COUNTRY REVIEWS

South Asia

Afghanistan

• Britain to host conference on Afghanistan in January 2010; Obama appreciates India’s role in reconstruction and rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan; PM Dr. Singh urges US and the international community to stay in Afghanistan till the crisis is resolved; Former German Defence Minister resigns over controversy surrounding air strike in Kunduz in September; Pak PM Gilani expresses concern over US troop surge

East Asia

China

• China-EU Summit held: Chinese Defence Minister Visits DPRK and Japan: Vice Chairman CMC Visits Russia: PLA Conduct ‘Iron Fist-2009’ military exercises; Jiuhuang airport in Aba Tibetan Autonomic Prefecture of Sichuan province wins highest civil engineering award

Japan

• Japan launches spy satellite to monitor North Korea; Japan to officially acknowledge existence of secret US nuclear pact; Approval ratings for Hatoyama drop by 8 per cent since October

Korean Peninsula

• Pyongyang tells IMO that maritime blockade was threatening ‘free navigation of container ships’; US Envoy Bosworth to visit Pyongyang on December 8; Kim: Ties with China “unbreakable”; South Korean President says ready to hold summit meeting with Kim "anytime and anywhere"

Southeast Asia

• 24 people massacred in southern Philippines province; Myanmarese militia unit made into a border security battalion; Thailand and Cambodia reaffirm commitment to resolve border dispute through peaceful means; Indonesia signs MoU with Switzerland

DEFENCE REVIEW

National Defence

• Agni-II missile fails in night trial
• Mahindra Defence Systems to bid for $3.5 bn defence projects
• DRDO to develop unmanned combat aerial vehicle
• Tejas trainer makes successful maiden flight

International Defence

• Japan considers F-35 Purchase