China will allow travel agencies in Beijing and Shandong to partly resume sales of group tours to South Korea, in a sign of thawing relations between the nations that have been locked in a year-long diplomatic standoff.

However, executives from tour agencies in the regions said they had been told not to include in their travel packages units of South Korean retail-to-chemicals giant Lotte Group - which provided land for the installation of a US-backed anti-missile system that Beijing vehemently opposed.

China had banned all group tours to the neighbouring country since March in the wake of South Korea&#39;s decision to install the US&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Beijing worries the THAAD&#39;s powerful radar can penetrate Chinese territory.

In South Korea, a halving of inbound Chinese tourists in the first nine months of the year cost the economy $6.5 billion in lost revenue based on the average spending of Chinese visitors in 2016, official data shows.

But a late October agreement between the countries to move past the dispute had boosted hopes group tours may be allowed in the near future.&nbsp;

China National Tourism Administration will allow resumption of only over-the-counter sales of package tours from Beijing and Shandong to South Korea, Park Yong-hwan, deputy director at Korea Tourism Organization, and executives at Chinese travel agencies said on Tuesday.

Online sales of package tours, and chartering flights or cruise trips are still banned, Park said.

According to the executives at travel agencies, restrictions on including Lotte Group units, such as Lotte Duty Free, in tour packages also remain. The executives declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;

Lotte, South Korea&#39;s No.5 conglomerate, has faced a major setback in the wake of deteriorating bilateral relations, with most of its hypermarkets in China being shut down after fire inspections.

The South Korean travel ban is expected to be in place for other Chinese regions for now and be gradually lifted going forward, Park said.&nbsp;

Shares in South Korean tourism and retail companies rallied after the news of the partial lifting of the ban, first reported by Yonhap earlier in the day.

Asiana Airlines gained 3.1 per cent and duty-free store operator Hotel Shilla rose 2.8 per cent. Casino operator Paradise rose 2.2 per cent, while cosmetics maker LG Household &amp; Health Care added 3.7 per cent.&nbsp;

China had banned all group tours to the neighbouring country since March in the wake of South Korea`s decision to install the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system

China will allow travel agencies in Beijing and Shandong to partly resume sales of group tours to South Korea, in a sign of thawing relations between the nations that have been locked in a year-long diplomatic standoff. However, executives from tour agencies in the regions said they had been told not to include in their travel packages units of South Korean retail-to-chemicals giant Lotte Group - which provided land for the installation of a US-backed anti-missile system that Beijing vehemently opposed. China had banned all group tours to the neighbouring country since March in the wake of South Korea's decision to install the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Beijing worries the THAAD's powerful radar can penetrate Chinese territory. In South Korea, a halving of inbound Chinese tourists in the first nine months of the year cost the economy $6.5 billion in lost revenue based on the average spending of Chinese visitors in 2016, official data shows. But a late October agreement between the countries to move past the dispute had boosted hopes group tours may be allowed in the near future. China National Tourism Administration will allow resumption of only over-the-counter sales of package tours from Beijing and Shandong to South Korea, Park Yong-hwan, deputy director at Korea Tourism Organization, and executives at Chinese travel agencies said on Tuesday. Online sales of package tours, and chartering flights or cruise trips are still banned, Park said. According to the executives at travel agencies, restrictions on including Lotte Group units, such as Lotte Duty Free, in tour packages also remain. The executives declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Lotte, South Korea's No.5 conglomerate, has faced a major setback in the wake of deteriorating bilateral relations, with most of its hypermarkets in China being shut down after fire inspections. The South Korean travel ban is expected to be in place for other Chinese regions for now and be gradually lifted going forward, Park said. Shares in South Korean tourism and retail companies rallied after the news of the partial lifting of the ban, first reported by Yonhap earlier in the day. Asiana Airlines gained 3.1 per cent and duty-free store operator Hotel Shilla rose 2.8 per cent. Casino operator Paradise rose 2.2 per cent, while cosmetics maker LG Household & Health Care added 3.7 per cent.

China partly lifts ban on group tours to South Korea, online curbs stay

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar&#39;s top military general in Beijing on Friday and discussed China&#39;s support amid international criticism over its treatment of the Rohingya minority, according to a statement from the general.

China has offered diplomatic backing to its southern neighbour throughout the crisis, despite growing pressure from Western countries for the Myanmar military to be accountable for alleged atrocities.

More than 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim group have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State to Bangladesh in three months since insurgent attacks on security posts sparked a brutal counter-insurgency campaign.

China helped to block a resolution on the crisis at the UN&nbsp;Security Council, while the United States this week called the response by the military and local vigilantes &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;, echoing earlier statements by senior United Nations officials.

According to a statement on the Facebook page of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, he and the Chinese leader on Friday discussed the &quot;promotion of cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, the situation of China standing on Myanmar&#39;s side at the forefront of the international community regarding the Rakhine issue,&quot; and other issues.

Min Aung Hlaing arrived in China on Tuesday and has largely met Chinese military officers during his visit.

The statement also said they discussed ongoing talks between Myanmar&#39;s government and myriad ethnic insurgent groups, some of whom are based along Myanmar&#39;s shared border with China.

According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi said China was closely watching the peace process and was &quot;willing to play a constructive role... for security and stability in their border areas.&quot;

The Xinhua account did not mention Rakhine, but cited Xi saying that China &quot;always respects Myanmar&#39;s sovereignty and territorial integrity&quot;.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar's top military general in Beijing on Friday and discussed China's support amid international criticism over its treatment of the Rohingya minority, according to a statement from the general

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar's top military general in Beijing on Friday and discussed China's support amid international criticism over its treatment of the Rohingya minority, according to a statement from the general. China has offered diplomatic backing to its southern neighbour throughout the crisis, despite growing pressure from Western countries for the Myanmar military to be accountable for alleged atrocities. More than 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim group have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Bangladesh in three months since insurgent attacks on security posts sparked a brutal counter-insurgency campaign. China helped to block a resolution on the crisis at the UN Security Council, while the United States this week called the response by the military and local vigilantes "ethnic cleansing", echoing earlier statements by senior United Nations officials. According to a statement on the Facebook page of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, he and the Chinese leader on Friday discussed the "promotion of cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, the situation of China standing on Myanmar's side at the forefront of the international community regarding the Rakhine issue," and other issues. Min Aung Hlaing arrived in China on Tuesday and has largely met Chinese military officers during his visit. The statement also said they discussed ongoing talks between Myanmar's government and myriad ethnic insurgent groups, some of whom are based along Myanmar's shared border with China. According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi said China was closely watching the peace process and was "willing to play a constructive role... for security and stability in their border areas." The Xinhua account did not mention Rakhine, but cited Xi saying that China "always respects Myanmar's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

China's Xi discusses Rohingya crisis with Myanmar army chief

China launched a nationwide investigation into its kindergartens on Friday after parents at a Beijing preschool said toddlers had apparent needle marks and were given mysterious pills - sparking outrage days after another daycare scandal.

Security personnel installed a cordon at the gate of the RYB Education New World kindergarten on Friday after dozens of curious onlookers crowded outside the high-end, bilingual Chinese-English nursery, which was still operating.

A day earlier, furious parents had gathered in front of the gate to demand answers from RYB, which is run by a company that started trading on the New York stock exchange in September. Its shares plunged by more than 40 percent in after-hours trading.

China&#39;s official Xinhua news agency said children were also &quot;reportedly sexually molested&quot; but gave no further details.

Li Jing, a mother of a three-year-old girl, told AFP her daughter had not been abused but said other children had explained how they were coerced into taking pills.

&quot;Other kids were saying it&#39;s not to be called taking a pill, but a reward. And the pill is not to be called a pill, but a jelly bean, and is a little secret between the child and the teacher,&quot; Li said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

She chose to bring her daughter to school on Friday because she trusted the girl&#39;s teacher, but admitted: &quot;I still feel a bit uneasy.&quot;

The Chaoyang district government said police opened an investigation after parents reported the suspected abuse on Wednesday.

Though authorities have so far declined to confirm or provide more details about the allegations, the incident prompted the education steering committee of China&#39;s State Council, its top administrative body, to call for an &quot;immediate&quot; investigation into kindergartens across the country.

&quot;Lately, many places have had incidents where children have been violated and harmed in kindergartens, which has had an abominable impact and caused major harm to their families,&quot; it said in a circular published on the Ministry of Education&#39;s official website.

&#39;Two white pills after lunch&#39;&nbsp;

The magazine Caixin said eight children had apparent needle marks and that the incidents occurred in two classes with kids aged between two and six. Parents also said children were fed unidentified pills.

&quot;I asked my child after I heard what other parents said and my child said that they had taken two white pills after lunch, and slept after eating the pills,&quot; one father told CCTV outside the school on Thursday.

The kindergarten is located adjacent to a large military base, and rumours flew online that military officials there were involved in sexually abusing the children.&nbsp;

Fun Junfeng, the base&#39;s political commissioner, confirmed in an interview with the PLA Daily that the husband of the school&#39;s director was previously an official there, but said there was so far &quot;no evidence&quot; that military personnel had been involved in the abuse.

&quot;But this is just the first step of the investigation,&quot; he added.

RYB apologised to parents and said it was cooperating with the police investigation.&nbsp;

&quot;We are currently working with the police to provide relevant surveillance materials and equipment. The teachers in question have been suspended,&quot; the company said in a social media statement.

&#39;Severe mistakes&#39;&nbsp;

RYB Education directly operates 80 kindergartens and has franchised another 175 in 130 cities across China for children ranging from newborns to six-year-olds, according to its Nasdaq listing.

It is the third time in just over a year that one of its schools has faced abuse allegations.

RYB already apologised in April and suspended the head of a Beijing kindergarten after admitting that teachers committed &quot;severe mistakes&quot;. The Beijing News had obtained videos showing teachers throwing a child on a bed and kicking another in the back.

The People&#39;s Court Daily reported that two teachers from an RYB kindergarten in northeast Jilin province were sentenced to 34 months in prison for jabbing children in the head, inside their mouths, and on their legs and buttocks with sewing needles in October 2016.

Zhang Zhiqiang came to the Beijing nursery on Friday to cancel his two-year-old daughter&#39;s enrollment after reading about the latest scandal, though she was not among the alleged victims.

He said the school refunded him the 18,000 yuan ($2,725) annual tuition fee.

The &quot;international&quot; class in which children were allegedly abused was even more expensive, parents told AFP, with tuition of more than 5,000 yuan ($760) a month.

The latest allegations came a week after Chinese online travel agency Ctrip suspended two officials after footage emerged of workers abusing toddlers at a company daycare centre in Shanghai.

The clips showed young children of Ctrip employees being roughly handled and punished by being force-fed what parents claimed was spicy mustard at the company&#39;s Shanghai headquarters.

Police detained three daycare staff for suspected abuse.

China launched a nationwide investigation into its kindergartens on Friday after parents at a Beijing preschool said toddlers had apparent needle marks and were given mysterious pills - sparking outrage days after another daycare scandal

China launched a nationwide investigation into its kindergartens on Friday after parents at a Beijing preschool said toddlers had apparent needle marks and were given mysterious pills - sparking outrage days after another daycare scandal. Security personnel installed a cordon at the gate of the RYB Education New World kindergarten on Friday after dozens of curious onlookers crowded outside the high-end, bilingual Chinese-English nursery, which was still operating. A day earlier, furious parents had gathered in front of the gate to demand answers from RYB, which is run by a company that started trading on the New York stock exchange in September. Its shares plunged by more than 40 percent in after-hours trading. China's official Xinhua news agency said children were also "reportedly sexually molested" but gave no further details. Li Jing, a mother of a three-year-old girl, told AFP her daughter had not been abused but said other children had explained how they were coerced into taking pills. "Other kids were saying it's not to be called taking a pill, but a reward. And the pill is not to be called a pill, but a jelly bean, and is a little secret between the child and the teacher," Li said. She chose to bring her daughter to school on Friday because she trusted the girl's teacher, but admitted: "I still feel a bit uneasy." The Chaoyang district government said police opened an investigation after parents reported the suspected abuse on Wednesday. Though authorities have so far declined to confirm or provide more details about the allegations, the incident prompted the education steering committee of China's State Council, its top administrative body, to call for an "immediate" investigation into kindergartens across the country. "Lately, many places have had incidents where children have been violated and harmed in kindergartens, which has had an abominable impact and caused major harm to their families," it said in a circular published on the Ministry of Education's official website. 'Two white pills after lunch' The magazine Caixin said eight children had apparent needle marks and that the incidents occurred in two classes with kids aged between two and six. Parents also said children were fed unidentified pills. "I asked my child after I heard what other parents said and my child said that they had taken two white pills after lunch, and slept after eating the pills," one father told CCTV outside the school on Thursday. The kindergarten is located adjacent to a large military base, and rumours flew online that military officials there were involved in sexually abusing the children. Fun Junfeng, the base's political commissioner, confirmed in an interview with the PLA Daily that the husband of the school's director was previously an official there, but said there was so far "no evidence" that military personnel had been involved in the abuse. "But this is just the first step of the investigation," he added. RYB apologised to parents and said it was cooperating with the police investigation. "We are currently working with the police to provide relevant surveillance materials and equipment. The teachers in question have been suspended," the company said in a social media statement. 'Severe mistakes' RYB Education directly operates 80 kindergartens and has franchised another 175 in 130 cities across China for children ranging from newborns to six-year-olds, according to its Nasdaq listing. It is the third time in just over a year that one of its schools has faced abuse allegations. RYB already apologised in April and suspended the head of a Beijing kindergarten after admitting that teachers committed "severe mistakes". The Beijing News had obtained videos showing teachers throwing a child on a bed and kicking another in the back. The People's Court Daily reported that two teachers from an RYB kindergarten in northeast Jilin province were sentenced to 34 months in prison for jabbing children in the head, inside their mouths, and on their legs and buttocks with sewing needles in October 2016. Zhang Zhiqiang came to the Beijing nursery on Friday to cancel his two-year-old daughter's enrollment after reading about the latest scandal, though she was not among the alleged victims. He said the school refunded him the 18,000 yuan ($2,725) annual tuition fee. The "international" class in which children were allegedly abused was even more expensive, parents told AFP, with tuition of more than 5,000 yuan ($760) a month. The latest allegations came a week after Chinese online travel agency Ctrip suspended two officials after footage emerged of workers abusing toddlers at a company daycare centre in Shanghai. The clips showed young children of Ctrip employees being roughly handled and punished by being force-fed what parents claimed was spicy mustard at the company's Shanghai headquarters. Police detained three daycare staff for suspected abuse.

