- 2 months ago
External Affairs Minister S Jayashankar met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching India Today Global, the top story.
00:19Amid ongoing trade negotiations between US and India, External Affairs Minister Dr. Jay Shankar
00:24met with his US counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia
00:30on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit. Issues ranging from bilateral relations to regional
00:36developments and global challenges were the topic between the two leaders. This also comes as
00:42Kuala Lumpur hosts the summit. The meet is also seen as important following Rubio's remark in
00:48which he said, America's efforts to strengthen ties with Pakistan will not come at the cost
00:54of its deep, historic and important friendship with India. Rubio said the ties with Pakistan is a
01:01part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy. US President Donald Trump had attended the ASEAN
01:07Summit before leaving for Japan. At the summit, Trump oversaw the signing of an expanded ceasefire
01:13agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, which he called a peace deal. Trump, who is on a five-day
01:19tour to three Asian countries, will also attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in South
01:25Korea's Gyeongju. As Trump continues his crucial visits to the Asian countries, he will also meet
01:32with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on the sidelines of APEC. This will be the first
01:39face-to-face meeting between the two leaders during Trump's second term in office. It also comes as
01:46tariff tensions escalated after China imposed export restrictions on ports. But amid the much
01:53anticipated meeting between Xi and Trump, top Chinese and US economic officials agreed on the
01:58framework for a trade agreement. US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Trade Representative
02:04Jameson Greer met with Chinese Vice Premier He Le Feng and top trade negotiator Li Chenggang on the
02:13sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur for a fifth round of in-person discussions since May.
02:19Besant also said China will delay its expanded licensing regime for rare earths by a year and
02:26re-examine it after two days of trade talks in Malaysia.
02:30So this was the fifth meeting that I've had with my Chinese counterpart, the Vice Premier
02:35Huli Feng, and we covered a wide range of issues. And I think we've reached a substantial framework for
02:42the two leaders who will meet in Korea next Thursday. So, you know, on the on the table,
02:48the president had given me maximum leverage when he threatened 100 percent tariffs if the Chinese
02:55imposed their rare earth global export controls. So I think we have averted that so that the tariffs
03:04will be averted. I'm not sure what you meant is they had threatened to put a global export
03:12licensing regime. And I believe that they are going to delay that for a year while they re-examine it.
03:25There are numerous items on the agenda, including export controls on both sides. The issue of
03:31reciprocal tariffs going a step further for an extended period of time. The issue of fentanyl tariffs
03:37and cooperation on banning the production of fentanyl, both sides engaged in constructive
03:42discussions on these matters. The stance taken by the United States was firm, while China remained
03:48resolute in safeguarding its interests.
03:50And joining me from Washington, D.C., is my colleague Rohit Sharma. Rohit, an important meeting amid trade talks,
04:03trade tensions between India and the United States of America. We'll talk about U.S. and China later.
04:08But first, India and America and an assurance from Marco Rubio that it will not come at a cost of ties with India, his America's ties with Pakistan.
04:22Well, I think Marco Rubio is one of those voices, Gita, you know, even when he was a senator, you know, he always championed the cause of Indo-U.S. relationship.
04:29And I think, you know, in what we've heard in the past couple of months from some leading voices in the Trump administration, he's always been the one that's more inclined towards India, more balanced approach.
04:40And that's what we saw. And that is exactly why, you know, he said what he said, because there were doubts among a lot of, at least analysts, I should say, that were questioning, you know,
04:48what's going on with the U.S.-India relationship, especially the United States warming relationship with Pakistan.
04:54So he went on the record this time to clarify that and making sure that everybody understands that India is important, India is special, and U.S. would not risk relationship with India, you know,
05:04and would definitely consider India as more important partner when it comes to Indo-Pacific, when it comes to U.S.-Indo relationship, and even when it comes to Pakistan.
05:14Right. Roit, stay on with me. The other big story is U.S. President Donald Trump has landed in Japan and has been received or received a royal welcome
05:23by Japan's Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace.
