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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Visit China on January 26-27
Rtv News
24 Jan 2025, 19:22
Photo: ANI
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will visit Beijing on January 26-27 to attend a meeting under the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday.
The meeting marks a continuation of discussions between the two nations to address political, economic, and people-to-people aspects of their relationship. According to an MEA statement, this resumption aligns with agreements at the leadership level to explore the next steps in bilateral relations.
Last month, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval visited Beijing and met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. During the visit, Doval underscored the significance of resuming meetings between the special representatives of both countries to address the boundary question after a five-year gap. He described the step as critical for advancing bilateral relations and implementing the consensus reached by the countries’ leaders.
At the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives of India and China, attended by Doval and Wang Yi, the nations agreed on several collaborative measures. These included the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data-sharing on trans-border rivers, and border trade. The discussions followed an earlier decision made during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in October 2024, where the leaders addressed the future management of border peace and efforts to resolve the boundary question.
Prime Minister Modi had conveyed to President Xi that India-China relations should rest on three principles: mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity. He also emphasized maintaining peace and stability along the border as a shared priority.
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China Launches New Generation Assault Ship 'Sichuan'
China launched a new amphibious assault ship capable of launching fighter jets on Friday seeking to strengthen its combat power in the sea.
The launch took place with a ceremony at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.
What we know about the ship
The Sichuan — the first of its 076-type model — is China's largest combat ship yet. It is designed to launch ground troops for combat and provide air support for the troops.
The vessel is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult that allows fighter jets to launch directly off its deck, state news agency Xinhua reported. It also has an "arrestor technology" so that fighter jets can land on its deck.
The ship will undergo further testing and sea trials before entering active service.
China's Naval Ambition
China's People's Liberation Navy has been working on modernizing its forces — the largest navy in the world in terms of number of warships —- for over a decade now. It launched its first set of amphibious assault ships of the 075-type in 2019.
Beijing aims for its forces to be able to operate globally instead of just close to mainland China.
The upgrade to the Sichuan comes soon after researchers discovered the country was working on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to allow its ships to be deployed in further regions without needing a base to refuel.
The US has 11 aircraft carriers currently — all of them nuclear-powered. This allows America to deploy several strike teams around the world at all times.
China has maritime disputes with several nations in the South China sea, sovereignty over which Beijing claims almost in its entirety. It also has a dispute with Japan over the Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China.
Moreover, China's navy has increased activity around Taiwan in recent years amid worsening relations with the US over the island. China considers Taiwan to be a rebellious province and has not ruled out the use of force for "reunification."
Plane Crash in South Korea: 179 Out of 181 Onboard Killed
A passenger plane crash-landed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, leaving 179 of the 181 people onboard dead.
The tragic accident occurred early Sunday morning (December 29) when the Jeju Air flight, carrying 175 passengers and six crew members, skidded off the runway while attempting to land. The flight was arriving from Thailand. Only two survivors—a passenger and a crew member—have been rescued.
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, preliminary investigations suggest the crash may have been caused by a "bird strike leading to landing gear failure" as the aircraft attempted to land in the country’s southwestern airport.
Footage of the incident shows rescue teams working near the tail section of the wrecked aircraft, with flames and thick smoke visible in several parts of the plane.
The office of South Korea's Acting President, Choi Sang-mok, stated that the president has directed authorities to manage rescue operations efficiently. Choi assumed his role as the country’s interim leader last Friday.
The Guardian also reported details of the tragic incident, which has shaken the nation.
19 Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Border Clash with Afghan Forces
Following recent airstrikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan, Taliban forces launched multiple attacks on Pakistani positions, killing 19 soldiers.
According to Tolo News, citing a source from Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defense, intense clashes continue in Afghanistan's eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktia. Afghan border forces reportedly set fire to several Pakistani military outposts in the Ali Shir district of Khost and seized two posts in Paktia's Dand-e-Patan district.
Officials from both countries have confirmed ongoing sporadic fighting, involving heavy weapons, along the border between Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Afghanistan’s Khost province.
The skirmishes erupted after Afghanistan’s Taliban administration accused Pakistan of killing 46 people, mostly women and children, in airstrikes near the southeastern border in Paktika province earlier this week.
A senior Pakistani security source stated they were targeting "terrorist hideouts," though Islamabad has not officially confirmed the airstrikes.
One Frontier Corps (FC) soldier was reported dead, and seven others injured, according to a senior security source at the border who spoke to AFP. Clashes have been reported at least in two locations in Pakistan’s border district of Kurram.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense posted on X (formerly Twitter) that multiple attacks were carried out across the Pakistani border. A provincial official in Khost told AFP that residents were forced to flee the border area due to the fighting, although no casualties among Afghan forces have been reported.
In the provincial capital of Khost, hundreds of Afghans protested against Pakistan on Saturday, demanding accountability for civilian deaths.
This marks the latest escalation of hostilities along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, which has seen increased tension since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.
(Source: Firstpost)
Devastating Road Accident in Ethiopia: At Least 66 Dead
A tragic road accident in Ethiopia has claimed the lives of at least 66 people, with four others injured. The incident occurred at the Gelana Bridge in Bona Zuria Woreda, located in the southern region of the East African country.
According to separate reports on Monday (December 30) by Reuters and The Guardian, local officials confirmed the death toll. Reuters, citing AFP, reported that at least 66 people were killed, while The Guardian noted that over 60 fatalities were confirmed by local health authorities in southern Ethiopia.
