Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,188
Ukraine says it has confirmed information that China is supplying a range of important products to Russian military plants, including tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder and components specifically to defence manufacturing industries.
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Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
India's Modi meets China's top diplomat Wang as Asian powers rebuild ties
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met China's top diplomat Wang Yi and hailed the 'steady progress' made in improving the bilateral relationship after a years-long standoff between the nuclear-armed Asian powers and as the two nations navigate a shifting global economy upended by United States President Donald Trump's tariffs. Modi also noted 'respect for each other's interests and sensitiveness' in a statement on social media after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang in New Delhi on Tuesday. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the countries have entered a 'steady development track' and the countries should 'trust and support' each other. Glad to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Since my meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year, India-China relations have made steady progress guided by respect for each other's interests and sensitivities. I look forward to our next meeting in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 19, 2025 Wang arrived in India on Monday and has met with Foreign Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as well as National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the countries' disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. India's Ministry of External Affairs said Wang's meeting with Doval discussed 'deescalation, delimitation and boundary affairs'. Relations plummeted in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. The violence, the worst in decades, left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, freezing high-level political engagements. 'The setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries. We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders,' Wang said Monday. Modi emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity on the border and reiterated India's commitment to a 'fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question,' his office said in a statement. 'Political compromise' The rebuilding of India-China ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after United States President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India for continuing to buy Russian oil, which the US says is fuelling Moscow's war machine. India is a longtime US ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia and is part of the Quad security alliance with the US, along with Australia and Japan. The chill in relations after the deadly clash in 2020 between troops in the Ladakh region affected trade, diplomacy and air travel, as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's Foreign Ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 3,488km (2,167-mile) border. 'Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,' said Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
China extends probe into EU dairy products
Agencies China extended on Monday its anti-subsidy investigation into European Union dairy imports by six months, showing little sign of let up in a two-front trade war with Brussels and Washington that threatens to upend its export-orientated growth model. The Ministry of Commerce said it had prolonged the investigation period to February 21, 2026, citing the case's complexity. Beijing's decision to extend its probe into some EU cheese, milk and cream products comes after it rolled over in June an investigation into European pork, of which it is also a major buyer, and in July announced duties on EU brandy producers - though major cognac makers were spared provided they sell at or above a minimum price. China is seeking a lasting trade truce with the United States and EU to preserve its export engine as it struggles with the prospect of overhauling its economic model, analysts say, with domestic demand still in the doldrums. Trade tensions between China and the EU erupted in 2023 when the European Commission - which oversees the bloc's trade policy - launched an anti-subsidy probe into China-made electric vehicles (EVs), accusing Beijing of flooding the market with state-backed exports. In April this year, a European Commission spokesperson said the EU and China had agreed to look into setting minimum prices of Chinese-made electric vehicles instead of tariffs imposed by the EU last year. The two sides have yet to reach a deal. 'Beijing is still hoping to come to terms with the EU on a long list of trade conflicts,' said Even Rogers Pay, an analyst at Beijing-based Trivium China who specializes in agriculture. 'This investigation - along with the investigation into EU pork, which was extended in June - are significant bargaining chips in the ongoing negotiations around the EU's tariffs on Chinese new energy vehicles,' she said. China originally announced the dairy probe a year ago, a day after Brussels revised duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles but refrained from abandoning them as Beijing had urged.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
As Trump builds tariff walls, China and Asean are building bridges
Agencies Amid escalating tensions between the United States and China and lingering trade tensions, China and Asean have gone full steam ahead on upgrading their landmark free trade pact. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – two key players in the Global Southaccount for a quarter of the world's population and a fifth of global gross domestic product, contributing to over 30 per cent of global economic growth. In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that both sides would submit the '3.0 version' of the China-Asean Free Trade Agreement for approval in October. This signals a push to future-proof Asia's trade flows amid renewed US protectionism and intensifying global competition. With negotiations over, the pact is expected to be signed by the end of 2025. The initial version of the free trade pact was Asean's first with an external partner. The latest upgrade is set to expand cooperation across nine areas, such as digital and green economies. Since the agreement's inception in 2010, Asean's trade with China has almost tripled – from US$235.5 billion in 2010 to US$696.7 billion in 2023. China has been the bloc's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. Asean has also become China's top trading partner for the past five years. Last year, bilateral trade almost reached US$1 trillion. In the first four months of 2025, trade reached US$330.86 billion, a 9.2 per cent year-on-year jump. Upgrading the pact benefits both sides. It gives Asean countries a chance to deepen regional integration and reinforce supply chains amid rising geopolitical uncertainty. A 2023 HSBC survey found that 92 per cent of Indonesian, 87 per cent of Filipino and 89 per cent of Vietnamese companies expect supply chain growth with China through 2026. For Beijing, Southeast Asia is indispensable. The upgraded deal could help China diversify export markets, secure vital raw materials – such as minerals from Indonesia and Thailand – and encourage manufacturers to offshore production to lower costs and bypass Western restrictions. This consolidates China's position as a stable regional economic partner for Asean while counterbalancing US influence and boosting intra-Asian trade. For the US, the upgraded agreement reveals the limits of its tariff offensive. US tariffs are prompting more countries to boost economic ties with China, which is increasingly seen as a steadier source of investment, capital and financing. Indonesia reportedly secured a tariff cut from 32 to 19 per cent. Cambodia had faced a 36 per cent rate, which was also reduced to 19 per cent. However, US President Donald Trump's tariffs threaten Southeast Asia unevenly, ranging from 10 per cent on Singapore to 40 per cent on war-stricken Myanmar and Laos. A shift in public opinion is also under way. The 2024 ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey, a barometer of regional elite opinion, found that most respondents would pick China over the US if they had to choose. As Washington steps back from multilateralism, Beijing is positioning itself as the defender of world trade norms, challenging Western dominance. However, major hurdles remain. Asean and China must navigate complex regulations on logistics, warehousing and product certification. This demands major infrastructure investment, harmonised data governance and stronger cybersecurity cooperation, efforts that hinge on institutional trust, coordinated reforms and sustained policy support. Equally pressing is the shifting trade balance. Asean accounted for 15 per cent of China's trade in 2023, up from 10 per cent in 2010, according to McKinsey, while China made up 20 per cent of Asean's trade in 2023, a 12 per cent increase over the same time period. Asean imports from China have surged faster than exports, pushing the bloc's trade deficit above US$190 billion. The updated agreement could deepen these imbalances. The relocation of Chinese manufacturers to Southeast Asia is another concern. Facing US technology restrictions, Chinese firms have shifted production to Asean countries to bypass tariffs and avoid the 'Made in China' label. While some countries like Vietnam and Thailand stand to gain from this, despite recent obstacles, a surge of cheaper Chinese imports could also threaten less competitive local producers and further widen trade long-standing South China Sea disputes continue to fuel unease. Past Chinese restrictions on Filipino banana exports show how maritime disputes can affect trade ties. Beijing's renewed commitment to finalising a code of conduct for the South China Sea with Asean brings optimism. Still, overlapping claims and periodic flare-ups could sour goodwill. Disputes must be carefully managed to avoid eroding trust. Overall, the upgraded trade deal offers opportunities for both China and Asean. If both sides manage risks, the pact will accelerate Southeast Asia's rise and solidify China's place at the centre of it.
