COLLATED BY B.RAMAN
The "People's Daily Online" has carried the following report on November 22,2010.
High-speed rail between Yunnan and Myanmar on agenda
Construction of a high-speed rail link between Yunnan province and neighboring Myanmar, part of a project to upgrade transport connections with Southeast Asian nations, will start in about two months, a top rail expert said.
The line, from Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, to Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, will be 1,920 kilometers long, said Wang Mengshu, an academic of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Trains will run at about 170-200 km/h once it is completed, he added.
Wang, who is also a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, has been involved in Chinese high-speed rail projects from the outset.
Wang told China Daily that a high-speed rail connection between southwestern China and Cambodia is also under discussion. And an exploratory survey for another route that would link Yunnan and Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is under way.
The three new rail connections being developed, along with another linking China and Vietnam, will form a network that is likely to be completed within 10 years, Wang said.
"The project, which aims to boost cooperation between China and Southeast Asian nations, will greatly enhance the economic development of China's western regions," said Wang.
A national rail plan will see the network extended to 120,000 km by the end of 2020 and to 170,000 km by the end of the 2030, Wang said. Upon completion, 60 percent of the country's railways will be located in western China.
A Ministry of Railways spokesman said a detailed construction plan to link Southeast Asian countries had not yet been finalized, but confirmed that the ministry has set up working groups with these countries.
Piamsak Milintachinda, Thailand's ambassador to China, earlier told China Daily that a ministry team went to Thailand in August to gauge the investment environment for a high-speed railway as well as a rail network connecting Thailand, China and other Southeast Asian countries.
The proposed 240-km high-speed railway in Thailand, estimated to cost about $25.6 billion, would be the first such line in that country and connect Bangkok with Rayong, the industrial base in the east of the country.
Thailand has long intended to upgrade its network and learn from China's experience in "operating a high-speed rail system", the ambassador said.
Chinese experts believe that China has the technical ability to carry out the project, but other considerations may come into play.
"There is no technological barrier to building high-speed railways to Southeast Asian countries but China needs to take profitability into account," said Ji Jialun, a professor with Beijing Jiaotong University.
Domestic companies are upgrading technology to keep up with innovation and growth in the high-speed rail industry and are well positioned to benefit from increased interest in high-speed rail routes.
China's high-speed trains have clocked speeds as high as 416.6 km/hour, according to Zhao Xiaogang, chairman of the China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corp, the largest listed railway equipment maker in China.
"Europe, the United States, Russia, India, Brazil and the Middle East are all mulling over plans to develop high-speed railways, indicating a boom in the industry globally," Zhao said.
Tan Zongyang, Zhou Siyu and Liu Yiyu contributed to this story.
By Du Juan and Wan Zhihong, China Daily
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
IAF COPTER CRASH IN TAWANG AREA---AS REPORTED BY CHINESE MEDIA
B.RAMAN
An M-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Tawang in India's Arunachal Pradesh on November 19,2010, killing all the 12 persons---11 from the Indian Air Force including the two pilots, and a Lt.Col from the Army---who were on board.
2. "The Hindu" of Chennai quoting Indian defence sources reported that "the chopper, bound for Guwahati, crashed minutes after it took off from the helipad of the Army Brigade Headquarters in Tawang at 12.04 p.m. It was on an air maintenance sortie. " It added: "IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ranjib Sahoo, based in the Eastern Air Command headquarters in Shillong, told The Hindu that all the bodies have been retrieved from the crash site, about 10 km from Tawang. A court of inquiry has been ordered."
3. The Government-controlled Xinhua news agency of China disseminated two different versions of the news about the crash----one for the English language media of China and the other for the Chinese language media.
4. The version for the English language media stated as follows: " According to AFP news, an Indian military transport helicopter in the northeast, in the border areas crashed, killing all 12 people.The plane is Russian-made military helicopter . It crashed shortly after take-off. The cause of the accident may be due to local weather. Indian Defense Ministry spokesman told the media that 12 people were on the helicopter.There were no survivors. All the dead bodies have been found." ( My comment: This English version has been taken from a Chinese blog. This has not yet been carried by the English language editions of the "Global Times", the "People's Daily" and the " China Daily")
5. The Chinese language version, as translated in Chinese blogs, stated as follows: " Press Trust of India quoting Indian military sources reported that 12 o'clock noon, local time, the Indian Air Force transport helicopter Mi -17 in the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" fell to the ground.Two pilots and 9 flight trainees killed . Indian Air Force has ordered a cause of the accident investigation. The so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" is located in southern Tibet, China, which has always been Chinese territory. China's repeated solemn declaration that China never recognized the illegal "McMahon Line" and the Indian authorities in February 1987 announced the establishment of the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh." Unquote .(21-11-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt.of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
An M-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Tawang in India's Arunachal Pradesh on November 19,2010, killing all the 12 persons---11 from the Indian Air Force including the two pilots, and a Lt.Col from the Army---who were on board.
2. "The Hindu" of Chennai quoting Indian defence sources reported that "the chopper, bound for Guwahati, crashed minutes after it took off from the helipad of the Army Brigade Headquarters in Tawang at 12.04 p.m. It was on an air maintenance sortie. " It added: "IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ranjib Sahoo, based in the Eastern Air Command headquarters in Shillong, told The Hindu that all the bodies have been retrieved from the crash site, about 10 km from Tawang. A court of inquiry has been ordered."
3. The Government-controlled Xinhua news agency of China disseminated two different versions of the news about the crash----one for the English language media of China and the other for the Chinese language media.
