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Category: China

  • China shadows US aircraft in tense Taiwan Strait overflight

    China shadows US aircraft in tense Taiwan Strait overflight

    Chinese fighter jets were mobilised to track the aircraft, reinforcing their commitment to defending territorial integrity and regional stability….reports Asian Lite News

    China has expressed strong disapproval after its military shadowed a U.S. aircraft that flew over the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday.

    The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) vowed to protect national sovereignty, following the transit of a U.S. P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the politically sensitive region.

    According to PLA spokesperson Li Xi, Chinese fighter jets were mobilised to track the aircraft, reinforcing their commitment to defending territorial integrity and regional stability.

    Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and asserts control over the Taiwan Strait, while the U.S. Navy maintains that the P-8A flight was in line with international law, supporting free navigation in the Indo-Pacific.

    Taiwan’s defence ministry confirmed the aircraft’s passage, reporting no unusual activity.

    The incident follows China’s criticism of Germany, whose military ships recently passed through the same waterway, and occurs amid continued U.S. support for Taiwan, including a recent $228 million arms deal to support Taiwan’s aircraft maintenance.

    Meanwhile, Taiwan Ministry of National Defence detected 9 Chinese military aircraft, 13 naval vessels, and one official ship around its territory from 6 am (local time) on Tuesday till 6 am (local time) on Wednesday, Taiwan News reported.

    According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND), of the nine People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, six crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the country’s northern air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

    In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity, as per Taiwan News.

    “9 PLA aircraft, 13 PLAN vessels, and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” Taiwan’s MND said on X.

    Further, the ministry also shared another post in which they reported a significant increase in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft activity near Taiwan.

    According to the MND, a total of 15 PLA aircraft were detected. The aircraft, which included J-16 and KJ-500, were observed operating in various areas.

    Twelve of the detected aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the northern, central, and southwestern Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

    “Overall 15 #PLA aircraft in various types (including J-16, KJ-500, etc.) were detected from 0820hr today. Out of which, 12 crossed the median line of the #Taiwan Strait and entered the northern, central, and southwestern ADIZ,” said Taiwan MND on X.

    This latest Chinese military activity adds to a series of similar provocations by Beijing in recent months. China has increased its military activities near Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ and military exercises near the island.

    So far this month, Taiwan has tracked 260 Chinese military aircraft and 141 ships. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan.

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  • US okays $228m military aid to Taiwan amid China tensions

    US okays $228m military aid to Taiwan amid China tensions

    The US Congress has been notified of the sale and is expected to grant its approval…reports Asian Lite News

    The US State Department has approved a potential military sale to Taiwan valued at approximately USD 228 million amid heightened tensions with China, reported Focus Taiwan.

    According to US Department of Defence’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency, the sale involves the return, repair, and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment. This includes both classified and unclassified components for aircraft, as well as associated engineering, technical, and logistics support services.

    The US Congress has been notified of the sale and is expected to grant its approval. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation for the US’s continued support of Taiwan’s security under the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.

    Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence also highlighted the strategic importance of this sale, noting that ongoing grey zone tactics by China have impacted Taiwan’s training and operational readiness. The ministry further highlighted that this aviation-related equipment would enhance the combat readiness and safety of Taiwan’s Air Force.

    According to CNA, this marks the 16th military sale to Taiwan authorised by the Biden administration, underscoring sustained US support.

    Over the past five years, US-Taiwan relations have grown significantly, particularly in terms of military cooperation and economic ties, as tensions with China continue to escalate. Under President Joe Biden, the US has intensified its support for Taiwan through increased arms sales and military exchanges.

    In 2021, the US approved a significant arms deal with Taiwan that included F-16 fighter jets and anti-ship missiles, further demonstrating a firm commitment to Taiwan’s defence. Recently, Taiwan’s defence ministry announced that the delivery of F-16V fighter jets, which were purchased from the US, is now expected to begin in 2026, following the resolution of production and delivery issues, reported Focus Taiwan.

    Additionally, the US has advocated for Taiwan’s inclusion in various international organizations and forums, from which it has historically been excluded due to China’s objections.

    For example, in 2021, the US supported Taiwan’s bids to join the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

    High-level meetings between US and Taiwanese officials have also deepened bilateral economic and technological collaboration, particularly in the semiconductor industry, where Taiwan plays a key role. Despite the strengthening partnership, the US maintains its “One China” policy, officially acknowledging Beijing’s claims over Taiwan while maintaining unofficial relations with Taipei.

