Cooperative Dragon-Elephant Dance "Right Choice": China On India Ties
The two Asian countries have been on US President Donald Trump's radar since he started weaponising tariffs. In April, the US and China had a brief trade war, with the former raising tariffs as high as 145 per cent.
However, China had capped the tariff at 125 per cent, saying, "Even if the US further raises tariffs to even higher levels, it would be economically meaningless and would ultimately become a laughingstock in the history of global economics".
Similarly, recently Trump imposed a whopping 50 per cent tariff on India, including 25 per cent as penalty for buying Russian oil and weapons. The tariffs are set to be effective from August 27th.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Beijing is ready to work with India to increase political mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation together while also cooperating on multilateral platforms such as Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and handling differences while keeping a note of the bigger picture.
Moreover, as India and China try to revamp their political ties, they are set to resume direct flights as early as next month according to a Bloomberg report. The government has asked airlines in India to be prepared for flights to China on short notice. According to the report, an official confirmation could come as soon as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit at the end of August, in China.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also expected to visit India next week to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
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Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Hamas accepts 60-day Gaza ceasefire plan, says official; Israel yet to respond: Report
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First Post
27 minutes ago
- First Post
Why a Swatch ad has been pulled from China
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First Post
27 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Peace through strength': Zelenskyy warns Putin won't negotiate without pressure ahead of Trump talks
Ahead of his 'very serious' meeting with US President Donald Trump later today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia will only come to the negotiating table 'through strength' Ahead of his 'very serious' meeting with US President Donald Trump later today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia will only come to the negotiating table 'through strength.' Zelenskyy made the remarks after meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg, highlighting the urgency of strengthening diplomatic and military coordination to push back against ongoing Russian aggression. 'When peace is discussed for one country in Europe, it means peace for all of Europe,' The Guardian quoted Zelenskyy as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We are ready to continue working with maximum effort to end the war and to ensure reliable security. These are the key issues,' he added. The Ukrainian leader also addressed the latest round of Russian missile strikes, which he said targeted civilians in their sleep. 'Last night, Russian attacks on our cities continued – among those killed were two children, and dozens of people were wounded,' he said. Emphasising the united front between Ukraine, Europe, and the US, Zelenskyy added, 'We discussed the battlefield situation and our strong diplomatic capabilities – Ukraine's and all of Europe's together with America. Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and President Trump has that strength. We have to do everything right to make peace happen.' Earlier, in a pointed message delivered ahead of their scheduled meeting in Washington on Monday, President Trump placed the responsibility on Zelenskyy to bring an end to the war with Russia. The move stood in sharp contrast to the warm reception Trump extended just days ago to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy, joined by several European leaders, is in Washington for high-stakes talks with Trump aimed at exploring potential solutions to the prolonged conflict. In a Truth Social post late Sunday night, Trump appeared to set the tone for Monday's meeting by outlining implicit conditions, hinting at a potentially tense exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote. 'Remember how it started. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!' Trump added. Zelenskyy put out his own message shortly thereafter, reiterating that 'we all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably' — and alluding to parameters of his own around territorial concessions and security guarantees. 'Peace must be lasting,' Zelenskyy wrote in a post to X. 'Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East—part of Donbas—and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was given so called 'security guarantees' in 1994, but they didn't work.' Trump reportedly said he believed Putin would agree to a deal if Ukraine handed over its easternmost Donbas region, including parts Russia doesn't control. Zelenskyy has previously warned doing so would mean Ukraine loses key defensive positions and would be more vulnerable to Russian attacks in the future. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