The Sidama region, where the accident occurred, is approximately 300 kilometers south of the capital, Addis Ababa. The Sidama Regional Health Bureau stated on Facebook, "A total of 66 people have died in a vehicle accident." However, no further details about the incident were provided.
The bureau mentioned that the accident happened on the Gelana Bridge in Bona Zuria Woreda and added, "Four injured passengers are receiving treatment at Bona General Hospital."
Blurred images shared by the bureau showed a crowd surrounding a partially submerged vehicle, with some people appearing to assist in retrieving it from the water. Other photos depicted the bodies of the deceased, covered with blue tarpaulins and laid on the ground.
Afghanistan Taliban Targets "Several Points" in Pakistan, Tensions Increase
Afghanistan's Taliban forces targeted "several points" in Pakistan on Saturday, Taliban said, days after Pakistaircraft carried out aerial bombardments inside the country, as per Al Jazeera.
The statement, which was released by Taliban did not directly specify that Pakistan was hit, but said the attacks were conducted "beyond the "hypothetical line" - an expression used by Afghan authorities to refer to a border with Pakistan which has been in dispute since long.
"Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country," Al Jazeera quoted Taliban as saying.
Asked whether the statement referred to Pakistan, Taliban spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi said, "We do not consider it to be the territory of Pakistan, therefore, we cannot confirm the territory, but it was on the other side of the hypothetical line."
Afghanistan has rejected the Durand Line, a border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was drawn by the Britishers in the 19th century, as per Al Jazeera. The Taliban sees it as a divisive line between Pashtuns on both sides of the border.
"Clarity! Several points on the other side of the virtual line "Durand" in the south-eastern direction of the country were targeted, which were hideouts and centers for evil elements and their supporters, who were organizing attacks in Afghanistan," Taliban said in a post on X.
There are no reports of casualties from either side, Al Jazeera reported.
Afghanistan has a complicated history with Pakistan. While Pakistan welcomed the Taliban in Kabul as a natural ally, the Taliban government is proving to be less cooperative than Pakistan had hoped. The current Talibani regime is trying to align itself with the nation's rhetoric as they are trying to form a 'government' as a metamorphosis from a fighting group. The regime is also trying to forge relations beyond heavy reliance on Pakistan, as per Al Jazeera.
China's Trade Tensions With US Remain High Ahead of Trump Inauguration
Trade tensions with the United States remain a top challenge for China's foreign trade, an industry association said on Friday, as the world's second-largest economy braces for new obstacles under the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
The China-related trade and economic friction index for 19 countries and regions stood at 118 in October, remaining at a high level, and the US had the highest index for trade friction with China, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said.
The total value of trade measures related to China implemented by the 19 countries and regions increased by 10.3 per cent year on year but decreased by 7.8 per cent month on month. The trade friction indices in the electronics, machinery, transport equipment, and light industry sectors remained high, the council said.
The global trade friction index for October stood at 102, down from 105 in September but still at a high level. It was down 10.3 per cent year on year and 7.4 per cent month on month.
Trump, who will begin his second term as US president on January 20, has threatened to impose additional tariffs of up to 60 per cent on imports from China and has raised the prospect of "an additional 10 percent" on top of that. Although it is not clear how the increases would be implemented, the looming risks have prompted importers to front-load deliveries of goods from China.
China's exports to the US have grown for seven consecutive months. In November, they surged 8 per cent year on year by value to US$47.3 billion, contributing to the highest trade surplus since September 2022, according to Chinese customs data.
"The Chinese business community is urging the US to genuinely adhere to World Trade Organization rules," said Sun Xiao, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
The Chinese business community is urging the US to genuinely adhere to World Trade Organization rules, immediately halt unilateral restrictions, and promote industry cooperation through dialogue and negotiation
In recent years, the US has escalated export controls on semiconductor products to China, continuously adding Chinese companies to its entity list, which "has had a serious impact on Sino-US semiconductor industry cooperation and has extended to sectors such as automotive and telecommunications," council spokesman Sun Xiao said at a news conference in Beijing on Friday.
On Monday, the outgoing Biden administration in the US announced a Section 301 trade investigation into "legacy" semiconductors made by China.
"The Chinese business community is urging the US to genuinely adhere to World Trade Organization rules, immediately halt unilateral restrictions, and promote industry cooperation through dialogue and negotiation," Sun said. "This will help safeguard the stability and security of global industrial and supply chains, injecting more momentum and certainty into the world economy."
China Firing Preemptive Trade War Shots at Trump
China has heightened trade war tensions with the United States by extending existing tariffs imposed on a crucial chemical solvent, sanctioning seven American firms on security grounds and threatening to stop buying US semiconductors within a single day.
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MoC) announced on December 27 that it will continue to impose anti-dumping duties on n-butanol imports from the US, Taiwan and Malaysia for another five years, effective from December 29, 2024.
The MoC said removing the anti-dumping duties would likely lead to a resumption or continuation of dumping practices and subsequent harm to China’s domestic n-butanol industry.
N-butanol is a key organic chemical used in the production of various products including paints, adhesives and plasticizers.
On December 29, 2018, China imposed 52.2-139.3% tariffs on n-butanol imports from the US and 12.7-26.7% tariffs on those from Malaysia. A 56.1% duty was imposed on all Taiwanese firms, except Formosa Plastics Corp, which only paid 6%.
