“There are three things that grow more precious with age; old wood to burn, old books to read, and old friends to enjoy.” — Henry Ford

In the past, Indo-US relations were overshadowed by Cold War politics. The Indo-Soviet friendship and the US-Pak alliance were the two major irritants. Though ‘aid relations’ prevailed during 1950s and 1960s, New Delhi and Washington saw each other on opposite sides of the fence during this period. However, Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson were in favour of maintaining good relations with India. Recently declassified papers show that Kennedy was more greatly interested in India than Pakistan. The Sino-Indian dispute in 1962 brought about enhanced bilateral cooperation between the two countries. But the 1965 Indo-Pak War undid everything; Washington lost interest in the region. Though President Carter showed some interest, the Afghan war witnessed US political support tilting again towards Islamabad. Ronald Reagan literally wrote off India.

Though there is the burden of history, the US is no longer looked upon as “interventionist” by India. One reason could be the presence of BJP governments in New Delhi. India is viewed as the largest democracy and emerging economic power, despite its numerous domestic problems. It is also seen as a reliable and potential partner in Asia if US relations sour with China. The Bush regime has “rediscovered” India. The Indian Americans’ role is significant in boosting India’s image in the US from a ‘land of the poor’ to the ‘country of brains’. PIO/NRIs are especially admired for their contributions to information technology. They are better organized than before through the India Caucus, which now includes 130 members of the House of Representatives.

The India-U.S.partnership is founded on a shared commitment to freedom, democratic principles, equal treatment of all citizens, human rights, and the rule of law. The United States and India have shared interests in promoting global security, stability, and economic prosperity through trade, investment, and connectivity. The United States supports India’s emergence as a leading global power and vital partner in efforts to ensure that the Indo-Pacific is a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity. The strong people-to-people ties between our countries, reflected in a four million-strong Indian American diaspora, are a tremendous source of strength for the partnership. In December 2019, the United States hosted the second 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington led by the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense and their Indian counterparts, at which both sides reaffirmed India’s status as a Major Defense Partner and deepened cooperation on maritime security, interoperability, and information sharing. These include the India-U.S.Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group, which was established in 2000 and is among our oldest government-to-government dialogues, as well as the Strategic Energy Partnership, Cyber Dialogue, Civil Space Working Group, Trade Policy Forum, Defense Policy Group, and many more. India and the United States cooperate closely at multilateral organizations, including the United Nations, G-20, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.  The growing abstract power of PRC is a threat to all liberal democracies. U.S.is closely working with India, Japan and Australia to counter the threat posed by China in the South China sea.

The new US Ambassador-designate Eric Garcetti will have to deal with certain legacy issues that have kept the ever-growing relationship between the two countries at an edge. Indian and American analysts have to explore various aspects of the India-U.S. relationship, including strategic priorities, points of tension, and opportunities for greater collaboration between the two countries. The groups capped these conversations with a structured dialogue on September 3, 2020 focused on four topics: Indian defense capabilities, Russia, Southeast Asia, and the future trajectory of the India-U.S.strategic relationship.

The discussion on defense focused on two areas: India U.S.defense technology cooperation and changes underway in the Indian national security system. No significant shift is expected in the near to medium term. Both sides agreed that the India-U.S.Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) has underperformed its goals. Indian interlocutors suggested that, traditionally, the United States has viewed DTTI as a way to sell hardware by bypassing India’s cumbersome defense acquisition process, whereas India views DTTI as a way to access privileged U.S. technology. Indian participants suggested that although high-level reforms such as the long-delayed institution of a tri-service Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) and Department of Military Affairs had taken place, these are likely to prove disruptive rather than generate the expected changes to defense restructuring amid heightened nationalism and the ongoing border crisis with China.

The past legacy has Russia loomed large with Indian policymakers remains at an impasse with the U.S. The U.S. policymakers have described Washington’s concerns on the India-Russia relationship principally focused on Indian acquisitions of Russian arms. This in part U.S. fears that Indian acquisitions aid and tacitly endorse Russian revisionist belligerence. Indian participants justified New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow on four counts: 1) ensuring continued access to spares and maintenance for India’s vast stock of Russian arms; 2) gaining geopolitical support in multilateral institutions (e.g. United Nations Security Council); 3) slowing the Russia-China defense technology relationship, and potentially driving a wedge between them; and 4) accessing or jointly-producing Russian weapons technology (e.g. nuclear submarines, advanced cruise missiles).

