BRICS, Diesel, Urea…India and China come together to teach Trump a lesson amid tariff war, PM Modi now plans to..., Gautam Adani also to...
Reports suggest that India is also set to assume the BRICS chairmanship soon, raising the possibility that Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit India. It is believed that BRICS nations, including India, China, Russia, and Brazil, could strengthen cooperation to rein in Donald Trump. India-US Ties:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first few leaders who met US President Donald Trump after he returned to the White House. However, despite all the bonhomie, the relationship between the nations witnessed a new low after Donald Trump imposed a massive 50 percent tariff on India and overtures to the Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir.
Meanwhile, after the Galwan clash in 2020, economic ties between India and BRICS member China now appear to be getting back on track. India has announced that it will grant tourist visas to Chinese citizens. What Chinese Experts Said About India–China Friendship Speaking to Bloomberg, Henry Wang, president of a Chinese think tank, said that relations between India and China are now 'on the rise.'
Henry Wang also said that as leaders of the Global South, the two countries need to engage in dialogue with each other.
Wang pointed out that China, too, is a prime target of Trump's tariff war.
China has also indicated its willingness to improve relations with India.
China has approved the export of urea to India, the world's largest fertilizer importer.
Adani is looking to form a joint venture with China's BYD to manufacture batteries on a large scale within India.
Prime Minister Modi may meet the Chinese President on August 31 during the SCO meeting.
China is India's second-largest trading partner after the United States.
India has a significant need for Chinese technology and raw materials to boost its manufacturing sector.
Analysts say that while there is a visible warming in India–China ties, full trust between the two will not be established overnight.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
26 minutes ago
- NDTV
Indian Flag Hoisted On Seattle's Iconic Space Needle For First Time
In a landmark and historic first in Seattle, the flag of India was raised on top of the Space Needle today in honour of India's 79th Independence Day celebrations. Built in 1962 for the World Fair, the Space Needle stands as a symbol of Seattle's skyline and epitomizes the tech-driven future of the US Pacific Northwest region, the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in an official statement. The Consul General of India in Seattle, along with Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, and other select dignitaries from Seattle city leadership, joined in the historic occasion and acknowledged the contributions of the Indian American diaspora in shaping Seattle's journey as a tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest, the release added. A Historic Milestone: Indian Tricolor Hoisted for the First Time Ever Atop Seattle's Iconic Space Needle On India's 79th Independence Day, the Indian Tricolor was hoisted for the first time ever atop Seattle's iconic Space Needle, a proud moment for the Indian diaspora in… — India In Seattle (@IndiainSeattle) August 16, 2025 A community reception was separately hosted by the Consulate at the scenic Kerry Park, which offered sweeping views of the Seattle skyline, with India's flag atop the Space Needle in the backdrop. Large numbers of Indian American community members turned up to witness the historic sight, the Consulate noted in the statement. Several US dignitaries also graced the Kerry Park reception, including U.S. Congressman (WA-9th district) Adam Smith, Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court Debra L. Stephens, Seattle Port Commissioner Sam Cho, and Superintendent/Director of Seattle Parks & Recreation AP Diaz. Addressing the gathering, US Rep. Adam Smith welcomed the historic celebration, noting that the Indian Tricolour hoisted atop the Space Needle is a tribute to the region's diversity and the strong bonds between India and the Pacific Northwest, the release said. The celebrations included a vibrant cultural segment featuring national anthems, a cultural dance performance showcasing the rich diversity of Indian art forms, and a poetic recital by renowned artist and actor Piyush Mishra, according to the Consulate. (3/4) — India In Seattle (@IndiainSeattle) August 16, 2025 In a special gesture to honour India's 79th Independence Day in the Greater Seattle area, King County, along with Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Bellevue, issued official proclamations marking August 15 as India Day, the statement added. Separately, several iconic buildings in Seattle were also lit up in Indian tricolours. These included Lumen Stadium, T-Mobile Stadium, Westin, Seattle Great Wheel, and the Space Needle. The Indian flag was also hoisted at the Tacoma Dome, Tacoma City Hall, and at the headquarters of Tacoma Police and Fire Departments. It may be noted that India opened its 6th Consulate in Seattle in November 2023 and has since actively deepened its engagements with the US Pacific Northwest, the Consulate highlighted.