China launches national kindergarten probe after 'needle marks' on toddlers

India&#39;s economic slowdown has bottomed out and now it should start moving upwards after recovering from the &quot;temporary blip&quot; seen during the recent structural changes, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on&nbsp;Thursday.

Addressing investors at the Morgan Stanley annual conference here on &#39;India: Structural Reforms and Growth Path Ahead&#39;, Jaitley talked about the &quot;massive&quot; economic reforms undertaken by India.

He acknowledged that there was a &quot;temporary blip&quot; as a result of structural changes that were initiated by the government.

&quot;I think the bottoming out of the economy is complete and now it should start moving upwards. The global economy is also moving up,&quot; said Jaitly.

As part of the summit, Jaitley met the senior management of Morgan Stanley and addressed a gathering of senior fund managers and key financial institutional investors.

&quot;How do I see the economy moving? our basic parameters are quite stable. And we grew between 7-8 per cent over the last three years,? he said.

&quot;Therefore, we need over the next, at least, a decade, if not more, significantly higher growth rates in order to go ahead with expansion plan of the Indian economy,? Jaitley said.

The finance minister also assured investors of a strong banking sector in India.

&quot;The combination of the IT scheme and now the large-scale recapitalisation we have announced should be put into motion expeditiously,&quot; he said.

The combination of these two steps are likely to improve the capacity of the banks, and even lend their surplus, particularly to the small and medium-scale industries which need those funds in abundance because they are the ones that are the big job creators and keep the Indian economy going, he elaborated.

He also clarified the often over-stated labour issues, saying these were no longer there as the negative environment of disruption of industrial activity is long over.

He said the labour laws are being fortified by taking the unions into consultation, and there has not been any significant labour resistance in recent times, whether it is disinvestment or privatisation, he said.

&quot;We haven?t encountered trade union resistance as that is concerned,&quot; he pointed out, adding that there are already various kinds of reforms.

Responding to questions from investors, he said among the privatisation of public sector units (PSUs), Air India is in a very advanced stage while some of the PSUs will be kept as they are.

The state enterprises in the oil and some in the power sectors will be kept as PSUs.

&quot;But there are many which will be privatised,? he added, pointing to a list prepared by the NITI Aayog.

&quot;In any case, we are going with the divestment programme very actively,? said the minister.

He also gave the investors an update on the ongoing business reforms and called for investments for changing the landscape of India at an accelerated pace.

Jaitley, who is on a two-day visit to Singapore, held meetings with Singapore ministers and investors.&nbsp;

Some northern Chinese cities failed to improve air quality by much last month, hitting the smog-prone region's overall results in a drive against pollution, the government said as it warned provincial officials to comply with stringent steps to clear the skies

India's economic slowdown has bottomed out and now it should start moving upwards after recovering from the "temporary blip" seen during the recent structural changes, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday. Addressing investors at the Morgan Stanley annual conference here on 'India: Structural Reforms and Growth Path Ahead', Jaitley talked about the "massive" economic reforms undertaken by India. He acknowledged that there was a "temporary blip" as a result of structural changes that were initiated by the government. "I think the bottoming out of the economy is complete and now it should start moving upwards. The global economy is also moving up," said Jaitly. As part of the summit, Jaitley met the senior management of Morgan Stanley and addressed a gathering of senior fund managers and key financial institutional investors. "How do I see the economy moving? our basic parameters are quite stable. And we grew between 7-8 per cent over the last three years,? he said. "Therefore, we need over the next, at least, a decade, if not more, significantly higher growth rates in order to go ahead with expansion plan of the Indian economy,? Jaitley said. The finance minister also assured investors of a strong banking sector in India. "The combination of the IT scheme and now the large-scale recapitalisation we have announced should be put into motion expeditiously," he said. The combination of these two steps are likely to improve the capacity of the banks, and even lend their surplus, particularly to the small and medium-scale industries which need those funds in abundance because they are the ones that are the big job creators and keep the Indian economy going, he elaborated. He also clarified the often over-stated labour issues, saying these were no longer there as the negative environment of disruption of industrial activity is long over. He said the labour laws are being fortified by taking the unions into consultation, and there has not been any significant labour resistance in recent times, whether it is disinvestment or privatisation, he said. "We haven?t encountered trade union resistance as that is concerned," he pointed out, adding that there are already various kinds of reforms. Responding to questions from investors, he said among the privatisation of public sector units (PSUs), Air India is in a very advanced stage while some of the PSUs will be kept as they are. The state enterprises in the oil and some in the power sectors will be kept as PSUs. "But there are many which will be privatised,? he added, pointing to a list prepared by the NITI Aayog. "In any case, we are going with the divestment programme very actively,? said the minister. He also gave the investors an update on the ongoing business reforms and called for investments for changing the landscape of India at an accelerated pace. Jaitley, who is on a two-day visit to Singapore, held meetings with Singapore ministers and investors.

China warns northern cities to get serious in war on smog

Chinese social media and video game giant Tencent became more valuable than Facebook on Tuesday as investors sent the company soaring into the top five of the world&#39;s biggest firms.

Tencent&#39;s Hong Kong-listed shares have doubled in value this year, and on Monday it became the first Asian company with a market capitalisation of half a trillion dollars.

By the end of the trading day on Tuesday, Tencent&#39;s outstanding shares were worth a combined 4.08 trillion Hong Kong dollars ($523 billion), surpassing Facebook&#39;s $519 billion.

Despite its stratospheric climb, Tencent is still some way behind the world&#39;s most valuable company, Apple, which is currently valued at $873 billion.

Last week, Tencent said profit had grown nearly 70 percent in the third quarter, when compared with the same period last year, well outpacing expectations. Its accelerating growth has sent its shares shooting higher in recent days.

Critics say many of China&#39;s tech companies copy the latest idea seen in the US. That has not been the case for Tencent, which has transformed its WeChat smartphone app into a product wholly unlike other social networking applications seen around the world.&nbsp;

&quot;Tencent is an enterprise that focuses on innovation,&quot; said Huang Hao, an associate researcher at the National Academy of Economic Strategy of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. &quot;Its product ideas are not simple emulations of those of foreign businesses.&quot;

But it also has a distinct advantage over some of its western peers: Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, cutting off a market of up to 1.3 billion people.

Cashless society&nbsp;

The nearly one billion users who flock to Tencent&#39;s WeChat app, and older platform QQ, can chat, post photos, play games, transfer money and pay for a variety of services in China. They exchange 38 billion messages each day.

WeChat has revolutionised China&#39;s tech industry and even daily life for millions of Chinese.&nbsp;

WeChat&#39;s QR codes, which look a lot like a bar code, are ubiquitous in China&#39;s shops and restaurants, and even fruit hawkers and some beggars carry around the scannable codes, allowing them to accept mobile payment.

The Wepay service, along with its competitor made by Alibaba, has helped China jump from a cash-based society to one at the global forefront of mobile payments.

Even the media and publishing sectors have seen changes to how Chinese consume and pay for content, with millions of WeChat accounts publishing content directly to their followers.

That has rubbed up against Chinese censors, who shut down dozens of accounts publishing the latest tidbits of celebrity gossip over the summer.&nbsp;

Another key to Tencent&#39;s success has been its top game, the multi-player online battle &quot;Honour of Kings&quot;, which has been a smash hit that helped Tencent&#39;s revenue from smartphone games surge by 84 percent in the third quarter.

Tencent&#39;s disruption of industries traditionally dominated by the state has also angered a number of behemoths - from the publishing to telecommunications to banking sectors.

These powerful enemies could pose a problem for the tech giant in the future, analysts say.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;Most of its profits are obtained by foreign investors,&quot; said Huang of the government research institute.&nbsp;

&quot;The government should face up to this issue and consider the ways to promote the development of entirely national enterprises in the future,&quot; he said.

By the end of the trading day on Tuesday, Tencent's outstanding shares were worth a combined 4.08 trillion Hong Kong dollars ($523 billion), surpassing Facebook's $519 billion

Chinese social media and video game giant Tencent became more valuable than Facebook on Tuesday as investors sent the company soaring into the top five of the world's biggest firms. Tencent's Hong Kong-listed shares have doubled in value this year, and on Monday it became the first Asian company with a market capitalisation of half a trillion dollars. By the end of the trading day on Tuesday, Tencent's outstanding shares were worth a combined 4.08 trillion Hong Kong dollars ($523 billion), surpassing Facebook's $519 billion. Despite its stratospheric climb, Tencent is still some way behind the world's most valuable company, Apple, which is currently valued at $873 billion. Last week, Tencent said profit had grown nearly 70 percent in the third quarter, when compared with the same period last year, well outpacing expectations. Its accelerating growth has sent its shares shooting higher in recent days. Critics say many of China's tech companies copy the latest idea seen in the US. That has not been the case for Tencent, which has transformed its WeChat smartphone app into a product wholly unlike other social networking applications seen around the world. "Tencent is an enterprise that focuses on innovation," said Huang Hao, an associate researcher at the National Academy of Economic Strategy of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "Its product ideas are not simple emulations of those of foreign businesses." But it also has a distinct advantage over some of its western peers: Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, cutting off a market of up to 1.3 billion people. Cashless society The nearly one billion users who flock to Tencent's WeChat app, and older platform QQ, can chat, post photos, play games, transfer money and pay for a variety of services in China. They exchange 38 billion messages each day. WeChat has revolutionised China's tech industry and even daily life for millions of Chinese. WeChat's QR codes, which look a lot like a bar code, are ubiquitous in China's shops and restaurants, and even fruit hawkers and some beggars carry around the scannable codes, allowing them to accept mobile payment. The Wepay service, along with its competitor made by Alibaba, has helped China jump from a cash-based society to one at the global forefront of mobile payments. Even the media and publishing sectors have seen changes to how Chinese consume and pay for content, with millions of WeChat accounts publishing content directly to their followers. That has rubbed up against Chinese censors, who shut down dozens of accounts publishing the latest tidbits of celebrity gossip over the summer. Another key to Tencent's success has been its top game, the multi-player online battle "Honour of Kings", which has been a smash hit that helped Tencent's revenue from smartphone games surge by 84 percent in the third quarter. Tencent's disruption of industries traditionally dominated by the state has also angered a number of behemoths - from the publishing to telecommunications to banking sectors. These powerful enemies could pose a problem for the tech giant in the future, analysts say. "Most of its profits are obtained by foreign investors," said Huang of the government research institute. "The government should face up to this issue and consider the ways to promote the development of entirely national enterprises in the future," he said.

China social media giant Tencent becomes more valuable than Facebook

Amazon.com Inc&rsquo;s Chinese partner, Beijing Sinnet Technology Co., said it would purchase Amazon&rsquo;s Chinese web services business for up to 2 billion yuan ($301 million), ending the U.S. firms&rsquo;s cloud-computing business in the country.Sinnet, which began operating the Amazon services in August 2016, said in a filing late on Monday the pending purchase would help the unit &ldquo;comply with local laws and regulations and further improve service quality and security.&rdquo;

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday morning.

Chinese regulators are tightening rules on foreign data and cloud services, including new surveillance measures and increased scrutiny of cross-border data transfers.

In August Sinnet told customers it would begin shutting down VPNs and other services on its networks that allow users to circumvent China&rsquo;s Great Firewall, citing direct instructions from the government.

The changes are linked to new national cyber laws that came into effect in 2017, which make network providers liable for content deemed dangerous or offensive to &ldquo;socialist values&rdquo;.

In 2013 Amazon&rsquo;s web services business signed agreements with provincial governments in China, and has previously worked with some of China&rsquo;s largest tech firms including Xiaomi Inc, Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd and Kingsoft Corp Ltd.

Cloud services have become a crowded and competitive field in China in recent years, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd&rsquo;s cloud unit opening over a dozen overseas data centers since 2016.

($1 = 6.6400 Chinese yuan renminbi)

?Amazon.com Inc?s Chinese partner, Beijing Sinnet Technology Co., said it would purchase Amazon?s Chinese web services business for up to 2 billion yuan, ending the U.S. firms?s cloud-computing business in the country.