While India is likely to continue paying lip service to “ASEAN centrality,” its growing recognition of ASEAN’s lack of consensus demands an alternative approach. New Delhi may seek to decouple its economy from its security engagements in Southeast Asia since India cannot compete with China economically. Indian participants raised the prospect of Quad-led efforts on physical infrastructure and economic connectivity in collaboration with Southeast Asia countries. U.S. participants suggested Washington would continue to develop the Quad to shape Chinese behavior while proceeding gingerly so as not to spook others, particularly India.

On the future of the India-U.S.partnership, experts agreed on the likelihood of continued convergence in the relationship but noted some concerns on pace and priorities. Despite clear convergence on the challenge and threat posed by China, both Indian and American interlocutors remain concerned that U.S. post-election will face political turbulence and a greater focus will be there on America’s domestic challenges (e.g. COVID-19, economic recovery, and social cleavages) could result in incrementalism or drift in India-U.S.cooperation. Some Indian analysts worried that a Biden administration could rebalance some priorities in the bilateral relationship beyond the defense portfolio. Despite expected consistency in the U.S. approach to China (albeit less antagonism on trade), Indian participants anticipated greater U.S. scrutiny of Kashmir and other matters that India considers its internal affairs, suspected a diminished commitment to the Quad, and feared reprised efforts towards a G-2 arrangement with China. Washington-New Delhi ties have consistent bipartisan support in the United States and increasingly firm backing across the Indian political spectrum. Since both the countries are practicing democracies, the present global geopolitical situation will ensure India-U.S.bilateral relations to scale new heights. 

As explained by Robert Kennedy, Jr: “ Democracy is messy, and it's hard. It's never easy.”

Prashant Tewari: Editor-in-Chief Opinion Express with Prof KN Ranganathan: Founder President FOTUS  ( Friends of The United States )   

Pakistan's major opposition parties see a "systematic and planned campaign" behind the circulation of rumours about the imposition of some kind of an emergency in the country, like the one enforced by then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, and ongoing talk in social and mainstream media in favour of a presidential form of government, Dawn news reported.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) suspect that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is behind such a "campaign" to distract the people's attention from real issues and its failure on every front.

This perception, however, was categorically refuted by Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who termed the speculation about emergency or presidential form of government a part of "fake news culture" prevailing in the country thanks to some YouTubers and vloggers.

Amid the rumours, the members of the joint opposition on Wednesday submitted a resolution to the National Assembly Secretariat expressing the resolve to uphold and strengthen the federal parliamentary system in the country as provided in the 1973 Constitution.

"When the government, imposed through rigged elections, has ruined the country, then whisperings of imposition of an Indira Gandhi-like emergency and change in the system through various formulas are being heard," Ahsan Iqbal, the PML-N secretary-general, said in a tweet.

Iqbal was referring to the imposition of emergency in India by Gandhi on June 25, 1975 which remained in force till March 21, 1977.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Tuesday that his country does not want to get caught up between powerful nations.

He made the remarks while addressing the second session of the ninth Parliament, during which he also presented his government's policy statement.

The session was attended by a large number of guests, including Ambassadors and High Commissioners.

"While giving priority to the country's sovereignty and independence we are ready to response positively to the international observations. We are an independent and sovereign nation. We do not want to get caught up between the powerful nations," President Rajapaksas said.

"While we respect our neighbours what we need is to maintain a friendly and cordial relationship with every nation."

President Rajapaksa's remarks came in the backdrop where opposition parties and critics have complained that amidst the ongoing financial crisis, his government has been selling its lands and resources to powerful countries like China, India and the US and making the island-nation a hunting ground for super powers.

During his hour-long speech, President Rajapaksa also invited the representatives of the minority Tamil and Muslim political parties from the North and the East to join him in promoting the lives of the people ravaged by three-decades long Civil War.

"I urge all the representatives from the North and the East to set aside their political ideologies temporarily and help the government's efforts to promote lives of the people in the war affected areas."

Rajapaksa also assured that he would release all the lands of the civilians taken over by the military in the North and the East.