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Russian foreign minister Lavrov sports USSR sweatshirt ahead of Trump-Putin Alaska summit
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov wore a USSR sweatshirt when he arrived in Anchorage for a summit with US President Donald Trump, referencing the Soviet era. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in a "USSR" sweatshirt before the Alaska summit (left), seated next to Vladimir Putin in a suit during the meeting with Donald Trump (right).(X-@isar_egemen/ AFP ) He arrived in Alaska before President Vladimir Putin as part of Russia's delegation. Stepping out of a black vehicle ahead of the summit, he wore a black vest over a sweatshirt that seemed to say 'CCCP,' the Russian abbreviation for USSR. Many of Russia's senior delegation in Alaska, including Lavrov, started their careers in the Soviet Union and have been accused by the Russian opposition of still holding a Soviet imperialist mindset. In areas of Ukraine under Russian control, pro-Moscow authorities have removed monuments remembering Ukrainians who suffered under Soviet rule, including memorials for Holodomor victims, the 1930s famine that killed millions, reported The Guardian. Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis joked on X about Lavrov's sweatshirt, ''Just give us half of Ukraine and we promise we will stop,' says negotiator wearing USSR sweatshirt.' Russian fashion bloggers on Telegram pointed out that the $120 sweatshirt was made by Selsovet, a Chelyabinsk brand known for 'Soviet heritage' clothing. The foreign minister said ahead of the summit that Russia 'never plans ahead,' responding to US President Trump's Thursday remark that there was a 25 per cent chance the Ukraine-Russia peace talks could fail. 'We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it,' Lavrov said in footage posted to the Russian foreign ministry's Telegram channel. The long-awaited summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin kicked off with a ceremonial welcome and a flyover by roaring jets at an Alaska military base but ended on a muted note Friday, as both leaders admitted they had not reached any agreement on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After roughly two and a half hours of discussions at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, the leaders faced the media for what was expected to be a joint news conference, but no questions were taken. 'We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to; there are just a very few that are left. We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,' said Trump.
The Print
26 minutes ago
- The Print
Like a gambler, govts squandered India's legacy through mindless socialism: Nani Palkhivala
The greatest achievement of Indian democracy is that it has survived unfractured for forty-three years. Eight hundred and forty million people — more than the combined population of Africa and South America — live together as one political entity under conditions of freedom. Never before in history, and nowhere else in the world today, has one-sixth of the human race existed as a single free nation. At the stroke of midnight on 14th August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru made his famous speech wherein he referred to India keeping her tryst with destiny and awaking to life and freedom. To review the last three and forty years in an hour is like trying to see the Himalayas at night in one flash of lightning. One thing I promise you — I shall 'nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice.' I would be dishonouring the memory of Pandit Nehru and of his mentor, Mahatma Gandhi, if I tried to be economical with the truth. First, we had 5000 years of civilization behind us — a civilization which had reached 'the summit of human thought'. The trader's instinct is innate in Indian genes. An Indian can buy from a jew and sell to a Scot, and yet make a profit! Secondly, whereas before 1858 India was never a united political entity, that year the accident of British rule welded us into one country, one nation; and when independence came, we had been in unified nationality for almost a century under one head of state. Thirdly, our Founding Fathers, after two long years of laborious and painful toil, gave us a Constitution which a former Chief Justice of India rightly described as 'sublime.' It was the longest Constitution in the world till, a few years ago, Yugoslavia had the impertinence to adopt a longer Constitution. The right to carry on any occupation, trade or business is again guaranteed right. The concept of 'socialism' did not figure anywhere in the Constitution as originally enacted. On the contrary, the Constitution provided for the Directive Principle of State Policy that the State shall endeavour to secure that 'the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good' and that 'the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment'. These words rule out State ownership – the Monolithic State – which is the hallmark of communism, euphemistically called socialism. India is the only country in the world where, in the States which are governed by the Communist party, human rights are fully respected — and that is only because the Bill of Rights is firmly entrenched in our national Constitution. We can proudly say that our Constitution gave us a flying start and equipped us adequately to meet the challenges of the future. Unfortunately, over the years we dissipated every advantage we started with, like a compulsive gambler bent upon squandering an invaluable legacy. I am afraid, India today is only a caricature of the noble democracy which Nehru strove to bring to life and freedom in 1947. Also read: Easier to throw off foreign tyranny than tyranny of elected representative: Nani Palkhivala Shells of socialism and state controls Successive governments imposed mindless socialism on the nation, which held in thrall the people's endeavour and enterprise. They respected the shells of socialism — state control and state ownership — while the kernel, the spirit of social justice, was left no chance of coming to life. We shut our eyes to the fact that socialism is to social justice what ritual is to religion and dogma is to truth. The peacock is our national bird, but we could have more appropriately chosen the ostrich! The Economist rightly remarked in January 1987 that socialism as practised in India has been a fraud. Our brand of