4. The version for the English language media stated as follows: " According to AFP news, an Indian military transport helicopter in the northeast, in the border areas crashed, killing all 12 people.The plane is Russian-made military helicopter . It crashed shortly after take-off. The cause of the accident may be due to local weather. Indian Defense Ministry spokesman told the media that 12 people were on the helicopter.There were no survivors. All the dead bodies have been found." ( My comment: This English version has been taken from a Chinese blog. This has not yet been carried by the English language editions of the "Global Times", the "People's Daily" and the " China Daily")
5. The Chinese language version, as translated in Chinese blogs, stated as follows: " Press Trust of India quoting Indian military sources reported that 12 o'clock noon, local time, the Indian Air Force transport helicopter Mi -17 in the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" fell to the ground.Two pilots and 9 flight trainees killed . Indian Air Force has ordered a cause of the accident investigation. The so-called "Arunachal Pradesh" is located in southern Tibet, China, which has always been Chinese territory. China's repeated solemn declaration that China never recognized the illegal "McMahon Line" and the Indian authorities in February 1987 announced the establishment of the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh." Unquote .(21-11-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt.of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
NEW GERMAN ANTI-TERROR ALERT
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM MONITOR—PAPER NO. 692
B.RAMAN
”The Madrid terrorist strikes of March 2004 and the London terrorist strikes of July 2005 were directed against the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. The terrorist strikes planned now would seek to punish the West for its involvement in Afghanistan.”
------Extract From My Article of October 7,2010, titled “ Al Qaeda--Taliban in Europe” at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers41%5Cpaper4083.html
The German authorities have ordered a new security alert under which physical security has been stepped up----particularly for civil aviation and rail transport. Thomas de Maiziere, the German Interior Minister, has been quoted by the media as saying as follows: “ Since the middle of 2010, the security services have noticed increased indications that the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda has been planning attacks in the United States, in Europe and in Germany. Officials now have more details which justified increased concern about sustained efforts to mount an attack. It is the unanimous assessment of the security services that we are currently dealing with a new situation. We have concrete indications of a series of attacks planned for the end of November. "
2.He also indicated that the latest information emerged from the attempt to bomb two courier aircraft on their way to Chicago last month ---- both with printer cartridges filled with explosive. One of the aircraft went through Cologne airport with the explosive device undetected. One does not know whether the earlier warnings about the two parcel-bombs and the latest warning of a conspiracy to launch a fresh terrorist attack in German territory came from the same source. Since the earlier warnings, which reportedly came from Saudi Arabia, proved to be correct, the latest warning, even if from a different source, is being treated seriously by the German authorities.
3. Whereas the earlier warnings about the two parcel bombs were fairly precise thereby enabling the Dubai and British authorities to intercept and de-activate the explosive devices before they could cause any harm, the latest warning appears to be vague and lacking in essential details. Despite this, the German authorities are taking it seriously. They have alerted their public in order to seek their co-operation and stepped up physical security in all vulnerable areas.
4. The commendable German reaction to the warning---though vague it is--- stands in sharp contrast to our lethargic response to the warnings reportedly received from the US intelligence in September,2008, about the danger of a sea-borne terrorist attack by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) on seafront establishments in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal Hotel. The intelligence which our security agencies had received from the US intelligence was much more specific than the intelligence now received by the Germans. We failed to alert the public and did not step up coastal surveillance and physical security for the Taj Mahal Hotel and other seafront establishments. The result: the 26/11 terrorist strikes.
5. Al Qaeda and the Afghan and Pakistani Talibans have stepped up their propaganda against the UK, France and Germany because of their participation in the NATO operations in Afghanistan. France has come for additional criticism from Osama bin Laden because of the restrictions sought to be imposed on Muslim girl students wearing the veil in schools. While there have been no attacks by Al Qaeda in Europe after the London blasts of July,2005, a number of planned attacks in the UK, Spain, Denmark, Norway and Germany were detected in advance and thwarted. There were two attacks by suspected Al Qaeda elements against French experts in Africa. A retired French engineer was kidnapped in Niger in April last and subsequently killed. In September, Al Qaeda in Maghreb kidnapped five French nationals working for two French companies in the uranium mines of Niger, along with two others from Madagascar and Togo. They have not so far been released.
6. In a message addressed to the French people disseminated on October 27, bin Laden admitted these kidnapping by Al Qaeda in Maghreb and justified it in the following words: "The taking of your experts in Niger as hostages, while they were being protected by your proxy agent there, is a reaction to the injustice you are practicing against our Muslim nation. How could it be fair that you intervene in the affairs of Muslims, in North and West Africa in particular, support your proxies against us, and take a lot of our wealth in suspicious deals, while our people there suffer various forms of poverty and despair? If you unjustly thought that it is your right to prevent free Muslim women from wearing the face veil, is it not our right to expel your invading men and cut their necks?” bin Laden urged France to withdraw from Afghanistan, calling it an unjust war - and pledged more kidnappings if his warnings were not heeded.
7. Compared to the warnings addressed by Al Qaeda to the French, there have been no similar warnings addressed recently to the Germans. Germany has not figured in any recent message of Al Qaeda. There have been no attacks on Germans outside Europe and the Af-Pak area. Despite this, the threat to Germany is rated high because Al Qaeda---directly as well as through the Islamic Jihad Union, an Uzbek terrorist organization with headquarters in the North Waziristan area of Pakistan and with a presence in Germany--- has the trained volunteers and the capability for carrying out a terrorist strike in Germany. A number of Muslims from Germany, including some white converts to Islam, have received training in the camps of the IJU in North Waziristan and have constituted themselves into a German Taliban.
