In Geopolitics Today - Friday, January 28th
India Pursuing Greater Role in Global Semiconductor Industry, ECOWAS Suspends Burkina Faso’s Membership, China’s WJ-700 Combat Drone Completes Maiden Flight
India Pursuing a Greater Role in Global Semiconductor Industry
Indian officials are working to increase the country’s participation in the production of semiconductors. India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has recently announced plans to support the country’s semiconductor industry, and stated that New Delhi is expecting its semiconductor market to significantly grow by the year 2026, by which point India’s semiconductor industry will be worth an estimated $63 billion. The Indian government also announced an initiative which will support firms setting up semiconductor fabrication plants.
The plan outlined by New Delhi to increase India’s share of the global semiconductor industry is intended to drive “long-term strategies” for developing a sustainable “semiconductors and display ecosystem” through a specialized India Semiconductor Mission. In addition to New Delhi’s aspirations to bolster domestic semiconductor production, officials have reportedly conducted talks with Taiwan which would see one of Taiwan’s major producers of semiconductors involved in setting up a manufacturing facility in India. The Indian government has already prepared potential locations for this production site, and if negotiations are successful, would likely mean that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company or the United Microelectronics Corporation could be involved in the projects.
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ECOWAS Suspends Burkina Faso’s Membership
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has chosen to suspend Burkina Faso from the organization following a coup which took place earlier this week. The regional bloc held a virtual meeting to discuss the situation in the wake of the takeover, and decided to suspend Burkina Faso’s membership without applying additional sanctions. Burkina Faso is now the third country in West Africa which has been suspended by ECOWAS in under two years.
Before the ECOWAS meeting was held, the new leadership in Burkina Faso asked the regional block to spare the country from political and economic sanctions, arguing that doing so will exacerbate the severe problems faced by the country’s population. At the virtual meeting, leaders from ECOWAS member states condemned the coup and accused the military of forcing the former president to resign “under threat, intimidation and pressure.” ECOWAS jointly called for the former president and other officials from the previous administration to be released and reinstated. The group of military officers behind Burkina Faso’s takeover have yet to detailed their plans for a transitional government, stating that they would propose a timeline within a “reasonable time frame.”
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China’s WJ-700 Combat Drone Completes Maiden Flight
China has announced a successful maiden flight test for its new WJ-700 drone. The flight test verified the feasibility of the drone system, laying the foundation for batch production of the WJ-700. The drone is intended for both the domestic and international market needs, and integrates high altitude, high speed, long endurance and large load capacities. What sets the WJ-700 apart from other drone systems employed by military forces is its large size, allowing the unmanned system to be equipped with cruise missiles and other large armaments.
The drone’s size will allow the platform to carry a far larger payload than other unmanned systems currently in service, and will enable the system to carry munitions like anti-ship missiles and strategic stand-off weapons. A drone armed with cruise missile will also allow China (as well as any other potential buyers) to operate in extremely high-threat environments, and engage in operations or attacks where enemy fire is concentrated without placing pilots at risk. Drones already perform a number of high-endurance, high-altitude, long-dwell missions that manned aircraft are unable to, and the WJ-700 promises to further lower costs for such operations due to better fuel efficiency and long-range capabilities.
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