Chinese weapons - Small buck big bangs

The mantra of creating fear by USA is possibly losing its credence and that is a problem for its military industrial complex. Now China is rising as a competitor for military hardware as well and even if such fear mongering mantra is successful, countries may opt for Chinese weapons that are cheaper, yet not inferior, just like EVs, solar panels, shipbuilding.

It may not yet be time for China to be eating the lunch of the USA and France in terms of weapon sales, not until another war erupts between India and Pakistan to showcase Chinese weapons at another level using the J35. As an indication, China has just announced its defense budget increase of about 7%, or US$245 billion for 2025. Of course, the USA and the West are raising a ruckus over the increase as expected. China has no need to ask for their permission to do something to protect itself.

I do not think India is about to embark on another misadventure so soon, after still licking its wounds despite its claims of winning the war but losing its highly touted fighter jets. India probably has not even figure out how those planes were shot out of the sky and still in the daze. Right now, it is engaging in a blaming game with the French, who according to sources, is asking India just to ground their Rafales for the time being.

Meanwhile, China is keeping up support for the Pakistanis, waiting for the next attack from India. It will come, with Modi trying to salvage some of his lost ego.


Anonymous

Africa taking a leaf from China in economic development

There is a warning that Africa will be a rising economic competitor against India in the next 5 to 10 years, with help from China and Chinese investments pouring into Africa. The development by China of roads and railways in Africa is a pre-requisite needed for progress, which is basically what India lacks at the moment. Therefore, a rapid game changer is taking place in Africa that much of the world is not noticing yet.
There is also another warning from none other than an Indian analyst, who came up with an analysis that 90% of Indians had living conditions below that of Sub-Saharan countries in Africa, if taking out the contribution of the top 10% earners in India like the Adani and Ambani clans. This is indeed telling, with Africans rising just decades later than India. Africa is taking a leaf from China, rising to economic prominence in just a matter of forty years in the making. If China can do it, so can Africa. Never underestimate the Africans learning well from the experience of China.

Yet more telling is the view of another Indian sounding the alarm that the biggest threat to India now comes from a much smaller country - Vietnam, which is rising to be the biggest competitor to India, again leveraging on the investments by China. China is already far and away leaving India behind and there is no point trying to compare India with China. But a rising Vietnam is a problem for India. Many are also saying that India should not try to always compare with China but just compare itself to Bangladesh instead of trying to compare with the big boys like China and USA.

India is immersing itself with the wrong priorities for ego boosting purposes, like trying to send satellites into space and landing on the moon and even talking about sending a mission to the sun at night. What a sick joke? India's priorities should be more ground based, like improving its infrastructures, eradicating poverty and building more toilets instead of pouring tens of millions into ego boosting endeavors tying to compete with USA and China. Under Modi, India has lost its sense of direction and priority and is shunned by neighbors all around.


Anonymous

New Cabinet - Was it a major change?

 Lawrence Wong has his new cabinet handcrafted and installed to his likings. His closest comrades in arms are in position to work and support him for the next 5 years. Gan Kim Yong, Chan Chun Seng, Ong Yee Kung and Shanmugam would be his right hand, left hand, back and front men, the strongest team from what is available currently. This would secure Lawrence position as the PM against any challenger during his term in office.

Other than the addition of a couple of new faces, the rest are just a matter of moving the furniture pieces here and there. The expectation of a major change in a new cabinet did not live up to the expectations of those wanting real changes.

Can anything else be read from this rearrangement of a new cabinet? One thing that stands out is that there is no one other than Vivian to fill the Foreign Minister post. Without Vivian, this position would likely be left vacant for good. So, Vivian would be the Foreign Minister until he retires from politics.  Or is it that Vivian cannot fit into any other post other than the MFA?

There is a slight change though in Shanmugam vacating the Law Ministry to Edwin Tong. This ministry and MHA are in a way like 'personal to holder' ministries to Shanmugam, like MFA is to Vivian. In this change, the Law Ministry has been carved out and only the MHA is personal to holder to Shanmugam for now and maybe till his retirement.

Again, not sure whether Shanmugam is born just to be the minister for MHA or he cannot fit into any other ministry, caveat, the Law ministry.

In a way this is a consequence of Singapore's lack of talents, and for the past decades and coming decades, the PM, whoever he is, would have serious problem looking for replacement for the MFA and MHA, and would have even greater problem finding a ministry suitable for Vivian and Shanmugam to take care of.

The rest of the furniture are easy to move around, to fit into any peg into any holes, square holes, round holes, irregular holes, no problem. Anyway, it is just a few pieces of furniture in a cabinet, square peg in round hole, round peg in square hole, just squeeze them in, after a while they will all fit in nicely.

The main point to note is that the first, second and third generation leaders are all gone, except for Hsien Loong as the guardian angel, or the pillar that holds the roof and everything in place. For sure, no one would dare to attempt a coup against Lawrence.

