Taiwan detects 11 Chinese aircraft, 6 naval vessels around its territory
Taiwan reported increased Chinese military activity around its territory, including aircraft and naval vessels crossing the median line. Former US Indo-Pacific Command Chief Admiral Harry Harris urged the United States to abandon strategic ambiguity and explicitly commit to defending Taiwan against China's aggressive intentions. Harris emphasized China's clear aim to seize Taiwan, necessitating a firm US stance.
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Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Anatomy of the budding India-China bonhomie
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's just concluded visit to India and the agreement between the two sides on the India-China boundary question is an encouraging sign in mending the relationship between the two countries, which has been struggling to normalise since the border standoff in 2020. Wang Yi's visit to Delhi and the agreement outlining several measures to manage the contested border ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned trip to China for the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit also reflect broader changes occurring in geopolitics. The India-China dynamics must also be read in conjunction with the engagement of the two countries with Russia. The three-way conversations involving Russia, India, and China are noteworthy as it is reflective of the broader regional geopolitical realignments in response to US policies towards them. In an ideal world, New Delhi would prefer to see Chinese power balanced by the US and/or Russia. (AFP) External affairs minister S Jaishankar is now in Russia. For both India and China (as also for Russia), the three-way conversations present an excellent opportunity to signal to Washington that there are possibilities of alternative global blocs and realignments outside of Washington's orbit and influence. What is perhaps more important and consequential are the underlying causes behind the current bonhomie between India and China. Beyond the optics, it is also evident that both India and China are eager to achieve a degree of normalcy in their relationship. The statement from the ministry of external affairs on the outcomes of Wang's India visit testifies to that. It is, therefore, possible to argue that there is a convergence between New Delhi and Beijing on the need to normalise bilateral relations. However, their respective definitions of normalcy are different. For China, normalcy means moving on from the current border impasse with India and focussing on the global balance of power. As Wang said, 'We (India and China) should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question or specific differences to affect the overall picture of our bilateral ties.' Without normalcy with India, China knows that it will not be in a position to leverage Indian unhappiness with US President Donald Trump for its own larger geopolitical purposes. In other words, China seeks to exploit the current opportunity to challenge the US's global supremacy, and for that purpose, normalcy with India would be helpful. But the question is whether Beijing is willing to engage in sustained give-and-take negotiations with New Delhi to settle the border issue. For New Delhi, normalcy with China is centred on disengagement at the border so that it can focus on the larger geopolitical questions of India-China relations, India-China-Russia dynamics, and so on. For India, normalcy on the border and status quo ante bellum as of 2020 is key. China's global objectives behind the current warmth towards India should not be missed. Wang stated recently that 'as important members of the Global South, we have the responsibility to take the lead in opposing hegemonism and power politics'. There is little doubt that China would want to use India and Russia, and the Global South, to target the US-led world order. However, let's be clear. If Trump offers a G-2 with China, Beijing is likely to settle for it, sacrificing its secondary geopolitical equations. A similar logic extends to Russia as well. Moscow would vociferously promote the virtues of an alternative world order outside of the US orbit, but what it wants is to be recognised and treated by Washington and Europe as a great power and be accommodated within the European balance of power system, rather than being part of a China-led global order. As for India, it will continue to emphasise the importance of the Global South, multipolarity, and global alternatives, but New Delhi is not comfortable being part of a China-led, Russia-backed, non-American world order. If India is accommodated into a US-led world order as an important stakeholder, New Delhi is likely to accept that. In an ideal world, New Delhi would prefer to see Chinese power balanced by the US and/or Russia. However, since these options are not currently available, it is inclined to settle for underbalancing China, given its lack of capacity to balance Beijing on its own. In that sense, the three countries – India, China, and Russia – are hedging against geopolitical uncertainties and opting for their respective second-best options. This essential geopolitical dynamic should not be lost on our policymakers. In the meantime, and notwithstanding the deep mistrust between the two countries, India needs to engage with China for two key reasons. For India, conflict management with China is a key issue, as the fundamental contradictions in the relationship are unlikely to disappear soon. Therefore, it is essential to establish and strengthen confidence-building measures (CBMs) to manage Sino-Indian tensions. In that sense, the recent agreements are in the right direction. A no less important reason for India to engage with China on a sustained basis is that managing the relationship with Beijing — its rise as a global power and ambitions for superpower status, aggressive pursuit of its territorial ambitions, and attempts at unipolarity in Asia — is going to be India's most crucial task for the next several decades. From that perspective alone, New Delhi will need to engage productively with Beijing. Happymon Jacob is the founder and director of the Council for Strategic and Defense Research and the editor of INDIA'S WORLD magazine. The views expressed are personal
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
India, China reach common understanding on management of border: Foreign ministry
