China's Nuclear missile sparks global alarm, US urges Asian countries to..., missile can destroy... DF-5 can travel...
Beijing: In a major development, China has revealed significant details about one of its nuclear weapons for the first time. China's state broadcaster CCTV has released key information about one of country's main nuclear-capable missile systems, the DF-5. It is important to note that China's nuclear program has traditionally been highly secretive, especially regarding specific missile capabilities and deployments.
However, many experts are wondering why details about the DF-5—an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)—have been made public. The timing of this revelation is also notable, as it comes just days after the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's largest defense and security forum. At the forum, the United States sent a clear message that amid China's aggressive stance, the Indo-Pacific remains a top priority for the Trump administration. America Issues Stern Warning To China
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked all its Asian allies to strengthen their defenses in response to China's military buildup near Taiwan. While making his first speech at Shangri-La, Hegseth mentioned China more than 20 times and issued a direct warning to Beijing. Hegseth said, 'Any attempt by Communist China to forcibly take over Taiwan will have devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world. There is no reason to hide this.' China Was Taken by Surprise
Emphasizing on China's growing influence in the West, Hegseth said, 'We are also strengthening security in the Western Hemisphere and taking back the Panama Canal from malign Chinese influence. After all, it is a critical piece of geography. China did not build that canal. We did. And we will not allow China to weaponize or control it.'
The tone of Hegseth's speech took many by surprise — certainly, China was stunned. He added, 'If deterrence fails, and if called upon by my Commander-in-Chief, we are ready to do what the Department of Defense does best — fight and win — decisively.' DF-5 Strength and its features:
Officials often resort to vague language and steer clear of specific details when discussing weapons. However, this time, China broke from that pattern, revealing that its two-stage missile—described as the country's 'first-generation strategic ICBM'—is capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead with an explosive yield ranging between 3 and 4 megatons of TNT.
It added that the missile had a maximum range of 12,000km (7,460 miles) – enough to strike the continental United States and western Europe – and was accurate to within 500 metres (1,600 feet), a critical factor according to modern military doctrines.
It added that the missile was '32.6 metres in length with a diameter of 3.35 metres and a launch weight of 183 tonnes'.
The missile's warhead yield – up to 4 megatons – is roughly 200 times greater than the atomic bombs dropped by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.
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Business Standard
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- Business Standard
China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian, Iranian oil
US and Chinese officials may be able to settle many of their differences to reach a trade deal and avert punishing tariffs, but they remain far apart on one issue: the US demand that China stop purchasing oil from Iran and Russia. "China will always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests," China's Foreign Ministry posted on X on Wednesday, following two days of trade negotiations in Stockholm, responding to the US threat of a 100 per cent tariff. "Coercion and pressuring will not achieve anything. China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests," the ministry said. The response is notable at a time when both Beijing and Washington are signalling optimism and goodwill about reaching a deal to keep commercial ties between the world's two largest economies stable -- after climbing down from sky-high tariffs and harsh trade restrictions. It underscores China's confidence in playing hardball when dealing with the Trump administration, especially when trade is linked to its energy and foreign policies. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, emerging from the talks, told reporters that when it comes to Russian oil purchases, the "Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously". "We do not want to impede on their sovereignty, so they would like to pay a 100 per cent tariff," Bessent said. On Thursday, he called the Chinese tough negotiators, but said China's pushback has not stalled the negotiations. "I believe that we have the makings of a deal," Bessent told CNBC. Gabriel Wildau, managing director of the consultancy Teneo, said he doubts President Donald Trump would actually deploy the 100 per cent tariff. "Realising those threats would derail all the recent progress and probably kill any chance" for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to announce a trade deal if they should meet this fall, Wildau said. In seeking to restrict oil sales by Russia and Iran, a major source of revenue for both countries, the US wants to reduce the funding available for their militaries, as Moscow pursues its war against Ukraine and Tehran funds militant groups across the Middle East. China plays hardball When Trump unveiled a sweeping plan for tariffs on dozens of countries in April, China was the only country that retaliated. It refused to give in to US pressure. "If the US is bent on imposing tariffs, China will fight to the end, and this is China's consistent official stance," said Tu Xinquan, director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. WTO is the acronym for the World Trade Organization. Negotiating tactics aside, China may also suspect that the US will not follow through on its threat, questioning the importance Trump places on countering Russia, Tu said. Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Beijing is unlikely to change its posture when it sees inconsistencies in US foreign policy goals toward Russia and Iran, whereas Beijing's policy support for Moscow is consistent and clear. It is also possible that Beijing may want to use it as another negotiating tool to extract more concessions from Trump, Kennedy said. Danny Russel, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Beijing now sees itself as "the one holding the cards in its struggle with Washington". He said Trump has made it clear he wants a "headline-grabbing deal" with Xi, "so rejecting a US demand to stop buying oil from Iran or Russia is probably not seen as a deal-breaker, even if it generates friction and a delay". Continuing to buy oil from Russia preserves Xi's "strategic solidarity" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and significantly reduces the economic costs for China, Russel said. "Beijing simply cannot afford to walk away from the oil from Russia and Iran," he said. "It is too important a strategic energy supply, and Beijing is buying it at fire-sale prices." China depends on oil from Russia and Iran A 2024 report by the US Energy Information Administration estimates that roughly 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the oil exported by Iran went to China. The Chinese economy benefits from the more than one million (10 lakh) barrels of Iranian oil it imports per day. After the Iranian parliament floated a plan to shut down the Strait of Hormuz in June following US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, China spoke out against closing the critical oil transit route. China also is an important customer for Russia, but is second to India in buying Russian seaborne crude oil exports. In April, Chinese imports of Russian oil rose 20 per cent over the previous month to more than 1.3 million (13 lakh) barrels per day, according to the KSE Institute, an analytical centre at the Kyiv School of Economics. This past week, Trump said the US will impose a 25 per cent tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. India's Foreign Ministry said on Friday its relationship with Russia was "steady and time-tested". Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and a top policy adviser, said Trump has been clear that it is "not acceptable" for India to continue financing the Ukraine war by purchasing oil from Russia. "People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil," Miller said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures". He said the US needs "to get real about dealing with the financing of this war". (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Economic Times
9 minutes ago
- Economic Times
China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian and Iranian oil
AP China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian and Iranian oil U.S. and Chinese officials may be able to settle many of their differences to reach a trade deal and avert punishing tariffs, but they remain far apart on one issue: the U.S. demand that China stop purchasing oil from Iran and Russia. "China will always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests," China's Foreign Ministry posted on X on Wednesday following two days of trade negotiations in Stockholm, responding to the U.S. threat of a 100% tariff. "Coercion and pressuring will not achieve anything. China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests," the ministry said. The response is notable at a time when both Beijing and Washington are signaling optimism and goodwill about reaching a deal to keep commercial ties between the world's two largest economies stable - after climbing down from sky-high tariffs and harsh trade restrictions. It underscores China's confidence in playing hardball when dealing with the Trump administration, especially when trade is linked to its energy and foreign policies. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, emerging from the talks, told reporters that when it comes to Russian oil purchases, the "Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously." "We don't want to impede on their sovereignty, so they would like to pay a 100% tariff," Bessent said. On Thursday, he called the Chinese "tough" negotiators, but said China's pushback hasn't stalled the negotiations. "I believe that we have the makings of a deal," Bessent told CNBC. Gabriel Wildau, managing director of the consultancy Teneo, said he doubts President Donald Trump would actually deploy the 100% tariff. "Realizing those threats would derail all the recent progress and probably kill any chance" for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to announce a trade deal if they should meet this fall, Wildau said. In seeking to restrict oil sales by Russia and Iran, a major source of revenue for both countries, the U.S. wants to reduce the funding available for their militaries, as Moscow pursues its war against Ukraine and Tehran funds militant groups across the Middle East. China plays hardball When Trump unveiled a sweeping plan for tariffs on dozens of countries in April, China was the only country that retaliated. It refused to give in to U.S. pressure. "If the U.S. is bent on imposing tariffs, China will fight to the end, and this is China's consistent official stance," said Tu Xinquan, director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. WTO is the acronym for the World Trade Organization. Negotiating tactics aside, China may also suspect that the U.S. won't follow through on its threat, questioning the importance Trump places on countering Russia, Tu said. Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Beijing is unlikely to change its posture when it sees inconsistencies in U.S. foreign policy goals toward Russia and Iran, whereas Beijing's policy support for Moscow is consistent and clear. It's also possible that Beijing may want to use it as another negotiating tool to extract more concessions from Trump, Kennedy said. Danny Russel, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Beijing now sees itself as "the one holding the cards in its struggle with Washington." He said Trump has made it clear he wants a "headline-grabbing deal" with Xi, "so rejecting a U.S. demand to stop buying oil from Iran or Russia is probably not seen as a deal‑breaker, even if it generates friction and a delay." Continuing to buy oil from Russia preserves Xi's "strategic solidarity" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and significantly reduces the economic costs for China, Russel said. "Beijing simply can't afford to walk away from the oil from Russia and Iran," he said. "It's too important a strategic energy supply, and Beijing is buying it at fire‑sale prices." China depends on oil from Russia and Iran A 2024 report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that roughly 80% to 90% of the oil exported by Iran went to China. The Chinese economy benefits from the more than 1 million barrels of Iranian oil it imports per day. After the Iranian parliament floated a plan to shut down the Strait of Hormuz in June following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, China spoke out against closing the critical oil transit route. China also is an important customer for Russia, but is second to India in buying Russian seaborne crude oil exports. In April, Chinese imports of Russian oil rose 20% over the previous month to more than 1.3 million barrels per day, according to the KSE Institute, an analytical center at the Kyiv School of Economics. This past week, Trump said the U.S. will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. India's Foreign Ministry said Friday its relationship with Russia was "steady and time-tested." Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and a top policy adviser, said Trump has been clear that it is "not acceptable" for India to continue financing the Ukraine war by purchasing oil from Russia. "People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil," Miller said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures." He said the U.S. needs "to get real about dealing with the financing of this war." Congress demands action Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, is pushing for sanctions and tariffs on Russia and its financial backers. In April, he introduced a bill that would authorize the president to impose tariffs as high as 500% not only on Russia but on any country that "knowingly" buys oil, uranium, natural gas, petroleum products or petrochemical products from Russia. "The purpose of this legislation is to break the cycle of China - a communist dictatorship - buying oil below market price from Putin's Russia, which empowers his war machine to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians," Graham said in a June statement. The bill has 84 co-sponsors in the 100-seat Senate. A corresponding House version has been introduced, also with bipartisan support. Republicans say they stand ready to move on the sanctions legislation if Trump asks them to do so, but the bill is on hold for now.
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First Post
9 minutes ago
- First Post
With H-1B curbs, more Indians turn to US investment visa route with record applicants this year
Faced with tighter rules on student and H-1B visas under the Trump administration, more Indian nationals are now opting for US investment visas as a safer and faster route to permanent residency, says report. Interest in the EB-5 visa programme has surged in recent months. read more With H-1B curbs, more Indians turn to US investment visa route with record applicants this year. Image for Representation. With tougher restrictions on student and H-1B visas under the Trump administration, a growing number of Indian nationals are now turning to US investment visas as a more reliable path to permanent residency, The Indian Express reported. One such option is the existing EB-5 visa programme, which offers a green card to individuals who invest at least $800,000 in job-creating projects in the US. This programme is set to be replaced by a new $5 million residency visa known as the 'Gold Card', announced by President Donald Trump in February. Though the Gold Card programme is yet to launch formally, interest has already surged. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to the American Immigrant Investor Alliance (AIIA), Indian interest in the EB-5 visa has significantly increased since April 2024. Data from the United States Immigration Fund (USIF), which operates EB-5 regional centres, supports this trend. 'In the first four months of FY2025 (October 2024 to January 2025), Indian applicants filed more than 1,200 I-526E petitions across reserved categories — more than any prior full year,' said Nicholas Mastroianni III, president and CMO of USIF. Immigration experts say a key reason for this shift is the backlog in traditional visa categories. With over 11 million immigration applications currently pending, many see EB-5 as the fastest and most assured route to a green card. Data from Invest in the USA (IIUSA), the national association representing the EB-5 industry, shows that 1,428 EB-5 visas were issued to Indians in FY2024, up from 815 the previous year. Until 2017, annual issuances rarely crossed 200. The EB-5 programme, introduced by the US Congress in 1992, offers a path to permanent residency for investors, their spouses, and children under 21, in exchange for creating jobs in the US economy. In 2022, reforms were introduced to add flexibility and improve scrutiny over funding sources, which experts say boosted confidence among wealthy Indian applicants. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Between October 2024 and March 2025 alone, 649 Indians were granted EB-5 visas through consular processing, a sign that a wave of applications from the previous fiscal year has now matured. The route is also becoming more popular among those already in the US on student or work visas. 'Students and individuals on H-1B visas currently represent the primary group seeking lawful means to remain in the US with the ability to work,' said Sukanya Raman, country head of immigration law firm Davies & Associates, LLC. She added that Indian nationals already in the US who apply through EB-5 now receive automatic work and travel permits within 3–6 months of filing their I-526E petition, benefits that remain valid until their green card is approved.