8. These elements have the required motivation, capability and support in the local Muslim community in Germany to be able to carry out a terrorist strike similar to the Madrid attack of March,2004 or the London blasts of July,2005 but their ability to carry out a commando style attack similar to the 26/11 one in Mumbai is doubtful. The German authorities are taking no chances and have stepped up the physical security. (20-11-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
B.RAMAN
”The Madrid terrorist strikes of March 2004 and the London terrorist strikes of July 2005 were directed against the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. The terrorist strikes planned now would seek to punish the West for its involvement in Afghanistan.”
------Extract From My Article of October 7,2010, titled “ Al Qaeda--Taliban in Europe” at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers41%5Cpaper4083.html
The German authorities have ordered a new security alert under which physical security has been stepped up----particularly for civil aviation and rail transport. Thomas de Maiziere, the German Interior Minister, has been quoted by the media as saying as follows: “ Since the middle of 2010, the security services have noticed increased indications that the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda has been planning attacks in the United States, in Europe and in Germany. Officials now have more details which justified increased concern about sustained efforts to mount an attack. It is the unanimous assessment of the security services that we are currently dealing with a new situation. We have concrete indications of a series of attacks planned for the end of November. "
2.He also indicated that the latest information emerged from the attempt to bomb two courier aircraft on their way to Chicago last month ---- both with printer cartridges filled with explosive. One of the aircraft went through Cologne airport with the explosive device undetected. One does not know whether the earlier warnings about the two parcel-bombs and the latest warning of a conspiracy to launch a fresh terrorist attack in German territory came from the same source. Since the earlier warnings, which reportedly came from Saudi Arabia, proved to be correct, the latest warning, even if from a different source, is being treated seriously by the German authorities.
3. Whereas the earlier warnings about the two parcel bombs were fairly precise thereby enabling the Dubai and British authorities to intercept and de-activate the explosive devices before they could cause any harm, the latest warning appears to be vague and lacking in essential details. Despite this, the German authorities are taking it seriously. They have alerted their public in order to seek their co-operation and stepped up physical security in all vulnerable areas.
4. The commendable German reaction to the warning---though vague it is--- stands in sharp contrast to our lethargic response to the warnings reportedly received from the US intelligence in September,2008, about the danger of a sea-borne terrorist attack by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) on seafront establishments in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal Hotel. The intelligence which our security agencies had received from the US intelligence was much more specific than the intelligence now received by the Germans. We failed to alert the public and did not step up coastal surveillance and physical security for the Taj Mahal Hotel and other seafront establishments. The result: the 26/11 terrorist strikes.
5. Al Qaeda and the Afghan and Pakistani Talibans have stepped up their propaganda against the UK, France and Germany because of their participation in the NATO operations in Afghanistan. France has come for additional criticism from Osama bin Laden because of the restrictions sought to be imposed on Muslim girl students wearing the veil in schools. While there have been no attacks by Al Qaeda in Europe after the London blasts of July,2005, a number of planned attacks in the UK, Spain, Denmark, Norway and Germany were detected in advance and thwarted. There were two attacks by suspected Al Qaeda elements against French experts in Africa. A retired French engineer was kidnapped in Niger in April last and subsequently killed. In September, Al Qaeda in Maghreb kidnapped five French nationals working for two French companies in the uranium mines of Niger, along with two others from Madagascar and Togo. They have not so far been released.
6. In a message addressed to the French people disseminated on October 27, bin Laden admitted these kidnapping by Al Qaeda in Maghreb and justified it in the following words: "The taking of your experts in Niger as hostages, while they were being protected by your proxy agent there, is a reaction to the injustice you are practicing against our Muslim nation. How could it be fair that you intervene in the affairs of Muslims, in North and West Africa in particular, support your proxies against us, and take a lot of our wealth in suspicious deals, while our people there suffer various forms of poverty and despair? If you unjustly thought that it is your right to prevent free Muslim women from wearing the face veil, is it not our right to expel your invading men and cut their necks?” bin Laden urged France to withdraw from Afghanistan, calling it an unjust war - and pledged more kidnappings if his warnings were not heeded.
7. Compared to the warnings addressed by Al Qaeda to the French, there have been no similar warnings addressed recently to the Germans. Germany has not figured in any recent message of Al Qaeda. There have been no attacks on Germans outside Europe and the Af-Pak area. Despite this, the threat to Germany is rated high because Al Qaeda---directly as well as through the Islamic Jihad Union, an Uzbek terrorist organization with headquarters in the North Waziristan area of Pakistan and with a presence in Germany--- has the trained volunteers and the capability for carrying out a terrorist strike in Germany. A number of Muslims from Germany, including some white converts to Islam, have received training in the camps of the IJU in North Waziristan and have constituted themselves into a German Taliban.
8. These elements have the required motivation, capability and support in the local Muslim community in Germany to be able to carry out a terrorist strike similar to the Madrid attack of March,2004 or the London blasts of July,2005 but their ability to carry out a commando style attack similar to the 26/11 one in Mumbai is doubtful. The German authorities are taking no chances and have stepped up the physical security. (20-11-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
Friday, November 19, 2010
MY THOUGHTS ON NIRA RADIA'S TAPED CHATS WITH BARKHA DUTT & VIR SANGHVI
B.RAMAN
I found the transcripts of the taped telephone conversations of Nira Radia, an alleged lobbyist, with journalists Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi somewhat confusing. I got the impression that the person, who transcribed these conversations from the tapes, has done a bad job of it. The quality of the tapes was apparently not good. At many places, it was probably not clear what the dramatis personae were saying. He or she had, therefore, guessed it. It is my estimate that many of the words or phrases used in the transcripts are the guess-work of the person who transcribed the tapes. That is why, one finds many sentences, which are incomplete or confusing or both.