05:27Now, wearing a gold tie and blue suit, Trump shook hands with Emperor Naruhito before the two posed for photographers and entered the palace.
05:37Trump is the first foreign leader to meet Naruhito after he came to the throne in the year 2019.
05:43The U.S. President will meet Japan's newly elected Prime Minister, Sané Takaichi, on Tuesday.
05:49Trump and Takaichi were due to meet at the nearby Akasaka Palace, the same venue that Trump met the late Shinzo Abe six years ago.
05:59Trump will conclude the Asia trip in a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea.
06:07Roit, if I could come back to you.
06:08The other very big, important meeting is the Xi Jinping-Donald Trump meeting.
06:13Should there be a forward movement on trade, it could certainly look like a lot of trouble for India.
06:22Well, you know, honestly, if, again, there has been, it's been going hot and cold between the Chinese and the Americans.
06:30Ten days ago, or not even ten days ago, last week, President Trump had said he was going to impose 125 percent more tariffs,
06:37so 100 percent tariffs, lost track of it, but then, you know, then Secretary Besant goes to Asia and announces that we have a trade framework.
06:45So we'll have to wait and watch.
06:46President Trump has been very bullish on this, but he also has been challenging China on this trade, especially when it comes to export controls.
06:54So there is an understanding as of now, Gita, that there is a trade framework that will be announced, that would be agreed upon.
07:02And President Trump on Air Force One stating that, you know, he's going to go to China next after next meetings or next round of meetings.
07:09We do not know when.
07:10And that he's also inviting China's premier to Florida.
07:13But if a trade deal is announced, or at least a framework is announced, I think all eyes would then shift towards India as to what happens with India,
07:21because India would be the only other big nation in the world that still does not have a framework with the U.S. on trade.
07:27So, yes, we'll have to wait and watch, Gita.
07:29You know, things can move either way because it's Trump administration.
07:33We indeed will have to wait and watch.
07:35Rohit Sharma, keep tracking that story.
07:36Thank you so much for joining us for now.
07:38Now, a horrifying case of racial violence has emerged in London, where an Indian-origin woman was allegedly raped.
07:48According to preliminary details, the victim is a 20-year-old Indian woman.
07:52The suspect was captured on CCTV shortly after the assault.
07:56Police received a call from passers-by, who reported a woman in distress on the street.
08:01West Midlands Police said the incident took place in Walsall and is being treated as a racially aggravated attack.
08:09Investigators have released CCTV footage of the suspect and described it as an appalling assault on a young woman,
08:16assuring that every effort is being made to bring the culprit to justice.
08:21The incident adds to the growing concern over racially motivated crimes in London.
08:25Now, in a major policy shift, Bangladesh's interim government is preparing to roll out the red carpet for wanted Indian fugitive, Zakir Nayak.
08:42The UNUS-led administration has approved a month-long nationwide tour for Nayak, marking his first ever visit to Bangladesh.
08:49The move signals a striking departure from the policies of the previous Sheikh Hasina government,
08:56which had banned Zakir Nayak's peace TV following the July 2016 Dhaka Holy Artisan Bakery terror attack.
09:03Remember, Nayak fled India within hours of the attack after one of the attackers told Bangladeshi investigators
09:09that he had been influenced by Nayak's preachings through his YouTube channel.
09:16And joining us for more on this is my colleague Pranay Upadhyay.
09:19Pranay, a serious shift when it comes to our immediate neighbor Bangladesh for India.
09:24This should really ring alarm bells.
09:28Absolutely, Geeta. There is no doubt about it.
09:30But if you see incrementally, we can witness, we can see a shift in Bangladesh's policy
09:36as far as the radical elements are concerned.
09:38We have seen the radical elements protesting against ISKCON,
09:43or there is a patronage for elements like Zakir Nayak and, you know, likes of him in Bangladesh.
09:49And that to be done by a liberal face like Muhammad Yunus.
09:53So definitely, Muhammad Yunus might be a face, but actually Bangladesh is being controlled by such elements only.
10:00And Zakir Nayak, you know, a controversial figure India has wanted.
