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India maintains ‘loud silence’ on Taiwan crisis, its ‘One China’ policy
SL too on agenda
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, August 6: India is maintaining a studied “loud silence” on the tensions between China and the United States and the developments in the Taiwan Straits in the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taipei last week. The decision to say nothing on the raging issue is deliberate to avoid controversy, say officials and experts.While other countries in the region reiterated their One China policy, India chose to say nothing on the subject either. In fact, India has stopped talking about it since at least 2008.
India has omitted any mention of the growing crisis over Taiwan even in the talks External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has held on the sidelines of the meeting of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.On Thursday, Jaishankar attended the ASEAN-India summit, and held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as Foreign Ministers of Australia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Jaishankar called the talks with Ministers “productive” and “warm”, and said he had discussed a number of issues with ASEAN countries including the “Indo-Pacific, UNCLOS, connectivity, COVID-19, terrorism, cybersecurity, Ukraine and Myanmar”, without referencing the Taiwan situation.
The US State Department said in its readout of the Jaishankar-Blinken meeting: “The two exchanged views on global and regional issues, including Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine and the implications it has had on food insecurity around the world.”
They also discussed “Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and promoting accountability for the [Myanmar] regime’s atrocities,” it added.Officials and experts said India’s decision not to comment on the situation unfolding after Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, followed by China’s sharp reaction, military exercises and missile tests, is a “carefully decided” one. It is aimed at ensuring that India does not wish to cause a controversy with China at a sensitive time in Sino-Indian border talks. New Delhi does not wish to claim allegiance to the “One China policy” either. Said a former senior official, now retired: “A loud silence is probably the best response to the situation.”
India has indeed followed the One China policy since 1949. It does not recognize any government other than the one in Beijing. India only conducts trade and cultural ties with Taiwan.New Delhi stopped mentioning the so-called One China policy in official statements and joint declarations after 2008. According to officials at the time, the government had taken the decision after a series of Chinese statements claiming Arunachal Pradesh as a part of the Chinese territory, renaming Arunachal towns with Mandarin names, and issuing “stapled visas” to Indian citizens who were residents of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.
In 2010, during meetings with President Hu Jintao in Brasilia, and Premier Wen Jiabao, joint statements with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not refer to the One-China principle. One senior retired Indian official explained, “The thinking was: Why is there a need to reiterate the One-China policy when China was not taking our sensitivities into account?” It was not a change in policy but a decision to not repeat it.
“We conveyed that if the Chinese side desired India to state the One-China policy, then it should respect a One-India principle,” said another former official.
Officials confirmed that in 2014, then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had endorsed the decision, too.However, in separate statements issued last week, ASEAN Foreign Ministers as well as countries in the region like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan had pointedly affirmed their commitment to the “One-China policy.”
Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday affirmed the island nation’s commitment to the ‘One China Policy’ and asked countries to “refrain from provocations” in a message apparently directed to the United States.
“Pakistan is deeply concerned over the evolving situation in the Taiwan Strait, which has serious implications for regional peace and stability,” said the Pakistani Foreign Office’s statement. It added that Pakistan “stands by” the One-China principle. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its “firm adherence” to the One-China policy as well.
The ASEAN statement “reiterated member-states’ support for their respective One-China Policy.” It also warned that destabilisation in the region could spark “miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers”.
Even G-7 countries, that include the United States and Japan, said there was “no change in the respective One-China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of the G7 members”.
However, the statement strongly criticised the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for its “threatening” and “escalatory” response to the Pelosi visit, which prompted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to cancel his meeting with the Japanese Foreign Minister in Phnom Penh.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