2. One cannot judge the accuracy of a taped telephone conversation unless one actually listens to the tape. Reading a text prepared by someone who had transcribed it can be misleading. Those, who had worked in technical intelligence divisions, will know that often there are gaps while transcribing and the transcriber makes up the gaps through guess-work.
3. Having said that, one can, without fear of going wrong, say that Nira Radia's main interest seemed to have been in ensuring that the DMK got important portfolios, including that of telecommunications and that Raja retained the telecommunications portfolio. It is also apparent that she was mainly interested in finding out what was going to happn to Raja. Her intererst in the other DMK personalities mentioned was minimal.
4.Her conversations with Barkha and Vir were about the likely allocations of portfolios and not about the interests of the various telecom companies in licenses. She was trying to find out from Barkha and Vir what was going to happen during the Cabinet formation and whether they could convedy a message to the Congress (I) and some of its personalities. The message that she was apparently trying to convey was that Dayanidhi Maran does not reflect the views of Karunanidhi as allegedly claimed by him.
5. As one reads the transcripts one gets an impression that Barkha and Vir were in the habit of listening to Radia's gossip about the DMK and humouring her in order to find out more. This does not amount to the journalists themselves indulging in lobbying.
I found the transcripts of the taped telephone conversations of Nira Radia, an alleged lobbyist, with journalists Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi somewhat confusing. I got the impression that the person, who transcribed these conversations from the tapes, has done a bad job of it. The quality of the tapes was apparently not good. At many places, it was probably not clear what the dramatis personae were saying. He or she had, therefore, guessed it. It is my estimate that many of the words or phrases used in the transcripts are the guess-work of the person who transcribed the tapes. That is why, one finds many sentences, which are incomplete or confusing or both.
2. One cannot judge the accuracy of a taped telephone conversation unless one actually listens to the tape. Reading a text prepared by someone who had transcribed it can be misleading. Those, who had worked in technical intelligence divisions, will know that often there are gaps while transcribing and the transcriber makes up the gaps through guess-work.
3. Having said that, one can, without fear of going wrong, say that Nira Radia's main interest seemed to have been in ensuring that the DMK got important portfolios, including that of telecommunications and that Raja retained the telecommunications portfolio. It is also apparent that she was mainly interested in finding out what was going to happn to Raja. Her intererst in the other DMK personalities mentioned was minimal.
4.Her conversations with Barkha and Vir were about the likely allocations of portfolios and not about the interests of the various telecom companies in licenses. She was trying to find out from Barkha and Vir what was going to happen during the Cabinet formation and whether they could convedy a message to the Congress (I) and some of its personalities. The message that she was apparently trying to convey was that Dayanidhi Maran does not reflect the views of Karunanidhi as allegedly claimed by him.
5. As one reads the transcripts one gets an impression that Barkha and Vir were in the habit of listening to Radia's gossip about the DMK and humouring her in order to find out more. This does not amount to the journalists themselves indulging in lobbying.
THE CHINESE RAIL WEB
COLLATED BY B.RAMAN
The following appeared in the "People's Forum" section of the Chinese Communist Party controlled "People's Daily Online" on November 19,2010:
Silk Railway, China's rise in the Middle East and Central Asia?
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that the construction of a railway between the Iranian city of Khaf and the Afghan city of Herat was being discussed, according to the Tehran-based Press TV.
The Khaf-Herat railway would serve as an extension to the Silk Road railway network linking Central Asian countries with Europe, Mottaki said.
In 2006, Iran came up with an ambitious plan to construct a railway to connect three Persian-speaking countries - Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan - and this new railway would be connected to the larger network.
Iran started the construction work in 2008 to extend its Khaf-Torbat Heidariyeh Railway, known as the Eastern Civilization Railway, to Herat, a western Afghan city located 125 kilometers away from the Iran-Afghanistan border.
Earlier reports say Beijing plans to build a new rail corridor that will eventually link China to the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
Also according to earlier reports from Iran's Press TV in August , Iran is negotiating a deal with China to launch a railway project which will link the Iranian capital, Tehran, to northwestern provinces in the country.
The project is estimated to cost between USD 1.5bn and USD 2bn and is expected to be completed within the next 2.5 years,
The railroad is to link Tehran to the cities of Arak, Malayer, Hamedan, Kermanshah and the bordering town of Khosravi.
Iranian officials have announced future plans to expand the railroad westward to Iraq and ultimately to Syria and the Mediterranean littoral states.
However, China's participation in the construction of railways in the Middle East and Central Asia is interpreted as the rise of China in the Middle East and Central Asia by some western media.
Here is an excerpt of an article from Telegraph:
Nicklas Swanstrom, the executive director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said the contract to build the line was the first step for China to build an entire rail infrastructure for central Asia.
"It makes sense that if you build railways in Iran, you then get deals to stretch the lines into central Asia," he said, referring to a "very concrete plan" to run a railway from Iran through the landlocked countries of Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, and eventually to Kashgar in China, in a modern "silk route".
That line would give the central Asian states vital access to Iran's port of Chahbahar on the shores of the Persian Gulf, and could also eventually give China a vital overland freight route to Europe.
"For China, it could cut the cost of transporting goods to Europe by 5pc or 6pc," said Professor Swanstrom.
"It also makes political sense, because while technically the US, Europe or Russia could block China's sea routes, it would also have a land route. And by tying your neighbour's infrastructure to you, it brings them closer," he added. "It decreases Russia's influence in the region, and definitely decreases the influence of the US and Europe."
