Page 8 - China

India's engagement with China 'complex', says MEA's annual report

India's engagement with China is "complex" and Chinese attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh starting from April-May 2020 seriously disturbed the peace and tranquility in border areas, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a report on Monday. It said these attempts were invariably met with an "appropriate response" from Indian armed forces. "India's engagement with China is complex. The two sides have agreed that pending the final settlement of the boundary question, maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is an essential basis for the overall development of the bilateral relationship," the MEA's annual report for 2022 said. "However, starting from April-May 2020, the Chinese side undertook several attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC in the Western sector, which seriously disturbed the peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western sector and impacted the developmen

Centre likely to discourage foreign trade settlement in Chinese yuan

India has asked banks and traders to avoid using Chinese yuan to pay for Russian imports, three govt officials involved in policy making and two banking sources said, because of political differences

China's zero Covid response 'completely right', highly effective: Li Qiang

China's new Premier Li Qiang on Monday strongly defended the much-hated 'zero COVID' strategy followed by the country for over three years which hurt its economic growth also led to public protests, saying the policy was completely right and delivered highly effective outcomes. Addressing his first press conference, Li said it took less than two months for China, a highly populous country, to achieve a smooth transition in COVID-19 response and resume normal economic and social order, which is indeed remarkable. "For over three years, under the leadership of the Communist Party, the Chinese people have united in fighting COVID-19, and now we have achieved a major and decisive victory against the disease, Li said and avoided using the term zero COVID. "China is a country with a large population and unbalanced development. It took less than two months for it to achieve a smooth transition in its response to the disease and to restore normal socioeconomic order. It is indeed a remarkab

China's new Premier Li says achieving 5% GDP target this year not easy

China's new Premier Li Qiang on Monday said achieving the five per cent GDP target for the slowing down economy is not an easy task and requires redoubled efforts but assured the country's tattered private sector better environment, broader space for development. Li Qiang, the long-term aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping who succeeded Li Keqiang, in his first press conference, drew on Chinese folklore to demonstrate the country's resilience in the face of difficulties but concedes the economy faces challenges. He acknowledged that achieving the 2023 gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of around five per cent for this year on the current high base of China's economic output is not an easy task and requires redoubled efforts. Playing down the importance of GDP, he said most people do not keep their eyes on GDP growth all the time. China, the world's second-largest economy, last year reported a three per cent GDP, the lowest in decades and the target of about five per cent se

Xi calls to uphold Chinese Communist Party leadership as session ends

As he began his unprecedented 3rd five-year term as President and head of the military, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for upholding the leadership of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) headed by him. Speaking at the closure of the annual session of the Chinese legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), Xi stressed upholding the leadership of the CPC and the centralised, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the main policy body of the party. Xi, 69, is regarded as the core leader of the party very much like the party founder Mao Zedong was endorsed by the rubber-stamp Parliament last week as the President and head of the Central Military Commission (CMC) the high command of the Chinese military. He was elected as the head of the CPC for an unprecedented third term in October last year, the only leader to have more than two five-year terms after Mao. He was the only leader to have a third five-year term while all his predecessors retired aft

China could control a third of the world's Lithium supply by 2025: UBS AG

The bank expects Chinese-controlled mines, including projects in Africa, to raise output to 705,000 tons by 2025, from 194,000 tons in 2022

Xi urges lawmakers to focus on China's stability at start of third term

He vowed to oppose foreign interference on Taiwan, a veiled reference to increasing American support for the democratically elected government in Taipei

UK PM Rishi Sunak takes nuanced approach to China threat in defence plan

It's a regime that is increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad and has a desire to reshape the world order," Sunak told reporters on his way to the US Sunday

Terms of engagement

India-US economic partnership needs more energy

From Shanghai to Mumbai, tech chiefs race to contain SVB fallout

And while the direct impact to Asia is limited because of SVB's focus on Silicon Valley, the collapse is set to affect the banking industry's credibility

China appoints US-sanctioned general Li Shangfu as new defence minister

The appointment of Li Shangfu as defence minister comes at a time of increasingly strained relations between Beijing and Washington

Does China's intransigence remind you of the actions of 1930s Germany?

