Balancing acts

Occurrences in Afghanistan and Taiwan demand vigilance

The two headline-grabbing developments involving the United States this week have indirect but significant implications for India. The first is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and the second is the killing of Osama Bin Laden’s successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Kabul. Both events have a bearing on India’s borders in the north and Northeast. China’s immediate response to Ms Pelosi’s provocative and high-profile visit to Taipei City has been to launch three days of military drills around Taiwan, using live ammunition. Beijing’s aggressive posture may have been expected in defence of territorial claims, to which it is particularly sensitive,