The following appeared in the "People's Forum" section of the Chinese Communist Party controlled "People's Daily Online" on November 19,2010:
Silk Railway, China's rise in the Middle East and Central Asia?
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that the construction of a railway between the Iranian city of Khaf and the Afghan city of Herat was being discussed, according to the Tehran-based Press TV.
The Khaf-Herat railway would serve as an extension to the Silk Road railway network linking Central Asian countries with Europe, Mottaki said.
In 2006, Iran came up with an ambitious plan to construct a railway to connect three Persian-speaking countries - Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan - and this new railway would be connected to the larger network.
Iran started the construction work in 2008 to extend its Khaf-Torbat Heidariyeh Railway, known as the Eastern Civilization Railway, to Herat, a western Afghan city located 125 kilometers away from the Iran-Afghanistan border.
Earlier reports say Beijing plans to build a new rail corridor that will eventually link China to the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
Also according to earlier reports from Iran's Press TV in August , Iran is negotiating a deal with China to launch a railway project which will link the Iranian capital, Tehran, to northwestern provinces in the country.
The project is estimated to cost between USD 1.5bn and USD 2bn and is expected to be completed within the next 2.5 years,
The railroad is to link Tehran to the cities of Arak, Malayer, Hamedan, Kermanshah and the bordering town of Khosravi.
Iranian officials have announced future plans to expand the railroad westward to Iraq and ultimately to Syria and the Mediterranean littoral states.
However, China's participation in the construction of railways in the Middle East and Central Asia is interpreted as the rise of China in the Middle East and Central Asia by some western media.
Here is an excerpt of an article from Telegraph:
Nicklas Swanstrom, the executive director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said the contract to build the line was the first step for China to build an entire rail infrastructure for central Asia.
"It makes sense that if you build railways in Iran, you then get deals to stretch the lines into central Asia," he said, referring to a "very concrete plan" to run a railway from Iran through the landlocked countries of Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, and eventually to Kashgar in China, in a modern "silk route".
That line would give the central Asian states vital access to Iran's port of Chahbahar on the shores of the Persian Gulf, and could also eventually give China a vital overland freight route to Europe.
"For China, it could cut the cost of transporting goods to Europe by 5pc or 6pc," said Professor Swanstrom.
"It also makes political sense, because while technically the US, Europe or Russia could block China's sea routes, it would also have a land route. And by tying your neighbour's infrastructure to you, it brings them closer," he added. "It decreases Russia's influence in the region, and definitely decreases the influence of the US and Europe."
Thursday, November 18, 2010
CHINESE AVIONICS & MISSILES FOR PAKISTAN
COLLATED BY B.RAMAN
The Chinese Communist Party controlled "Global Times" has reported as follows on November 18,2010:
Pakistan inks deal for Chinese missiles
By Xu Tianran in Zhuhai and Chris Dalby in Beijing
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) confirmed to the Global Times its purchase of Chinese avionics and missiles to equip its 250 JF- 17 Thunder jet fighter fleet.
Rao Qamar Suleman, air chief marshal of the PAF, revealed in an exclusive interview Wednesday that pre-purchase evaluations on several other Chinese air defense systems were also underway.
Suleman said the advanced active radar and homing middle-range missile developed by China, the SD-10 missile, will become the standard Beyond Visual Range (BVR) weapon of the JF-17. He further added "PAF has no plans to install Western devices and weapons on the aircraft for the time being."
It appears that the deal between China and Pakistan was made possible following the withdrawal of a French bid to arm the JF-17 after pressure from the Indian government. Last March, Dow Jones reported that a joint bid by French aeronautics company ATE, along with Thales Group and MBDA, was in prime position to secure a 1.2-billion-euro contact to supply radars and missiles to the first wave of 50 JF-17 fighters. Le Monde also reported that the deal was to be signed during an official state visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
However, larger financial and geo-political factors may have made the deal flatline. In April, Le Monde reported that the French government would not give the green light for the 1.2-billion -euro deal, quoting a source inside President Nicolas Sarkozy's office as saying that this refusal was related to "French-Indian relations."
The deal between France and Pakistan would have brought in 15 million euros per equipped fighter for the ATE consortium.
The precision-guided bombs developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Defense (AVIC Defense) also caught the attention of Suleman at the Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. "It is ideal for counter-insurgency operations," Suleman said.
Suleman also revealed that Pakistan may well order advanced defense missile systems from China, including Chinese Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems.
The Chinese Communist Party controlled "Global Times" has reported as follows on November 18,2010:
Pakistan inks deal for Chinese missiles
By Xu Tianran in Zhuhai and Chris Dalby in Beijing
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) confirmed to the Global Times its purchase of Chinese avionics and missiles to equip its 250 JF- 17 Thunder jet fighter fleet.
Rao Qamar Suleman, air chief marshal of the PAF, revealed in an exclusive interview Wednesday that pre-purchase evaluations on several other Chinese air defense systems were also underway.
Suleman said the advanced active radar and homing middle-range missile developed by China, the SD-10 missile, will become the standard Beyond Visual Range (BVR) weapon of the JF-17. He further added "PAF has no plans to install Western devices and weapons on the aircraft for the time being."
It appears that the deal between China and Pakistan was made possible following the withdrawal of a French bid to arm the JF-17 after pressure from the Indian government. Last March, Dow Jones reported that a joint bid by French aeronautics company ATE, along with Thales Group and MBDA, was in prime position to secure a 1.2-billion-euro contact to supply radars and missiles to the first wave of 50 JF-17 fighters. Le Monde also reported that the deal was to be signed during an official state visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
However, larger financial and geo-political factors may have made the deal flatline. In April, Le Monde reported that the French government would not give the green light for the 1.2-billion -euro deal, quoting a source inside President Nicolas Sarkozy's office as saying that this refusal was related to "French-Indian relations."
