Asian Insider, Oct 20: Australia to join Malabar naval drills; Half of India could have Covid-19 by Feb

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In today's bulletin: India invites Australia for Malabar naval drills with Japan, US in a boost for the Quad; US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Sri Lanka, Maldives; Why China needs rich farmers; Singapore's role in the global Covax initiative, and more.

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AUSTRALIA TO JOIN MALABAR NAVAL DRILLS WITH INDIA, JAPAN, US

Australia is set to join the annual Malabar naval exercises involving the United States, Japan and India next month, in a move that will strengthen the growing partnership of the four countries and could be something to watch for China.

This will mark the first time that the four countries will engage at a military level. The move comes as New Delhi and Canberra have seen their relations with Beijing decline in recent months and follows US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Tokyo, a short while ago.

The exercise will bring together the navies of India, Japan, Australia and the US in the Bay of Bengal at the end of the year.

The four countries together form the Quad grouping, which China has denounced as an attempt to contain its development.

Also read:

Espionage in Australia at higher levels than Cold War, spy chief warns

Australia to set up Pacific Islands security centre in Vanuatu

POMPEO TO VISIT SRI LANKA, MALDIVES

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to visit Sri Lanka and Maldives towards the end of this month, just ahead of elections in the United States.

The move follows a visit by China's top diplomat, Mr Yang Jiechi, to Colombo this month, weeks after Sri Lanka saw the Rajapaksha brothers return to power following elections in the country.

In recent years, Beijing's financing and construction of critical infrastructure in Sri Lanka and the Maldives has been an issue of concern for India.

Mr Pompeo is also due to travel to New Delhi with Defence Secretary Mark Esper for annual talks with their Indian counterparts.

WHY CHINA NEEDS RICHER FARMERS

The plight of hundreds of thousands of rural poor in China could be one of the issues in the spotlight later this month as the country's senior leaders take up the country's next five-year plan at the fifth plenum of the Chinese Communist Party.

While Beijing has successfully lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty, including farmers, through consistent efforts in the past decades, the rural-urban divide remains wide.

This year, the Chinese government is likely to declare victory in its battle against absolute poverty and its goal to build a moderately prosperous society by this year, writes Global Affairs Correspondent Goh Sui Noi.

But observers have warned that it needs to deal more effectively with the yawning rural-urban divide if it wants to realise its dream of a rejuvenated nation and to escape the middle-income trap. Read her full report here.

Delve deeper:

Xi push to end poverty underpins party support in rural China

China aims to wipe out rural poverty despite Covid-19 and economic woes by Global Affairs Correspondent Benjamin Kang Lim

Also read:

'Xi Thought' is creeping into everything from Chinese sci-fi to company filings

SINGAPORE'S LEAD IN ASSEMBLING MULTI-NATION GROUPING TO DEVELOP COVID-19 VACCINE

By now, over 180 countries have joined the Covid-19 global vaccine alliance, or Covax, that seeks to ensure speedy development and equitable distribution of viable vaccines against Covid-19. A big boost came with China signing up for the initiative earlier this month. The United States has, however, refrained from doing so, calling it too constraining.

Still, as it grows, Covax spells hope that several in far flung areas and less developed economies stand a chance to get the vaccine, once it is tried, tested and out for distribution.

Behind the global initiative are the efforts of several policy makers, specialists and others to give it shape. Among them, are a group of Singapore government officers who spearheaded the multi-nation effort to develop and distribute a Covid-19 vaccine next year to all countries, rich and poor, big and small.

The formation of the Friends of the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (Covax) Facility, or FOF, involved officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Economic Development Board (EDB), writes Senior Political Correspondent Grace Ho.

Switzerland joined, too, as co-chair of FOF. Within weeks, the informal grouping had 15 members. And all have submitted legally binding commitment agreements to take part in Covax.

HALF OF INDIA COULD HAVE COVID-19 BY FEB 2021

At least half of India's 1.3 billion people are likely to have been infected with coronavirus by next February, according to a member of a federal government committee tasked with providing projections.

"Our mathematical model estimates that around 30 per cent of the population is currently infected and it could go up to 50 per cent by February," Professor Manindra Agrawal from the Indian Institute for Technology in Kanpur and a committee member, told reporters.

The country has so far reported 7.55 million cases of the coronavirus and is second only to the United States in terms of total infections. Meanwhile, concerns were growing of a further spike in numbers with the festive season approaching.

Also read:

Virus, what virus? India gets back to work amid Covid-19 pandemic

IN OTHER NEWS

THAI CABINET TO HOLD SPECIAL SESSION: Thailand's Cabinet backed a proposal from lawmakers to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss anti-government protests that have swept the nation's capital and other major cities in the past week. The house will meet for two days from Oct 26, Mr Anucha Nakasai, minister for the Prime Minister's Office, said.

UMNO, PAS TO FINALISE PACT: Umno and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) pledged to strengthen their cooperation in preparation for the next general election in Malaysia, leaders from the two ruling parties said in a joint statement. Umno and PAS will register their alliance under the name "Muafakat Nasional" with the Registry of Societies Malaysia.

PROTESTERS DEMAND PAKISTAN PM IMRAN KHAN'S RESIGNATION: Pakistan is bracing for more protests as an alliance of opposition parties builds momentum for a nationwide series of rallies calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The 11-party group called the Pakistan Democratic Movement will follow up its two rallies over the weekend with a third on Sunday (Oct 25), presenting Mr Khan's administration with its biggest political challenge yet.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading the Asian Insider newsletter and The Straits Times. We'll be back with you tomorrow.

Shefali

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