10:04And not only that, he was one of the accused, one of the prime suspect,
10:09because, you know, his role was attributed and came up during the investigation of the Bangladeshi investigators
10:15of the Holy Artisan Bakery case.
10:17You and I, we were there in Bangladesh when this incident happened in July 2026.
10:20And after that, you know, the kind of sentiment was there in Bangladesh.
10:25And thereafter, Zakir Nayak, as you rightly pointed it out,
10:29that he fled India within the hours of this Holy Artisan Bakery case, terror attack of Bangladesh.
10:35And thereafter, now he is being allowed, he is being welcomed.
10:40And if you see, Geeta, that last year, around same time, in September, October,
10:45he was welcomed by Pakistani administration, Pakistan government, Pakistan prime minister met him.
10:50And now he is being welcomed by the Bangladeshi government.
10:55Right. Briefly, very briefly, Pranay, has there been a reaction from the Indian administration?
11:01So far, there is no reaction by the Ministry of External Affairs or Indian authorities as yet.
11:05But we have seen that when Zakir Nayak visited Pakistan,
11:09the kind of reaction given by Ministry of External Affairs and its spokesperson, Mr. Randi Jai as well,
11:13he clearly said at that point of time that we are not surprised,
11:16though, you know, this is condemnable that a neighbouring country is hosting a wanted fugitive of India.
11:24But this is not surprising.
11:26But we have to see that what reaction the government of India gives in terms of Bangladesh.
11:30Right. We'll wait for that reaction.
11:32Pranay Padi, for now, thank you so much for joining us.
11:34Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that as a sovereign state,
11:41Israel would determine its security policy and which foreign forces to work with.
11:46He said Israel would decide which foreign forces would be allowed to be part of the planned international force in Gaza.
11:53The Trump administration has ruled out sending U.S. soldiers into the Gaza Strip,
11:58but says it has spoken to multiple countries about contributing to the force.
12:02Last week, Netanyahu hinted that he would be opposed to any role for Turkish security forces in Gaza.
12:09It remains unclear whether Arab and other states will be ready to commit troops.
12:13A major challenge to Trump's peace plan is that Hamas has not committed to disarming.
12:19Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has waged a violent crackdown on clans that have tested its grip on power.
12:25Israel, which continues to control all access to the territory,
12:29allowed the entry of an Egyptian technical team to work with the Red Cross
12:33to locate the remains of the hostages from Israel.
12:38We control our own security.
12:44And we have made clear that in regard to international forces,
12:47Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us.
12:51And that is how we act, and will continue to act.
12:55This is, of course, accepted by U.S. as well,
12:58as its most senior representatives made clear in recent days,
13:02Israel is an independent state.
13:04We will defend ourselves and will continue to control our fate.
13:07The U.S. and Qatar will continue to fight against Iran.
13:12Did you talk with them about how the new security arrangement between the U.S. and Qatar will work?
13:16Yeah, yeah, I talked to them about it a lot.
13:17We actually covered a lot of territory.
13:19It's working very well.
13:20It's all smooth.
13:22The U.S. doesn't have to get much involved.
13:23They're able to take care of the very substantial nations.
13:26And, you know, we have Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar.
13:30You have the three, and then you have many behind them, and even with them.
13:34Now, a third term for Trump as U.S. president was ruled out by the president himself.
13:42But now he said, and I quote it, it's too cute,
13:46when he was asked if he would return to American politics for the third term as vice president.
13:51Donald Trump denied that he would not run for vice president in the 2028 American elections.
13:58The U.S. Constitution limits presidents to two terms,
14:01and Trump began his second term in January.
14:04But many of the president's supporters suggested that one way he could return to U.S. politics
14:10is to run for the post of vice president.
14:13Trump served his first term from 2017 to 2021.
14:16The 79-year-old tycoon has also recently displayed red hats emblazoned with the slogan
14:23Trump 2028 on a desk in the Oval Office.
14:27The president also mentioned that he got an MRI done, though he didn't mention why he did the MRI.
14:34The 80-year-old tycoon is that you could run as the vice president.