The deal between France and Pakistan would have brought in 15 million euros per equipped fighter for the ATE consortium.
The precision-guided bombs developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Defense (AVIC Defense) also caught the attention of Suleman at the Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. "It is ideal for counter-insurgency operations," Suleman said.
Suleman also revealed that Pakistan may well order advanced defense missile systems from China, including Chinese Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
CHINA DEFENDS DECISION TO DAM THE BRAHMAPUTRA
B.RAMAN
In continuing disregard of India's major concern over the implications of the daming of the Brahmaputra river in order to construct a hydel power station at Zangmu in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), the Chinese authorities have been insisting that the project will not affect the downward flow of water as feared by India. The construction of the dam as part of the project started on November 12,2010.
2. A "People's Daily" report of November 15 on the subject said: " Tibet to build first large hydropower station :"The Brahmaputra River, which has long been praised as a "heavenly river," was dammed for the first time on Nov. 12, indicating that the Zangmu Hydropower Station, the first large hydropower station in Tibet, will soon begin its main construction. The Brahmaputra River originates in China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is the world's highest river. The huge gap between the highest and lowest points of the river and the heavy river flow help ensure abundant water resources. The Zangmu Hydropower Station is located in the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra River in Gyaca County, Lhoka Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region. With a total investment of nearly 7.9 billion yuan, it will have six 85-megawatt generating units installed, which will bring the total installed capacity to 510 megawatts. It will be the first large hydropower station in Tibet, and its first unit will be put into operation in 2014, which will greatly alleviate the power shortage in central Tibet. The hydropower station is about 325 kilometers away from Lhasa, and its average annual generating capacity is expected to reach 2.5 billion kilowatt hours. Its main function is power generation, but it can also be used for flood control and irrigation. The hydropower station is a key project included in Tibet's 11th Five-Year Plan. At present, Tibet has only hydropower stations with the installed capacity of up to 100 megawatts, but soon it will have a hydropower station with a total installed capacity of more than 500 megawatts."
3. The same day, the "People's Daily" reported as follows on the construction of a Qinghai-Tibet Power Grid Interconnection Project: "The Qinghai-Tibet Power Grid Interconnection Project has gone smoothly since it started construction. Currently the Tibet section for the project has poured 50% of the concrete foundation. The Qinghai-Tibet Power Grid Interconnection Project is the world's longest DC transmission line at the highest altitude and the most difficult to construct, which is expected to end the history that TAR has a separate power line. "
4. In an article on the subject carried on November 18, the Communist Party-controlled "Global Times" has stated that the project would have "minimum effect" on the water supply to the downstream areas. Li Chaoyi, the Chief Engineer of the China Huaneng Group, the prime contractor for the implementation of the project, has been quoted by the Xinhua news agency as saying: "The riverflow will not be stopped during construction.After it becomes operational, the water will flow downstream through water turbines and sluices, thereby not affecting the downstream water levels."
5.According to Radio Free Asia, a radio station funded by the US State Department, there has been some opposition to the project even from Chinese environmental experts on the ground that it could cause environmental damage to the TAR, but their reservations regarding the advisability of the project have been dismissed by the Chinese Government while taking the decision to go ahead with the project.
6. In an article by its Asia Environment correspondent carried by it on May 24,2010, the " Guardian" of the UK had indicated that the project mentioned above is not a stand alone one, but part of a series of 28 dams in the TAR planned by Chinese engineers to produce electricity and take it to China via a grid connecting the TAR with China. The "Guardian" article said: "The mega-facility is among more than 28 dams on the river that are either planned, completed or under discussion by China, according to Tashi Tsering, a Tibetan scholar of environmental policy at the University of British Columbia. Tsering publishes a map today of all of the projects that have been reported by Chinese newspapers and hydro-engineering websites. From this, he concludes that the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra – until recently considered the last great undammed river in Tibet – will be the next focus of government efforts to increase the nation's power supply. One of them is a map of planned dams showing a 38-gigawatt hydro-plant at Motuo on the website of Hydro China, an influential government enterprise responsible for dam construction. A separate State Grid map of future transmission lines indicates the remote area will soon be connected to the rest of China's power supply. Hydro China and State Grid declined requests for clarification."
7. The "Guardian" added: "Chinese hydropower lobbyists are calling for construction of the world's biggest hydro-electric project on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river as part of a huge expansion of renewable power in the Himalayas. Zhang Boting, the deputy general secretary of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering, told the Guardian that a massive dam on the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo - the Tibetan name for the river - would benefit the world, despite the likely concerns of downstream nations, India and Bangladesh, which access water and power from the river. Zhang said research had been carried out on the project, but no plan has been drawn up. But documents on the website of a government agency suggest a 38 gigawatt hydropower plant is under consideration that would be more than half as big again as the Three Gorges dam, with a capacity nearly half as large as the UK's national grid. "This dam could save 200m tonnes of carbon each year. We should not waste the opportunity of the biggest carbon emission reduction project. For the sake of the entire world, all the water resources than can be developed should be developed." That CO2 saving would be over a third of the UK's entire emissions."
7. Annexed is the text of the article carried by the "Global Times". (18-11-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
ANNEXURE
Hydro-power dam in Tibet stirs debate
* Source: Global Times
* [November 18 2010]
By Song Shengxia
Hydropower engineers and economists Wednesday defended plans to dam a major river in the Tibet Autonomous Region, saying the multi-billion-yuan project would not dramatically impact downstream areas, given its minimum effect on the water supply.
