Category: China

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Report on Xinjiang reveals China’s dark side

Leading Senators from the US, prominent politicians from the rest of the world and various global human rights groups have expressed shock and anger, calling for a UN-led investigation after a BBC report has revealed systemic torture and sexual abuse against Uyghur Muslims, Kazakhs and other groups interned in the prison camps of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)…reports Ateet Sharma.

Based on rare first-hand accounts from inside the internment camps, the BBC exposed depraved and dehumanising treatment of those detained in such facilities, officially called Vocational Education and Training Centers or ‘re-education camps’ by the Chinese government.

The BBC said that several former detainees and a guard told their reporters on how they have experienced or saw evidence of an organised system of mass rape, sexual abuse and torture in Xinjiang.

Uyghur Muslims

Tursunay Ziawudun, now based in the US after fleeing Xinjiang, told the BBC’s David Campanale, Matthew Hill and Joel Gunter that women were removed from the cells “every night” and raped by one or more masked Chinese men. She said she was tortured and later gang-raped on three occasions, each time by two or three men.

The BBC also interviewed a Kazakh woman from Xinjiang who was detained for 18 months in the camp system.

Gulzira Auelkhan told the network that she was forced to systematically “remove the clothes (of women detainees) above the waist and handcuff them so they cannot move”, so that police and even Han Chinese civilians introduced from the outside, who “would pay money to have their pick of the prettiest young inmates”, could rape them.

Another woman, Qelbinur Sedik, an ethnic Uzbek, said that she went to the camps as a Chinese language teacher and befriended a policewoman who told her that “the rape has become a culture” there.

“It is gang rape and the Chinese police not only rape them but also electrocute them. They are subject to horrific torture,” Sedik was told by the policewoman.

Chinese Police

It is not for the first time that the alleged genocide and crimes against humanity taking place in the Xinjiang region have been brought to the notice of the world community.

Human rights organizations believe that the Chinese government has detained over a million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and people from other Turkic Muslim nationalities in these camps over the last three years.

Last September, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), had nailed China’s lies on the human rights violations being committed in Xinjiang by releasing a comprehensive data, including latest satellite imagery, of more than 380 detention facilities still operating in the country’s far west.

The ASPI research suggested that many extrajudicial detainees in Xinjiang’s vast “re-education” network are now being formally charged and locked up in higher security facilities, including newly built or expanded prisons, or sent to walled factory compounds for coerced labour assignments.

It has also been revealed that in 2018, 80 per cent of all the Intrauterine Device (IUD) placements in China were performed on women in the Uyghur region, despite the region making up only about 1.8 per cent of China’s total population.

After the the BBC report on Tuesday, a group of senior politicians representing the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) said it stood united in horror and in condemnation of sickening reports of the torture and rape of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the internment camps of Xinjiang.

“Eyewitness testimonies broadcast by the BBC have exposed depraved and dehumanising treatment of those detained in several camps… The time for mere words has long passed. We must now move towards a coordinated effort to hold the Chinese government to account,” said the IPAC statement signed by 30 parliamentarians representing 16 legislatures.

“These atrocities must be stopped. We again call for a UN led or international legal investigation of crimes against humanity and genocide that are taking place in Xinjiang, and in the mean time for individual states to respond to their obligations under the genocide convention and take collective urgent political action in response to this evidence,” it added.

Signatories to the statement included US Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio, German Greens MEP Reinhard Butikofer, former Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani and Australian Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching.

“Reports of torture, systemic rape and forced sterilization of detainees suggests the Chinese Communist Party is perpetrating a most barbaric and inhumane persecution of the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the region,” said British MP Iain-Duncan Smith, a former leader of the UK Conservative Party.

China, meanwhile, maintains that anti-China forces continue to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the progress in the cause of human rights in Xinjiang.

“They have never been to Xinjiang and do not know the real situation of Xinjiang, but on the pretext of alleged human rights violations, they unscrupulously splash dirty water on Xinjiang, instigating the media and think tanks they control to concoct eye-catching false evidence and spread sensational fallacies,” Elijan Anayat, spokesperson of Information Office of XUAR, said during a press conference organised on Xinjiang-related issues in Beijing on Wednesday.