socialism did not result in transfer of wealth from the rich to the poor but only from the honest rich to the dishonest rich. We built up State-Owned Enterprises — called the public sector in India. The sleeping sickness of socialism is now universally acknowledged, — but not officially in India. No less than 231 public sector enterprises are run by the Union Government, and 636 by the State Governments. These have been the black holes of our economy. There is a tidal wave of privatization sweeping across the world from Bangladesh to Brazil, but it has turned aside in its course and passed India by. The most persistent tendency in India has been to have too much government and too little administration; too many laws and too little justice; too many public servants and too little public service; too many controls and too little welfare. From the very first decade of the republic the steel claws of the permit-licence-quota raj were laid upon the national economy, and even today their grip continues with insignificant relaxation. Today the situation remains unchanged, – only the number of files has increased a thousandfold. Millions of manhours are wasted every day in coping with inane bureaucratic regulations and a torrential spate of amendments. Legal redress is so time-consuming enough to make infinity intelligible. A lawsuit once started in India is the nearest thing to eternal life ever seen on this earth. Close to two million cases are pending in the eighteen High Courts alone, and more than 2,10,000 cases in the Supreme Court for admission or final hearing or miscellaneous relief. History will record that the greatest mistake of the Indian Republic in the first forty years of its existence was to make far less investment in human resources — investment in education, family planning, nutrition and public health — than in brick and mortar, plants and factories. We had quantitative growth without qualitative development. Different parts of India still live in different centuries so far as basic amenities and cultural awareness are concerned. Also read: Private enterprise didn't fail in India. JN Tata's steel dream soared despite British ridicule Still plagued by three problems Small wonder that after forty-three years of independence, we are still plagued by three basic problems — poverty, unemployment, and foreign exchange trade deficit. India has 15 per cent of the world's population, but only 1.5 per cent of the world's income. In the four decades since we became a republic, our per capita income in real terms did not even double but increased by only 91 per cent. Today we are still the twenty-first poorest nation on earth. Perceptive observers in foreign countries where Indians work and prosper are baffled by one question — how does India, with its great human potential and natural resources, manage to remain poor? The answer is that we are not poor by nature but poor by policy. You would not be far wrong if you called India the world's leading expert in the art of perpetuating poverty. Most of our politicians and bureaucrats, untainted by knowledge of development in the outside world, have no desire to search for genes of ideas which deserve to be called 'a high-yielding variety of economics.' We are smugly reconciled to low yield from high ideals. India is rattling — and rattling violently — with spare human capacity. More than 30 million are registered on our 840 Employment Exchanges. According to objective estimates, there must be at least 20 million other unemployed who are not registered. In 1950, India ranked sixteenth in the list of exporting countries of the world; today it ranks forty-third. Using another yardstick, in 1950 India had 2.2 per cent of the world export market; today its share stands reduced to 0.45 per cent. Also read: Free education is mere jugglery of words. A hangover of anti-rational pre-Partition days Hope for the future There is no instant solution for our multitudinous problems and the short-term prospect may only be of shadows lengthening across the path, an objective overview would justify confidence in the long-term future of the country. In the affairs of nations, as in the world of elements, winds shift, tides ebb and flow, the ship rocks. Only let the anchor hold. The vitality of India is remarkable. The country does not have a powerful economy, but has all the raw materials to build one. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Indian economy is a sleeping giant who, if awakened, could make an impact on the global economy. A nation's worth is not measured merely by its gross national product, any more than an individual's worth is measured by his bank account. Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith remarked that while he had seen poverty in many countries of the world, he found one unusual attribute among the poor of India — 'There is richness in their poverty.' It is true that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. But it is true, in an even deeper sense, that eternal responsibility is also part of the price of liberty. Excessive authority, without liberty, is intolerable; but excessive liberty, without authority and without responsibility, soon becomes equally intolerable. De Tocqueville made the profound observation that liberty cannot stand alone but must be paired with a companion virtue: liberty and morality; liberty and law; liberty and justice; liberty and the common good; liberty and civic responsibility. The day will come when the 26 States of India will realize that in a profound sense they are culturally akin, ethnically identical, linguistically knit, and historically related. The greatest task before India today is to acquire a keener sense of national identity, to gain the wisdom to cherish its priceless heritage, and to create a cohesive society with the cement of Indian culture. We shall then celebrate the 15th day of August not as the Day of Independence but as the Day of Inter-dependence — the dependence of the States upon one another, the dependence of our numerous communities upon one another, the dependence of the many castes and clans upon one another — in the sure knowledge that we are one nation. This essay is part of a series from the Indian Liberals archive, a project of the Centre for Civil Society. It is an excerpt from a monograph titled 'Forty-three years of Independence' published by the Forum of Free Enterprise in 1991. The original version can be accessed here.