14:39I'd be allowed to do that.
14:40Is it the White House or the White House Council or his legal position?
14:45No, you'd be allowed to do that, but I wouldn't do that.
14:47I think it's too cute.
14:49Yeah, I wouldn't rule that out because it's too cute.
14:51I think the people wouldn't like that.
14:53It's too cute.
14:55It's not, it wouldn't be right.
14:56Can you tell us what that was?
14:57I did, I got an MRI, it was perfect.
14:59I mean, I gave you, I gave you the full results.
15:02We had an MRI and the machine, you know, the whole thing.
15:08And it was perfect.
15:09Now, U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gravely arrived in Trinidad and Tobago to conduct joint military training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force.
15:21In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago said the ship would moor in Port of Spain from the 26th to the 30th of October
15:29as part of the longstanding cooperation between the United States and the country, Trinidad and Tobago.
15:35Venezuela condemned it and said it was a military provocation by neighboring Trinidad and Tobago in coordination with the U.S.
15:44Central intelligence agencies as well, aimed at sparring a full military confrontation with the Latin American nation.
15:51Joint military exercises between the U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago are currently underway in the Caribbean.
15:58Venezuela said it had captured a group of mercenaries with direct information of the American intelligence agency
16:05and whose goal it was to carry out a false flag attack in the region.
16:10A false flag attack is an operation when an act is carried out in such a way that a different party appears responsible.
16:18Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed reports that he authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
16:26Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has levied accusations of false flag attacks before,
16:32including a plan to plant explosives in the U.S. Embassy in Caracas in early October.
16:39Trump has carried out a number of strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that the administration claims are trafficking drugs.
16:46The skies over Pangong are no longer just blue. They're strategic.
16:56Beneath Tibet's calm, China is quietly building a new air defense fortress with hidden HQ-series missiles and radar domes,
17:04even as India and China flights resume after five years.
17:08On Statecraft Day, we argue, is this detour or domination disguised as diplomacy?
17:13At 14,000 feet above sea level, under the cold silence of the Himalayas, a new fortress is rising.
17:30Satellite images show China constructing a sprawling air defense complex, radar domes, missile bays and command centers.
17:38Barely a hundred kilometers from where Indian and Chinese troops clashed in 2020.
17:44But behind this build-up lies more than military muscle.
17:48It's unfolding at a moment when India and China are reopening trade routes, restoring flights and even shaking hands in diplomatic halls.
17:57So what does this latest construction really signal?
18:01Renewed defense or renewed distrust?
18:04Hello and welcome. You're watching Statecraft with me, Geeta Mohan.
18:08China is building again, but this time not a road, not a dam, not a bridge, but a secret fortress of air defense near the Indian border.
18:25Satellite images reveal a massive new Chinese complex, armed with radar domes, command bunkers and retractable missile launch bays,
18:34all overlooking the eastern tip of Pangong Lake, a place that once echoed with the sounds of gunfire in 2020, now hums with the noise of construction.
18:46Is Beijing preparing for defense or designing detrance?
18:50At first glance, the terrain looks empty.
18:54Barren slopes of Tibet, shimmering waters of Pangong Tso, silence broken only by wind.
19:00But look closer and the patterns emerge.
19:03Freshly paved roads snake into the mountains.
19:06Geometric concrete pads line the valley floor.
19:10Metallic shadows reveal radar arrays.
19:12And at the heart of it all, a network of buildings with sliding roofs.
19:18According to satellite imagery analyzed by U.S.-based geo-intelligence firm All Source Analysis, this is no ordinary base.
19:27It's a new air defense complex, roughly 110 kilometers from one of the key flashpoints of the 2020 Galvan clashes.
19:35And what lies beneath those retractable roofs could change the strategic balance across the line of actual control.
19:43The structure, experts say, is designed to conceal transporter erectile launcher vehicles, or TELs,
19:50capable of carrying China's advanced HQ-9 series of long-range surface-to-air missile systems.