Xinjiang government was also asked if it was prepared to welcome US government officials of high rank to visit the region for field investigations, free from any interference instead of a publicity tour, to change the identification with Xinjiang-related issues in the US that has transcended party politics?

“I would like to say that Xinjiang is following the right path in the world. Everything it has done is open and honest. There is nothing that cannot be open. We welcome US officials, including the officials of new US government, to take a walk and have a look in Xinjiang, so as to understand the real situation in Xinjiang in case that you would be blinded by (Mike) Pompeo’s lies. But we also have the bottom line of our principle, and we will never accept any so-called ‘investigation’ of presumption of guilt,” remarked Deputy Director General of CPC Publicity Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Xu Guixiang.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

Also Read-Sri Lanka falling deep to China’s googly

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Sri Lanka falling deep to China’s googly

A U-turn on the Colombo port’s East Container Terminal and then an attempt to create negativity around the India-supplied Covid-19 vaccine signals that there could be more powerful forces than just mere trade unions and some local groups which are nudging Sri Lanka to adopt an aggressive stand against India right now…reports Ateet Sharma.

Experts believe that Sri Lankan government’s decision to scrap an agreement with India and Japan to jointly run the East Container Terminal in the Lankan capital is a result of persistent external pressure applied by China which has developed high stakes in the country through its expansionist and debt trap Belt and Road Initiative.

It isn’t just about going back on its word in a Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the three countries in 2019. Efforts are also being made to give a spin to India’s noble gesture of donating five lakh doses of Covishield Covid-19 vaccine under the ongoing ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative.

The Island reported that Ravi Kumudesh, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, has urged the government to give general public an access to “the most suitable” Covid-19 vaccine instead of the ones sent by India. Kumudesh questioned the decision of National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to only register Covishield vaccine.

“Given that the Medical Research Institute (MRI) only checks documents, there can’t be a reason for the delay in registering other vaccines. We are glad that India gave us some vaccine doses for free, but we can’t just import more of the same without a proper study,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Sri Lanka

The statement would certainly disappoint India considering that in spite of a massive number of requests received from all over the world, the Narendra Modi government had prioritised Sri Lanka for the supply of the Indian vaccine and sent the first consignment of 5,00,000 doses as Indian grant on January 28.

The developments also raise a concern if the island nation, having already ceded control of its strategic port of Hambantota to China, is taking orders from Beijing, fulfilling its global agenda by becoming its pawn.

China has greatly enhanced its access to the Middle East through Pakistan’s Gwadar port and continues to play dangerous games in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through its various projects, not just in Lanka but also Bangladesh (Chittagong and Mongla), Maldives (Feydhoo Finolhu Port), Myanmar (Kyaukphyu) and Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

While Japan, which too has provided continuous support for the development of the Port of Colombo since the 1980s and also that of Port of Trincomalee, has reportedly “regretted” the Rajapaksa government’s move to scrap the deal, India is still hoping that Lanka would adhere to international commitments and reconsider its decision.

Not just as a part of the ongoing vaccine diplomacy, India had made its intentions of developing a closer bond with its neighbour clear with two high-profile visits to Colombo in the last few months to set the stage for an increased bilateral cooperation.

While National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had met all the key stakeholders in the island country on the sidelines of the NSA-level meeting on Trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation last November, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also paid an official visit to Sri Lanka from January 5-7 January at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunawardena.

Apart from holding talks with his counterpart, Jaishankar also discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues with Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

During his three-day visit, the minister had also made a strong pitch for Tamil reconciliation by meeting the Tamil leadership — delegations of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Tamil Progressive Alliance — in Colombo.

Yesterday, in a statement made in Rajya Sabha on the talks held between the two countries, the EAM reiterated that the Government of India has consistently called upon Sri Lanka during bilateral discussions at all levels to fulfill its commitments on addressing the issues related to protecting the interest of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

This, the minister said, was done during the visits of President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to India in November 2019 and February 2020 respectively and during the recently held India- Sri Lanka Virtual Bilateral Summit on September 26, 2020 between the two Prime Ministers as also his own visit earlier this month.

