&w=3840&q=100)
‘Positive move': China hails India's decision to resume issuing visas for Chinese nationals
People look at a portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing on February 23, 2025. Representative image/AFP
China has welcomed India's move to start issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens again from July 24.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday (July 23) called the development 'positive', noting that it would make cross-border travel easier.
'We take note of India's resumption of tourist visas for Chinese citizens. This is a positive move. Easing cross-border travel is widely beneficial. China will maintain communication and consultation with India to further facilitate travel between the two countries,' the MFA posted on X.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Earlier this year, reports surfaced that India and China had agreed in principle to restart direct flights, resume visa issuance, and revive the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for pilgrims, marking a step toward mending ties strained since the 2020 border clashes.
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri recently spent two days in Beijing, a sign of renewed diplomatic efforts between Asia's two biggest economies.
'As agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at their meeting in Kazan in October, Foreign Secretary and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister HE Mr Sun Weidong reviewed the state of India-China bilateral relations comprehensively and agreed to take certain people-centric steps to stabilise and rebuild ties,' the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a release.
'The two sides decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025,' it added.
The release also noted, 'They also agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss the resumption of the provision of hydrological data and other cooperation pertaining to trans-border rivers.'
Jaishankar's visit to China
This month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) event.
In talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Jaishankar stressed a long-term approach to resolving issues.
'Incumbent on us to address aspects related to the border, normalising people-to-people exchanges and avoiding restrictive trade measures and roadblocks,' he posted on X afterwards.
'Confident that on the foundation of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, ties can develop along a positive trajectory,' he added.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
India-China tensions
Tensions flared after a military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020, escalating with a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley that June. Over the past nine months, India and China have worked to normalise relations, culminating in the end of the military face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in October last year.
However, while troops have disengaged from key friction points, full de-escalation remains pending, with each side still stationing 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
Last year's meeting between Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan set a hopeful tone for improving and developing China-India relations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Gaza receives emergency food drops from Jordan, UAE, and Israel as UN warns of mass starvation
Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday as Israel launched a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to address a worsening hunger crisis. The UN has warned of famine-like conditions affecting hundreds of thousands. read more Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday, as Israel began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The Israeli military said it had also begun airdropping food into the Palestinian territory – making one drop of seven palettes – while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he characterised as UN 'lies' that his government was to blame for the dire humanitarian situation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The army also dismissed allegations that it had been using starvation as a weapon, saying it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip'. UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the tactical pauses, saying he was in 'contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window'. But the UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 people were 'enduring famine-like conditions' that were already leading to deaths. The Israeli decision came as international pressure mounted on Netanyahu's government to head off the risk of mass starvation in the territory. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the chorus of concern on Sunday, urging Netanyahu 'to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now.' Accusing the UN of fabricating 'pretexts and lies about Israel' blocking aid, Netanyahu said in remarks at an airbase that 'there are secure routes' for aid. 'There have always been, but today it's official. There will be no more excuses,' he added. Since Israel imposed a total blockade on aid entering Gaza on March 2, the situation inside the territory has deteriorated sharply. More than 100 NGOs warned this week of 'mass starvation'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Though aid has trickled back in since late May, the UN and humanitarian agencies say Israeli restrictions remain excessive and road access inside Gaza is tightly controlled. 'Life's wish' The Jordanian military said its planes, working with the United Arab Emirates, had delivered 25 tonnes of aid in three parachute drops over Gaza on Sunday. Truckloads of flour were also seen arriving in northern Gaza through the Zikim area crossing from Israel, according to AFP journalists. The charity Oxfam's regional policy chief Bushra Khalidi called Israel's latest moves a 'welcome first step' but warned they could prove insufficient. 'Starvation won't be solved by a few trucks or airdrops,' she said. 'What's needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open, and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza. 'We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege.' In general, humanitarian officials are deeply sceptical airdrops can deliver enough food safely to tackle the hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa district, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said her 'life's wish' was to simply feed her children. She spoke of her husband returning empty-handed from aid points daily. Chaotic scenes broke out at the site where Israel conducted its first food drop, witnesses told AFP. Samih Humeid, a 23-year-old from the Al-Karama neighbourhood of Gaza City, said dozens of people had gathered to rush towards the palettes of supplies parachuted onto the area. 