Amazon.com Inc’s Chinese partner, Beijing Sinnet Technology Co., said it would purchase Amazon’s Chinese web services business for up to 2 billion yuan ($301 million), ending the U.S. firms’s cloud-computing business in the country.Sinnet, which began operating the Amazon services in August 2016, said in a filing late on Monday the pending purchase would help the unit “comply with local laws and regulations and further improve service quality and security.” Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday morning. Chinese regulators are tightening rules on foreign data and cloud services, including new surveillance measures and increased scrutiny of cross-border data transfers. In August Sinnet told customers it would begin shutting down VPNs and other services on its networks that allow users to circumvent China’s Great Firewall, citing direct instructions from the government. The changes are linked to new national cyber laws that came into effect in 2017, which make network providers liable for content deemed dangerous or offensive to “socialist values”. In 2013 Amazon’s web services business signed agreements with provincial governments in China, and has previously worked with some of China’s largest tech firms including Xiaomi Inc, Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd and Kingsoft Corp Ltd. Cloud services have become a crowded and competitive field in China in recent years, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s cloud unit opening over a dozen overseas data centers since 2016. ($1 = 6.6400 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Amazon to sell China cloud services unit in $300 million deal

China today said that regional cooperation should neither be politicised nor exclusionary, responding to US President Donald Trump&#39;s use of the term &quot;Indo-Pacific&quot; during his trip to Asia.

&quot;Indo-Pacific&quot; has grown in usage across diplomatic and security circles in Australia, India and Japan in recent years, shorthand for a broader and democratic-led region in place of the &quot;Asia-Pacific&quot;, which to some places an authoritarian China too firmly at the centre.

Trump and his team have given it fresh currency in recent days, starting during stops in Tokyo and Seoul, building on the rhetoric of his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who last month talked of the need to support a &quot;free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific&quot;.

Although Trump was addressing a meeting alongside the APEC summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Vietnamese city of Danang on Friday, he repeatedly referred to the Indo-Pacific region and mentioned the importance of India in his speech.

Asked about China&#39;s view of the Indo-Pacific concept, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that peaceful development and win-win cooperation were the trends of the times.

&quot;All sides can come up with their own plans and positions on how to promote regional cooperation,&quot; Geng told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

&quot;But we hope that plans and positions can accord with and conform to this trend, can suit the general trend of events in the world, and that the relevant plans and positions are open and inclusive, benefiting the promotion of win-win cooperation by all sides, and avoid politicised or exclusionary arrangements.&quot;

China has been busy promoting President Xi Jinping&#39;s Belt and Road initiative, an extensive infrastructure plan to recreate the ancient Silk Road, linking Asia with the Middle East and Europe, which critics say is more about spreading Chinese influence.

China says it is simply a development project for common prosperity that any country is welcome to join.

'Indo-Pacific' has grown in usage across diplomatic and security circles in Australia, India and Japan in recent years

China today said that regional cooperation should neither be politicised nor exclusionary, responding to US President Donald Trump's use of the term "Indo-Pacific" during his trip to Asia. "Indo-Pacific" has grown in usage across diplomatic and security circles in Australia, India and Japan in recent years, shorthand for a broader and democratic-led region in place of the "Asia-Pacific", which to some places an authoritarian China too firmly at the centre. Trump and his team have given it fresh currency in recent days, starting during stops in Tokyo and Seoul, building on the rhetoric of his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who last month talked of the need to support a "free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific". Although Trump was addressing a meeting alongside the APEC summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Vietnamese city of Danang on Friday, he repeatedly referred to the Indo-Pacific region and mentioned the importance of India in his speech. Asked about China's view of the Indo-Pacific concept, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that peaceful development and win-win cooperation were the trends of the times. "All sides can come up with their own plans and positions on how to promote regional cooperation," Geng told a daily news briefing in Beijing. "But we hope that plans and positions can accord with and conform to this trend, can suit the general trend of events in the world, and that the relevant plans and positions are open and inclusive, benefiting the promotion of win-win cooperation by all sides, and avoid politicised or exclusionary arrangements." China has been busy promoting President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative, an extensive infrastructure plan to recreate the ancient Silk Road, linking Asia with the Middle East and Europe, which critics say is more about spreading Chinese influence. China says it is simply a development project for common prosperity that any country is welcome to join.

Trump says 'Indo Pacific' & not 'Asia Pacific', China reacts

Rebuffing China&#39;s objection to her visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday, defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the northeastern state is an Indian territory and India is not concerned about someone else&#39;s opinion.

China had objected to Sitharaman&#39;s first visit to the border state, saying her tour of the &quot;disputed area&quot; was not conducive to peace in the region.

India had rejected Beijing&#39;s objection and asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country.

&quot;What is the problem? There is no problem. It is our territory, we will go there,&quot; she said in a reply to a query on China&#39;s reaction on her visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

&quot;We are not concerned with someone else&#39;s opinion on this,&quot; Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Sitharaman visited army posts in remote Anjaw district of the state bordering China to take stock of defence preparedness. She also visited the Nathu La area on the India-China border in Sikkim last month and greeted the People&#39;s Liberation Army soldiers across the border.&nbsp;

Her &quot;friendly gesture&quot; had earned appreciation from the Chinese media.

Rebuffing China's objection to her visit to Arunachal Pradesh, defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the northeastern state is an Indian territory and country is not concerned about someone else's opinion on it

Rebuffing China's objection to her visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday, defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the northeastern state is an Indian territory and India is not concerned about someone else's opinion. China had objected to Sitharaman's first visit to the border state, saying her tour of the "disputed area" was not conducive to peace in the region. India had rejected Beijing's objection and asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country. "What is the problem? There is no problem. It is our territory, we will go there," she said in a reply to a query on China's reaction on her visit to Arunachal Pradesh. "We are not concerned with someone else's opinion on this," Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. Sitharaman visited army posts in remote Anjaw district of the state bordering China to take stock of defence preparedness. She also visited the Nathu La area on the India-China border in Sikkim last month and greeted the People's Liberation Army soldiers across the border. Her "friendly gesture" had earned appreciation from the Chinese media.

Arunachal visit: Sitharaman says 'It's our territory'

With lavish pageantry and an uncharacteristic <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-arrives-in-china-23738">personal flourish, Chinese President Xi Jinping on</a> Wednesday rolled out a red carpet welcome for US President Donald Trump at the Forbidden City, the ancient home of China&rsquo;s emperors.

While North Korea and trade are set <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-a-cruel-dictatorship-says-trump-in-seoul-23705">to dominate the formal part of the visit, which ends</a> on Friday, China has been keen to show the importance it puts on Trump&rsquo;s visit, the first by a foreign leader since the end of a key Communist Party congress last month where Xi cemented his power.

Trump and his wife Melania were whisked from Beijing airport - where they were met by China&rsquo;s top diplomat Yang Jiechi, a key player in the outreach to Trump since he won the election a year ago - straight to the Forbidden City.

Chatting over cups of tea, Trump showed Xi a video of his granddaughter Arabella Kushner singing in Mandarin and reciting classical Chinese poetry, prompting Xi to compliment her performance as worthy of an &ldquo;A+&rdquo;, Chinese state media said.

Xi said he hoped Arabella would visit China soon, noting that she was already a &ldquo;child star&rdquo; in China, the official Xinhua news agency said. A video of Arabella reciting a Chinese poem went viral on Chinese social media shortly after Trump&rsquo;s election last year.

In another break from precedent, Xi himself gave the Trumps a tour of the imperial treasures of the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage site cleared of tourists for the day, before the two first couples watched Chinese opera and an acrobatic display. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s something!&rdquo; Trump said after the show, as he and Xi walked away. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re having a great time.&rdquo;

China had widely been expected to pull out all the stops for Trump, who has pressed it to do more to control its neighbour North Korea and resolve a yawning trade gap with the United States.

The ceremony on Trump&rsquo;s arrival at Beijing&rsquo;s airport on Wednesday was also more elaborate than usual, with the Trumps met by a marching band and soldiers standing at attention. Smartly dressed children waving miniature Chinese and American flags jumped up and down as Trump&rsquo;s motorcade passed.

In another rare, if not unprecedented step, Trump&rsquo;s official ceremonial welcome at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday will be broadcast live on national television, state broadcaster CCTV said.While the sprawling palace complex in the centre of Beijing is a regular stop for visiting dignitaries, it is rare for a Chinese leader to provide a personal escort, confirmation of the &ldquo;state visit-plus&rdquo; treatment that China had promised for Trump.

With lavish pageantry and an uncharacteristic personal flourish, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday rolled out a red carpet welcome for U.S President Donald Trump at the Forbidden City, the ancient home of China?s emperors.

With lavish pageantry and an uncharacteristic personal flourish, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday rolled out a red carpet welcome for US President Donald Trump at the Forbidden City, the ancient home of China’s emperors. While North Korea and trade are set to dominate the formal part of the visit, which ends on Friday, China has been keen to show the importance it puts on Trump’s visit, the first by a foreign leader since the end of a key Communist Party congress last month where Xi cemented his power. Trump and his wife Melania were whisked from Beijing airport - where they were met by China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi, a key player in the outreach to Trump since he won the election a year ago - straight to the Forbidden City. Chatting over cups of tea, Trump showed Xi a video of his granddaughter Arabella Kushner singing in Mandarin and reciting classical Chinese poetry, prompting Xi to compliment her performance as worthy of an “A+”, Chinese state media said. Xi said he hoped Arabella would visit China soon, noting that she was already a “child star” in China, the official Xinhua news agency said. A video of Arabella reciting a Chinese poem went viral on Chinese social media shortly after Trump’s election last year. In another break from precedent, Xi himself gave the Trumps a tour of the imperial treasures of the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage site cleared of tourists for the day, before the two first couples watched Chinese opera and an acrobatic display. “That’s something!” Trump said after the show, as he and Xi walked away. “We’re having a great time.” China had widely been expected to pull out all the stops for Trump, who has pressed it to do more to control its neighbour North Korea and resolve a yawning trade gap with the United States. The ceremony on Trump’s arrival at Beijing’s airport on Wednesday was also more elaborate than usual, with the Trumps met by a marching band and soldiers standing at attention. Smartly dressed children waving miniature Chinese and American flags jumped up and down as Trump’s motorcade passed. In another rare, if not unprecedented step, Trump’s official ceremonial welcome at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday will be broadcast live on national television, state broadcaster CCTV said.While the sprawling palace complex in the centre of Beijing is a regular stop for visiting dignitaries, it is rare for a Chinese leader to provide a personal escort, confirmation of the “state visit-plus” treatment that China had promised for Trump.

Watch: Trump, Xi watch Chinese opera in Beijing

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a &quot;great political victory&quot; in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing.

Trump has lavished Xi with praise since the Chinese president consolidated power at the conclave last month as the two leaders prepare for difficult talks on trade and North Korea.

Trump, who was in Seoul on a two-day visit, tweeted he would then travel to China where &quot;I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory&quot;.

Trump&#39;s description of Xi&#39;s elevation at the congress where the Chinese leader was reappointed to a second term as general secretary in a closed-door vote&nbsp;sparked a flurry of comments on Twitter on China&#39;s status as a one-party state.

Ely Ratner, an ex-adviser to former US vice president Joe Biden, tweeted that it was a &quot;straight up repudiation of American values and interests&quot;.

But analysts said Trump&#39;s praise of Xi is an attempt to mollify the Chinese leader ahead of complicated talks on China&#39;s massive trade surplus with the United States and Beijing&#39;s economic ties to North Korea.

&quot;It&#39;s not representative of a normal president of a powerful democratic country,&quot; Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, said.

&quot;He&#39;s laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him,&quot; Cabestan said.

In turn, Xi has also called Trump a friend in the past and is preparing a &quot;state visit-plus&quot; for the US leader, treating him to a lavish reception with a visit to the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet during his visit to Beijing.

China&#39;s welcome follows the red-carpet treatment that Trump received in Japan and South Korea during his tour of Asia.

&quot;We&#39;re in a sort of situation where each of the leaders and Trump himself are both sort of trying to curry favour with the other,&quot; Orville Schell, an expert on US-China relations at the Asia Society, said.

By praising Xi, Trump is &quot;trying to set up a congenial atmosphere&quot;, Schell said.

&quot;Trump lives in a world where everything is either a victory or defeat,&quot; he said.

&quot;So to call something like this a victory for Xi is the highest form of flattery.&quot;

Trump has lavished praised on other controversial leaders in the past, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;He does have a natural predilection for sort of get-it-done, big leaders,&quot; Schell said.

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a 'great political victory' in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing

US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows on Wednesday by congratulating Chinese leader Xi Jinping for securing a "great political victory" in a Communist Party congress ahead of their meetings in Beijing. Trump has lavished Xi with praise since the Chinese president consolidated power at the conclave last month as the two leaders prepare for difficult talks on trade and North Korea. Trump, who was in Seoul on a two-day visit, tweeted he would then travel to China where "I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory". Trump's description of Xi's elevation at the congress where the Chinese leader was reappointed to a second term as general secretary in a closed-door vote sparked a flurry of comments on Twitter on China's status as a one-party state. Ely Ratner, an ex-adviser to former US vice president Joe Biden, tweeted that it was a "straight up repudiation of American values and interests". But analysts said Trump's praise of Xi is an attempt to mollify the Chinese leader ahead of complicated talks on China's massive trade surplus with the United States and Beijing's economic ties to North Korea. "It's not representative of a normal president of a powerful democratic country," Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, said. "He's laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him," Cabestan said. In turn, Xi has also called Trump a friend in the past and is preparing a "state visit-plus" for the US leader, treating him to a lavish reception with a visit to the Forbidden City, a military honour guard and a banquet during his visit to Beijing. China's welcome follows the red-carpet treatment that Trump received in Japan and South Korea during his tour of Asia. "We're in a sort of situation where each of the leaders and Trump himself are both sort of trying to curry favour with the other," Orville Schell, an expert on US-China relations at the Asia Society, said. By praising Xi, Trump is "trying to set up a congenial atmosphere", Schell said. "Trump lives in a world where everything is either a victory or defeat," he said. "So to call something like this a victory for Xi is the highest form of flattery." Trump has lavished praised on other controversial leaders in the past, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He does have a natural predilection for sort of get-it-done, big leaders," Schell said.