“It is in Sri Lanka’s own interest that the expectations of the Tamil people for equality, justice, peace and dignity within a united Sri Lanka are fulfilled. That applies equally to the commitments made by the Sri Lankan Government on meaningful devolution, including the 13th Amendment to the Constitution,” said Jaishankar.

Jaishankar’s statement assumes a great significance in the prevailing circumstances.

While Beijing has only taken advantage of its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, India has for last many decades played a major role in promoting peace and socio-economic development of Sri Lanka.

Much before the Chinese arrived, India batted for the strengthening of the regional connectivity which was a key to the peace and prosperity of the entire region.

All of it, and not just the freedom of the high seas and maritime order based on the rule of law but also Lanka’s political and economic development, will be in a grave danger if the current regime continues to fall to China’s googly.

Irrigation tunnel

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has inaugurated the construction of an irrigation tunnel to be undertaken by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd (CSCEC), local media reported.

On Friday, President Rajapaksa laid the foundation stone at the groundbreaking ceremony for the 28 km-long irrigation tunnel which stretches from Elahera Konduruwewa to Palugaswewa Mahamigaswewa and passes through three wildlife sanctuaries, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rajapaksa with Jaishankar

The tunnel is part of the North Central Province Maha Ela Project to divert excess water from the Moragahakanda and Kalu Ganga reservoir.

Construction is estimated to cost $244 million and is financed by the Sri Lankan government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

South Asia General Manager of CSCEC Wang Zhouya told Xinhua that the tunnel would be the longest irrigation tunnel in Sri Lanka and help mitigate droughts and floods while providing water for agriculture.

Also Read-Beijing’s plans to browbeat India, US

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Beijing’s plans to browbeat India, US

China will try to assert itself more across the world as it now feels confident that it has the economic, political and military capabilities to ensure that its views are heard on the global stage. It will assert itself in the immediate neighbourhood, the Indo-Pacific region and also across the world.…reports Rahul Kumar

Dr Jabin Jacob, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations and Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University, says that China sees itself in rivalry and competition with the USA and whatever the US is doing China will want to do that and try to do it better than the US. He says: “One thing is certain that China sees itself as a global power.”

As part of this assertiveness, China might be seen as officially arguing for multi-polarity in global politics but it will try to assert itself as a global hegemon. It will not brook competition from any other country. Driven by this thought, China sees democracies everywhere as a threat to the legitimacy of the Communist Party. The country will, therefore, continue to undermine democracies and other political systems.

China has grabbed territory in Ladakh as it sees India as a power that threatens its interests and ambitions. And to mount pressure on India, it will take a different stand against India’s neighbours. Because of this, the Chinese are capturing Nepalese territory and have walked into Bhutan as well-just to make a point against India.

Both India and China are currently stuck. India wants to restore status quo ante at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh while China wants that their bilateral and economic relations restored even as they keep occupying Indian land. Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had made it clear that it is impossible to restore bilateral relations till China moves out of India. It is unwilling to detach the boundary issue with China to resolve its border dispute.

Jacob says that on the face of it, people might feel that India has lost face at the LAC by losing territory which India used to patrol that we cannot control now. “But that does not mean India is beaten or that India is down and out. China still has a problem on its hand as they say a wounded tiger is more dangerous and, therefore, the Chinese want to see that India behaves as the Chinese would like them to. But that is not happening.”

Modi with Chinese PM Xi

Within China the PLA is a powerful entity. It is much more powerful and higher in hierarchy than the Chinese Foreign Ministry. With the Indian military response, the PLA is under pressure to prove and respond to Indian actions. China will continue to create situations for skirmishes not just in Ladakh but also in Sikkim and Arunachal. China will keep creating problems for India across the LAC as the PLA is under pressure.

The Ladakh incident and the Depsang incursion in 2013 show that China has violated all laws in force since the nineties. India has shown its strength and determination by brazening it out in Ladakh – keeping its icy borders well defended even in the harshest winter. With China militarising the LAC with heavy armour and tens of thousands of soldiers, Ladakh will now remain permanently militarised on both sides of the border. But to deter China in future from violating its territory, India will have to take punitive action.

