China optimistic on diplomatic relations with India
Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong has expressed optimism for strong diplomatic relations between the two nations. Speaking to reporters on Sunday in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, Xu noted that the millennia of shared history between the two nations brings them beyond simple neighbourly relations.
'China and India have been civilisations for so long. We have such close cultural and historical interactions. So, why shouldn't we have good relations in the coming years,' Xu said.
Though tensions and mistrust remain, he emphasized that genuine progress necessitates more than high-level diplomacy. 'It's not only up to the governments,' he was quoted by the Times of India as saying.
Ambassador Xu's statements come against the backdrop of Beijing's recent overtures to New Delhi, to open up economic and people-to-people relations. The Asian giants have made efforts to reset ties Oover the last year, after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash along their disputed Himalayan border, in which soldiers from both sides were killed.
After extended military and diplomatic discussions, New Delhi and Beijing announced in October last year that they had reached an agreement on disengagement from areas of tension and would work towards normalizing their relations. The announcement was made on the eve of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, where Chinese President Xi Jingping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a comprehensive bilateral meeting, marking their first such engagement in almost five years.
In Kolkata on Sunday, Xu emphasized the importance of various groups, including think-tanks, universities, and students, as well as ordinary citizens from both sides, in fostering a positive relationship. He also highlighted the crucial understanding between Xi and Modi, which focuses on strengthening ties and keeping lines of communication open.
VIDEO | Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India), Chinese Ambassador to India, says, "China and India have been so long civilisations. We have so close cultural and historical interactions. So, why shouldn't we have good relations in the coming years? Of course, a lot of work needs to be… pic.twitter.com/YNKDsXsdyE
In April, Xi pointed out that China and India are both ancient civilizations, major developing countries, and key members of the Global South, with both currently at a crucial stage in their modernization efforts. As a step towards the normalization of relations, Indian pilgrims will be allowed to visit a pilgrimage sites of religious significance to Hindus, Jains and Buddhists at Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, after a gap of five years.
Beijing has also called on New Delhi to restart direct flights between mainland India and China, as well as to ease visa procedures for Chinese nationals.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
‘We will go deep into Pakistan' if provoked
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has said the root causes of New Delhi's conflict with Islamabad remain unchanged and that India is ready to strike anywhere in Pakistan if provoked by terrorist attacks. In an interview with Politico in Brussels on Monday, Jaishankar claimed that Pakistan is openly training a large number of terrorists, estimated to be in the thousands, and deploying them to carry out attacks against India. 'We are not going to live with it. So our message to them is that if you continue to do the kind of barbaric acts which they did in April, then there is going to be retribution, and that retribution will be against the terrorist organizations and the terrorist leadership,' he said. 'And we don't care where they are. If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan.' He was referring to the recent military showdown with Pakistan, in which India launched strikes on suspected terrorist facilities in Pakistan-controlled territory on May 7 in response to a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in April. The hostilities ended on May 10 when a ceasefire was announced. In the Politico interview, Jaishankar said the Indian military's air capabilities, including fighter jets and missiles, caused significantly more damage to the Pakistani Air Force than Pakistan had inflicted on India. The Indian foreign minister also spoke of New Delhi's efforts to boost its domestic manufacturing of arms and ammunition. Referring to Indian-made weapons, he said, 'some of them have been tested in the recent conflict with Pakistan' and have been 'very successful.' Jaishankar went on to say that some Indian defense companies want to work more with Europe with regard to design, though he does not see this as 'just buying more weapons from Europe.' The foreign minister also touched upon the Ukraine conflict, stating that India has never sought a role in it. 'If we can be of any help … we are open, but we are not pushing ourselves,' he said. Jaishankar added that India has been acting as a conduit between the two sides, keeping lines of communication open and occasionally relaying messages.
Russia Today
14 hours ago
- Russia Today
India tests AI-based machine gun (VIDEO)
The Indian Army has successfully tested an AI-enabled light machine gun at an altitude of 14,000 feet, military officials said on Monday. The weapon was developed by Indian defense firm BSS Material Ltd., and is based on the AI-powered Negev, a gun originally developed by Israel Weapon Industries. During trials, the gun successfully showcased its capability to autonomously identify and engage targets in complex mountainous terrain, a crucial feature for effective operations in India's rugged and challenging border regions. The weapon's core strength stems from a sophisticated multi-sensor AI module, which enables advanced capabilities such as automatic target detection, friend-foe classification, and real-time engagement, allowing for precise and effective operation, an India Today report said. The system is ideal for applications such as base defense, convoy protection, and perimeter security, particularly in situations where threat levels are consistently high and where troop deployment is challenging or impractical, according to officials cited in the report. The system's primary armament consists of a 7.62 mm medium machine gun, which is mounted on a tripod for stability. The primary weapon can be easily swapped out to accommodate different operational requirements. Additionally, the system is equipped with sensors and technologies, including an optical camera, thermal imager, GPS, magnetometer, inclinometer, and laser rangefinder, according to Indian defense officials. India's defense manufacturing is emerging as a cornerstone of New Delhi's strategic and economic ambitions, and government policies are focusing on modern weaponry which is both designed and manufactured in India, industry experts noted. The Indian military has identified over 5,000 items that must be manufactured in the country rather than rely on imports. Dehradun-based #BSSMaterial has successfully conducted High Altitude Trials of it's AI-driven Autonomous Lethal Weapons System (Negev LMG) with the #IndianArmy at 14,000ft. Called the positive indigenization list (PIL), the initiative began in 2020 and aims to offer defense items to be indigenized by Indian manufacturers, including small and medium enterprises and startups. In recent years, New Delhi has introduced a range of initiatives and policies aimed at encouraging private sector companies to engage in defense manufacturing, in an effort to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. According to defense ministry data, India aspires to achieve $34 billion in defense production by 2029.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Lavrov suggests moving UN HQ
The United Nations headquarters should be moved from New York to the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested. The UN headquarters – the seat of both the Security Council (UNSC) and the General Assembly (UNGA) – have been in midtown Manhattan since 1951, having been moved there not long after the organization's founding in 1945. 'The best thing would be to move the UN to Sochi,' Lavrov said during the 'Forum of the Future 2050' in Moscow on Monday. '[Soviet leader Joseph] Stalin, by the way, suggested this, and seriously suggested it. But then he yielded to [US President Franklin] Roosevelt – first Long Island, then New York, Manhattan,' the top diplomat said. However, he admitted such a change would be extremely hard to realize. 'All these structures have grown deep roots,' both in terms of real estate and 'in the form of personnel,' Lavrov said. 'Especially after permanent contracts were introduced, the personnel bought apartments, houses.' A sudden shift would be 'scary to even imagine,' he added. Lavrov had previously referred to Stalin's suggestion in the wake of a diplomatic scandal in which Washington denied visas to a senior Russian diplomatic delegation ahead of a UNGA session in 2019, during Donald Trump's first presidency. Russia is one of five permanent members of the UNSC, alongside China, the US, the UK and France. All five have the power to veto any resolution put before the council. The ten non-permanent members are elected by the UNGA to serve two-year terms. Moscow has argued for the expansion of the roster. India, Brazil and the representatives of Africa should have joined the UNSC as permanent members 'a long time' ago, Lavrov said. 'This is necessary to ensure representativeness, the representation of the world majority,' Lavrov said last year, arguing that Western nations are over-represented at the UN.
