Play The Diplomat’s Quiz: March 20, 2016 Edition

While Washington and Manila had inked the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) – a pact that would, among other things, give U.S. troops and equipment wide access to Philippine military bases on a rotational basis – back in April 2014, it had been languishing until the Philippine Supreme Court finally upheld its constitutionality in January this year (See: “Philippine Court Upholds New US Defense Pact”).

With the constitutionality question now behind them, the two sides announced on Friday at their sixth annual Bilateral Security Dialogue (BSD) that they had agreed on the first five locations to begin implementing EDCA. The locations are: Antonio Bautista Air Base; Basa Air Base, Fort Magsaysay; Lumbia Air Base; and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base.

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) increased from 110,000 in 2008 to approximately 160,000 in 2015.

This week, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is holding one of its largest live fire exercises. The drill, codenamed Iron Fist, is taking place in the Thar Desert in Pokhran, Rajasthan in northwestern India, according to a press release. The combat drill will involve 181 IAF aircraft and will be witnessed by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Iron Fist exercise was first held in 2013 to practice and showcase the IAF’s tactical skills in aerial combat and close-air support operations. The day-and-night drill will be divided up into six segments: the flypast, offensive capabilities, defensive capabilities, network-centric drills, ground support, and night operations. The drill will involve the Garud Commando Force, the IAF’s Special Forces unit, as well as two IAF aerobatic squadrons.

The Gambia, formerly one of a handful of countries that recognized Taiwan, has officially resumed diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese and Gambian foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Neneh MacDouall-Gaye, signed a joint communique officially resuming diplomatic ties on March 17 in Beijing.

Part of the communique, as is standard procedure for Beijing, had Gambia officially recognize the “one China” policy: “that there is only one China in the world and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.” Wang, calling the ceremony an “historic moment” for China and Gambia, expressed his confidence that “the Gambian government will strictly adhere to the one-China policy and support China’s undertakings for peaceful unification.”

Surprising as it may seem today, Elizabeth II, the reigning queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations, was the queen of Pakistan for four years. Yes, the world’s first “Islamic Republic” was ruled by English heads of state for nine years: Elizabeth and her father, George VI. Elizabeth’s reign over Pakistan ended 60 years ago, when, on March 23, 1956, Pakistan became a republic.

George VI was the last emperor of India, reigning until 1947, when he gave up that title in favor of two new titles for his new dominions, becoming king of India and king of Pakistan. He was king of India until that country became a republic in 1950. Upon his death in 1952, his daughter Elizabeth inherited the crown of Pakistan. Her, role, however, was minor and uneventful in her four years as queen of Pakistan. She deliberately kept from interfering in the country and her governors-general were presidents of Pakistan in all but name. For example, in 1953, Governor General Sir Ghulam Muhammad fired Prime Minister Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin for attempting to equalize the power of West and East Pakistan. The prime minister attempted to reverse this by appealing to the queen, but she refused to meddle.

On Wednesday, the head of China’s maritime regulator was reported as saying that China had set up a tsunami alert center in the South China Sea.

According to Reuters, Wang Hong, the chief of the State Oceanic Administration, told reporters on the sidelines of China’s annual meeting of parliament that a tsunami alert center had already begun initial operations even though it is still under construction.

“We have already begun issuing tsunami alerts to the international community, including countries on the periphery of the South China Sea,” Wang said. “Cooperation in the South China Sea is one of our important focuses. We hope to collaborate with South China Sea countries and create a peaceful and harmonious sea.”

Early this week, on either Monday or Tuesday, Argentina’s coast guard sank a Chinese fishing boat that it claimed was fishing illegally in a restricted area near Puerto Madryn. The Argentine Naval Prefecture, the country’s maritime police force, chased and sank the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 fishing vessel. According to Argentine officials, the Chinese ship was fishing within Argentina’s exclusive economic zone.

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According to a statement released by the Agentine Naval Prefecture, the coast guard vessel in pursuit of the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 fired warning shots after attempting to establish radio contact. The Chinese fishing boat then reportedly turned off its lights and tried to evade the coast guard vessel. Ultimately, the statement notes that the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 attempted dangerous maneuvers, including an attempt to collide with the coast guard vessel in pursuit.

Following a collision attempt, the Argentine vessel – likely a Mantilla-class offshore patrol vessel – sank the fishing boat. The crew of the Chinese boat survived and was safely rescued. Three fishermen and the fishing boat’s captain were recovered by the Argentine coast guard while others boarded a nearby fishing boat.

Argentine authorities have notified the Chinese government of the incident. “The Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassy in Argentina have already lodged emergency representations with the Argentinian side and expressed serious concern about the incident, demanding Argentina launch an immediate probe and report on the details to China,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. Chinese fishing vessels conduct similar activities all over the world.

Pakistan will host the 19th SAARC Summit.

Earlier this month, Laos became the latest country to report a local transmission of the Zika virus, joining neighbors Cambodia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia that have each reported at least one Zika-related case since 2010. Thailand has been the worst-hit amongst the lot so far, with nine cases reported since 2012.

Last week, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned its seventh Soryu-class diesel-electric attack stealth submarine, christened the JS Jinryu, at a ceremony held at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Kobe Shipyard & Machinery Works in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture in central Japan, according to a MHI press release.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by senior Japanese defense officials including State Minister of Defense Kenji Wakamiya, JMSDF Chief of Staff Tomohisa Takei, and Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency Commissioner Hideaki Watanabe.

The JS Jinryu is the seventh Soryu-class submarine delivered to the JMSDF and the fourth built by MHI. (Other ships were built by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation.) “MHI also built the first Soryu-class submarine, and has produced a total of 26 submarines at the MHI Kobe Shipyard over the last 70 years,” the MHI press statement reads. The keel for the JS Jinryu was laid in February 2012. The vessel was launched in October 2014.