To be able to take on China, India will have to embrace reforms in all sectors-diplomacy, economy as well as military. This need for reform for the military has to come from within the defence forces as it is not coming from the civilian administration. If India has to take on China, India also needs to build up its navy. India will have to scale up its military diplomacy as well.

Also, the country lacks in its global understanding of other countries and cultures, including friendly ones. India will have to do more-cultivate countries like Vietnam and Japan by investing there, having better relations with them. India will have to build more understanding of other countries by investing in languages, culture, opening up more departments of research and study so that India and its leadership understand the world better. India should study various countries well, go to these countries and understand them more.

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat

Regarding its Middle Kingdom approach, Jacob says that China is a Communist Party State. Moreover, President Xi Jingping’s model is clear that the idea of China is a political and economic model which other countries should try to emulate.

Both the Tibetan government in exile and even the Indian establishment believe in Mao’s doctrine of Five Fingers–taking over Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. However, there is more to this doctrine. It is not just the capture or occupation of territory but is also about exercising complete influence in all dimensions that matters to China. Even if it does not capture Bhutan or Nepal physically, China wants its voice heard in these capitals as the first and the most important voice that these countries listen to.

Talking about the neighbourhood, Indian leaders will need to look at China as the longer-term challenge and to fix relations with Pakistan also. “We have continued to look at Pakistan as the adversary, ignoring China all through, even though we understand the country well. Now is the time to rectify that approach,” says Jacob.

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Turkey, China going all out to fill Pak defence arsenal

China and Turkey are going all out to consolidate Pakistan’s defence arsenal even as the country’s external debt continues to accumulate and the Imran Khan government finds itself on a sticky wicket yet again ahead of this month’s plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog…reports Ateet Sharma.
While ‘iron brother’ China launched a second advanced warship for Pakistan in Shanghai last week, Turkey – its only other all-weather ally – also held a welding ceremony of third ship of MILGEM class corvettes for Pakistan Navy at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY).

The launch of the second Type 054 Class Frigate was held at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard on Friday with the Pakistani Navy highlighting how warship’s induction will enhance country’s maritime defence and deterrence capabilities.

The first of the four warships of Type-054 Class Frigate constructed by China for Pakistan was launched in August, last year.

“Technologically advance platform fitted with latest Surface, Subsurface, Anti-air weapons, Combat Management System & Sensors will strengthen PN combat capabilities & maintain peace & stability in IOR,” Pakistan Navy tweeted Saturday.

In Istanbul, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi jointly kicked off the MILGEM class corvettes project by performing the block welding.

The contract for four MILGEM class corvettes for Pakistan Navy with concurrent Transfer of Technology (ToT) was signed with ASFAT Inc, a Turkish state owned Defence contractor in 2018. The ToT entails construction of two corvettes at Istanbul Naval Shipyard and another two at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW).

Erdogan highlighted deep-rooted relationship between the “two strategically aligned nations” and underscored the defence collaboration for construction of MILGEM class warships as major milestone in Pak-Turkey defence ties.

The MILGEM class corvettes will be surface platforms equipped with modern surface, subsurface and anti-air weapons and sensors integrated through a network centric Combat Management System.

These ships, said Pakistan Navy, will augment its “kinetic punch” and will significantly contribute in maintaining peace, stability and “balance of power” in Indian Ocean Region.

Pakistan Navy’s top officers are now regular visitors to Ankara and Beijing, just like the country’s ships now frequently call at their ports.

Last month, after taking over the command of the Pakistan Navy in October, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi visited the Turkish Fleet Headquarters at Golcuk Naval Base and also the Istanbul Naval Shipyards where he was briefed on the current status of the ongoing construction of the first corvette of the ‘Jinnah’ Class Corvette Project.

During his visit, Niazi, who was conferred with ‘Legion of Merit of the Turkish Armed Forces’ by Turkish Naval Forces Commander Admiral Adnan Ozbal, also called on Turkey’s President of Defence Industries Ismail Demir.

After being commissioned in November at the Black Sea Port of Constanta in Romania, Pakistan Navy’s new Corvette e a Damen OPV 1900 named PNS Tabuk – visited Turkey’s Port Aksaz on her return passage to Pakistan. On departing the port, Tabuk participated in coordinated patrol with Turkish Navy ships.

