Chinese diplomat reappears at Indian embassy event in Beijing
Sun Haiyan, a former ambassador to Singapore who now serves as vice minister of the Communist Party's International Department, attended a reception hosted by the Indian embassy in Beijing on Friday. She met with India's ambassador at the event, which was held to mark India's Independence Day, according to a statement published by the International Department. The statement came hours after Reuters reported that Sun had been detained for questioning.
Reuters had earlier said Sun was held this month, and at the reception she was asked about the matter. The news service reported that she did not comment directly on whether she had been detained or questioned, and quoted her as describing the Reuters report as 'irresponsible.'
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In
IC Markets
Learn More
Undo
Sun works under
Liu Jianchao
, head of the Communist Party's International Department, who has long been seen as a likely successor to
Wang Yi
as China's top diplomat. Wang returned to the post of foreign minister in July 2023, after Qin Gang was suddenly removed from the position less than a year into his tenure.
Citing three people familiar with the developments, Reuters reported that Sun was detained around the same time Liu was taken in for questioning. The report added that the reasons for their detentions were unclear.
Live Events
The Communist Party's International Department, led by Liu, is responsible for building links with foreign political parties.
According to Reuters, the disappearance of Sun, a vice minister in the department, alongside the high-profile Liu, has raised further questions over China's foreign policy establishment. This comes at a time of heightened tensions with Washington over trade issues and geopolitical influence.
At the
Independence Day reception
in Beijing, Sun offered congratulations to India and remarked that relations between the two countries were maintaining 'a momentum of improvement and development.'
The International Department in teh statement said, China is ready to work with India to put into practice the key understandings reached between the leaders of the two nations, build greater political trust, expand exchanges and cooperation, and push for steady growth in their relations. The Communist Party of China also said it is open to holding talks with all Indian political parties and aims to play an active role in improving and advancing ties between the two countries.
The two Asian neighbours have witnessed signs of a thaw in ties. Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
is scheduled to visit China in August, which would mark his first trip there in seven years.
The two countries began a gradual process of restoring relations late last year, following the deadly border clash in 2020 that had brought ties to their lowest point in decades.
Meanwhile, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is due in New Delhi on Monday, according to Beijing's Foreign Ministry, which confirmed his trip on Saturday as reported by Reuters. The visit comes as both sides seek to keep tensions under control while looking for opportunities for cooperation.
Earlier this week, the Economic Times reported that India and China are expected to open discussions soon on a potential trade package covering rare earth magnets, fertilisers and pharmaceuticals. The package would signal further thawing of relations even as India faces calls from industry to ease imports of critical inputs from China at a time of rising strain in China's relations with the United States.
(with Bloomberg inputs)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
Politics beats the market in Trump's pay-for-play chip scheme
The Trump administration's recent reversal of export restrictions on certain Nvidia and AMD's AI chips to China marks a major shift in U.S. policy and has raised legal concerns. But the deeper risks are political and economic—and warrant scrutiny. His administration decided in July to re-allow Nvidia and AMD to sell their H20 and MI308 chips to China—conditional on a 15% revenue remittance to the U.S. government. Export controls on AI chips were initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2022 to curb China's access to advanced processors critical for artificial intelligence and supercomputing, citing national security concerns. But Nvidia's H20 chip was specifically designed for the Chinese market. Even though it is reportedly incapable of training large AI models, the H20 chip is effective for inference tasks—allowing AI systems to respond to queries based on pre-trained data. Chinese engineers have leveraged the H20 chips for applications using open-source models such as DeepSeek and Alibaba's Qwen, which are increasingly popular in China's AI ecosystem. Trump continued these controls—until recently. Critics, such as Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.) and Liza Tobin, who served as China director at the National Security Council under the first Trump and Biden administrations, have argued that the sale of these chips, even under revenue-sharing constraints, undermines the strategic intent of the original export controls. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D., Ill.) likened it to gambling with national security. The Trump administration's reversal appears motivated by revenue generation. Bernstein Research estimates that Nvidia could sell approximately 1.5 million H20 chips in China in 2025, generating $23 billion in revenue; a 15% cut would yield more than $3 billion for the U.S. government. It aligns with Trump's broader strategy of using tariffs and trade deals to bolster government income. However, this revenue-centric approach raises concerns about the erosion of principled policymaking. The arrangement resembles a 'pay-to-play" scheme, where export licenses are granted in exchange for financial contributions. Legal scholars argue that this violates the Export Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits taxes or duties on exports. Moreover, the Export Controls Reform Act of 2018—signed by Trump himself—explicitly forbids charging exporters for licenses. The deal with Nvidia and AMD may also reflect a broader diplomatic calculus. China dominates the global supply chain for rare earth materials, which are essential for military technologies like guided missiles, fighter jets, and radar systems. These materials are also used in manufacturing key components for smartphones and electric vehicles—including batteries, touch screens, and camera lenses. The U.S. is investing in domestic mining and processing of rare earth minerals, such as at the Mountain Pass mine in California, which is the only rare-earth mining and processing facility in the U.S. But it remains heavily reliant on Chinese exports. By easing chip restrictions, the Trump administration may be signaling goodwill in hopes of securing a stable supply of rare earths. This strategic compromise, however, risks emboldening China. If Beijing perceives U.S. export controls as negotiable or monetizable, it may be less inclined to make concessions in other areas of trade or security. The precedent set by this deal could weaken the credibility of future U.S. restrictions, making it harder to enforce technology bans or secure allied cooperation. And then there are the corporate interests. The role of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in shaping this policy shift cannot be overlooked. Huang reportedly argued that restricting Nvidia's access to the Chinese market would inadvertently benefit domestic Chinese competitors like Huawei. He emphasized that China's AI development is deeply intertwined with Nvidia's chips and software ecosystem, suggesting that continued engagement would allow the U.S. to retain some influence over China's technological trajectory. Nvidia also maintains a research center in Shanghai. While Huang's argument has merit, it reveals the tension between corporate interests and national security. Nvidia's dependence on the Chinese market and talent pool may compromise its ability to align with U.S. strategic interests. Investors may view all of this as a slippery slope, in which political considerations begin overriding free-market principles, potentially undermining confidence in U.S. financial markets. Ultimately, the reversal of export restrictions on Nvidia and AMD's AI chips to China reflects a transactional approach to national security—one that prioritizes revenue over resilience. About the author: Christopher Tang is a distinguished professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Guest commentaries like this one are written by authors outside the Barron's newsroom. They reflect the perspective and opinions of the authors. Submit feedback and commentary pitches to ideas@
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Modi's diplomacy: Building bridges, guarding dignity
Deepak is a well-decorated technocrat honored as Top 10 Agropreneur 2019 by Future Agro Challenge, Greece, and Technology Pioneer 2018 by World Economic Forum, Switzerland. He has also served as a member of the Expert Panel of the World Economic Forum on Digital Transformation. Deepak is an influencer in Blockchain and AgTech domains being a regular speaker, moderator, and evangelist. LESS ... MORE A recent feature in a prominent US publication suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-visibility engagements with leaders such as China's Xi Jinping and former US President Donald Trump did not yield their intended results. Yet, framing these efforts as miscalculations or failures misses the essence of Modi's foreign policy approach — an approach defined by a willingness to extend friendship first, and an equal readiness to defend national self-respect when that friendship is tested. From the outset of his first term, Modi has leaned into personal diplomacy to reset old equations. In 2015, he stunned political observers by making an unannounced trip to Lahore to meet then–Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. This was not an impulsive gesture; it was a calculated attempt to reframe a historically fraught relationship through direct engagement. Similarly, in 2014, when Xi Jinping visited India, Modi's choice to host him warmly in Gujarat — complete with a riverfront meeting and candid conversation — signalled openness to cooperation, even as Chinese troops engaged in border provocations. The underlying message was clear: disputes need