The statement came amid concerns from environmentalists that the project could disrupt water flows downstream in India.
The damming of the Yarlung Zangbo River, also known as the Brahmaputra in India, commenced Friday. This marks the start of construction on the main part of the Zangmu Hydropower Station, the first mega hydroelectric power plant in Tibet.
"The riverflow will not be stopped during construction," Li Chaoyi, chief engineer of China Huaneng Group, the prime contractor for the project, told the Xinhua News Agency Wednesday. "After it becomes operational, the water will flow downstream through water turbines and sluices, thereby not affecting the downstream water levels."
With a total investment of nearly 7.9 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), the hydropower station will be built along the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the highest in the world. It is located in Gyaca county, Lhokha prefecture of Tibet, 325 kilometers southeast of Lhasa. The station, with six 85-megawatt power-generating units, is designed to answer energy shortages in central Tiber, with the first generators expected to come online in 2014.
The Yarlung Zangbo River originates upstream among the northern foothills of the Himalayas and flows from west to east across southern Tibet, where it has long been considered a sacred river. It then passes through India, where it is known as the Brahmaputra River. On Tuesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao raised her concerns with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun over the possible downstream impact of the project during the fourth round of bilateral strategic dialogue held in Wuhan, central Hubei Province, according to The Hindu newspaper.
Zhang assured Rao that the project "was not a project designed to divert water" and would not affect "the welfare and availability of water of the population in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra," the paper added. China has also expressed its willingness to continue exchanging data with India to minimize the risks of any dispute arising, it said. Environmentalists warn that building a large dam in an area with such complicated geological structures could threaten the region's fragile ecosystem.
"The diversified fauna and flora there have evolved over tens of millions of years and will be damaged. Blocking the river may also overturn the balance of the region's ecosystem," Wang Yongchen, founder of Beijing-based Green Earth Volunteers, told the Global Times, adding "it seems to be unworthy to build a dam while sacrificing the environment."
Fan Xiao, an engineer with the Sichuan bureau of Geological Exploration and Exploration of Mineral Resources, told the Global Times that interception of the river was just the beginning of a series of water projects in the region.
"Even if the dam is built as planned, it may not function well at a high altitude, where rivers are likely to be frozen for most of the year, and in an area subject to natural disasters such as earthquakes," he said.
However, Cheng Xiaotao, vice director of the Research Center of Flood and Drought Disaster Reduction with the Ministry of Water Resources, told the Global Times that hydropower will have great benefits for the local economy.
"Relocating residents there for the construction project will be easy given the small population," Cheng said. "The government has carried out sufficient surveys prior to construction. Officials should communicate well with locals and allow them to see that the projects are for their benefits."
Ding Yifan, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council, told the Global Times that the pros of building the dam outweigh the cons as hydropower is the cleanest energy and will help reduce carbon emissions. "Any mega-projects in China are likely to arouse controversy. Most projects precede as planned and prove beneficial in the long run," Ding said.
Liu Linlin and agencies contributed to this story
In continuing disregard of India's major concern over the implications of the daming of the Brahmaputra river in order to construct a hydel power station at Zangmu in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), the Chinese authorities have been insisting that the project will not affect the downward flow of water as feared by India. The construction of the dam as part of the project started on November 12,2010.
2. A "People's Daily" report of November 15 on the subject said: " Tibet to build first large hydropower station :"The Brahmaputra River, which has long been praised as a "heavenly river," was dammed for the first time on Nov. 12, indicating that the Zangmu Hydropower Station, the first large hydropower station in Tibet, will soon begin its main construction. The Brahmaputra River originates in China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is the world's highest river. The huge gap between the highest and lowest points of the river and the heavy river flow help ensure abundant water resources. The Zangmu Hydropower Station is located in the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra River in Gyaca County, Lhoka Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region. With a total investment of nearly 7.9 billion yuan, it will have six 85-megawatt generating units installed, which will bring the total installed capacity to 510 megawatts. It will be the first large hydropower station in Tibet, and its first unit will be put into operation in 2014, which will greatly alleviate the power shortage in central Tibet. The hydropower station is about 325 kilometers away from Lhasa, and its average annual generating capacity is expected to reach 2.5 billion kilowatt hours. Its main function is power generation, but it can also be used for flood control and irrigation. The hydropower station is a key project included in Tibet's 11th Five-Year Plan. At present, Tibet has only hydropower stations with the installed capacity of up to 100 megawatts, but soon it will have a hydropower station with a total installed capacity of more than 500 megawatts."
3. The same day, the "People's Daily" reported as follows on the construction of a Qinghai-Tibet Power Grid Interconnection Project: "The Qinghai-Tibet Power Grid Interconnection Project has gone smoothly since it started construction. Currently the Tibet section for the project has poured 50% of the concrete foundation. The Qinghai-Tibet Power Grid Interconnection Project is the world's longest DC transmission line at the highest altitude and the most difficult to construct, which is expected to end the history that TAR has a separate power line. "
4. In an article on the subject carried on November 18, the Communist Party-controlled "Global Times" has stated that the project would have "minimum effect" on the water supply to the downstream areas. Li Chaoyi, the Chief Engineer of the China Huaneng Group, the prime contractor for the implementation of the project, has been quoted by the Xinhua news agency as saying: "The riverflow will not be stopped during construction.After it becomes operational, the water will flow downstream through water turbines and sluices, thereby not affecting the downstream water levels."