The Commanding Officer of the ship, in a meeting with Aksaz Naval Base Commander Rear Admiral I Kurtulus Sevinc discussed “matters of mutual interest”, including Kashmir.

Discussing Kashmir to further foster the “brotherly relations” between both the countries comes naturally to Pakistan and Turkey.

Pakistan Navy Ship Zulfiqar, with embarked helicopter, had visited Port Aksaz in October 2020 to participate in Turkey-led Mavi Balina 2020 multinational Anti Submarine Warfare exercise. During the stay, Commanding Officer of the ship had called on senior naval officials and dignitaries, including Sevinc and Flag Officer Commanding Aksaz Naval Base to discuss Kashmir.

In March, another Pakistan Navy Ship Yarmook – the first ship commissioned at Constanta Port – had visited Golcuk during its voyage back to “develop interoperability” with Turkish Navy. The Commanding Officer of PNS Yarmook had also called on important authorities of Turkish Navy to discuss Kashmir.

At the same time, China continues to strengthen Pakistan Navy, enhancing its ability with new assets and joint Sino-Pakistani naval exercises.

“Pakistan Navy is enlarging its marines, which now operates from Gwadar into a division-sized force. China funds the marines defending Chinese interests at Gwadar and PN’s Special Service Group Navy (SSGN) originally trained by US Seals is planned to grow into a brigade-sized force by 2023. China is enabling Pakistan to set up a network-enabled warfare capability with satellite feeds to monitor the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) like the Indian Navy employs Centrix provided by the US Navy,” Commodore Ranjit B Rai, a former Naval Intelligence and Operations Director, wrote in Indian Defence Review, last year.

Meanwhile, India and the new Joe Biden administration in Washington will be closely watching the proceedings at this month’s Aman-2021 exercise scheduled to be held in the water area of the Pakistani port of Karachi.

Besides China and Turkey, the Russian Navy has confirmed the participation of its Black Sea Fleet (BSF), including a frigate, a patrol ship, a rescue tug, a Marine Corps unit, a demining squad and a sea-based helicopter, in the exercise.

It is expected to be held at around the same time when FATF meets virtually from February 22 to 25 to consider blacklisting Pakistan as it continues to abate terrorism.

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China, EU hold talks on environment, climate

Noting that this year China will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, Han said that China hoped to work together with the EU side to push the conference to achieve positive results…reports Asian Lite News

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng held the first High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the EU with Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans via video link.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China has vowed to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, which is a major announcement on its own climate and environmental policies, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

He said that in order to achieve these goals as scheduled, China needs to make extremely arduous efforts to promote energy conservation, emission reduction and low-carbon development.

The two sides should implement the consensus reached by both leaders, give full play to the leading role of the high-level dialogue, deepen China-EU environmental and climate pragmatic cooperation, and make green cooperation a new highlight and engine of China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, said Han.

The two sides should uphold multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the core, abide by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and promote the construction of a fair, reasonable, and win-win global environmental governance system, said the vice premier.

Noting that this year China will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, Han said that China hoped to work together with the EU side to push the conference to achieve positive results, launch a new process of global biodiversity governance and promote the building of a shared future for all life on Earth.

Timmermans, for his part, highly appreciated China’s positive position on climate change and other issues. He expressed a willingness to expand and deepen EU-China dialogue and cooperation in the field of environment and climate and give full play to the role of multilateral mechanisms.

Also read:Pak General confesses China’s role in crushing Baloch movement

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Jacinda joins Chinese New year celebration hopefully

Thousands of people from across New Zealand celebrated the upcoming Chinese New Year at the 2021 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day event in Auckland.

The annual event, one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations in New Zealand, was joined by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Opposition leader Judith Collins and many distinguished guests, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

In her keynote speech, Ardern said that the 2021 Chinese New Year represented an opportunity to acknowledge the past year and to look forward to 2021 with optimism and with hope.

“People born in the year of Ox, are known to be honest, consistent, hardworking and generous. Those character traits of the Chinese community, who have joined New Zealand and contributed to New Zealand for over 170 years with all of those many traits”, said Ardern.