not foreclose dialogue. This philosophy has been applied not only to powerful neighbours but also to smaller nations, some of which have taken adversarial public positions toward India. Modi's outreach to the Maldives and Canada during politically tense moments illustrates his belief that diplomacy is not a prize for compliance but a tool for influencing behaviour and opening new channels of cooperation. Critics sometimes portray this as over-reliance on personal rapport, vulnerable to the volatility of individual leaders. Supporters counter that it is a deliberate strategy — a test of intent. Trust is extended until proven misplaced, and when that trust is broken, consequences are enacted swiftly and decisively. The breakdown in momentum with Washington during Donald Trump's second term is a case in point. Modi had invested considerable political capital in strengthening ties, even sharing a campaign stage in Houston in 2019 in an unprecedented display of solidarity. Under President Biden, cooperation deepened across defence, technology, and the Indo-Pacific framework. But when the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods — citing Russian oil purchases — and, more provocatively, gave Pakistan 'equal footing' in mediating a bilateral dispute, Modi's pushback was immediate. 'India will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, fishermen, and dairy farmers,' he said, fully aware of the personal political cost. Such responses are sometimes read in Western capitals as signs of India's 'limits.' In New Delhi, they are seen as evidence of India's arrival as a confident, independent actor — one willing to say 'no' without fearing diplomatic isolation. Modi's diplomacy is not about abrupt ruptures or unchecked nationalism. It is about calibration — sustaining openness as long as reciprocity exists and stepping back when engagement becomes coercion. His forthcoming visit to Beijing, the first in seven years, underscores this duality. Past grievances remain, but the bridge-building instinct endures. History may well record Modi as a leader who avoided unnecessary muscle-flexing yet ensured that India never traded dignity for diplomacy — proving that, in global statecraft, a firm handshake can be as potent as a clenched fist. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
IITs Not Just Academic Hubs, But Innovation Engines For Self-Reliant India, Says Dharmendra Pradhan
New Delhi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said that India's premier institutions, particularly the IITs, will be the foundation of a self-reliant nation. Sharing his thoughts after having breakfast with students at IIT Delhi, the minister described the institutes as central to building a strong ecosystem of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the country. Pradhan wrote on social media platform X that IITs are not just centres of academic excellence but also vital contributors to India's innovation landscape. "Our IITs will be the bedrock of a self-reliant India", he posted. He stressed that with the "rock solid support" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's young generation will rewrite the rules of technology and business. "Backed by the rock solid support of PM Narendra Modi, our talented Yuva Shakti are going to rewrite the rules of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship and build a 'Samridhh and self-reliant Bharat'," the Union Minister added. The minister expressed confidence that India's talented youth will play a decisive role in shaping the nation's future. He said the government remains committed to nurturing talent and providing the right support so that the country can emerge as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Pradhan reaffirmed that IITs will continue to serve as hubs of creativity, equipping students with the mindset and skills required for a self-reliant India. "Taking forward the clarion call by Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji given during his decisive Independence Day address, interacted with students of @iitdelhi this morning to emphasise on the need for achieving self-reliance, ignite collective action for driving national priorities and fulfilling the vision of 'Samridhh Bharat' by 2047", he wrote on X. "Learnt more about their dreams and aspirations, areas of research, the technological challenges they are pursuing currently and their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities outlined by PM Modi ji. Also, shared my views on enhancing capabilities and expanding the spirit of innovation. Encouraged the students to bring forward their innovative ideas, work on the challenges and keep hustling until we achieve self-reliance in every sphere. PM Modi ji's govt. stands shoulder to shoulder with India's innovators and researchers for shaping a brighter future for our coming generations and also for establishing India as a global hub of solutions." "Confident that the talent, tenacity and resolve of our youth coupled with the pursuit of self-reliance will pave the way for strengthening Bharat's capabilities as well as enhancing her technological and economic sovereignty." Also Read: Karnataka Government's Study Abroad Program Sees Huge Response With Over 5000 Students Enrolled