Trump steps up praise for Xi ahead of China visit

Has the standoff over Doklam deflated the Chinese balloon?&nbsp;Deflated yes, not punctured.

It&#39;s vital, we understand the difference.

India has deflated the perception assiduously propagated by the Chinese media that their country is America&#39;s equal. If that was the case, what explains the Indian wall it has run up against on the Doklam plateau.

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<h5>China has dredged up artificial islands, laid airfields and stocked up with every manner of weapons and equipment.</h5>
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The same Indian wall is being closely watched across a broad swathe of the South China Sea where China has dredged up artificial islands, laid airfields and stocked up with every manner of weapons and equipment. The wall has drawn the attention of South China Sea littoral states which are unable to stand up to China&#39;s naval muscle or are seduced by its money power.

But this has only deflated the Dragon not punctured it.

China watchers say - the debate in Beijing is probably about their lack of proper appreciation of the environment.&nbsp;Meaning, the PLA did not anticipate the manner in which India would respond to the move to lay a road through the Doklam Plateau.

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<h5>Until now all India-China standoffs have been &#39;strictly bilateral&#39;, meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other.</h5>
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That tells us something about Chinese military thinking, an element of overconfidence perhaps, which encouraged the perception that India would stand down. Are we being unfair here? Until now all India-China standoffs have been &#39;strictly bilateral&#39;, meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other. In that sense, India standing up for a third country may have appeared far-fetched.

What&#39;s clear is that the Chinese will neither forgive nor forget what India has done to them in Doklam.

China analysts like Jayadev Ranade believe the politicians in Beijing are under pressure from the PLA to take off the restraints and allow them to go against India. Apparently, some of this pressure is emanating from the Western Theatre Command tasked with securing the Indian frontier which also includes Bhutan.

What, therefore, can they be expected to do? That&#39;s hard to predict but China watchers say Beijing&#39;s Mandarins will try to extract their pound of flesh from India perhaps not now, maybe later at a time and place of their choosing.&nbsp;The location could range anywhere from Ladakh and Himachal to Arunachal and even Sikkim. A former Northern Army Commander Gen. H.S. Panag has hinted this could even take place sometime in winter, could involve China&#39;s range of rocket artillery and even cyber weapons.

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<h5>It&#39;s interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning &#39;local wars under hi-tech conditions&#39;.</h5>
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Ranade believes any action by the Chinese would be limited in scope and duration with the aim of teaching India a lesson. In that context, it&#39;s interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning &#39;local wars under hi-tech conditions&#39;.&nbsp;

Srikanth Kondapalli, who teaches China at Delhi&#39;s Jawaharlal Nehru University, says, &quot;The objective is not to occupy territory but paralyse the adversary and for this, you need the concentration of firepower, air force, artillery in one area of mobilisation. They are raising 40 Rapid Response Units and an airborne corps for transporting troops.&quot;

The dilemma for President Xi is whether his newly transformed military can be trusted to deliver in a limited action against India. More important, can the military ensure this does not escalate, that India does not escalate? The word from military analysts here is India will escalate!

China watchers say Beijing will try to extract their pound of flesh from India perhaps not now, maybe later at a time and place of their choosing.

Has the standoff over Doklam deflated the Chinese balloon? Deflated yes, not punctured. It's vital, we understand the difference. India has deflated the perception assiduously propagated by the Chinese media that their country is America's equal. If that was the case, what explains the Indian wall it has run up against on the Doklam plateau. China has dredged up artificial islands, laid airfields and stocked up with every manner of weapons and equipment. × The same Indian wall is being closely watched across a broad swathe of the South China Sea where China has dredged up artificial islands, laid airfields and stocked up with every manner of weapons and equipment. The wall has drawn the attention of South China Sea littoral states which are unable to stand up to China's naval muscle or are seduced by its money power. But this has only deflated the Dragon not punctured it. China watchers say - the debate in Beijing is probably about their lack of proper appreciation of the environment. Meaning, the PLA did not anticipate the manner in which India would respond to the move to lay a road through the Doklam Plateau. Until now all India-China standoffs have been 'strictly bilateral', meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other. × That tells us something about Chinese military thinking, an element of overconfidence perhaps, which encouraged the perception that India would stand down. Are we being unfair here? Until now all India-China standoffs have been 'strictly bilateral', meaning it has always been about one side claiming territory held or claimed by the other. In that sense, India standing up for a third country may have appeared far-fetched. What's clear is that the Chinese will neither forgive nor forget what India has done to them in Doklam. China analysts like Jayadev Ranade believe the politicians in Beijing are under pressure from the PLA to take off the restraints and allow them to go against India. Apparently, some of this pressure is emanating from the Western Theatre Command tasked with securing the Indian frontier which also includes Bhutan. What, therefore, can they be expected to do? That's hard to predict but China watchers say Beijing's Mandarins will try to extract their pound of flesh from India perhaps not now, maybe later at a time and place of their choosing. The location could range anywhere from Ladakh and Himachal to Arunachal and even Sikkim. A former Northern Army Commander Gen. H.S. Panag has hinted this could even take place sometime in winter, could involve China's range of rocket artillery and even cyber weapons. It's interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning 'local wars under hi-tech conditions'. × Ranade believes any action by the Chinese would be limited in scope and duration with the aim of teaching India a lesson. In that context, it's interesting to examine the efforts by President Xi Jinping to transform the lumbering, a top heavy land dominated military into a nimble integrated force capable of fighting and winning 'local wars under hi-tech conditions'. Srikanth Kondapalli, who teaches China at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, says, "The objective is not to occupy territory but paralyse the adversary and for this, you need the concentration of firepower, air force, artillery in one area of mobilisation. They are raising 40 Rapid Response Units and an airborne corps for transporting troops." The dilemma for President Xi is whether his newly transformed military can be trusted to deliver in a limited action against India. More important, can the military ensure this does not escalate, that India does not escalate? The word from military analysts here is India will escalate!

Doklam was a setback, China keen on teaching India a lesson

China on Monday renewed its call for the United States and South Korea to suspend joint military drills as the two nations began annual war games that have infuriated nuclear-armed Pyongyang.

&quot;The current situation on the Korean peninsula is highly sensitive and fragile, which requires the directly concerned parties including South Korea and US to make joint efforts to ease the tensions,&quot; Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.&nbsp;

Beijing has pleaded for a resumption of long-dormant six-nation talks to peacefully resolve the nuclear crisis.

But its proposal for North Korea to suspend its arms programmes in return for the United States to halt military drills in the region has been ignored.

&quot;We don&#39;t think the joint exercise will be conducive to easing the current tensions. And we urge relevant parties to (seriously consider) the suspension-for-suspension proposal,&quot; Hua told a regular press briefing.&nbsp;

Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops are taking part in the &quot;Ulchi Freedom Guardian&quot; joint military drills, a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South.

Around 17,500 US troops will participate in the drills, a cutback from last year.

When asked to comment on the troop cutback, Hua only said that China has &quot;noted the reduction of the US forces&quot;, but reiterated that military exercises would not help to reduce tensions.&nbsp;

The annual drills are viewed by Pyongyang as a highly provocative rehearsal for invasion, and it always meets them with threats of strong military counteraction.

Only weeks ago it said it was considering firing a salvo of missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) last month that appeared to bring much of the US within range.

That sparked a grim warning by President Donald Trump that Washington could rain &quot;fire and fury&quot; on the North.

Leader Kim Jong-Un last week delayed the Guam strike plan, but warned it could go ahead depending on Washington&#39;s next move.

Beijing has pleaded for a resumption of long-dormant six-nation talks to peacefully resolve the nuclear crisis

China on Monday renewed its call for the United States and South Korea to suspend joint military drills as the two nations began annual war games that have infuriated nuclear-armed Pyongyang. "The current situation on the Korean peninsula is highly sensitive and fragile, which requires the directly concerned parties including South Korea and US to make joint efforts to ease the tensions," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. Beijing has pleaded for a resumption of long-dormant six-nation talks to peacefully resolve the nuclear crisis. But its proposal for North Korea to suspend its arms programmes in return for the United States to halt military drills in the region has been ignored. "We don't think the joint exercise will be conducive to easing the current tensions. And we urge relevant parties to (seriously consider) the suspension-for-suspension proposal," Hua told a regular press briefing. Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops are taking part in the "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" joint military drills, a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South. Around 17,500 US troops will participate in the drills, a cutback from last year. When asked to comment on the troop cutback, Hua only said that China has "noted the reduction of the US forces", but reiterated that military exercises would not help to reduce tensions. The annual drills are viewed by Pyongyang as a highly provocative rehearsal for invasion, and it always meets them with threats of strong military counteraction. Only weeks ago it said it was considering firing a salvo of missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam. Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) last month that appeared to bring much of the US within range. That sparked a grim warning by President Donald Trump that Washington could rain "fire and fury" on the North. Leader Kim Jong-Un last week delayed the Guam strike plan, but warned it could go ahead depending on Washington's next move.

US-South Korea military drills not conducive towards easing tensions: China

Mergers and acquisitions by Chinese companies in countries that are part of the Belt and Road initiative are soaring, even as Beijing cracks down on China&#39;s acquisitive conglomerates to restrict capital outflows.

Chinese acquisitions in the 68 countries officially linked to President Xi Jinping&#39;s signature foreign policy totalled $33 billion as of Monday, surpassing the $31 billion tally for all of 2016.

Unveiled in 2013, the Belt and Road project is aimed at building a modern-day &quot;Silk Road&quot;, connecting China by land and sea to Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Central Asia, and beyond to the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

At a summit in May, Xi pledged $124 billion for the plan, but it has faced suspicion in Western capitals that it is intended more to assert Chinese influence than Beijing&#39;s professed desire to spread prosperity.

The surge in Chinese companies&#39; acquisition-linked investments in the Belt and Road corridor comes as the volume of all outbound mergers and acquisitions from China has dropped 42 per cent year-on-year as of Monday.

Beijing&#39;s move to prop up the yuan by restricting the flow of capital outside the country and clamp down on debt-fuelled acquisitions to ensure financial stability has made it tougher for buyers to win approvals for deals abroad.

Regulators have tightened the screws further since June, reviewing deal agreements in minute detail and ordering a group of lenders to assess their exposure to offshore acquisitions by several big companies that have been on overseas buying sprees, including HNA Group, Dalian Wanda Group, and Fosun Group.

The heightened regulatory scrutiny of overseas acquisitions comes after companies spent a record $220 billion in 2016 on assets overseas, buying up everything from movie studios to European football clubs.

The scrutiny, however, has not impacted Chinese companies&#39; pursuit of targets along the Belt and Road corridor, as those investments are considered strategic for the companies as well as the Chinese economy.

&quot;People are thinking in a long-term approach when making investments along Belt and Road countries,&quot; said Hilary Lau, a corporate and commercial lawyer and partner at the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

&quot;The acquisitions are also policy-driven. There are funds allocated by Chinese banks and state funds for Belt and Road deals,&quot; he said.

The number of Chinese deals targeting Belt and Road countries totalled 109 this year, compared to 175 in the whole of last year and 134 in 2015.

Companies enjoy a relatively smooth approval process for deals along the Belt and Road project as regulators tend to put them in a different basket when reviewing outbound investments, according to lawyers and dealmakers.

&quot;If you are doing One Belt, One Road, that becomes the first sentence in the document&quot; to the regulators, said a senior investment advisor at a Chinese company that has acquired several overseas businesses.

&quot;It is a wise thing to point out early on,&quot; said the advisor, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The largest deal in a Belt and Road country so far this year was a Chinese consortium&#39;s $11.6 billion buyout of the Singapore-based Global Logistics Properties.

Other top deals include the $1.8 billion purchase of an 8 per cent ownership interest in an Abu Dhabi oil company by the state-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corp, and HNA Group&#39;s $1 billion acquisition of a logistics company, CWT Ltd, which has not yet closed.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, China&#39;s foreign exchange regulator, said this month that domestic companies would still be encouraged to participate in Belt and Road activities.

HNA, which has seen at least two overseas deals hit a hurdle as a result of the crackdown on transferring money, has said it plans to prioritise investments that are in industries and regions mapped out under the Belt and Road initiative.

The belt and road acquisitions are predominantly in energy and infrastructure sectors, said Hilary Lau of Herbert Smith Freehills.

&quot;We&#39;ve seen a lot of activities recently in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. The whole Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh corridor is also hot as it&#39;s connecting the East and West,&quot; he said.