India's new enemies and a period of grieving

 India turning on its friends, blaming them and making enemies of them. Top on the list is the USA.  It was just a few days back when Modi was happily kissing and hugging Trump in the White House. Modi is now furious with the Americans, especially Trump for betrayal and humiliating him. Trump is showing India he has no love for Modi.

The apparently innocent visit by DC Vance and his family to India and calling on Modi was not that innocent after all. Putting the pieces together, the cause of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the 4 day India Pakistan war becomes pretty evident. It does not need much stretching of the grey matter to know what it was all about.  What is unacceptable is the back pedalling of Trump away from this fiasco, pretending to be innocent, not interested, did not want to be involved, when the Americans' fingerprints were everywhere from the start to the end.

It was embarrassing and demeaning for Modi to have to call Pakistan for a ceasefire. Trump crashed in to claim credit, that he was responsible for the ceasefire. Not to forget, Trump did not allow the Indians to use the F16s they bought from the Americans in this war, not that the F16s would make any difference, probably the first to be shot down.

To further frustrate the Indians, Trump's family signed a big deal on cryptocurrency with Pakistan when the war was going on. Trump also claimed that there was a deal with India on tariffs that India totally denied. And the Americans, the best of India's friends, Trump was Modi's lover, were the first to confirm the downing of the Rafales to embarrass the Indians. Modi and the Indians would hope the Americans would at least deny or not say anything about it. Now the whole world is quoting the Americans as the authoritative source of this information. Another nail on the Indian coffin, Trump told Tim Cook not to set up factories to produce Apple phones in India.

The whole of India's media resources is now trained at the Americans. Their top spokesmen and spokeswomen were spewing barrages of attacks on the Americans daily, 7/24. Suddenly the Americans are India's number one enemy. American bashing is the order of the day.

The French came in second as India's new enemy. I may be wrong as both the Americans and the French are neck to neck in the eyes of Modi and the Indians. India paid so much, overcharged by the French for the Rafales, to have the bragging rights of having the world's best fighter aircraft and confidently strutting around like they have the best air force in Asia, snapping at China's airforce as has been, history. India is number one.

In a matter of one night, a brief encounter, the myth of the India Air Force as number one was gone with the wind. And France did not hesitate to tell the truth, that the Rafales were shot down, while India is still claiming they were not till today. This is a betrayal by the French. And for all things, France ordered India not to fly the Rafales in its war with Pakistan! Hey, India bought the Rafales exactly for this, and how could France forbid its use against Pakistan? Of course, India could reject the order, just like rejecting the American's order not to fly the F16s. But this would mean no more parts, no more material and servicing support from the suppliers of these aircraft. And France is still adamant not to share the source code with the Indians, holding the Indians at ransom.

The Indians are now stuck in a shit hole. Having paid so much for the Rafales that have turned out to be duds, only for show but not to win a war.

Then there are the Turks and Azerbaijans, both are now enemies of India. India is calling its people to boycott these two countries, not to visit them as tourists or buy their products.

And its eastern neighbour Bangladesh has openly called for the cutting off of the chicken neck passage in Siliguri Corridor, with the intent to create a Greater Bangladesh with merging the 7 north eastern Indian states. Wow, this is big.

A false flag terrorist attack as an excuse to start a war with Pakistan has ended up with India having so many new enemies. This is a big achievement for the Modi govt. Now the deal with the French on the Rafales is likely to get burnt. And with the souring of relations with Trump, the dream of acquiring the F35s also hangs in the balance. Looking from a positive angle, India finally discovered who are their real enemies masquerading as friends and allies.

Modi and the Indians would be suffering from this fiasco for a long while. It is just too much to swallow for the pompous Indians. A sure win war with little Pakistan is now turning into a big national embarrassment in front of the whole world. The whole world knows that India lost this war, that India was walloped by little Pakistan with cheaper but better weapon systems and aircraft.

SAF lucky not to be trained by India

What's the use of 500,000 troops when they are just only trained to stomp their feet for their shadowing Clowns parades at the Pakistan/India Borders dailies for their rituals.

Once a few got hammered the Rest started running.

Once in 1967, our Malay Regiment SIRs instructors told us laughingly that you jokers are lucky that the Indians are NOT HERE to train you all as they rejected the call from SinkiesLAND to help.

If NOT, you be polishing your bare toenails with kiwi black and marching like half failed ducks to markets.

Actually also the hype myths invincibility of also the Israelis lah!

SIRs Regiments Regulars good enough to train our own.

But sadly after using them downgraded them to be GD Men and also discharged them after their services of providing the backbone of our First Few Battalions.

They are the Ones who defended Singapore during the Indonesian Konfrontasi or Confrontation!

One time Lau Goh even gave those NOT on Active Services of that year of less NS incentives payments to all the ORD Men.

Forgot all the roots of the first few batches contributions that saved his skin.

Virgo49