India and China have reached a new understanding on the management and control of the frontier during Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to New Delhi, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Wang visited New Delhi on August 18 and 19 during which he held extensive talks with NSA Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Summing up the outcome of Wang's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here that the two sides also agreed on resuming dialogue mechanisms in various fields, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, upholding multilateralism, jointly dealing with global challenges and opposing unilateral bullying acts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Benefits of Trading Bitcoin CFDs IC Markets Learn More Undo "On the boundary question, the two sides reached new common understandings, agreeing to conduct normalised management and control, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, properly address areas of sensitivity, and initiate boundary negotiations in areas where conditions are met," she said. Mao said in his meetings, Wang also noted that "the current circumstances further highlight the strategic significance of China-India relations and the strategic value of bilateral cooperation" apparently referring to the US President Donald Trump's tariff threats. Live Events A press release issued by the foreign ministry here about Wang's meeting with PM Modi said Wang has conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's and Premier Li Qiang's warm greetings to him. Wang welcomed Modi's visit to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to be held in the Chinese city of Tianjin on August 31 and September 1, it said. The Chinese foreign minister said that the successful meeting between Modi and Xi in Russia last year has provided guidance for the resumption and a new start for China-India relations. Both sides have been earnestly implementing the common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, promoting bilateral relations to enter a new course of improvement and development, he told Modi. "This has not come by easily, and should be cherished," he said. Wang said that his visit to India also served to prepare for high-level exchanges between the two countries. Through comprehensive and in-depth communication, in terms of bilateral relations, the two sides have agreed on restarting dialogue mechanisms across various fields, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, upholding multilateralism, jointly addressing global challenges, and opposing unilateralism and bullying acts, the press release quoted him as saying. Wang emphasised that the China-India relations have experienced ups and downs, and the lessons learned are worth remembering, it said. Regardless of the circumstances, both sides should adhere to the correct positioning of being partners, not rivals, and prudently manage differences to ensure that boundary disputes do not affect the overall relationship between the two countries, Wang said. "In the current international situation, the strategic significance of China-India relations is increasingly prominent, and the strategic value of China-India cooperation is even more notable," he said. Both sides will earnestly implement the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen exchanges and cooperation across various fields, and promote the steady and long-term development of China-India relations, the release said. Both sides will bring greater benefits to the people of both countries, and make due contributions to the cause of human progress as two major civilisations, the press release quoted Wang as saying.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Xi in Tibet: China's president makes rare visit to Lhasa; urges political stability, religious harmony
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on Wednesday and made his rare and second visit as China's leader, marking the 60th anniversary of Tibet's establishment as an autonomous region. During his visit, Xi emphasised the importance of stability, stating, "To govern, stabilise and develop Tibet, the first thing is to maintain political stability, social stability, ethnic unity and religious harmony," according to Reuters citing state media reports. Xi last visited Tibet in July 2021, where he encouraged residents to "follow the party." This visit was widely interpreted by external observers as a demonstration of the Communist Party's assurance in maintaining order in a region with a longstanding history of resistance against Chinese rule. Established in 1965 by the ruling Communist Party, the Tibet Autonomous Region was intended to grant local ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans, greater influence over policy matters and religious freedoms. However, international human rights organisations and exiles frequently describe China's governance in Tibet as "oppressive," a claim that Beijing denies. Prior to Xi, the last Chinese leader to visit Tibet was Jiang Zemin in 1990. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Tibet holds significant strategic value for China due to its border with India and its abundance of natural resources, including substantial hydropower potential. The region has experienced border clashes between Chinese and Indian troops over the years. Recent years have seen the large-scale migration of majority Han Chinese to the high-altitude region, the virtual closure of Tibet to journalists and foreigners, the removal of Tibetan children from their families to boarding schools where they are taught in Mandarin, and the repression of all forms of political or cultural expression outside Communist Party control. Xi's visit to Tibet and Wang's trip to India- mere coincidence or planned Xi's visit coincided with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's rare trip to India, where both sides vowed to mend ties strained since the deadly 2020 border clash. At the same time, Beijing's new hydropower project in Tibet has stirred concern in India over downstream water security. Xi called the project vital for China's carbon goals and to protect Asia's 'water tower.' China also reasserted its claim to decide the succession of the Dalai Lama , now 90 and living in exile in India since fleeing in 1959. The move sparked protests by exiled Tibetans during Wang's visit. Critics accuse Beijing of intensifying repression in Tibet since the 2008 protests, while China touts poverty reduction and infrastructure gains. Although Beijing insists Tibet has long been part of its territory, many Tibetans maintain they enjoyed de facto independence under their Buddhist theocracy.
