to stand behind the “One China” policy and said that Biden has “reiterated those basic commitments on every occasion that he’s talked about in Taiwan – including in this interview where he specifically and emphatically and unequivocally reinforced and reiterated the One China policy.”

Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized the Communist Party’s claim to the self-governing island of 23 million. The US provides Taiwan with defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

Biden repeated his commitment to the “One China” policy in the “60 Minutes” interview. But asked if US forces would defend the island, he said they would: “Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.”

Biden’s comments to “60 Minutes” were not the first time he’d gone further than the longstanding US approach when it comes to the defense of Taiwan. Recently, during a visit to Tokyo in May, Biden said the US would intervene militarily if China attempts to take Taiwan by force.

“He was asked a question – a hypothetical question in this interview. He was asked a very similar question back in Tokyo in May,” Sullivan said on Tuesday. “He gave a similar answer in Tokyo in May that he gave to the ’60 Minutes’ interview. After that answer in Tokyo, someone said specifically to him, ‘Have you just announced a major policy change?’ And he said ‘No, I have not.’ I have answered a hypothetical question. I have not announced a policy change.’”

Asked by Mattingly if Biden is delivering an explicit message to China by answering a hypothetical question on the matter, Sullivan said, “The President is a direct and straightforward person. He answered a hypothetical.”

Heightened tensions

The President’s comments to CBS – along with the White House’s repeated attempts to downplay what he said – come amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan.

Taiwan lies fewer than 110 miles (177 kilometers) off the coast of China. For more than 70 years the two sides have been governed separately, but that hasn’t stopped China’s ruling Communist Party from claiming the island as its own – despite having never controlled it.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that “reunification” between China and Taiwan is inevitable and refused to rule out the use of force. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at the highest they’ve been in recent decades, with the Chinese military holding major military drills near the island.

Beijing on Monday had swiftly condemned Biden’s comments and repeated its warning that China reserves the “option to take all necessary measures” to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“The US remarks seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three US-China joint communiqués. It is also a serious violation of the important commitment made by the US side not to support Taiwan independence,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said in a briefing.

“It sent a serious wrong signal to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence. China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and has made serious representations to the US side,” Mao added.

Beijing also strongly opposed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August. Beijing responded to her trip by suspending all dialogue with the US across major issues, from climate change to military relations, while conducting extensive military drills around Taiwan.

On Tuesday, the US Navy said in a statement that a US warship, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins, conducted a “routine Taiwan Strait transit.”

The US ship conducted the transit “in cooperation with Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver,” according to US Navy spokesperson Lt. Mark Langford.

Tuesday’s transit marked the second time in just over three weeks that a US Navy warship had made the voyage.

Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats are defending Biden following the “60 Minutes” remarks and Republicans are criticizing it.

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine told CNN that while US policy has not changed, “We are going to help Taiwan defend itself, and that is our policy should it ever come to that and God willing, it never, it never does. But you see what we’re doing in terms of providing military support to Taiwan and we’re going to continue it and they need to know that the US is going to be there should China make an unwise move against them.”

Pressed on how that aligns with the historic position of strategic ambiguity towards Taiwan, Kaine claimed that having the President say one thing and administration officials say another could be a calculated inconsistency.

Republicans, however, are arguing that the inconsistency makes the US appear disorganized.

“It’s been our policy not to come out and say we will go to war,” said Senate Armed Services Ranking Member James Inhofe. “And the President made the statement that I think his advisers, I believe, disagreed with, but he keeps repeating it over and over again.”

“It just looks … sloppy,” said Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley. “I think it’s embarrassing, frankly.”

Hawley then used the opportunity to push for greater investment in preparing the US to be involved militarily if necessary.

 

“We need to tell the truth to the American people, which is we are not in a position to stop a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. We’re not. So we need to be, because it’s in our direct national security interests not to have China control the Pacific,” he said. “So we’ve got to get in a position to be able to help the Taiwanese defend themselves, and right now we are not in that position and it’s just time to level with the American people about that.”

A strong India means a strong US, three influential American lawmakers have said, as they pledged to work towards strengthening the relationship between the two largest democratic countries of the world at a time when the world was facing many challenges.

Their comments came at a reception hosted by the Indian Embassy here on Tuesday for the visiting Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh. I reflect that a strong India is a strong US, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, the Vice Chair of the Science Space and Technology Committee and the subcommittee chair for research and technology, said.