Unveiled in 2013, the Belt and Road project is aimed at building a modern-day 'Silk Road'

Mergers and acquisitions by Chinese companies in countries that are part of the Belt and Road initiative are soaring, even as Beijing cracks down on China's acquisitive conglomerates to restrict capital outflows. Chinese acquisitions in the 68 countries officially linked to President Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy totalled $33 billion as of Monday, surpassing the $31 billion tally for all of 2016. Unveiled in 2013, the Belt and Road project is aimed at building a modern-day "Silk Road", connecting China by land and sea to Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Central Asia, and beyond to the Middle East, Europe and Africa. At a summit in May, Xi pledged $124 billion for the plan, but it has faced suspicion in Western capitals that it is intended more to assert Chinese influence than Beijing's professed desire to spread prosperity. The surge in Chinese companies' acquisition-linked investments in the Belt and Road corridor comes as the volume of all outbound mergers and acquisitions from China has dropped 42 per cent year-on-year as of Monday. Beijing's move to prop up the yuan by restricting the flow of capital outside the country and clamp down on debt-fuelled acquisitions to ensure financial stability has made it tougher for buyers to win approvals for deals abroad. Regulators have tightened the screws further since June, reviewing deal agreements in minute detail and ordering a group of lenders to assess their exposure to offshore acquisitions by several big companies that have been on overseas buying sprees, including HNA Group, Dalian Wanda Group, and Fosun Group. The heightened regulatory scrutiny of overseas acquisitions comes after companies spent a record $220 billion in 2016 on assets overseas, buying up everything from movie studios to European football clubs. The scrutiny, however, has not impacted Chinese companies' pursuit of targets along the Belt and Road corridor, as those investments are considered strategic for the companies as well as the Chinese economy. "People are thinking in a long-term approach when making investments along Belt and Road countries," said Hilary Lau, a corporate and commercial lawyer and partner at the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. "The acquisitions are also policy-driven. There are funds allocated by Chinese banks and state funds for Belt and Road deals," he said. The number of Chinese deals targeting Belt and Road countries totalled 109 this year, compared to 175 in the whole of last year and 134 in 2015. Companies enjoy a relatively smooth approval process for deals along the Belt and Road project as regulators tend to put them in a different basket when reviewing outbound investments, according to lawyers and dealmakers. "If you are doing One Belt, One Road, that becomes the first sentence in the document" to the regulators, said a senior investment advisor at a Chinese company that has acquired several overseas businesses. "It is a wise thing to point out early on," said the advisor, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. The largest deal in a Belt and Road country so far this year was a Chinese consortium's $11.6 billion buyout of the Singapore-based Global Logistics Properties. Other top deals include the $1.8 billion purchase of an 8 per cent ownership interest in an Abu Dhabi oil company by the state-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corp, and HNA Group's $1 billion acquisition of a logistics company, CWT Ltd, which has not yet closed. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, China's foreign exchange regulator, said this month that domestic companies would still be encouraged to participate in Belt and Road activities. HNA, which has seen at least two overseas deals hit a hurdle as a result of the crackdown on transferring money, has said it plans to prioritise investments that are in industries and regions mapped out under the Belt and Road initiative. The belt and road acquisitions are predominantly in energy and infrastructure sectors, said Hilary Lau of Herbert Smith Freehills. "We've seen a lot of activities recently in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. The whole Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh corridor is also hot as it's connecting the East and West," he said.

China's Belt and Road acquisitions surge despite outbound capital crackdown

Beijing has taken the Doklam border tension to a new level. In a rather unusual practice, the Chinese Foreign Ministry (MoFA) has released a Position Paper explaining China&rsquo;s stance on the ongoing Doklam border row and how India has violated international law on the matter. The Position Paper titled -- &quot;The Facts and China&rsquo;s Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory&quot; were released on August 2, 2017, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of China.&nbsp;

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<h5>The Position Paper cannot be overlooked by India since it serves as a pointer on the future course of China-India boundary negotiation.</h5>
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Releasing a position paper or official white paper is nothing unusual in China today. In the last decade, China has released several papers on sensitive subjects relating to territorial and national security issues. Through these papers, Beijing has explained to the international audience affirming China&rsquo;s position on sensitive issues like human rights, Tibet, Xinjiang, South China Sea, East China Sea and on many other issues that Beijing would like to narrate its official position to the outside world. These papers have acted as official documents for China. But most of these papers have been released by the State Council of China. For the MoFA to release a position paper only confirms Beijing&rsquo;s seriousness on the matter. Though this is not the first time that MoFA has released a Position Paper, still MoFA releasing the Position Paper confirms to the motive that how keen Beijing really is to take advantage of the situation and make an international diplomatic capital out of the Doklam row. &nbsp;

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<h5>The paper seeks to internationalise the issue and show India in a bad light.</h5>
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The text of this Position Paper may not necessarily be all new. The Chinese government and the People&rsquo;s Liberation Army (PLA) have expressed similar texts and wordings in different press briefings over the last two months. The longevity of the Doklam border tension has already allowed China to capitalise the issue, by reiterating how China is being tolerant to India&rsquo;s insensitivity on the whole Doklam tension. Therefore, it is not the text of this Position Paper that is important here. What is important is how the Position Paper seeks to internationalise the issue and show India in a bad light. Beijing&rsquo;s attempt is, clearly, to internationalise the Doklam tension to the extent that it can create strong global diplomatic pressure, including to employ a military pressure on its own, on India if the situation deteriorates.

The Position Paper, set out in four parts, gives the Chinese version of the border tension, explaining how the situation has been complicated by Indian troops trespassing the border. Interestingly, the position paper has three maps in Appendix I, while Appendix II is about the &quot;Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet&quot; and Appendix III carries quotes from important letters from India to China in 1959, 1960 and 2006 over Bhutan and Sikkim. The maps are designed to reinforce a case against New Delhi by depicting how Indian troops are trying to change the facts on the ground by trespassing the international border. So, while the position paper reiterates the Chinese position on the matter, there is also a new set of narratives that Beijing is trying to depict on what India must remain watchful.&nbsp;

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<h5>The main Chinese intent behind this text in the Position paper is to depict a case that Indian troops are still on the Chinese ground and the international community must note that.</h5>
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First, the Position Paper questions the motive and physical movement of Indian troops. It categorically states that &ldquo;At the end of July, there were still over 40 Indian border troops and one bulldozer illegally staying in the Chinese territory&rdquo;. Though one needs to verify the number of Indian soldiers present on the Doklam plateau, the motive behind this Chinese depiction is to show to the international community how Beijing is acting with restraint despite Indian troop presence in Chinese territory. Though India has denied the reduction of the troops, still the main Chinese intent behind this text in the Position Paper is to depict a case that Indian troops are still on the Chinese ground and the international community must note that.

Second, the Position Paper tries to reiterate the importance of the 1890 Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet to explain that the boundary in the Doklam region is defined. This is nothing new on China&rsquo;s part, but the paper tries to build a context of how India is insulting China&rsquo;s sovereignty by trespassing onto Chinese territory. The effort here is to pass a message to the international community, that the area where China was constructing the road is not a disputed area between China and Bhutan, but belongs to China only. This is an attempt to change the status-quo on the ground. Besides, the motive behind this is to legitimise the 1890 agreement and impose the implications of this agreement compellingly on India. This is an interesting aspect since China have shown reservation in acknowledging the historical 1914 McMahon Line in China-India boundary negotiation, and have always preferred to call it as an &ldquo;illegitimate&rdquo; line. But in this case, Beijing has preferred to acknowledge the legitimacy of 1890 convention which is older than the 1914 McMahon Line.

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<h5>The motive behind this is to legitimise the 1890 agreement and impose the implications of this agreement compellingly on India. This is an interesting aspect since China have shown reservation in acknowledging the historical 1914 McMahon Line in China-India boundary negotiation, and have always preferred to call it as an &ldquo;illegitimate&rdquo; line.</h5>
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Third, the position paper tries to explain how India&rsquo;s reference to China&rsquo;s road construction in the Doklam area as a &ldquo;serious security implication&rdquo; is unacceptable and the international community must take a strong note of it. The paper talks about UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 and authoritatively explains that India has violated international law by &lsquo;crossing a delimited boundary&rsquo;. This is equally interesting as Beijing has never been so concerned about violating international law on maritime disputes in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Chinese behaviour in these disputes has been quite problematic, but Beijing has forgotten to take cognizance of its own actions.&nbsp;

Fourth, China is trying to make a sovereignty assertion through this position paper that China will not compromise on boundary disputes with India. The position paper affirms that &ldquo;no country should ever underestimate the resolve of the Chinese government and people to defend China&rsquo;s territorial sovereignty&rdquo;. Such wording only explains how Beijing is slowly building a nationalist context not only over Doklam but also over China&rsquo;s overall approach towards India.&nbsp;Beijing is trying to put India in the same negative bracket along with Japan and the United States.&nbsp;

The most important aspect above all these is how slowly Beijing is trying to influence the status-quo equations. This position paper helps China to slowly tighten the status-quo on the ground in front of the international community. It would, henceforth, not be surprising if China decides to employ a more aggressive stance on its border negotiations with India. Beijing would carry more patrolling activities across the China-India border, carry out resolutely its military infrastructure facilities and try to indulge in frequent incursions. These will allow China to change the facts on the ground slowly in its favour. More than that, the release of this Position Paper also allows Beijing to change the overall &lsquo;relationship status-quo&rsquo; between China-Bhutan, India-Bhutan and China-India. Through this Position Paper, Beijing is trying to make a case to Thimphu that Bhutan is a &lsquo;sovereign&rsquo; country and should not be swayed by any Indian influence.&nbsp;

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<h5>Beijing is trying to pass a message that India should be careful about its relationship with China, particularly border related issues, by signalling that it can complicate the China-India boundary dispute whenever it wants.</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Beijing is trying to pass a message that India should be careful about its relationship with China, particularly border related issues, by signalling that it can complicate the China-India boundary dispute whenever it wants." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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The Position Paper cannot be overlooked by India since it serves as a pointer on the future course of China-India boundary negotiation. Beijing is trying to pass a message that India should be careful about its relationship with China, particularly border related issues, by signalling that it can complicate the China-India boundary dispute whenever it wants. There is also a signal&nbsp;that China could perhaps revisit its stance on Sikkim if the situation persists or deteriorates. India must take judicious note of this fact.&nbsp;

The timing of the release of this Position Paper is also linked to Chinese domestic political context. Beijing is preparing hard for the 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). An authoritative positioning on national security issues helps the CPC to gather public applaud in its favour by making a statement that there will be no compromise regarding China&rsquo;s national security and territorial integrity. The effort is to build a new international image of China under Xi Jinping - that the country is moving towards a new and distinct path, which the international community, especially China&rsquo;s neighbours, must take note of.&nbsp;

The Position Paper makes it clear that China will not compromise on boundary disputes with India

Beijing has taken the Doklam border tension to a new level. In a rather unusual practice, the Chinese Foreign Ministry (MoFA) has released a Position Paper explaining China’s stance on the ongoing Doklam border row and how India has violated international law on the matter. The Position Paper titled -- "The Facts and China’s Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory" were released on August 2, 2017, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of China. The Position Paper cannot be overlooked by India since it serves as a pointer on the future course of China-India boundary negotiation. × Releasing a position paper or official white paper is nothing unusual in China today. In the last decade, China has released several papers on sensitive subjects relating to territorial and national security issues. Through these papers, Beijing has explained to the international audience affirming China’s position on sensitive issues like human rights, Tibet, Xinjiang, South China Sea, East China Sea and on many other issues that Beijing would like to narrate its official position to the outside world. These papers have acted as official documents for China. But most of these papers have been released by the State Council of China. For the MoFA to release a position paper only confirms Beijing’s seriousness on the matter. Though this is not the first time that MoFA has released a Position Paper, still MoFA releasing the Position Paper confirms to the motive that how keen Beijing really is to take advantage of the situation and make an international diplomatic capital out of the Doklam row. The paper seeks to internationalise the issue and show India in a bad light. × The text of this Position Paper may not necessarily be all new. The Chinese government and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have expressed similar texts and wordings in different press briefings over the last two months. The longevity of the Doklam border tension has already allowed China to capitalise the issue, by reiterating how China is being tolerant to India’s insensitivity on the whole Doklam tension. Therefore, it is not the text of this Position Paper that is important here. What is important is how the Position Paper seeks to internationalise the issue and show India in a bad light. Beijing’s attempt is, clearly, to internationalise the Doklam tension to the extent that it can create strong global diplomatic pressure, including to employ a military pressure on its own, on India if the situation deteriorates. The Position Paper, set out in four parts, gives the Chinese version of the border tension, explaining how the situation has been complicated by Indian troops trespassing the border. Interestingly, the position paper has three maps in Appendix I, while Appendix II is about the "Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet" and Appendix III carries quotes from important letters from India to China in 1959, 1960 and 2006 over Bhutan and Sikkim. The maps are designed to reinforce a case against New Delhi by depicting how Indian troops are trying to change the facts on the ground by trespassing the international border. So, while the position paper reiterates the Chinese position on the matter, there is also a new set of narratives that Beijing is trying to depict on what India must remain watchful. The main Chinese intent behind this text in the Position paper is to depict a case that Indian troops are still on the Chinese ground and the international community must note that. × First, the Position Paper questions the motive and physical movement of Indian troops. It categorically states that “At the end of July, there were still over 40 Indian border troops and one bulldozer illegally staying in the Chinese territory”. Though one needs to verify the number of Indian soldiers present on the Doklam plateau, the motive behind this Chinese depiction is to show to the international community how Beijing is acting with restraint despite Indian troop presence in Chinese territory. Though India has denied the reduction of the troops, still the main Chinese intent behind this text in the Position Paper is to depict a case that Indian troops are still on the Chinese ground and the international community must note that. Second, the Position Paper tries to reiterate the importance of the 1890 Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet to explain that the boundary in the Doklam region is defined. This is nothing new on China’s part, but the paper tries to build a context of how India is insulting China’s sovereignty by trespassing onto Chinese territory. The effort here is to pass a message to the international community, that the area where China was constructing the road is not a disputed area between China and Bhutan, but belongs to China only. This is an attempt to change the status-quo on the ground. Besides, the motive behind this is to legitimise the 1890 agreement and impose the implications of this agreement compellingly on India. This is an interesting aspect since China have shown reservation in acknowledging the historical 1914 McMahon Line in China-India boundary negotiation, and have always preferred to call it as an “illegitimate” line. But in this case, Beijing has preferred to acknowledge the legitimacy of 1890 convention which is older than the 1914 McMahon Line. The motive behind this is to legitimise the 1890 agreement and impose the implications of this agreement compellingly on India. This is an interesting aspect since China have shown reservation in acknowledging the historical 1914 McMahon Line in China-India boundary negotiation, and have always preferred to call it as an “illegitimate” line. × Third, the position paper tries to explain how India’s reference to China’s road construction in the Doklam area as a “serious security implication” is unacceptable and the international community must take a strong note of it. The paper talks about UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 and authoritatively explains that India has violated international law by ‘crossing a delimited boundary’. This is equally interesting as Beijing has never been so concerned about violating international law on maritime disputes in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Chinese behaviour in these disputes has been quite problematic, but Beijing has forgotten to take cognizance of its own actions. Fourth, China is trying to make a sovereignty assertion through this position paper that China will not compromise on boundary disputes with India. The position paper affirms that “no country should ever underestimate the resolve of the Chinese government and people to defend China’s territorial sovereignty”. Such wording only explains how Beijing is slowly building a nationalist context not only over Doklam but also over China’s overall approach towards India. Beijing is trying to put India in the same negative bracket along with Japan and the United States. The most important aspect above all these is how slowly Beijing is trying to influence the status-quo equations. This position paper helps China to slowly tighten the status-quo on the ground in front of the international community. It would, henceforth, not be surprising if China decides to employ a more aggressive stance on its border negotiations with India. Beijing would carry more patrolling activities across the China-India border, carry out resolutely its military infrastructure facilities and try to indulge in frequent incursions. These will allow China to change the facts on the ground slowly in its favour. More than that, the release of this Position Paper also allows Beijing to change the overall ‘relationship status-quo’ between China-Bhutan, India-Bhutan and China-India. Through this Position Paper, Beijing is trying to make a case to Thimphu that Bhutan is a ‘sovereign’ country and should not be swayed by any Indian influence. Beijing is trying to pass a message that India should be careful about its relationship with China, particularly border related issues, by signalling that it can complicate the China-India boundary dispute whenever it wants. × The Position Paper cannot be overlooked by India since it serves as a pointer on the future course of China-India boundary negotiation. Beijing is trying to pass a message that India should be careful about its relationship with China, particularly border related issues, by signalling that it can complicate the China-India boundary dispute whenever it wants. There is also a signal that China could perhaps revisit its stance on Sikkim if the situation persists or deteriorates. India must take judicious note of this fact. The timing of the release of this Position Paper is also linked to Chinese domestic political context. Beijing is preparing hard for the 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). An authoritative positioning on national security issues helps the CPC to gather public applaud in its favour by making a statement that there will be no compromise regarding China’s national security and territorial integrity. The effort is to build a new international image of China under Xi Jinping - that the country is moving towards a new and distinct path, which the international community, especially China’s neighbours, must take note of.