    China has strongly condemned US actions, ramping up military activities around Taiwan in response to what it views as provocations. (ANI)

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  • Shanghai’s worst typhoon in 70 years grounds flights, trains

    Shanghai’s worst typhoon in 70 years grounds flights, trains

    The Chinese financial hub, home to 25 million residents, was brought to a standstill as flights, trains, and highways were suspended during a national holiday period….reports Asian Lite News

    China’s Shanghai province faced severe disruptions Monday morning as Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest storm to directly hit the city in over seven decades, leading to widespread shutdowns, CNN reported.

    The Chinese financial hub, home to 25 million residents, was brought to a standstill as flights, trains, and highways were suspended during a national holiday period.

    Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in an industrial area southeast of the city around 7:30 am (local time). The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) reported that the storm brought maximum wind speeds of 130 kilometres per hour (80 mph), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Atlantic scale.

    Chinese state media confirmed it was the most powerful storm to strike Shanghai since 1949.

    In response to the severe weather, the China Meteorological Administration issued a red typhoon warning, its most severe alert, warning of gale force winds and heavy rainfall in large swathes of eastern China, CNN reported.

    highest level of typhoon warning, a red alert. Authorities warned of gale-force winds and heavy rainfall that could affect large parts of eastern China, prompting heightened safety measures across the region.

    Notably, the timing of Typhoon Bebinca caused significant disruption during the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, a three-day national holiday, as reported by CNN. Holiday makers found their travel plans thrown into dismay as authorities worked to minimise the storm’s impact.

    Since 8 pm Sunday, all flights at Shanghai’s two major international airports were grounded. Most train and ferry services were halted, further complicating transportation in and out of the city.

    Additionally, several highways and bridges in Shanghai were closed as a precautionary measure against the typhoon’s destructive winds and heavy rains. (ANI)

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  • China frees American pastor sentenced to life term

    China frees American pastor sentenced to life term

    Washington designated him wrongfully detained and had been urging Beijing to free him for years….reports Asian Lite News

    China has released from jail David Lin, an American pastor, who had been sentenced to a life term in 2006.

    “We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China. He has returned to the United States and now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years,” said a State Department spokesperson as cited by Al Jazeera.

    Washington designated him wrongfully detained and had been urging Beijing to free him for years.

    Politico reported that Lin’s daughter confirmed to the outlet that the State Department had notified her that Chinese authorities had released her father from prison and that he would be touching down in San Antonio, Texas on Sunday. “No words can express the joy we have — we have a lot of time to make up for,” she told Politico.

    Lin’s release comes just weeks after National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi in Beijing.

    Meanwhile, US Representative Chris Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley, the Chair and Co-chair respectively of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), are set to hold a hearing on securing the freedom of unjustly detained Americans in China on September 18.

    The CECC Chairs had urged US President Joe Biden to raise the three cases among others with Xi Jinping during the November 2023 APEC Summit in San Francisco.

    Born in Taiwan, Lin studied chemical engineering and came to the United States while working for a Taiwanese chemical company. He settled in Southern California and started his own firm supplying latex gloves for hospitals as per a report in the Washington Post.

    Chinese authorities first questioned him in 2006 and barred him from leaving China. He was detained on August 17, 2007, and subsequently charged with fraud, the US news outlet stated. Lin pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sentenced in December 2009 to life imprisonment.

    Lin, is one of the three American citizens, the other two being- Mark Swidan and Kai Li – that the State Department considered to be unjustly jailed in China.

    Earlier in August this year, three Americans- Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva who were detained by Russia returned to the US.

    The three were among 24 detainees released following a complex, multicountry effort to coordinate a prisoner swap between Russia and other Western nations that spanned years and marked the largest such exchange since the Cold War, CNN reported. (ANI)

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  • ‘75% of disengagement problems sorted out with China’

    ‘75% of disengagement problems sorted out with China’

    Jaishankar also underlined how India and China never had an easy relationship in the past.

    Highlighting the progress on border talks with China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that 75 per cent of disengagement problems with Beijing are sorted out; however, the two nations “still have some things to do.”

    Jaishankar also underlined how India and China never had an easy relationship in the past.

    “We did not have an easy relationship in the past. What happened in 2020 was in violation of multiple agreements, the Chinese moved a large number of troops to the Line of Actual Control. We, in response, moved our troops up.. Some progress on border talks with China. 75 per cent of disengagement problems are sorted out. We still have some things to do,” Jaishankar said during his conversation with Ambassador Jean-David Levitte at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy on Thursday.

    “If there is a solution to disengagement and there is a return to peace and tranquillity, we can look at other possibilities. That is the immediate issue,” he further added.

