02 Jul 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

E. Editorials

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. What is China’s new law on foreign relations?

Syllabus: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Mains: Impact of China’s Policies on South Asia

Context:

• A new Law on Foreign Relations was adopted by the China’s legislature. Experts believe this will tighten President Xi Jinping’s control over the foreign policy. 

What is the new law? 

• According to China, the law aims to strengthen its sovereignty, national security, and development interests and help her to better deal with challenges to its foreign policy. 
• Primary objective of the law appears to give legal recognition to the goals of President Xi, and to criminalize actions by individuals or organizations that are seen as opposing those objectives.

What will be the impact on foreign policy? 

• President Xi’s vision of foreign policy will now come with the legal authority. For example,  the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI) will now have the legal stamp. Challenging this will be equivalent to violating the Chinese Laws. 
• The law also prioritizes security over development and opening up its economy. This has major strategic implications for both China and the world. 
• It also mentions that China has the right to take “countermeasures” against countries that violate international law or fundamental norms governing international relations. This is in response to Western sanctions aimed at China. It makes western companies operating within China impossible to comply with the sanctions aimed at the country. 
• Article 19 of the law states that Beijing will “respect the sovereignty of recipient countries” and “not interfere in their internal affairs or attach any political conditions to its aid.” This is likely an attempt to address concerns that China’s lending practices have led to debt crises in some countries.

What does the new law mean for India? 

• Similar to the Border Law adopted by China in 2021(this law also gave legal sanctity to President Xi’s vision on China’s borders), the emphasis on security, sovereignty and territorial integrity might bring back the focus on Line of Actual Control (LAC) in India-China relations. 
• The new laws on foreign affairs and the borders coincide with Beijing’s framing of territorial disputes as matters of national sovereignty, rather than issues to be negotiated by two sides. This framing could narrow the scope for resolution of these disputes.
• Important Articles of the new law which will be of interest to India’s policymakers 
  • Article 31 of the law states that the implementation and application of treaties and agreements shall not undermine the sovereignty of the State, national security, and public interests. This could have a potential bearing on the signing of agreements to resolve border disputes.
  • Article 8 of the law states that any organization or individual who commits acts that are detrimental to China’s national interests in violation of this law and other applicable laws in the course of engaging in international exchanges shall be held accountable by law. 
  • Article 33 of the law states that the government has the right to take, as called for, measures to counter or take restrictive measures against acts that endanger its sovereignty, national security, and development interests in violation of international law or fundamental norms governing international relations. 
  • What is deemed as “detrimental to China’s national interests” is not clear, giving the Chinese authorities a wide scope in implementation.

Conclusion: 

President Xi’s control over China’s internal and external affairs now has the legal sanctity with significant repercussions on both China and the World. 

Nut Graf: China’s new law on foreign relations gives President Xi Jinping more control over foreign policy.The priority of security over development will have implications for China’s relations with the world in general and India in particular.

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Will signing Artemis Accords benefit India?

Syllabus: General awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nanotechnology, bio-technology

Mains: Development of Space Technology

Context: 

India has become the 27th signatory to the Artemis Accords, a project to return humans to the moon. The Artemis program is led by the United States and is non-binding.

What is the Artemis Program and why does it matter? 

The Artemis program has plans for the following:

• A lunar base: This would be a permanent settlement on the moon to be used for scientific research, as well as for commercial activities such as mining and tourism.
• Multiple spacecraft: The Artemis program would use a variety of spacecraft to transport humans and cargo to the moon. For example, the Orion spacecraft.
• An orbiting space station: The Gateway space station would support sustained exploration and research in deep space. It would include docking ports for a variety of visiting spacecraft, space for crew to live and work, etc.
• A constellation of satellites: The Artemis program would also launch a constellation of satellites to help with navigation and communication. These satellites would provide real-time data to astronauts on the moon, as well as to ground control teams.
• The first crewed Artemis mission to the lunar surface is expected to take place in 2026.
• The Artemis program is similar to the Chinese-Russian plan for an “International Lunar Research Station.” However, with Russia facing sanctions, China has taken the lead on the project and has outlined plans for a permanent base and a lunar satellite constellation.
• While the United States and China see it as a projection of power and prowess, they also hope that this ambitious vision will spur technological innovation.
• The United States and China are trying to get the first-mover advantage and, in the process, set the norms and build multinational collaborations in the space domain. Currently, the Artemis Accords support an America-friendly interpretation of space law.

Where do the Accords fit in space law?

• Modern space law is based on four international agreements that cover issues such as the peaceful use of space, registration, and liability. The Artemis Accords are also in line with these agreements.
• A fifth treaty, the Moon Agreement, was introduced in 1979. However, neither the United States nor the Soviet Union signed it. India signed the treaty, but it has not yet been ratified.
• One key difference between the Moon Agreement and the Artemis Accords is that the Artemis Accords allow actors to extract and utilize space resources, while the Moon Agreement requires the benefits of commercial exploitation of lunar resources to be distributed. There seems to be a gray area in this regard.

Why didn’t India sign the Accords earlier?

• India has only recently warmed up to the idea of a new space policy with scope for private players to mine space resources.
• It has historically preferred legally binding instruments over informal norms, but its recent acceptance of the Artemis Accords suggests a change in thinking.
• There is also an acknowledgement that the US-China rivalry is too deep for a new international law that’s acceptable to all.
• India-US relations have also been on an upswing in the last two decades, and there’s less hesitation in Delhi in joining hands with American efforts.

What must India do?

• To be a key part of the Artemis program, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will have to increase its annual budget (current budget is around ₹12,500 crore).
• India’s own Chandrayaan-3 mission is scheduled to make India’s first soft landing on the moon soon, and it may take three years or more before India independently sends humans into space as part of its Gaganyaan project. Participation in the Accords might help technological cooperation in these projects.

Conclusion

India must address three key challenges in order to benefit from the Artemis program: domestic resistance to collaboration with other space agencies, enabling its private sector to work with other Artemis members, and developing legislation that encourages space activities.

Nut Graf: India has joined the Artemis Accords, a non-binding agreement between the United States and other space agencies to return humans to the moon. The Accords support a new era of space collaboration and allow for the extraction and utilization of space resources. India must address three key challenges in order to benefit from the program: domestic resistance to collaboration, enabling its private sector, and developing legislation that encourages space activities.