Why India needs to take seriously Beijing?s Position Paper on Doklam

Russia and China joined diplomatic forces on Tuesday and called on North Korea, South Korea and the United States to sign up to a Chinese de-escalation plan designed to defuse tensions around Pyongyang&#39;s missile programme.

The plan would see North Korea suspend its ballistic missile programme and the United States and South Korea simultaneously call a moratorium on large-scale missile exercises, both moves aimed at paving the way for multilateral talks.

The initiative was set out in a joint statement from the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries issued shortly after President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held wide-ranging talks in the Kremlin.

&quot;The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries,&quot; the joint statement said. &quot;Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way.&quot;

North Korea said on Tuesday it had successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time, which flew a trajectory that experts said could allow a weapon to hit the US&nbsp;state of Alaska.

Russia and China both share a land border with North Korea and have been involved in past efforts to try to calm tensions between Pyongyang and the West.

Moscow and Beijing used the same joint declaration to call on Washington to immediately halt deployment of its THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea, a move Washington says is necessitated by the North Korean missile threat.

The statement said Washington was using North Korea as a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the area.

&quot;The deployment ... of THAAD will cause serious harm to the strategic security interests of regional states, including Russia and China,&quot; the statement said.

&quot;Russia and China oppose the deployment of such systems and call on the relevant countries to immediately halt and cancel the process of deployment.&quot;

The plan would see North Korea suspend its ballistic missile programme and the US & South Korea simultaneously stop large-scale missile exercises

Russia and China joined diplomatic forces on Tuesday and called on North Korea, South Korea and the United States to sign up to a Chinese de-escalation plan designed to defuse tensions around Pyongyang's missile programme. The plan would see North Korea suspend its ballistic missile programme and the United States and South Korea simultaneously call a moratorium on large-scale missile exercises, both moves aimed at paving the way for multilateral talks. The initiative was set out in a joint statement from the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries issued shortly after President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held wide-ranging talks in the Kremlin. "The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries," the joint statement said. "Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way." North Korea said on Tuesday it had successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time, which flew a trajectory that experts said could allow a weapon to hit the US state of Alaska. Russia and China both share a land border with North Korea and have been involved in past efforts to try to calm tensions between Pyongyang and the West. Moscow and Beijing used the same joint declaration to call on Washington to immediately halt deployment of its THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea, a move Washington says is necessitated by the North Korean missile threat. The statement said Washington was using North Korea as a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the area. "The deployment ... of THAAD will cause serious harm to the strategic security interests of regional states, including Russia and China," the statement said. "Russia and China oppose the deployment of such systems and call on the relevant countries to immediately halt and cancel the process of deployment."

Russia and China tell N Korea, US and S Korea to embrace de-escalation plan

Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman landed in Beijing Saturday after a visit to North Korea, describing the escapade as a &quot;real good trip&quot;.&nbsp;

Sporting a baseball cap, sunglasses, green nail polish and a black t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of sponsor PotCoin -- a cryptocurrency for the legal cannabis industry -- Rodman declined to comment further as he was swarmed at the Beijing airport by journalists.&nbsp;

He had arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, saying that he wanted to &quot;open the door&quot; to the regime and claiming that US President Donald Trump would be pleased with his mission.&nbsp;

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<h5>While in North Korea, Rodman was shown in video and photos presenting the isolated country&#39;s sports minister Kim Il Guk with off-the-wall gifts that included a copy of Trump&#39;s book &#39;The Art of the Deal&#39;, soap, two autographed jerseys and a copy of &#39;Where&#39;s Waldo? The Totally Essential Travel Collection&#39;</h5>
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&quot;Dennis is working hard for both countries, trying to, you know, mend the tension as much as possible,&quot; his assistant, who accompanied him and asked to be called &quot;Vo,&quot; told reporters.&nbsp;

&quot;With sports that&#39;s what happens, right? Sports unite, sports and music unite,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

While in North Korea, Rodman was shown in video and photos presenting the isolated country&#39;s sports minister Kim Il Guk with off-the-wall gifts that included a copy of Trump&#39;s book &quot;The Art of the Deal&quot;, soap, two autographed jerseys and a copy of &quot;Where&#39;s Waldo? The Totally Essential Travel Collection.&quot;&nbsp;

Trump was Rodman&#39;s boss when he appeared on the &quot;Celebrity Apprentice&quot; reality TV show.

This is at least the fifth trip to North Korea for the heavily pierced and tattooed former basketball star.

In 2014 he attracted a deluge of criticism after being filmed in the country singing happy birthday to his &quot;friend for life&quot;, leader Kim Jong-Un.

Rodman has met Kim on some but not all of his previous trips, and it remains unclear if he met with the leader this time.&nbsp;

This latest visit comes amid high tensions between Washington and Pyongyang following a series of missile tests by the North, which have triggered tightened UN sanctions.

Rodman has previously described his visits, including one in 2013 with the Harlem Globetrotters, as &quot;basketball diplomacy&quot; but has been roundly criticised for failing to raise human rights issues.

His trip this time coincided with North Korea&#39;s release of a comatose US student, 22-year-old Otto Warmbier of Cincinnati, who was incarcerated in March 2016 for stealing a political poster from a hotel.

US officials repeatedly said Rodman was travelling to North Korea as a private citizen, despite speculation he was working as an unofficial emissary for Trump.

In the US, Fred Warmbier echoed Washington&#39;s denials that Rodman&#39;s visit to Pyongyang had anything to do with the sudden release of his sick son.

American doctors treating the University of Virginia student have cast doubt on North Korean claims that the young man contracted botulism during his detention, saying Warmbier is unresponsive and has experienced extensive tissue loss in all regions of his brain.

The North is currently holding three other US citizens.&nbsp;

'Dennis is working hard for both countries, trying to, you know, mend the tension as much as possible,' his assistant said

Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman landed in Beijing Saturday after a visit to North Korea, describing the escapade as a "real good trip". Sporting a baseball cap, sunglasses, green nail polish and a black t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of sponsor PotCoin -- a cryptocurrency for the legal cannabis industry -- Rodman declined to comment further as he was swarmed at the Beijing airport by journalists. He had arrived in North Korea on Tuesday, saying that he wanted to "open the door" to the regime and claiming that US President Donald Trump would be pleased with his mission. While in North Korea, Rodman was shown in video and photos presenting the isolated country's sports minister Kim Il Guk with off-the-wall gifts that included a copy of Trump's book 'The Art of the Deal', soap, two autographed jerseys and a copy of 'Where's Waldo? The Totally Essential Travel Collection' × "Dennis is working hard for both countries, trying to, you know, mend the tension as much as possible," his assistant, who accompanied him and asked to be called "Vo," told reporters. "With sports that's what happens, right? Sports unite, sports and music unite," he added. While in North Korea, Rodman was shown in video and photos presenting the isolated country's sports minister Kim Il Guk with off-the-wall gifts that included a copy of Trump's book "The Art of the Deal", soap, two autographed jerseys and a copy of "Where's Waldo? The Totally Essential Travel Collection." Trump was Rodman's boss when he appeared on the "Celebrity Apprentice" reality TV show. This is at least the fifth trip to North Korea for the heavily pierced and tattooed former basketball star. In 2014 he attracted a deluge of criticism after being filmed in the country singing happy birthday to his "friend for life", leader Kim Jong-Un. Rodman has met Kim on some but not all of his previous trips, and it remains unclear if he met with the leader this time. This latest visit comes amid high tensions between Washington and Pyongyang following a series of missile tests by the North, which have triggered tightened UN sanctions. Rodman has previously described his visits, including one in 2013 with the Harlem Globetrotters, as "basketball diplomacy" but has been roundly criticised for failing to raise human rights issues. His trip this time coincided with North Korea's release of a comatose US student, 22-year-old Otto Warmbier of Cincinnati, who was incarcerated in March 2016 for stealing a political poster from a hotel. US officials repeatedly said Rodman was travelling to North Korea as a private citizen, despite speculation he was working as an unofficial emissary for Trump. In the US, Fred Warmbier echoed Washington's denials that Rodman's visit to Pyongyang had anything to do with the sudden release of his sick son. American doctors treating the University of Virginia student have cast doubt on North Korean claims that the young man contracted botulism during his detention, saying Warmbier is unresponsive and has experienced extensive tissue loss in all regions of his brain. The North is currently holding three other US citizens.

Rodman returns from 'real good trip' to North Korea

A US warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea on Thursday, a US official said, the first such operation by US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration in the disputed waterway.

The USS Dewey sailed &quot;less than 12 nautical miles&quot; from Mischief Reef -- part of the Spratly Islands -- early Thursday morning local time, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The guided-missile destroyer&#39;s &quot;freedom of navigation operation&quot; is likely to provoke anger from Beijing as the Trump administration attempts to draw support from China on reining in North Korea.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counter-claims from Taiwan and several southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

It has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The US has challenged annexations of these islets and advocated for a diplomatic settlement to the disputes.

A Pentagon spokesman, Major Jamie Davis, said US forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis and will fly and sail &quot;wherever international law&quot; allows.

&quot;We have a comprehensive Freedom of Navigation Operations program that seeks to challenge excessive maritime claims in order to preserve the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law,&quot; Davis said in a statement to AFP.

The exercises are &quot;not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements,&quot; he added.

According to the Pentagon, the US in 2016 conducted operations &quot;challenging excessive maritime claims of 22 coastal states, including allies and partners.&quot;

Pence warning 
The US has long argued that Beijing&#39;s actions in the South China Sea threaten freedom of navigation and overflight through the strategically vital waters.

China denies these claims, countering that the US is eager to stoke tensions in the region.

Australia and other countries have supported the US exercises, but have so far been unwilling to participate.

During a visit to Japan in April, US Vice President Mike Pence said the United States would defend the right to freedom of navigation through the waterway.

Speaking in January in New Delhi, US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris said Washington &quot;will not allow the shared domains to be closed down unilaterally -- no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea.&quot;

Last week, Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on a framework for creating a new code of conduct for ships and aircraft operating in the region.

The meeting was attended by ASEAN nations with claims in the region -- the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Under former President Benigno Aquino, the Philippines had adopted a tough stance on China&#39;s claims, which was tacitly backed by the US.

But the country&#39;s anger at the world&#39;s second largest economy has become a warm embrace following the election last year of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has declined to push China on territorial issues in the hopes of being rewarded with investment and aid.