    Jaishankar said that the two countries had a difficult relationship in the past and spoke about 2020 when the Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Galwan Valley.

    He also described the India-China relationship as “complex” and highlighted the long-standing struggle in the trade issues between the two nations and said that the economic relationship with China has been “unfair and imbalanced.”

    The EAM said, “It (India-China relations) is a very complex relationship… They had bad periods in history. Both of them are reviving and are rejuvenating in a way… They are the only two countries that have a population of more than a billion. And what happens normally when any country rises is that it has a ripple effect on the neighbourhood. These two countries also have the honour of being each other’s neighbours. So each one’s rise has a ripple impact… So if you take the totality of this, you can understand why I selected a safe expressive word like complex.”

    Notably, India and China held the 31st meeting of the WMCC in Beijing on August 29, and the two sides had decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in border areas in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements and protocols.

    The two sides had a “frank, constructive and forward-looking” exchange of views on the LAC situation and also agreed to intensify contact through diplomatic and military channels, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

    Meanwhile, the EAM further said that apart from border issues, the two nations also face difficulties in other sectors, including technology, telecom, and digital.

    “I think there are larger issues in respect of India-China. We have a long struggle with the trade issue… The economic relationship with China has been very unfair. It has been very imbalanced that we don’t have market access there. They have much better market access here in India. We have many concerns today in various areas, like technology, telecom, and digital.”

    Jaishankar arrived in Switzerland on September 12 after concluding his visit to Germany and Saudi Arabia.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Jaishankar met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal greetings to him there. (ANI)

  • UAE, China to expand strategic ties

    UAE, China to expand strategic ties

    President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and the Premier Li Qiang commented on this year’s 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the UAE and China, reports Asian Lite News

    President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed various aspects of cooperation and joint efforts to enhance and expand the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

    During the talks at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, Premier Li conveyed to Sheikh Mohamed the greetings of Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with his best wishes for the UAE’s continued progress and the further strengthening of the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

    Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the visit of Premier Li and his accompanying delegation, conveying his heartfelt greetings to President Xi Jinping and extending his congratulations on the upcoming anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, celebrated on 1st October. Sheikh Mohamed expressed his confidence that this visit would advance the strategic partnership between the two countries, in line with their shared commitment to advancing collaboration across all sectors.

    The two sides reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of the economy, trade, investment, industry, renewable energy, and sustainability, as well as education and culture, which remain priorities for both nations’ development strategies.

    Sheikh Mohamed and the Chinese Premier commented on this year’s 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the UAE and China, noting that during that time both sides have fostered a close partnership that contributes to the sustainable development of both nations and the prosperity of their peoples.

    The President reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to further strengthening its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China in a manner that aligns with the developmental aspirations of both nations.

    The two sides exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern, emphasising the importance of all efforts to promote peace and stability worldwide. They underscored the need to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and diplomatic channels, stressing the importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges.

    Both leaders highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination within the common international frameworks that unite their countries, in a manner that serves their mutual interests and advances peace, development, and prosperity globally.

    Sheikh Mohamed and Premier Li also discussed the situation in the Middle East, particularly the efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, ensuring the protection of civilians, providing sufficient, safe, and sustainable humanitarian aid, and preventing the escalation of conflict, which threatens regional security and stability. They underscored the importance of working towards a lasting and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

    Sheikh Mohamed also highlighted the significance of the outcomes from his visit to China in May this year, and expressed his appreciation for President Xi Jinping’s commitment to strengthening the partnership and friendship between the two countries. His Highness emphasised the UAE’s keenness to remain a strategic partner in the Belt and Road initiative, adding that UAE-China relations exemplify international cooperation that supports diplomacy and dialogue.

    Li Qiang also met with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The two leaders discussed the growing strategic partnership, and explored new avenues to expand ties.

    The discussions spanned a range of political, economic, commercial, and cultural issues, with both leaders emphasising the need to deepen cooperation to serve mutual interests and aspirations.

    Business Forum

    H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, attended the UAE-China Business Forum, which concluded successfully with the participation of over 300 delegates.

    The Chinese delegation at the Forum was led by Premier Li Qiang.

    The event, organised by Dubai Chambers, and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME), was hosted by the Ministry of Economy of the UAE, and the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.

    The Forum brought together businessmen and investors from the UAE and China to discuss ways to enhance economic and trade relations and boost mutual investments involving business communities in both countries.

    The event coincides with celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and the People’s Republic of China.

    GCC-China FTA

    Chinese Premier called on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to speed up the free trade agreement negotiations process.