Ardern also mentioned the economic ties between New Zealand and China, particularly the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement upgrade that was signed this week.

“Alongside the renewed commitment to our people-to-people links, stands our on-going commitment to our economic and trade ties, which are equally long and deep and important to us,” said Ardern.

“It is a really important milestone for both countries, and shows the strength of our relationship,” said Ardern.

Ruan Ping, Chinese consul general in Auckland, said in his opening remark that New Zealand was now well positioned for post-pandemic recovery.

“For 12 years, The China-New Zealand FTA has brought huge benefits to both countries and peoples. The upgrade protocol involves multiple areas such as trade, investment and rules, making China-New Zealand free trade more efficient. I am convinced that by working together, China and New Zealand will achieve more tangible results in pragmatic cooperation and friendly relations,” said Ruan.

Traditional Chinese performances including lion and dragon dances, Wushu performances, face-changing performance, magic shows, singing and dancing were showcased in the celebration.

Free facemasks and hand sanitizers were provided during the event to the general public for additional safeguarding people’s health, although facemasks were not mandatory by government regulation. People were also encouraged to scan the NZ Covid Tracer App for contact tracing.

New Zealand is currently at Covid-19 Alert Level One with no restriction on public gatherings.

Also Read-EU braces for battle against Covid variants

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‘Chinese hegemony in Asia is unacceptable’

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar

In a clear warning to China, India on Thursday said that Chinese hegemony in Asia is unacceptable.

Addressing scholars at the 13th All India Conference of China Studies, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, “The India-China relationship is today truly at a crossroads. Choices that are made will have profound repercussions, not just for the two nations but for the entire world.”

The minister said India-China relations were dependent on three ‘mutuals’ and eight principles. One of the principles, he said was that while both nations are committed to a multi-polar world, “there should be a recognition that a multi-polar Asia is one of its essential constituents.”

Among other principles, he said the agreements already reached must be adhered to in their entirety, both in letter and spirit. Where the handling of the border areas are concerned, the LAC must be strictly observed and respected, any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo is completely unacceptable, he said.

Also, peace and tranquillity in the border areas is the basis for development of relations in other domains. “If they are disturbed, so inevitably will the rest of the relationship. This is quite apart from the issue of progress in the boundary negotiations,” he said.

The fifth principle he said that is obviously that each state will have its own interests, concerns and priorities, but sensitivity to them cannot be one-sided. At the end of the day, relationships between major states are reciprocal in nature.

Sixth, as rising powers, each will have their own set of aspirations and their pursuit too cannot be ignored. Seventh, there will always be divergences and differences but their management is essential to the ties. And eighth, civilisational states like India and China must always take the long view.

Whether it is India’s immediate concerns or more distant prospects, the fact is that the development of our ties can only be based on the three ‘mutuals’ – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests, Jaishankar said.

“Any expectation that they can be brushed aside, and that life can carry on undisturbed despite the situation at the border, that is simply not realistic. There are discussions underway through various mechanisms on disengagement at the border areas. But if ties are to be steady and progress, policies must take into account the learnings of the last three decades,” he added.

India, China military-level talks end on positive trajectory.

Recalling the factors that led to the deterioration in bilateral relations, Jaishankar said, “For all the differences and disagreements that we may have had on the boundary, the central fact was that border areas still remained fundamentally peaceful. The last loss of life before 2020 was, in fact, as far back as 1975.”

“That is why the events in eastern Ladakh last year have profoundly disturbed the relationship because they not only signalled a disregard for commitments about minimising troop levels, but also showed a willingness to breach peace and tranquillity.”

Arguing that the ability of India and China to work together will determine the Asian century, Jaishankar said, “At this time, it is equally important to recognise that their difficulties in doing so may well undermine it.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping

Given the “gravity” of India’s situation with China, he did not have a definitive answer to offer at this point in time.

“Significantly, to date, we have yet to receive a credible explanation for the change in China’s stance or reasons for massing of troops in the border areas. It is a different matter that our own forces have responded appropriately and held their own in very challenging circumstances. The issue before us is what the Chinese posture signals, how it evolves, and what implications it may have for the future of our ties,” he said.

