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President Joe Biden's administration is taking stock of a newly empowered Xi Jinping as the Chinese president begins a third, norm-breaking five-year term as Communist Party leader. With US-Chinese relations already fraught, concerns are growing in Washington that more difficult days may be ahead. Xi has amassed a measure of power over China's ruling party unseen since Mao Zedong, the leader from 1949 until his death in 1976. Xi's consolidation of power comes as the United States has updated its defense and national security strategies to reflect that China is now America's most potent military and economic adversary. Biden takes pride in having built rapport with Xi since first meeting him more than a decade ago, when they served as their countries' vice presidents. But Biden now faces, in Xi, a counterpart buoyed by a greater measure of power and determined to cement China's superpower status even while navigating strong economic and diplomatic headwinds. We're not back in the M
The government constructed 2,088 kms of roads in areas bordering China in the last five years with an expenditure of Rs 15,477 crore, the government said on Monday. In total, the government spent Rs 20,767 crore in constructing 3,595 kms of border roads during the period that included those in areas along the frontiers with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to the details provided in Lok Sabha. Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said the government constructed 2,088.57 kms of road along the border with China by incurring an expenditure of Rs 15,477.06 crore. According to the details provided by him, Rs 4,242.38 crore was spent to construct 1,336.09 kms of road along the border with Pakistan, while an expenditure of Rs 882.52 crore was incurred to build 151.15 kms road along the frontier with Myanmar in the last five years. Bhatt said 19.25 kms of road was constructed along the border with Bangladesh at a cost of Rs 165.45 crore. There has been a renewed focus on ..
US-China worsening relations will deteriorate further if Beijing misses its obligations under a nearly expired trade agreement.The Economic and Trade Agreement signed by the two superpowers in January 2020 is set to end on December 31 this year. Trade observers say China has not complied with a clause that obligates it to buy imports of manufactured goods, farm products, energy products, and certain services from the U.S. at a total of $200 billion more than the 2017 total. China purchased $186 billion in goods and services in 2017 before the trade war, according to U.S. government figures.Matthew Goodman, senior vice president for economics with the Washington-based Center for Strategic & International Studies said China has had trouble complying because of delays in Chinese aircraft orders from the US and pandemic-related setbacks."I do think that the Biden administration is going to follow through on this agreement and hold China to account," Goodman said"I don't see any ...