    In his meeting with Secretary General of the GCC Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Li noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of the GCC countries held the first China-GCC Summit in 2022, jointly drawing a new blueprint for the China-GCC pragmatic cooperation.

    According to a report by China Central Television (CCTV), China stands ready to work with the GCC countries to enhance communication and coordination, build a strong political foundation for bilateral relations, make steady progress in advancing cooperation in the five key areas proposed at the China-GCC Summit, speed up China-GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations, and expand cooperation in areas such as digital economy and green development, said the Chinese premier.

  • Military commanders of US, China talk over phone

    Military commanders of US, China talk over phone

    General Wu and Admiral Paparo had a constructive and respectful exchange of views between experienced professionals, a per a White House readout of the call…reports Asian Lite News

    Military commanders of the US and China held a phone conversation with each other, as per information by the US Indo-Pacific command marking the first time in years that the two leaders have engaged in formal conversation.

    Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, held a video teleconference with General Wu Yanan, the commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Southern Theatre Command on September 9.

    General Wu and Admiral Paparo had a constructive and respectful exchange of views between experienced professionals, a per a White House readout of the call.

    The call was a deliverable from the bilateral meeting between President Joe Biden with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping held in November 2023, at which both leaders agreed to resume high-level military-to-military communication between the Department of Defence and the PLA, and to hold conversations between the USINDOPACOM commander and the Chinese military’s theatre commanders.

    During the video teleconference, Admiral Paparo underscored the importance of sustained lines of communication between the US military and the Chinese army, noting that such discussions between senior leaders serve to clarify intent and reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation, as per a statement.

    Citing several recent Chinese military’s unsafe interactions with US allies, Admiral Paparo reinforced the PLA’s obligation to comply with international laws and norms to ensure operational safety.

    Admiral Paparo also urged the Chinese military “to reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive, and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea and beyond.”

    Admiral Paparo expressed hope that this discussion with his Chinese counterpart would be the first of many such conversations and noted the necessity of continued dialogue on issues of concern with General Wu, as well as with counterparts in other Chinese military theatre commands.

    During US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visit to Beijing last month, both US and China announced plans for a call between their military theatre commanders.

    Addressing a press conference in Beijing, the US National Security Adviser Sullivan described the Beijing trip as “a true working visit”.

    The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship between the United States and China, the White House said adding that the two sides were planning a call between Biden and Xi “in the coming weeks”.

    In his August 29 meeting with General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission in Beijing, Sullivan stressed that both countries have a responsibility to prevent competition from veering into conflict or confrontation.

    The two sides reaffirmed the importance of regular military-to-military communications as part of efforts to maintain high-level diplomacy and open lines of communication, The White House said. (ANI)

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  • HRW demands release of Taiwanese activist from China

    HRW demands release of Taiwanese activist from China

    Yang had been convicted in China on August 26 for carrying out political activities in Taiwan….reports Asian Lite News

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) has demanded that the Chinese government must immediately release and revoke the conviction of Yang Chih Yuan, a Taiwanese political activist.

    Reportedly, Yang had been convicted in China on August 26 for carrying out political activities in Taiwan.

    In China, Yang’s trial took place behind closed doors, and the details of his sentence were not announced until September 6 this year. Furthermore, judicial authorities have still not released any documents or evidence from the trial.

    Maya Wang, the associate China director at HRW, said, “The Chinese government’s prosecution of Yang Chih-yuan for exercising his basic rights in Taiwan has effectively criminalised being Taiwanese. The use of a national security law coupled with an outrageous prison sentence appears to be Beijing’s latest attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese people and reinforce its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.”

    The HRW also claimed that the Chinese authorities have repeatedly violated Yang’s rights to due process in the legal proceedings against him. The HRW, quoting a report by the Chinese state-owned media, CCTV, confirmed that after his detention, Yang in August 2022 was placed under “residential surveillance in a designated location.”

    This form of detention has been repeatedly criticised by Human Rights Watch. And the United Nations human rights experts have said that this is “tantamount to enforced disappearance.”

    According to HRW in June, just two months before Yang’s trial, the Chinese government issued new judiciary guidelines, making all activities related to Taiwanese independence a criminal offence. Hence, all peaceful activities and advocacy, such as teaching and writing about Taiwan’s democracy and history independent of China or promoting Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations, would be construed as criminal.

    Therefore, Taiwanese who have engaged in such activity would be subject to arrest in China. These judicial guidelines violate the rights to freedom of expression and association and the right to public participation. The guidelines also permit the use of ‘In absentia trials’ and the death penalty for “especially serious or … vile” activity in violation of international law, Human Rights Watch said.