Our plight as democratic nations of large geographies facing complex global challenges from climate change, to certainly a pandemic; challenges that we can turn into opportunities, challenges that create entrepreneurial endeavors; challenges that compel us to continue to come together, she said. This is why I am such a believer in the strong US-India relationship," she said.

Congresswoman Stevens represents the 11th Congressional District in Michigan which has one of the largest concentrations of Indian-Americans.

"My communities have benefited very directly from this relationship, not just in terms of the population and the human capital that have continued to make us strong but also because companies like Mahindra chose to become the first OEM (original equipment manufacturer) headquarters in 25 years in a place called Auburn Hills in Troy, Michigan," the Congresswoman said.

Congressman Jerry McNerney from California said that anyone that doesn't see the importance of the relationship between the United States and India is blind. India has a tremendous intellectual firepower, and you're exercising that power to change the world, he told the select gathering which included the visiting official delegation from India, a delegation of private sector corporate leaders, and officials from the Biden administration.

Congresswoman Deborah Ross, who represents the Research Triangle area in North Carolina which has a significant Indian-American population, in her remarks underscored the importance of the India-US relationship. She is also a member of the House Science Space and Technology Committee and Judiciary Committee. Over the past few years, she has emerged as a champion of documented dreamers who have been left out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Documented Dreamers are foreign nationals who entered the United States as dependents under their parents' temporary, nonimmigrant visa status, usually a work visa. Under US immigration law, at the age of 21, they will age out of eligibility for this dependent status. The DACA allows young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children to work and shields them from deportation.

We have more than 200,000 young people who are having to self-deport to other places. We've had multiple conversations tonight, why would this country invest in these amazing people and then send them to our competitors, she said.

We need to make sure that we have an immigration policy that lets people with talent, be where they want to be. Give them an opportunity to innovate, give them an opportunity to work with creative minds, and I just hope that is here in the United States of America, and I will continue to advocate for that, Ross said.

Washington,(PTI) The United States has termed the plan to hold voting in Russian-controlled regions of eastern and southern Ukraine to become integral parts of Russia a "sham" and an "affront to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity".

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday claimed that "these referenda will be manipulated" and asserted the US would never recognise Russia's claims to any purportedly annexed parts of Ukraine.

"These referenda are an affront to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that underpin the international system and let lie at the heart of the United Nations Charter," Sullivan told reporters at a press conference at the White House. "We know that these referenda will be manipulated. Russia will use these sham referenda as a basis to purportedly annex these territories either now or in the future," he said.

The United States, Sullivan said, has been warning for months about Russia's plans to hold "sham referenda in areas of Ukraine under its control, and even in areas of the country not currently under its control, in direct violation of Ukraine's sovereignty".

Russia is rushing to hold these referendums in response to Ukraine's gains on the battlefield as well as to prepare for potential mobilization measures, the National Security Advisor in the Joe Biden administration said.

"We will never recognise this territory as anything other than a part of Ukraine. We reject Russia's actions unequivocally. We will continue to work with our allies and partners to impose costs on Russia." Sullivan said the US is aware of reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be preparing for mobilisation measures. "Like its sham annexation planning, this is reflective of Russia's struggles in Ukraine." "He (Putin) may be resorting to partial mobilisation, forcing even more Russians to go fight his brutal war in Ukraine in part because they need more personnel and manpower given the success that Ukraine has had on the battlefield, particularly in the northeast," he said.

Sullivan asserted that Russia is throwing together "sham referendums on three days' notice as they continue to lose ground on the battlefield and more world leaders distance themselves from Russia on the public stage".

"The United States and our allies in the international community will stand against these transparent efforts on the part of Russia and stand firmly with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," he said.

The US is supplying Ukraine with the weapon systems, including an announcement of more than USD 600 million in weapons just last week, that it believes needs to be able to successfully prosecute the offensives, Sullivan told reporters.

"That being said, nobody is resting on the laurels of the recent Ukrainian successes. The Ukrainian military is preparing to consolidate the gains it has made, continue to try to make further gains and defend against potential Russian counterattacks in various places." "The US and all of our allies and partners are providing them with the requisite level of support for them to be able to carry out those efforts on the battlefield," he asserted. PTI