In Geopolitics Today: Monday, September 5th
India’s Renewable Industry Draws Foreign Direct Investment, US Approves $1.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan, and other stories
India’s Renewable Industry Draws Foreign Direct Investment
Foreign investors have been partnering with local energy producers in India to fund the development of the country’s solar power sector. Several companies around the globe have highlighted India as a key market for their renewable energy investment, thanks to its highly favorable weather conditions and willingness to rapidly develop its clean energy industry.
India has highlighted its openness to the development of strong renewable energy industry in recent years. New Delhi’s drive to attract investment is part of the country’s goal to become a renewable energy hub in Asia. The country is already attracting funding from Norway, Singapore and the UAE, with international banks, funds and utilities companies offering bonds for renewable energy projects. While India continues to rely on fossil fuels for its domestic energy consumption, foreign direct investments in solar, wind, green hydrogen, renewable battery manufacturing, and several other renewable energy sectors could help the country produce the clean power required to transition away from fossil fuels.
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China Accuses US National Security Agency of University Hack
China has accused the US National Security Agency (NSA) of hacking the information system of a key Chinese university. Chinese authorities said they had traced the source of recent cyberattacks on the Northwestern Polytechnical University to the NSA’s Office of Tailored Access Operations, a secretive unit of the agency specializing in breaking into networks.
The NSA, part of the Department of Defense, is responsible for signals intelligence — or the process of obtaining communications and other data. The university targeted works closely with the Chinese military on aeronautics and defense research. The hackers targeted a vulnerability in the school’s security from servers in 17 countries including Colombia, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Poland, and Ukraine. China has been increasingly vocal in accusing US individuals or groups of carrying out cyberattacks on Chinese users and institutions, signaling an intensification of US offensive cyber-espionage operations.
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Nord Stream 1 to Remain Shut
Natural Gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline have ceased for the foreseeable future due to maintenance work. The press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, stated that sanctions imposed on Russia prevent the pipeline from resuming full operations.
As it stands, all signs point to European customers of Gazprom continuing to experience energy cutoffs. The European Union is currently embroiled in an economic war with Russia, with EU officials attempting to limit Russian supplies without limiting demand across the bloc. Most EU countries accuse Russia of weaponizing its gas supply, while Moscow has remained adamant that sanctions prevent a full resumption in supplies.
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US Approves $1.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan
The United States has approved a major arms sale to Taiwan, drawing China’s ire in the process. The sale is worth an estimated $1.1 billion and comes amid increasingly strained relations between the US and China. Beijing has protested at Washington’s moves to arm Taiwan, and Beijing has not yet ruled out the use of force to take control of the island.
The package includes $665 million for contractor support, which will go toward maintaining and upgrading US-built early radar warning systems in operation since 2013. Taiwan will also spend $355 million on 60 Harpoon Block II missiles, which can track and sink incoming vessels if China launches an assault by water. Moreover, the deal also includes $85.6 million for more than 100 Sidewinder missiles, a mainstay of NATO’s air-to-air firepower. In response, China has demanded the US immediately revokes the arms sale.