"We released 90 per cent of the civilian land occupied by the military during the period when I was the Defence Secretary. Since there is peace, we would be able to release the rest of the civilian lands taken for military purposes in the area."

While ensuring justice for all the war-affected sections, Rajapaksa also said that the issue of disappearance during the war was not limited to one party.

"We condemn racism and we want to ensure the rights and respect of all parties... I urge this from all the politicians who continue to incite communal disharmony among different races and ethnic groups. We are ready to introduce timely changes to the Prevention of Terrorism Act which was introduced as far back as 1978."

The President also said he had given Presidential pardon to a group of former LTTE members.

Rajapaksa further stressed that the people from the war battered North and East need economic security more than anything else and said that investments have been made to develop the peninsular predominantly occupied by the Tamils.

Two decades back, they were considered to be archrivals as both the countries, India and Brazil, started campaigning hard for the permanent seat in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) since they were the two countries with striking similarities, one in the eastern hemisphere, the other from the southern hemisphere, known as the 'mirror image nations' in the diplomatic world.

Both are fast developing countries with emerging economies, huge land with a large population, growing domestic consumer market, and increasing youth population but tables turned around in 2006 when India and Brazil started their strategic partnership.

Since then, n-number of high-level visits, many bilateral MoUs, cultural exchanges and an India-Brazil Joint Commission for political, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation, a long voyage of bilateral diplomacy traveled, which has one more milestone on Friday when India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar had a conversation with his Brazilian counterpart Carlos Franca.

India-Brazil has agreed to work closely for UNSC as both countries have been claiming their due -- the permanent membership in UNSC. India and Brazil, along with China, Russia and South Africa, engaged in multilateral diplomatic relations through BRICS, also agreed to expand this forum internationally and use it for strengthening their position globally.

Jaishankar and Carlos Franca also spoke about IBSA, the India-Brazil-South Africa forum, which has the representation of three continents by their largest democracies. Both the Foreign Ministers discussed holding an early meeting of the India-Brazil Joint Commission.

"A productive discussion with Brazil Foreign MInister Carlos Franca. Agreed to hold an early meeting of our Joint Commission. Affirmed our commitment to work closely in the UNSC, BRICS and IBSA," India's External Affairs Minister tweeted

In 2019, S. Jaishankar had met his former Brazilian counterpart Ernesto Araujo on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

On the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Rio de Janeiro on July 25, 2019, General V.K. Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, met Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo and had bilateral discussions.

US President Joe Biden's nominee to be the top official dealing with sanctions has hinted that India may be spared sanctions for buying the S400 Triumf anti-missile defence system from Russia.

James O'Brien, the nominee for Coordinator for Sanctions Policy, said on Wednesday that in considering sanctions on India, "there are important geostrategic considerations, particularly with the relationship to China" and "so, I think, we have to look at what the balance is".

When he appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing, Republican Senator Todd Young asked O'Brien about sanctioning India under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which requires sanctions against countries buying Russian defence equipment.

Young noted that Washington has imposed sanctions on Turkey's defence establishments for buying the S400 system and asked if that provided "any warning or lessons for how to proceed with India".

"I believe they're very different circumstances and of course different security partnerships," he added.

O'Brien said: "As you say, I think it's difficult to compare the two situations � with a NATO ally (Turkey) that is breaking with legacy defence procurement systems, and then it is India, a partner of growing importance, but that has legacy relationships with Russia."

"The administration made clear that it is discouraging India from proceeding with the acquisition of Russian equipment," he said, but added that there were "important geostrategic considerations".

"It'd be premature to say more, but this is something I look forward to working with with you and other interested members," he said.

Young said that India importing the S400 system has "led some of my colleagues to call for sanctions under CATSA" but declared that he was against taking action against New Delhi.

"India's vital ally in our competition against China, and that's why I believe we should resist taking any actions that might drive them away from us and the Quad. I'm therefore strongly supportive of waiving CAATSA sanctions against India, given our shared foreign policy interests."