'It felt like a war, everyone trying to grab whatever they could. Hunger is merciless. The quantities were extremely limited, not enough even for a few people, because hunger is everywhere. I only managed to get three cans of fava beans,' he said. In a social media post, the Israeli military announced it had 'carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip'. AFP journalists saw Egyptian trucks crossing from Rafah, with cargo routed through Israel's Kerem Shalom checkpoint for inspection before entering Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Israeli army's daily pause from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm will be limited to areas where its troops are not currently operating – Al-Mawasi in the south, central Deir el-Balah and Gaza City in the north. Israel said 'designated secure routes' would also open across Gaza for aid convoys carrying food and medicine. The military said the measures should disprove 'the false claim of deliberate starvation'. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing 'reasonable grounds' to suspect war crimes including starvation – charges Israel vehemently denies. Activists intercepted On Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency, Israeli army fire killed 27 Palestinians, 12 of them near aid distribution areas. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties. Separately, the Israeli navy brought an activist boat, the Handala operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, into the part of Ashdod, after intercepting and boarding it late Saturday to prevent it attempting to breach a maritime blockade of Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had met with 19 of the 21 detained activists and journalists from 10 countries. The other two detainees, dual US-Israeli nationals, had been transferred to Israeli police custody, the group said. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
US tariff deadline of August 1 is firm, no extensions: Commerce secretary
The United States will implement tariffs on August 1. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed no extensions will be granted. Customs will collect the money from the mentioned date. This decision sends a message to trading partners. They must meet commitments to strike trade deals with the Trump administration. Earlier, President Trump had mentioned the deadline could be extended or not. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Rising tariff floor: Trump sets 15% as the starting point Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The United States will not offer any extensions to its August 1 tariff deadline , Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed on Sunday, according to AFP. This rules out any possibility of a second extension from the initial July 9 deadline set by President Trump.'So no extensions, no more grace periods. August 1, the tariffs are set. They'll go into place. Customs will start collecting the money, and off we go,' Lutnick told Fox News announcement sends a firm and final message to US trading partners: the deadline is real, and time-bound commitments must now be met. This is particularly relevant for countries, including India, still hoping to strike trade agreements with the Trump administration ahead of the so-called "reciprocal tariff" Donald Trump had earlier left the door open to a possible delay, saying the deadline 'could or could not' be extended. But Lutnick's remarks eliminate that uncertainty, cementing August 1 as the date when the new tariff regime will officially come into days before the deadline, the two-time Republican President indicated that the baseline tariff rate would be no lower than 15%, up from the 10% figure initially floated in at an AI summit in Washington on July 24, he said, 'We'll have a straight, simple tariff of anywhere between 15% and 50%. We have 50 because we haven't been getting along with those countries too well.'Earlier this month, Trump said that letters were being sent to more than 150 countries, informing them of the tariff hike. 'Probably 10 or 15%, we haven't decided yet,' he said at the time. But with the president now confirming a 15% floor and a possible ceiling of 50%, the scope of these levies appears to be Secretary Lutnick added further clarity during a separate interview with CBS News, stating that smaller nations—particularly in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa—would face a baseline tariff of 10%, slightly lower than the new floor, but still significant compared to pre-April norms.
United News of India
an hour ago
- United News of India
Samsung in talks with OpenAI and Perplexity AI for powering its upcoming Galaxy S26 series
Business Economy New Delhi, July 26 (UNI) Samsung Electronics is currently involved in strategic talks with OpenAI and Perplexity AI to integrate advanced services in its upcoming Galaxy S26 series. This move is intended to expand the service horizon beyond 'Google Gemini' and provide a great experience to mobile users. Reportedly, now Samsung could replace Gemini as the default AI assistant on the model lineups of the Galaxy S26 series. Analysts also take this move as the intention to compete with rival Motorola, which has recently announced a bunch of features to the 'Moto AI suite' after partnering with Microsoft, Perplexity, and Google. Choi Won-Joon (President, Mobile eXperience (MX) Development Division) stressed the company's commitment to the customers by giving them a great user interface with multiple options under its upcoming flagship smartphones. Choi pointed towards collaboration and termed it as 'open to any agent out there.' 'We are in talks with multiple vendors. As long as these AI agents are competitive and offer better user experiences, we are open to any out there.' Choi added. UNI SAS RN More News Samsung in talks with OpenAI and Perplexity AI for powering its upcoming Galaxy S26 series 26 Jul 2025 | 10:56 PM New Delhi, July 26 (UNI) Samsung Electronics is currently involved in strategic talks with OpenAI and Perplexity AI to integrate advanced services in its upcoming Galaxy S26 series. This move is intended to expand the service horizon beyond 'Google Gemini' and provide a great experience to mobile users. see more.. Big win for UP's urban poor: PMAY gets Rs 12,031 Cr boost 26 Jul 2025 | 9:42 PM Lucknow, July 26 (UNI) In a major push towards 'Housing for All', the double engine government has secured financial approval of Rs 12,031 crore under PMAY (Urban) Mission 2.0, officials here on Saturday said. see more.. Odisha logs rise in maritime trade, logistics capabilities 26 Jul 2025 | 9:11 PM Bhubaneswar, July 26 (UNI) Odisha's maritime trade and logistics capabilities have strengthened substantially, both domestically and globally, officials claimed on Saturday. see more.. India challenges Chinese hegemony in smartphone market 26 Jul 2025 | 7:31 PM New Delhi, July 26 (UNI) The data reported by the US International Trade Commission (USITC) shows that US imports of smartphones from India surged massively in the first five months of the current year. On the other hand, the Chinese proportion in US smartphone imports fell from 82 percent to 49 percent between the same months. see more..