On Tuesday, Duterte said that Chinese leaders had threatened to go to war over competing claims in the region during a meeting in Beijing. China&#39;s foreign ministry later said it would work with Manila to &quot;peacefully&quot; resolve disputes.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The USS Dewey sailed 'less than 12 nautical miles' from Mischief Reef -- part of the Spratly Islands -- early Thursday morning, an official said

A US warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea on Thursday, a US official said, the first such operation by US President Donald Trump's administration in the disputed waterway. The USS Dewey sailed "less than 12 nautical miles" from Mischief Reef -- part of the Spratly Islands -- early Thursday morning local time, the official said on condition of anonymity. The guided-missile destroyer's "freedom of navigation operation" is likely to provoke anger from Beijing as the Trump administration attempts to draw support from China on reining in North Korea. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counter-claims from Taiwan and several southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. The US has challenged annexations of these islets and advocated for a diplomatic settlement to the disputes. A Pentagon spokesman, Major Jamie Davis, said US forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis and will fly and sail "wherever international law" allows. "We have a comprehensive Freedom of Navigation Operations program that seeks to challenge excessive maritime claims in order to preserve the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law," Davis said in a statement to AFP. The exercises are "not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements," he added. According to the Pentagon, the US in 2016 conducted operations "challenging excessive maritime claims of 22 coastal states, including allies and partners." Pence warning The US has long argued that Beijing's actions in the South China Sea threaten freedom of navigation and overflight through the strategically vital waters. China denies these claims, countering that the US is eager to stoke tensions in the region. Australia and other countries have supported the US exercises, but have so far been unwilling to participate. During a visit to Japan in April, US Vice President Mike Pence said the United States would defend the right to freedom of navigation through the waterway. Speaking in January in New Delhi, US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris said Washington "will not allow the shared domains to be closed down unilaterally -- no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea." Last week, Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on a framework for creating a new code of conduct for ships and aircraft operating in the region. The meeting was attended by ASEAN nations with claims in the region -- the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. Under former President Benigno Aquino, the Philippines had adopted a tough stance on China's claims, which was tacitly backed by the US. But the country's anger at the world's second largest economy has become a warm embrace following the election last year of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has declined to push China on territorial issues in the hopes of being rewarded with investment and aid. On Tuesday, Duterte said that Chinese leaders had threatened to go to war over competing claims in the region during a meeting in Beijing. China's foreign ministry later said it would work with Manila to "peacefully" resolve disputes. (AFP)

US warship sails near South China Sea reef claimed by Beijing

So far, it&rsquo;s all been about allies, but this week will be different. US President Donald Trump is set to host his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for a two-day summit at his exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on April 6-7.

The meeting between the leaders of the world&rsquo;s biggest economies, as Trump predicted in a tweet, is expected to be &ldquo;a difficult one&rdquo;. Sino-US ties had witnessed steady growth under Barack Obama, both in style and substance.

For starters, Obama&rsquo;s much-vaunted and now abandoned pivot to Asia led to anxieties in Beijing &ndash; the kinds that Obama sought to sooth by becoming the first US president to visit China during his first year in office.

Through Obama&rsquo;s terms in office, Sino-US ties grew within a theoretical framework of expanding cooperation while containing conflict. In a sense that axiom was adhered to.

While the Obama White House resisted the Chinese narrative of designating ties as a &ldquo;new type of great power relationship,&rdquo; Obama did acknowledge that the China-US relationship was the &ldquo;most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century&rdquo;.

Despite the inherent frictions in the relationship, Obama and Xi met on 11 different occasions since 2013. Their interactions often showcased a strong personal rapport, whether it was in the heat of the desert in Sunnylands in 2013 or under the cool blue lights of the imperial gardens of Zhongnanhai in November 2014.

While fundamental irritants - such as North Korea, the South China Sea dispute, differences at the UN Security Council, along with trade, currency valuation and cyber-security &ndash; have persisted, there has been historic cooperation in areas where interests have coincided, such as combating climate change and arriving at a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme.

Most importantly, however, the Obama years showed that strategic containment of China is a venture that is destined to fail. For instance, while Obama negotiated the TPP, which today lies in ruins, China has moved ahead with its Belt and Road Initiative and expanded its influence through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

With the arrival of Trump and his hostile approach to economic globalisation, Xi has sought to position himself as the face of an interconnected world, as evident in his recent address in Davos.

Another such scenario was witnessed last week. As Trump signed an executive order to demolish an array of anti-global warming policies at home, Chinese state media showcased images of Xi planting trees with primary school students in Beijing, promising to build an ecological civilisation. While Trump has indicated that he will be pulling out of the Paris climate change accord, Xi has vowed that China will remain true to its commitments to combat global warming.

So, when it comes to optics, Beijing has clearly out-done the Trump White House, although given the new US President&rsquo;s rhetorical incoherence, one can legitimately argue that this wasn&rsquo;t really a difficult task.

In terms of the bilateral relationship, Trump, it seems, has steadily climbed down from the vitriol of the campaign and transition periods.

For instance, in December Trump called Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, raising doubts whether he would respect the One-China policy. By February, however, he agreed to support the One-China policy during a phone conversation with Xi.

Likewise, all the campaign trail threats of designating China as a currency manipulator have not led to any policy action so far. Moreover, as has been the case so far under Trump, the President&rsquo;s off-the-cuff and often abrasive Twitter rhetoric has been balanced out by his diplomatic emissaries.

During his visit to Beijing in March, US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, went as far as borrowing Chinese catchphrases - &ldquo;non-confrontation&rdquo;, &ldquo;no conflict&rdquo;, &ldquo;mutual respect&rdquo; and &ldquo;win-win solutions&rdquo; - to describe Sino-US ties. That led to a rather strange media debate, with commentators speculating that despite the Twitter hostility, the new US administration will actually be more accommodating of China&rsquo;s great power narrative than Obama was.

Finally, while Trump has continued to lash out at Beijing for not doing enough to rein in an aggressive Pyongyang and threatened to go it alone against the North with the military option being on the table, the truth is that there are very few realistic options available for Washington to explore.

China, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Pyongyang&rsquo;s trade, says that its influence over North Korea is overstated by Washington. It has consistently argued that it is Washington&rsquo;s aggression, such as the recent joint military drills with Seoul in the region, which is making it difficult to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table.

Beijing has reportedly proposed a &quot;double halt&quot; approach, with all sides dialing down the aggression. But that&rsquo;s a concept that the US State Department has already dismissed.

If for argument&#39;s sake, we assume that Trump is correct and that Beijing can do more to contain North Korea, but has been shirking that responsibility, then what is it that Washington can offer to encourage a policy shift?

In an interview to the Financial Times ahead of Xi&rsquo;s visit, Trump is quoted as saying &ldquo;trade is the incentive. It&rsquo;s all about trade&rdquo;. But given that the US trade deficit with China stands at $347 billion, a figure that Trump has promised to bring down, what sort of incentives can Trump realistically offer? Perhaps, we&rsquo;ll all have a better idea by April 6.

But from assessing what we&rsquo;ve seen so far, don&rsquo;t hold your breath: Trump isn&rsquo;t likely to follow up on the tough talk with serious action or a grand bargain just yet.

(WION)

Washington expects Beijing to do more in reining in North Korea but what incentives can US offer for such a policy shift remains to be seen

So far, it’s all been about allies, but this week will be different. US President Donald Trump is set to host his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for a two-day summit at his exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on April 6-7. The meeting between the leaders of the world’s biggest economies, as Trump predicted in a tweet, is expected to be “a difficult one”. Sino-US ties had witnessed steady growth under Barack Obama, both in style and substance. For starters, Obama’s much-vaunted and now abandoned pivot to Asia led to anxieties in Beijing – the kinds that Obama sought to sooth by becoming the first US president to visit China during his first year in office. Through Obama’s terms in office, Sino-US ties grew within a theoretical framework of expanding cooperation while containing conflict. In a sense that axiom was adhered to. While the Obama White House resisted the Chinese narrative of designating ties as a “new type of great power relationship,” Obama did acknowledge that the China-US relationship was the “most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century”. Despite the inherent frictions in the relationship, Obama and Xi met on 11 different occasions since 2013. Their interactions often showcased a strong personal rapport, whether it was in the heat of the desert in Sunnylands in 2013 or under the cool blue lights of the imperial gardens of Zhongnanhai in November 2014. While fundamental irritants - such as North Korea, the South China Sea dispute, differences at the UN Security Council, along with trade, currency valuation and cyber-security – have persisted, there has been historic cooperation in areas where interests have coincided, such as combating climate change and arriving at a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme. Most importantly, however, the Obama years showed that strategic containment of China is a venture that is destined to fail. For instance, while Obama negotiated the TPP, which today lies in ruins, China has moved ahead with its Belt and Road Initiative and expanded its influence through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). With the arrival of Trump and his hostile approach to economic globalisation, Xi has sought to position himself as the face of an interconnected world, as evident in his recent address in Davos. Another such scenario was witnessed last week. As Trump signed an executive order to demolish an array of anti-global warming policies at home, Chinese state media showcased images of Xi planting trees with primary school students in Beijing, promising to build an ecological civilisation. While Trump has indicated that he will be pulling out of the Paris climate change accord, Xi has vowed that China will remain true to its commitments to combat global warming. So, when it comes to optics, Beijing has clearly out-done the Trump White House, although given the new US President’s rhetorical incoherence, one can legitimately argue that this wasn’t really a difficult task. In terms of the bilateral relationship, Trump, it seems, has steadily climbed down from the vitriol of the campaign and transition periods. For instance, in December Trump called Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, raising doubts whether he would respect the One-China policy. By February, however, he agreed to support the One-China policy during a phone conversation with Xi. Likewise, all the campaign trail threats of designating China as a currency manipulator have not led to any policy action so far. Moreover, as has been the case so far under Trump, the President’s off-the-cuff and often abrasive Twitter rhetoric has been balanced out by his diplomatic emissaries. During his visit to Beijing in March, US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, went as far as borrowing Chinese catchphrases - “non-confrontation”, “no conflict”, “mutual respect” and “win-win solutions” - to describe Sino-US ties. That led to a rather strange media debate, with commentators speculating that despite the Twitter hostility, the new US administration will actually be more accommodating of China’s great power narrative than Obama was. Finally, while Trump has continued to lash out at Beijing for not doing enough to rein in an aggressive Pyongyang and threatened to go it alone against the North with the military option being on the table, the truth is that there are very few realistic options available for Washington to explore. China, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Pyongyang’s trade, says that its influence over North Korea is overstated by Washington. It has consistently argued that it is Washington’s aggression, such as the recent joint military drills with Seoul in the region, which is making it difficult to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table. Beijing has reportedly proposed a "double halt" approach, with all sides dialing down the aggression. But that’s a concept that the US State Department has already dismissed. If for argument's sake, we assume that Trump is correct and that Beijing can do more to contain North Korea, but has been shirking that responsibility, then what is it that Washington can offer to encourage a policy shift? In an interview to the Financial Times ahead of Xi’s visit, Trump is quoted as saying “trade is the incentive. It’s all about trade”. But given that the US trade deficit with China stands at $347 billion, a figure that Trump has promised to bring down, what sort of incentives can Trump realistically offer? Perhaps, we’ll all have a better idea by April 6. But from assessing what we’ve seen so far, don’t hold your breath: Trump isn’t likely to follow up on the tough talk with serious action or a grand bargain just yet. (WION)

Xi-Trump summit talks: Washington can't ignore a resurgent China

Thirty-six people were injured, one of them seriously, in a Jallikattu event held at Avanipuram in the district amid high-security today in which more than 900 bulls were used, police said. All the injured were being treated at the medical camp put up near the venue, police said.

More than 700 bull-tamers participated in the events, which were witnessed by thousands of spectators.

The bull-taming sport was formally inaugurated by Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar and District Collector Veeraraghava Rao. Top officials of the district and police administrations, including Superintendent of Police, were also present at the venue.

Police said all precautionary measures, including mandatory medical tests for bulls and participants as laid down by the state government, were taken before the conduct of the traditional rural sport.

Normally, Jallikattu is held as part of the Pongal festivities in Tamil Nadu. However, it was not held during Pongal this year due to a Supreme Court ban.

Amid continuing protests over Jallikattu ban across the state, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had on January 23 unanimously passed an amendment bill, clearing the path for conducting Jallikattu without any hindrance.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

The new cuts will bring coal use in the city to less than 7 million tonnes in 2017, the city's mayor Cai Qi said

Thirty-six people were injured, one of them seriously, in a Jallikattu event held at Avanipuram in the district amid high-security today in which more than 900 bulls were used, police said. All the injured were being treated at the medical camp put up near the venue, police said. More than 700 bull-tamers participated in the events, which were witnessed by thousands of spectators. The bull-taming sport was formally inaugurated by Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar and District Collector Veeraraghava Rao. Top officials of the district and police administrations, including Superintendent of Police, were also present at the venue. Police said all precautionary measures, including mandatory medical tests for bulls and participants as laid down by the state government, were taken before the conduct of the traditional rural sport. Normally, Jallikattu is held as part of the Pongal festivities in Tamil Nadu. However, it was not held during Pongal this year due to a Supreme Court ban. Amid continuing protests over Jallikattu ban across the state, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had on January 23 unanimously passed an amendment bill, clearing the path for conducting Jallikattu without any hindrance. (PTI)

Beijing to cut coal consumption by 30% in 2017 to fight choking smog

The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ended on Tuesday without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, the three countries involved in the search said.

The location of Flight MH370 has become one of the world&#39;s greatest aviation mysteries since the plane disappeared en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. &quot;Despite every effort using the best science available ... the search has not been able to locate the aircraft,&quot; Malaysian, Australian and Chinese authorities said in a statement.