5.According to Radio Free Asia, a radio station funded by the US State Department, there has been some opposition to the project even from Chinese environmental experts on the ground that it could cause environmental damage to the TAR, but their reservations regarding the advisability of the project have been dismissed by the Chinese Government while taking the decision to go ahead with the project.
6. In an article by its Asia Environment correspondent carried by it on May 24,2010, the " Guardian" of the UK had indicated that the project mentioned above is not a stand alone one, but part of a series of 28 dams in the TAR planned by Chinese engineers to produce electricity and take it to China via a grid connecting the TAR with China. The "Guardian" article said: "The mega-facility is among more than 28 dams on the river that are either planned, completed or under discussion by China, according to Tashi Tsering, a Tibetan scholar of environmental policy at the University of British Columbia. Tsering publishes a map today of all of the projects that have been reported by Chinese newspapers and hydro-engineering websites. From this, he concludes that the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra – until recently considered the last great undammed river in Tibet – will be the next focus of government efforts to increase the nation's power supply. One of them is a map of planned dams showing a 38-gigawatt hydro-plant at Motuo on the website of Hydro China, an influential government enterprise responsible for dam construction. A separate State Grid map of future transmission lines indicates the remote area will soon be connected to the rest of China's power supply. Hydro China and State Grid declined requests for clarification."
7. The "Guardian" added: "Chinese hydropower lobbyists are calling for construction of the world's biggest hydro-electric project on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river as part of a huge expansion of renewable power in the Himalayas. Zhang Boting, the deputy general secretary of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering, told the Guardian that a massive dam on the great bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo - the Tibetan name for the river - would benefit the world, despite the likely concerns of downstream nations, India and Bangladesh, which access water and power from the river. Zhang said research had been carried out on the project, but no plan has been drawn up. But documents on the website of a government agency suggest a 38 gigawatt hydropower plant is under consideration that would be more than half as big again as the Three Gorges dam, with a capacity nearly half as large as the UK's national grid. "This dam could save 200m tonnes of carbon each year. We should not waste the opportunity of the biggest carbon emission reduction project. For the sake of the entire world, all the water resources than can be developed should be developed." That CO2 saving would be over a third of the UK's entire emissions."
7. Annexed is the text of the article carried by the "Global Times". (18-11-10)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com )
ANNEXURE
Hydro-power dam in Tibet stirs debate
* Source: Global Times
* [November 18 2010]
By Song Shengxia
Hydropower engineers and economists Wednesday defended plans to dam a major river in the Tibet Autonomous Region, saying the multi-billion-yuan project would not dramatically impact downstream areas, given its minimum effect on the water supply.
The statement came amid concerns from environmentalists that the project could disrupt water flows downstream in India.
The damming of the Yarlung Zangbo River, also known as the Brahmaputra in India, commenced Friday. This marks the start of construction on the main part of the Zangmu Hydropower Station, the first mega hydroelectric power plant in Tibet.
"The riverflow will not be stopped during construction," Li Chaoyi, chief engineer of China Huaneng Group, the prime contractor for the project, told the Xinhua News Agency Wednesday. "After it becomes operational, the water will flow downstream through water turbines and sluices, thereby not affecting the downstream water levels."
With a total investment of nearly 7.9 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), the hydropower station will be built along the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the highest in the world. It is located in Gyaca county, Lhokha prefecture of Tibet, 325 kilometers southeast of Lhasa. The station, with six 85-megawatt power-generating units, is designed to answer energy shortages in central Tiber, with the first generators expected to come online in 2014.
The Yarlung Zangbo River originates upstream among the northern foothills of the Himalayas and flows from west to east across southern Tibet, where it has long been considered a sacred river. It then passes through India, where it is known as the Brahmaputra River. On Tuesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao raised her concerns with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun over the possible downstream impact of the project during the fourth round of bilateral strategic dialogue held in Wuhan, central Hubei Province, according to The Hindu newspaper.
Zhang assured Rao that the project "was not a project designed to divert water" and would not affect "the welfare and availability of water of the population in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra," the paper added. China has also expressed its willingness to continue exchanging data with India to minimize the risks of any dispute arising, it said. Environmentalists warn that building a large dam in an area with such complicated geological structures could threaten the region's fragile ecosystem.
"The diversified fauna and flora there have evolved over tens of millions of years and will be damaged. Blocking the river may also overturn the balance of the region's ecosystem," Wang Yongchen, founder of Beijing-based Green Earth Volunteers, told the Global Times, adding "it seems to be unworthy to build a dam while sacrificing the environment."
Fan Xiao, an engineer with the Sichuan bureau of Geological Exploration and Exploration of Mineral Resources, told the Global Times that interception of the river was just the beginning of a series of water projects in the region.
"Even if the dam is built as planned, it may not function well at a high altitude, where rivers are likely to be frozen for most of the year, and in an area subject to natural disasters such as earthquakes," he said.
However, Cheng Xiaotao, vice director of the Research Center of Flood and Drought Disaster Reduction with the Ministry of Water Resources, told the Global Times that hydropower will have great benefits for the local economy.
"Relocating residents there for the construction project will be easy given the small population," Cheng said. "The government has carried out sufficient surveys prior to construction. Officials should communicate well with locals and allow them to see that the projects are for their benefits."
Ding Yifan, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council, told the Global Times that the pros of building the dam outweigh the cons as hydropower is the cleanest energy and will help reduce carbon emissions. "Any mega-projects in China are likely to arouse controversy. Most projects precede as planned and prove beneficial in the long run," Ding said.
Liu Linlin and agencies contributed to this story
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