India, along with the US, Japan and Australia, is a member of the four-nation group that is known as the Quad, which is emerging as a key component in Washington's strategy against China's growing aggressive posture in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Indians have a lot of legacy systems from previous decades and they are interoperable with the Russians systems and the Indians seek to defend their land border from Chinese incursions and defend the Indian Ocean from an increasingly adventurous and lawless blue ocean (Chinese) Navy and the People's Liberation Army," Young said.

The S400 system and navy frigate ships India is acquiring from Russian are both "important systems for the Indians", he said.

Chuck Schumer, the leader of the majority Democratic Party in the Senate, has previously expressed opposition to waivers while Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez has been ambivalent about it.

Young, along with fellow Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Roger Marshall introduced a bill last year to help India evade the CAATSA sanctions.

But the legislation called "Circumspectly Reducing Unintended Consequences Impairing Alliances and Leadership Act of 2021" (CRUCIAL Act) went nowhere in the last Senate session.

It sought to exempt the members of the Quad from US sanctions for a 10-year period.

Neither Japan nor Australia buys arms from Russia, but adding them to the exemptions list would turn the focus away from India and turn the spotlight on China.

There is also support from the Democratic side for giving India CAATSA exemptions.

Democrat Mark Warner joined Republican John Cornyn in warning Biden that sanctions could have a "deleterious effect on a strategic partnership" between Washington and New Delhi and asked him to waive the action.

The first components of the S-400 valued between $4 billion and $5.5 billion began arriving in India in November.

Although Russia continues to be the major arms supplier to India, New Delhi is increasing defence purchases from the US as the two countries enter into defence cooperation agreements.

During former President Donald Trump's visit to India in 2020, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $3.5 billion arms deal that would include 24 Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk multi-role helicopters and six Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters.

A fresh diplomatic spat has brewed between Nepal and India after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent announcement to expand the road across the Lipulekh area which Nepal claims as its own.

Addressing an election rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Haldwani in Uttarakhand on December 30, Modi had announced that his government is further widening the road built in the Nepali territory of Lipulekh.

Nepal has already protested the Indian government's ongoing construction of roads in Lipulekh and Kalapani areas. Nepal had protested on May 8, 2020, when Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had virtually inaugurated the newly-constructed road in Lipulekh.

Following strong protests and criticisms within Nepal over the expansion of roads by India, the government of Nepal had issued new maps covering the areas including Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.

Immediately after that, Nepal tried to hold bilateral talks to amicably resolve the issue of the territory 'encroached' by India, but New Delhi did not show any interest in it. Until now, there has been no formal discussion on the topic.

Nepal and India have been indulging in boundary row after India unveiled its new political map in November, 2019. Nepal protested India's decision to incorporate the disputed areas in its territory. In response, the then K.P. Sharma Oli government in Nepal unveiled a new political map in May 2029 incorporating Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura.

Though both sides have vowed to settle the boundary dispute through diplomatic and political talks and channels, no concrete bilateral negotiations have taken place yet.

Modi, in his speech, had said that the road has been widened to Lipulekh and work is underway to widen the road towards the religious tourist site, Kailash Mansarovar.

In this connection, the main opposition Nepal Communist Party-UML has taken exception to the announcement made by Modi on Lipulekh.

Issuing a statement on Tuesday, chief of the party's foreign affairs wing, Rajan Bhattarai, called for ending such activities that violate sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-respect of Nepal.

"CPN-UML unwaveringly believes that construction of roads and other structures should be stopped, the issue should be promptly resolved through dialogue and no structure should be built at the state level until resolution is reached through dialogue," the statement read.

Bhattarai said that several questions have been raised as the government is silent on such serious issues related to nationalism.

The party has also urged the government to promptly start dialogue with its Indian counterpart on the issue, ask India to stop all kinds of 'bullying' and take fruitful initiative to establish practical ownership of Nepal over the 'encroached' territories.

The ruling CPN (Unified Socialist) also issued a statement on Monday and took exception to the road expansion by India in the 'encroached' Nepali territory of Lipulekh and condemned the recent statement of Narendra Modi.

Despite calls from different quarters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal has not made any comment on the issue yet.

A court in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four more years in prison on Monday after finding her guilty of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions, a legal official said.

Suu Kyi was convicted last month on two other charges and given a four-year prison sentence, which was then halved by the head of the military-installed government.

The cases are among about a dozen brought against the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate since the army seized power last February, ousting her elected government and arresting top members of her National League for Democracy party.