19:56The HQ-9 series is Beijing's pride, a hybrid of Russian S-300 and American Patriot designs, capable of hitting targets over 200 kilometers away.
20:07Now these missiles, hidden under retractable hatches, give China the power to strike or shield at will,
20:14while staying invisible to Indian or American satellites until it's too late.
20:21Intelligence analysts believe this configuration is deliberate.
20:25To protect launchers from airstrikes and reconnaissance, and to allow missiles to fire straight through the opened hatches without exposing their position.
20:35It's a design previously seen in the South China Sea, not the Himalayas.
20:40Which raises a question, is Beijing militarizing the mountains the way it did the reefs?
20:45All sources' findings have been confirmed by India Today Global's OSINT team, whose latest images show open roofs over at least one launch position,
20:56revealing what appear to be launch vehicles underneath.
20:59The new site near Pangong Lake is not alone.
21:02A mirror replica of the same complex has been spotted 65 kilometers away at Ghar County, directly facing India's Nioma Airfield,
21:12which New Delhi recently upgraded to handle fighter jets and heavy transport aircraft.
21:18In other words, China has built a two-pronged missile fortress, one near Pangong, another near Ghar,
21:24both within striking distance of Indian positions, and both shielded from view.
21:31And they're connected by more than just roads.
21:34Analysts have detected wired data connection infrastructure between the radar stations and command centers,
21:41a sign of integrated command and control.
21:43This allows real-time coordination between missile batteries, radar domes, and high-altitude early warning systems.
21:52In simpler terms, it's a complete air defense bubble, capable of locking the skies over the western sector of the LAC.
22:01So while Indian and Chinese diplomats talk peace in Delhi, the People's Liberation Army is digging in at 14,000 feet.
22:09A new base, a new radar, and a new message.
22:13China may talk disengagement, but it is preparing for permanence.
22:18For centuries, India and China have shared not a border, but a burden.
22:23A frontier drawn by geography, defined by suspicion, and scarred by war.
22:28Every few years, there is a new round of talks.
22:31Every few months, a new round of trouble.
22:34Nearly five years after the Galwan clashes, both sides continue to maintain between 50,000 and 60,000 troops each along the line of actual control.
22:44Disengagement has been announced, yes, but not de-escalation.
22:50Beijing's playbook is clear.
22:52Build influence in South Asia through infrastructure, diplomacy, and denial.
22:56Block India at multilateral forums, bankroll Pakistan's military, and expand presence along the Himalayas.
23:05Every road, dam, and base along the frontier tells the same story.
23:10Detrance disguised as defense.
23:14India, for its part, is responding in kind.
23:17The Neoma Airfield in eastern Ladakh, once a modest forward base, is being transformed into a fighter-capable runway.
23:25New roads now link Neoma to Leh and forward positions along the LAC.
23:30Radar stations and air defense batteries have been deployed.
23:33In short, the mountains are bristling again.
23:37But there's a crucial deterrence.
23:40India's construction is visible, even documented in parliamentary statements.
23:44China's hides under retractable roofs.
23:48That secrecy is the message.
23:50And because each bay can hold two TEL vehicles, China can rotate its assets, firing from one, hiding the other.
23:58Making it nearly impossible for adversaries to predict its next move.
24:03There's also the question of perception.
24:06Every time China builds near the border, it sends multiple signals.
24:10One to India, one to Pakistan, and one to the world.
24:14To India, it says, we can reach you.
24:17To Pakistan, it says, we've got your back.
24:20And to the world, it says, we are here to stay.
24:23I'll see you soon.
24:25I'm waiting for you.
24:27I'm waiting for you.
24:31I'm waiting for you.
24:39I'm waiting for you.
24:39To Pakistan, it says, we can reach you.
24:39To Pakistan, it says, we can reach you for the future of the world.
24:41This is our jutÜ is the largest dipaction.
24:43We are there.
24:45We really can gather you.
24:45We can capture you.
24:49Baba desk, yes.
24:49Luckily, theacions and the continents have happened.
24:50The nation has come together.
24:51We haven't seen it.
24:51Well, we can see you.
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