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Beijing imposes stringent curbs for Spring Festival

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on February 12 this year….reports Asian Lite News

Authorities in Beijing have tightened Covid-19 restrictions in the Chinese capital in the wake of the upcoming Spring Festival, including the requirement of more nucleic acid tests, the municipal government said.

Between Thursday to March 15, travellers from low-risk domestic areas must provide negative nucleic acid results within seven days before arrival, and they must receive nucleic acid tests one week and two weeks after settling in Beijing, said Xu Hejian, the city government spokesperson.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on February 12 this year.

The capital city is declining entry to those from medium and high-risk domestic areas, while those entering the Chinese mainland via other cities must wait for 21 days before visiting Beijing, Xinhua news agency quoted Xu as saying at a press conference.

The tightened entry rules come as increased travels around the Spring Festival, the most important homecoming occasion in China, added complications to Beijing’s anti-virus efforts, the official added.

The municipal government on Wednesday also renewed calls for residents to avoid outbound travels during the festival to minimise infection risks and promised to offer shopping coupons and free data packages to those who choose to stay put.

Beijing reported four new locally transmitted confirmed Covid-19 cases and one asymptomatic infection on Tuesday, the municipal health commission said.

It added that all of the confirmed cases occurred in a residential community in Daxing District, where cluster cases had emerged lately.

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10 bodies recovered from China gold mine

A total of 22 miners were trapped underground following a blast at the mine in Qixia on January 10…reports Asian Lite News

A day after 11 trapped workers were rescued from a gold mine in China’s Shandong province, authorities on Monday retrieved the bodies of the 10 other miners, while one was still reported to be missing.

A total of 22 miners were trapped underground following a blast at the mine in Qixia on January 10, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We will not stop searching for the missing miner,” said Chen Fei, mayor of Yantai, adding that the rescue work is extremely difficult as the underground water is very deep.

According to Chen, the 11 rescued miners are receiving proper medical treatment, and DNA tests are being conducted to confirm the identities of the deceased.

The investigation into the cause of the accident is still underway.

Mining accidents are not uncommon in China, where the industry safety regulations can be poorly enforced, according to a BBC report.

In December 2020, 23 miners died after a carbon monoxide leak at a coal mine.

In September, 16 workers were killed at another mine on the outskirts of Chongqing, also due to carbon monoxide.

In December 2019, an explosion at a coal mine in Guizhou province, south-west China, killed at least 14 people.

Also read:China sanctions top Trump officials

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India-China 9th round of dialogue ends

India and China held 16 hours-long marathon military dialogue to resolve an ongoing border dispute and thinning of forces along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, government official said on Monday. The details of the meeting are yet to be known.

The ninth Corps Commander level talks between both the countries took place at the Moldo Meeting point almost two months of last dialogue.

It started at 10.30 am on Sunday and ended at 2.30 a.m. on Monday.

Lieutenant General P.G.K. Menon, the Corps Commander of Leh-based HQ 14 Corps, led the Indian delegation. India has sought complete disengagement and withdrawing of forces from the disputed areas.

The military commanders to convey the details of the meeting to Prime Minister Office.

The Ministry of External Affairs representative was also part of dialogue.

The eight Corps Commander level talks had taken place happened on November 6. Though the talks had ended in a deadlock, both countries had agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, and take forward the discussions, push for the settlement of other outstanding issues, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane earlier this month said the forces are ready for a long haul along the Line of Actual Control but hoped for an amicable solution in its nine month long conflict with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

“We are prepared to hold our ground where we are for as long as it takes to achieve our national goals and interest,” General Naravane had said.

Since no thinning of troops happened the soldiers of both the countries are poised to remain exposed to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

On August 30, India had occupied critical mountain heights on the southern bank of the Pangong Lake like Rechin La, Rezang La, Mukpari, and Tabletop that were unmanned till now. India also made some deployments near the Blacktop.

The movement was carried out after the Chinese tried to make a provocative military move.

Now, dominance at these 13 peaks allows India to dominate Spangur Gap under Chinese control and also the Moldo garrison on the Chinese side.

At the height of the standoff, in a violence face-ff last year between the two sides at Galwan Valley, India had lost 20 of her soldiers, while the Chinese side an unknown number.

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