If found guilty of all the charges, she could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison.

Suu Kyi's supporters and independent analysts say the charges against her are contrived to legitimise the military's seizure of power and prevent her from returning to politics.

The United Nations called again for the release of Suu Kyi and all those detained arbitrarily since last February's coup.

“All political prisoners must be released, and clearly, this is not a step in the right direction," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

Monday's verdict in the court in the capital, Naypyitaw, was conveyed by a legal official who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities, who have restricted the release of information about Suu Kyi's trials.

He said she was sentenced to two years in prison under the Export-Import Law for importing the walkie-talkies and one year under the Telecommunications Law for possessing them. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

She also received a two-year sentence under the Natural Disaster Management Law for allegedly violating coronavirus rules while campaigning.

Suu Kyi was convicted last month on two other charges — incitement and breaching COVID-19 restrictions — and sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Hours after that sentence was issued, the head of the military-installed government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, reduced it by half.

Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in a 2020 general election, but the military claimed there was widespread electoral fraud, an assertion that independent poll watchers doubt.

Since her first guilty verdict, Suu Kyi has been attending court hearings in prison clothes — a white top and a brown longyi skirt provided by the authorities. She is being held by the military at an unknown location, where state television reported last month she would serve her sentence.

The hearings are closed to the media and spectators and the prosecutors do not comment. Her lawyers, who had been a source of information on the proceedings, were served with gag orders in October.

The military-installed government has not allowed any outside party to meet with Suu Kyi since it seized power, despite international pressure for talks including her that could ease the country's violent political crisis.

It would not allow a special envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, to meet her. The refusal received a rare rebuke from fellow members, who barred Min Aung Hlaing from attending its annual summit meeting.

Even Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who took over as the regional group's chair for this year and advocates engagement with the ruling generals, failed to meet her last week when he became the first head of government to visit Myanmar since the army's takeover.

The military's seizure of power was quickly met by nonviolent nationwide demonstrations, which security forces quashed with deadly force, killing over 1,400 civilians, according to a detailed list compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Peaceful protests have continued, but amid the severe crackdown, an armed resistance has also grown, to the point that UN experts have warned the country could be sliding into civil war.

“The Myanmar junta's courtroom circus of secret proceedings on bogus charges is all about steadily piling up more convictions against Aung San Suu Kyi so that she will remain in prison indefinitely. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and the junta leaders obviously still view her as a paramount political threat who needs to be permanently neutralised," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

“Once again, Aung San Suu Kyi has become a symbol of what is happening to her country and returned to the role of political hostage of military hell-bent on controlling power by using intimidation and violence,” Robertson said in a statement.

“Fortunately for her and the future of Myanmar, the Myanmar people's movement has grown well beyond just the leadership of one woman, and one political party.”

Suu Kyi was charged right after the military's takeover with having improperly imported the walkie-talkies, which served as the initial justification for her continued detention. A second charge of illegally possessing the radios was filed the following month.

The radios were seized from the entrance gate of her residence and the barracks of her bodyguards during a search on February 1, the day she was arrested.

Suu Kyi's lawyers argued that the radios were not in her personal possession and were legitimately used to help provide for her security, but the court declined to dismiss the charges.

Courtesy: AP

India got a helping hand from Iran to transport humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

As External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar had a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the latter offered to allow transportation of Indian wheat, life-saving drugs and Covid vaccines to Afghanistan through its territory.

Recently, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India was talking with Pakistan for the transportation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan is a landlocked country.

India supplied the third batch of medical assistance consisting of two tons of life-saving medicines to Afghanistan a few days back. On January 1, it supplied humanitarian assistance consisting of 500,000 doses of Covid vaccine (Covaxin) to Afghanistan.

India has committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Afghan people consisting of food grains, one million doses of Covid vaccines and essential life-saving drugs. Last month, India delivered 1.6 tons of medical assistance to Afghanistan through the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have arrested an outspoken critic of the government, drawing strong calls for his immediate release from civil society activists, VOA reported.