China will probably also adopt an old tactic. "I will keep what I have taken. You accept that. And we will all calm down then"

US CDC lifts Covid-19 test requirements for travellers from China

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lifted mandatory Covid-19 test requirements for travellers from China

President Xi's close aide Li Qiang confirmed as China's new Premier

China's Parliament on Saturday confirmed President Xi Jinping's close aide Li Qiang as the country's new Premier, succeeding Li Keqiang who held the post for the last 10 years overseeing the second largest economy. The annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), a ceremonial body that routinely passes the proposals of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), approved Li Qiang's candidature after his name was proposed by Xi himself. Li Qiang, 63, stated to be a pro-business politician in Xi's inner circle, will be the number two ranked official of the CPC and the government after Xi, who was Friday confirmed for an unprecedented third five-year term. Xi, 69, is the only leader after the party founder Mao Zedong to have more than two five-year tenures and he is widely expected to be in power for life. Li Qiang, who worked with Xi during his provincial stints before shifting to the central government as Vice President, was head of the party in Shanghai, China's largest .

China might arm up Russia's war in Ukraine to reshape global politics

Russian success in Ukraine would align with China's goals of reshaping global politics and power and could help facilitate China's own rise as an economic and military leader, reported Asia Times

With third presidential term, Xi Jinping seals political supremacy

Xi has taken China on a more authoritarian path since assuming control a decade ago, and he extends his tenure for another five-year term amid increasingly adversarial relations with the US

Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to reestablish diplomatic ties with China's help

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions between the Mideast rivals. The major diplomatic breakthrough negotiated with China lowers the chance of armed conflict between the nations both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region. The deal, struck in Beijing this week amid its ceremonial National People's Congress, represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a years long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched. The two countries released a joint communique on the deal with China, which brokered the agreement. Chinese state media did not immediately report the agreement. Iranian state media posted images and video it described as being taken in China of the meeting. It showed Ali Shamkhani, the .

Beijing's air quality deteriorates amid dust storm, heavy pollution

Skyscrapers in Beijing disappeared into the haze and air quality plummeted as China's capital was enveloped in a dust storm and heavy pollution on Friday. Concentrations of the tiny PM 2.5 particles that can reach deep into the lungs and bloodstream entered a dangerous range on air quality monitoring sites, with the IQAir website showing an air quality index of 1,093, a hazardous level, many times higher than what are considered unhealthy levels. Beijing was formerly notorious for its terrible air quality, but conditions had much improved in recent years as authorities took heavily polluting vehicles off the roads and moved coal-fired power plants and heavy industry to the surrounding provinces. The capital also used to be known for regular springtime dust and sandstorms caused by winds blowing in from the loess hills along the upper sections of the Yellow River to the west. Anti-desertification efforts have helped reduce both the frequency and intensity of the storms that had ofte

President Xi Jinping, a princeling turned Mao 2.0 in China's 'new era'

A decade ago when the powerful covert factions of China's ruling Communist Party chose Xi Jinping as a compromise candidate to lead the party, few had an inkling that the suave and sedate princeling will cast himself on the mould of party founder Mao Zedong and bulldoze his way to become the leader for life. On Friday, the 69-year-old "core leader" was endorsed by China's rubber-stamp Parliament for an unprecedented third five-year term, a privilege accorded only to Mao by the Communist Party of China (CPC), as all his predecessors retired after two five-year terms. But Xi will continue, perhaps for life, as a new powerful leader of the world's second largest economy, heading the party, the military and the Presidency, which observers say will have wider implications for China internally and externally, especially for the immediate neighbour India, considering the aggressive postures struck by the Chinese military in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). At the 18th

China's Parliament endorses Xi's leadership for rare 3rd five-year term

China's Parliament on Friday unanimously endorsed an unprecedented third five-year term for President Xi Jinping. Xi, 69, was re-elected by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) as its leader in October last year, becoming the first Chinese leader after the party founder Mao Zedong to continue in power beyond the two five-year terms. China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC) often described as the rubber stamp Parliament, for its mechanical and routine endorsement of the decisions of the CPC on Friday voted on the expected lines ratifying Xi's third term. Xi is widely expected to continue in power for life. He has already been elected as the General Secretary of the CPC during its last October Congress, which also elected a new leadership for all its top policy bodies. This year's annual session of the NPC is regarded significant as it heralds a once-in-a-ten-year change of leadership of the Chinese government, including the