    Reportedly, Yang was incommunicado for two years and during this time, he had no access to legal counsel or his family, violating his international human rights law. According to the HRW report, Chinese laws allow the authorities to deny national security detainees access to family and lawyers, leaving them at serious risk of torture and other mistreatment.

    According to the HRW report, on August 3, 2022, seven months after Yang arrived in China to live, the Chinese authorities detained him in Wenzhou in Zhejiang province. He was formally arrested in April 2023 for alleged “separatist” activity.

    The HRW report claimed that at the time, Yang was not involved in any political activities in China. He was employed as a teacher and played the strategy game Go, according to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, the government agency responsible for China-Taiwan affairs.

    Yang’s “crimes” include establishing a minor political party called the Taiwan National Party in Taiwan, and promoting Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations between 2008 and 2020, the HRW report said. (ANI)

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  • China reviews proposal to raise retirement age

    China reviews proposal to raise retirement age

    The development follows the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee’s earlier indication of its intention to lift the statutory retirement age….reports Asian Lite News

    China’s top legislative body, the National People’s Congress, reviewed a proposal to gradually increase the retirement age, the South China Morning Post reported.

    Notably, this development follows the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee’s earlier indication of its intention to lift the statutory retirement age.

    In the current scenario, the retirement age for men in urban areas is 60. Similarly, the retirement age for females in urban settings is 50 in blue-collar jobs and 55 in white-collar jobs. Notably, the retirement age in China has been in place since 1951 and is among the lowest in the world.

    Lawmakers on Tuesday discussed a “draft decision on the implementation of a gradual increase in the mandatory retirement age” submitted by the State Council, China’s cabinet, the South China Morning Post reported, citing official news agency Xinhua.

    Wang Xiaoping, the Human Resources and Social Security Minister, had presented the draft at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. The draft plan has not yet been made public.

    In July also, in a move to counter its rapidly ageing population and a severe pension funding crisis, China had expressed its intent to raise its statutory retirement age in a “voluntary and flexible” way.

    However, the move planned by the CCP had received severe backlash from its citizens.

    The CCP, during its Third Plenum in July, had said, “In accordance with the principles of voluntariness and flexibility, [we] will steadily and orderly advance the reform of progressively delaying the statutory retirement age.”

    The Communist Party in its 2013’s plenum had said that it has become necessary to “study and formulate” a policy to delay the retirement age. (ANI)

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  • China’s support empowering Putin, says Blinken

    China’s support empowering Putin, says Blinken

    The remarks by Blinken came as he was addressing a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy…reports Asian Lite News

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to carry out his aggressive actions against Ukraine is bolstered by the support he receives from China.

    The remarks by Blinken came as he was addressing a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

    Addressing the joint conference, Blinken said that one of the most important priorities includes providing support to Ukraine. He said, “…The priorities include our resolute support to Ukraine faced with the ongoing Russian aggression. The US, UK, and our leaders are providing security assistance to Ukraine, and together from day one, we continue to say that we stand strongly with our Ukrainian partners.

    Criticising Russia for escalating its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians, Blinken said, “We will be travelling to Kyiv this week and I think it is a critical moment for Ukraine. In the midst of worries… with Russia continuing to escalate its aggression against civilians, critical infrastructure, and of course against Ukrainian forces, we see ramping up of attacks on cities and people, in particular targeting the energy infrastructure, electricity, all these in the coldest months.

    Targeting China for supporting Russia during the war against Ukraine, Blinken said, “One of the reasons that Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin) is able to continue this aggression is because of the provision of support from the People’s Republic of China. China is the biggest supplier of machine tools, the biggest supplier of micro-electronics, all of which are helping Russia sustain its defence industrial base.”

    Notably, on September 11, Blinken will travel to Ukraine with Lammy, where they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior Ukrainian government officials to discuss continued support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s aggression and ways to ensure Ukraine can thrive militarily, economically, and democratically in the long term, a press release by the US Department of State said.

    Blinken further said, “This joint trip reflects strong transatlantic support, … with our Indo-pacific partners, with more than 50 nations that continue to support Ukraine. Together, we are making sure that Ukraine can defend its territory…, that it would be able to stand strongly on its feet, economically, democratically…”

    Meanwhile, David Lammy in a post on X said, “It’s a pleasure to welcome US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to London. The special relationship has been cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years, but together we are committed to supercharging our alliance to bring security and growth.”

    On September 12, Secretary Blinken will travel to Poland, where he will meet with senior Polish government officials to discuss a range of important bilateral issues, including deepening our defence and energy cooperation, and our work as NATO Allies to support Ukraine’s defence. (ANI)

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