Family members said Faizullah Jalal, a professor of law and political science, was arrested by security forces from his residence in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

"As I confirm this disturbing news, I ask for the immediate release of my father, Professor Faizuallah Jalal," tweeted Hasina Jalal, the daughter of the detained professor.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Jalal had been detained on Saturday over statements he made on social media in which he was "trying to instigate people against the system and was playing with the dignity of the people", Samaa TV reported.

Mujahid shared screenshots of tweets he claimed had been posted by Jalal, which said the Taliban intelligence chief was a stooge of Pakistan, and that the new government considers Afghans as "donkeys".

In one television appearance, Jalal called Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem -- who was also participating, a "calf", a grave insult in Afghanistan.

Afghan television channels quoted a security source as confirming Jalal was being interrogated by the Taliban intelligence agency for leveling allegations against government departments, VOA reported.

"(The) Taliban never have tolerated criticism or free speech. He should be released immediately," Patricia Gossman, the associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter.

"Why & based on what legal ground? Arbitrary arrests for expressing one's views/analysis is counterproductive & a step in the wrong direction... in any society," Omar Samad, former Afghan diplomat and senior fellow at Washington's Atlantic Council asked in his tweeted reaction, VOA reported.

"Amnesty International condemns the arrest of Professor Faizullah Jalal, Kabul university lecturer, for exercising his freedom of expression and criticizing the Taliban on a TV show. We call on the Taliban authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him," tweeted the global rights defender.

Chinese Communist Party officials have unveiled an "action plan for cooperation" with Latin American countries that amounts to a "comprehensive" plan to influence the region and threaten US interests, following a new summit with the nearest neighbours of the US, Washington Examiner reported.

"The Chinese don't say ‘We want to take over Latin America', but they clearly set out a multidimensional engagement strategy, which, if successful, would significantly expand their leverage and produce enormous intelligence concerns for the United States," US Army War College research professor Evan Ellis, a former member of the State Department policy planning staff, told the Washington Examiner.

Chinese officials outlined their ambitions following a summit with the community of Latin American and Caribbean states. This intergovernmental forum was launched in 2011 under the auspices of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who wanted a venue to rival the Organization of American States and challenge U.S. influence in Latin America, and it now stands to furnish Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping with a platform to gather a coalition of leftist and authoritarian leaders congenial to Beijing's interests, the report said.

"The Chinese Communist Party and government are actively looking to strengthen their ties throughout the Western Hemisphere, in particular with anti-American elements," Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a senior Senate Intelligence Select Committee Republican, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. "Beijing is seeking to surpass the United States in every sector, and we must take this threat seriously."

China's exploitation of ideological fault lines in Latin America was thrown into sharp relief earlier this month, when Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, just weeks after the OAS General Assembly rebuked him for overseeing elections that "were not free, fair, or transparent and have no democratic legitimacy," opted to close the Taiwanese Embassy in favour of a new relationship with Beijing.

"The Ortega-Murillo regime has announced it has severed diplomatic relations and ended official contact with Taiwan, but the sham election on November 7 did not provide it with any mandate to remove Nicaragua from the family of American democracies," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a December 9 response.

Two deaths in connection with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 were reported in South Korea on Monday, according to health officials.

These are reportedly the first deaths in the country linked to the highly transmissible variant, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Health authorities in Gwangju, 329 kM south of Seoul, said two recently deceased coronavirus patients in the city, both in their 90s, have posthumously tested positive for the Omicron variant.

The patients, who died on December 27 and 29, respectively, both tested positive for Covid-19 at a senior care hospital in the city at an earlier date.

Health authorities are looking into the exact causes of the deaths.

On Monday, South Korea confirmed 111 more Omicron variant infections, bringing the total to 1,318.

Among them, 101 Omicron variant cases came from overseas and 10 were locally transmitted, the report said.

Meanwhile, the country's daily coronavirus cases stayed below 4,000 for the second straight day on Monday as the country has extended the enforcement of its tighter social distancing measures for two more weeks to stem a surge in infections and the spread of the Omicron variant.

The country added 3,129 new Covid-19 infections, including 2,993 local infections, raising the total caseload to 642,207, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

This marked the second straight day that the daily cases fell below 4,000 following 3,833 infections reported on Sunday.

South Korea reported 36 more Covid-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 5,730, the KDCA said.

The fatality rate stood at 0.89 per cent.

Courtesy: IANS