The last search vessel left the area on Tuesday, the three countries said, after scouring 75,000 square mile&nbsp;area of the Indian Ocean sea floor. Malaysia, Australia and China had agreed in July to suspend the search if the plane was not found or new evidence uncovered once that area had been checked.

Australia in December 2016 dismissed an investigators&#39; recommendation to shift the search further north, saying that no new evidence had emerged to support it. A next-of-kin support group called Voice 370 said in a statement investigators could not leave the matter unsolved.

&quot;In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety,&quot; Voice 370 said. Most of the passengers were from China. The only confirmed traces of the plane have been three pieces of debris found washed up in Mauritius, the French island Reunion and an island off the coast of Tanzania.

As many as 30 other pieces of wreckage were found there and also at beaches in Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa are suspected to have come from the plane.

(Reuters)

The Malaysia Airlines plane vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board

The deep-sea search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ended on Tuesday without any trace being found of the plane that vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, the three countries involved in the search said. The location of Flight MH370 has become one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries since the plane disappeared en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. "Despite every effort using the best science available ... the search has not been able to locate the aircraft," Malaysian, Australian and Chinese authorities said in a statement. The last search vessel left the area on Tuesday, the three countries said, after scouring 75,000 square mile area of the Indian Ocean sea floor. Malaysia, Australia and China had agreed in July to suspend the search if the plane was not found or new evidence uncovered once that area had been checked. Australia in December 2016 dismissed an investigators' recommendation to shift the search further north, saying that no new evidence had emerged to support it. A next-of-kin support group called Voice 370 said in a statement investigators could not leave the matter unsolved. "In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety," Voice 370 said. Most of the passengers were from China. The only confirmed traces of the plane have been three pieces of debris found washed up in Mauritius, the French island Reunion and an island off the coast of Tanzania. As many as 30 other pieces of wreckage were found there and also at beaches in Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa are suspected to have come from the plane. (Reuters)

Three years on & with no plane found, search for MH 370 ends

India&#39;s environment ministry notified the Supreme Court-approved &#39;Graded Response Action Plan&#39; on its website early Monday morning. The plan features emergency measures like the&nbsp;odd-even vehicle&nbsp;scheme (running&nbsp;vehicles with odd and&nbsp;even numbers on alternate days) and halting construction activities to improve the Delhi-National Capital Region&#39;s (NCR) poor air quality. This is the first time that a graded plan -- wherein a fixed set of measures will have to be taken depending on how bad the pollution gets -- to improve air quality will be enforced in India.

The plan categorises pollution levels as emergency, severe, very poor, and moderate. The notification entrusts the SC-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to implement the graded action plan.

A task force, comprising members from the Central Pollution Control Board, the environment ministry, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana pollution boards, India Meteorological Department (IMD), health experts and other stakeholders, will facilitate implementation of the plan. Based on the forecast for critical pollution days, the measures will have to be rolled out at least two weeks in advance.

EPCA and other authorities have the power to pull up polluters and legally enforce the plan when air-quality in Delhi-NCR plunges, said senior officials from the ministry.

&quot;Our first aim is to prevent pollution levels from crossing emergency levels where public health is threatened. Hence, graded action marked for &#39;poor&#39; category of air-quality has to be enforced through the year,&quot; said Sunita Narain, EPCA member and director-general, Centre for Science and Environment.

Narain added, &quot;We need to be well prepared, since measures such as closing down construction sites will lead to labour distress. But these measures are necessary, even Beijing and Paris enforce these emergency actions.&quot;

The graded response action plan framework relies on IIT-Kanpur&#39;s study that analysed air-quality of Delhi-NCR over a period of one year and the major sources of pollution.

Analysis of the past air quality trend shows that severe and very Poor air quality is anticipated throughout the winter months of November to February and largely poor category during the summer months of March to May.

Road dust, biomass burning, construction, power plants and industries contribute to pollution in Delhi round the year.

During winter biomass burning, solid waste burning, firecrackers, stubble burning and secondary particles contribute greater to pollution while fly ash, vehicles and biomass burning are the big pollutants in the summers.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

According to the plan, a fixed set of measures will have to be taken depending on how bad pollution gets

India's environment ministry notified the Supreme Court-approved 'Graded Response Action Plan' on its website early Monday morning. The plan features emergency measures like the odd-even vehicle scheme (running vehicles with odd and even numbers on alternate days) and halting construction activities to improve the Delhi-National Capital Region's (NCR) poor air quality. This is the first time that a graded plan -- wherein a fixed set of measures will have to be taken depending on how bad the pollution gets -- to improve air quality will be enforced in India. The plan categorises pollution levels as emergency, severe, very poor, and moderate. The notification entrusts the SC-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) to implement the graded action plan. A task force, comprising members from the Central Pollution Control Board, the environment ministry, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana pollution boards, India Meteorological Department (IMD), health experts and other stakeholders, will facilitate implementation of the plan. Based on the forecast for critical pollution days, the measures will have to be rolled out at least two weeks in advance. EPCA and other authorities have the power to pull up polluters and legally enforce the plan when air-quality in Delhi-NCR plunges, said senior officials from the ministry. "Our first aim is to prevent pollution levels from crossing emergency levels where public health is threatened. Hence, graded action marked for 'poor' category of air-quality has to be enforced through the year," said Sunita Narain, EPCA member and director-general, Centre for Science and Environment. Narain added, "We need to be well prepared, since measures such as closing down construction sites will lead to labour distress. But these measures are necessary, even Beijing and Paris enforce these emergency actions." The graded response action plan framework relies on IIT-Kanpur's study that analysed air-quality of Delhi-NCR over a period of one year and the major sources of pollution. Analysis of the past air quality trend shows that severe and very Poor air quality is anticipated throughout the winter months of November to February and largely poor category during the summer months of March to May. Road dust, biomass burning, construction, power plants and industries contribute to pollution in Delhi round the year. During winter biomass burning, solid waste burning, firecrackers, stubble burning and secondary particles contribute greater to pollution while fly ash, vehicles and biomass burning are the big pollutants in the summers. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Delhi gets pollution action plan, odd-even may come back on bad days

China&#39;s foreign ministry said on Saturday that its &quot;One China&quot; principle was the non-negotiable political basis for China-US&nbsp;relations, and urged &quot;relevant parties&quot; in the United States to recognise the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue.

The comments, posted on the foreign ministry&#39;s website, were a direct response to remarks by US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in which he said the &quot;One China&quot; policy was negotiable.

Since 1979, the United States has acknowledged Taiwan as part of &quot;one China&quot;, but Trump prompted a diplomatic protest from Beijing by accepting a congratulatory phone call on his election win from President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan on December 2.

(Reuters)

The comments were a direct response to remarks by Trump in an interview with the WSJ in which he said the 'One China' policy was negotiable

China's foreign ministry said on Saturday that its "One China" principle was the non-negotiable political basis for China-US relations, and urged "relevant parties" in the United States to recognise the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue. The comments, posted on the foreign ministry's website, were a direct response to remarks by US President-elect Donald Trump in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in which he said the "One China" policy was negotiable. Since 1979, the United States has acknowledged Taiwan as part of "one China", but Trump prompted a diplomatic protest from Beijing by accepting a congratulatory phone call on his election win from President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan on December 2. (Reuters)

Beijing to Trump: 'One China' policy non-negotiable

Despite all the anti-Chinese remarks he made, Donald Trump was a surprising hero among Chinese nationalists during the presidential campaign. The former reality TV star drew his support from Chinese netizens either privately sharing his loathing for self-serving elitists (China has plenty of them) or excited by the prospects of the oafish Trump speeding up American decline and Chinese ascendency.

These fans were in for a nasty shock when the president-elect tweeted that he had accepted a phone call of congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Yingwen&mdash;a figure of contempt for Chinese nationalists. The deceptively innocent exchange marked the first time in almost four decades that an American president (or soon to be president) had openly communicated with a leader of the island-state.

To make matters worse, Trump referred to Tsai on equal terms as president, thus directly contradicting the Beijing-invented narrative of Taiwan as a breakaway province from the Chinese mainland, rather than a de facto independent state with its own leader.

ONE CHINA POLICY

Days later, he hinted at a possible end to the One China policy, making the assertion that the United States was not necessarily bound to such an agreement. Under this policy, both Taipei and Beijing make claim to the title of China (Taiwan is officially the Republic of China), but agree that there is only &ldquo;one China&rdquo;&mdash;in an abstract sense if not a unified nation-state.

Beyond the relationship of the two Chinas, the policy means that no country can hold official relations with both the governments of Taipei and Beijing. For its part, the US gives diplomatic recognition to Beijing but still retains unofficial ties with Taipei.

If Trump steers US policy to treating Taiwan more like an independent state, it undermines the One China principle and by extension the Chinese Communist Party&rsquo;s (CCP) decades-old claim to the island. Feeling its sovereign right over Taipei under threat, Beijing will retaliate.

In fact, on December 15, China captured a US Navy drone, possibly to send Trump a warning message and flex its muscles in the South China Sea. Even before stepping into office, Trump has shown his potential to damage stability in East Asia.

Which makes the threats posed after Trump enters the White House all the more serious. If he chooses to further provoke China after his inauguration in January 2017, it could easily lead to a cycle of escalation in an already volatile region. Besides Taiwan, much of East and Southeast Asia (backed by the US) hold competing claims to territory with China.

It&rsquo;s not clear whether Trump&rsquo;s phone call with Tsai was an intentional plot to undermine Beijing or a result of his ignorance to the sensitivities within East Asian international politics. Given that he is a president-elect who rejects Central Intelligence Agency briefings, it was likely the latter. What kind of diplomatic crisis might he fall into next when dealing with, say, the South China Sea dispute?

DEAL OR NO DEAL

Trump should take a step back before nearing the brink with China. Besides, this diplomatic faux-pas should not be interpreted as a sign of his suddenly principled approach to world politics. Trump is right to stand up for Taiwan. But he is likely doing so for the wrong reasons.

Unlike his predecessors, Trump has shown little concern about US-led stability or democracy in the region. Rather, the protectionist president-elect wants to cut a deal with China over trade for the security of white-collar American jobs. In his official statement, Trump said: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why we have to be bound by a &lsquo;one China policy&rsquo; unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.&rdquo;

Foreign policy is, of course, about making deals&mdash;a skill that Trump likes to remind people he excels at. But US policy needs to be underpinned by principles and a great strategy in order to work. Simply making deals risks reducing allies like Taiwan down to bargaining chips that can be tossed away when the price is right.

It is especially concerning when considering that no deal can be struck with China in Taiwan&rsquo;s favor. Beijing does not consider Taiwan&rsquo;s status up for negotiation&mdash;unless the outcome is bringing Taipei under CCP rule.

That would give Trump&rsquo;s Chinese fans something to cheer about.

President-elect Donald Trump?s China policy cannot be based on deal making alone

Despite all the anti-Chinese remarks he made, Donald Trump was a surprising hero among Chinese nationalists during the presidential campaign. The former reality TV star drew his support from Chinese netizens either privately sharing his loathing for self-serving elitists (China has plenty of them) or excited by the prospects of the oafish Trump speeding up American decline and Chinese ascendency. These fans were in for a nasty shock when the president-elect tweeted that he had accepted a phone call of congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Yingwen—a figure of contempt for Chinese nationalists. The deceptively innocent exchange marked the first time in almost four decades that an American president (or soon to be president) had openly communicated with a leader of the island-state. To make matters worse, Trump referred to Tsai on equal terms as president, thus directly contradicting the Beijing-invented narrative of Taiwan as a breakaway province from the Chinese mainland, rather than a de facto independent state with its own leader. ONE CHINA POLICY Days later, he hinted at a possible end to the One China policy, making the assertion that the United States was not necessarily bound to such an agreement. Under this policy, both Taipei and Beijing make claim to the title of China (Taiwan is officially the Republic of China), but agree that there is only “one China”—in an abstract sense if not a unified nation-state. Beyond the relationship of the two Chinas, the policy means that no country can hold official relations with both the governments of Taipei and Beijing. For its part, the US gives diplomatic recognition to Beijing but still retains unofficial ties with Taipei. If Trump steers US policy to treating Taiwan more like an independent state, it undermines the One China principle and by extension the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) decades-old claim to the island. Feeling its sovereign right over Taipei under threat, Beijing will retaliate. In fact, on December 15, China captured a US Navy drone, possibly to send Trump a warning message and flex its muscles in the South China Sea. Even before stepping into office, Trump has shown his potential to damage stability in East Asia. Which makes the threats posed after Trump enters the White House all the more serious. If he chooses to further provoke China after his inauguration in January 2017, it could easily lead to a cycle of escalation in an already volatile region. Besides Taiwan, much of East and Southeast Asia (backed by the US) hold competing claims to territory with China. It’s not clear whether Trump’s phone call with Tsai was an intentional plot to undermine Beijing or a result of his ignorance to the sensitivities within East Asian international politics. Given that he is a president-elect who rejects Central Intelligence Agency briefings, it was likely the latter. What kind of diplomatic crisis might he fall into next when dealing with, say, the South China Sea dispute? DEAL OR NO DEAL Trump should take a step back before nearing the brink with China. Besides, this diplomatic faux-pas should not be interpreted as a sign of his suddenly principled approach to world politics. Trump is right to stand up for Taiwan. But he is likely doing so for the wrong reasons. Unlike his predecessors, Trump has shown little concern about US-led stability or democracy in the region. Rather, the protectionist president-elect wants to cut a deal with China over trade for the security of white-collar American jobs. In his official statement, Trump said: “I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China policy’ unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.” Foreign policy is, of course, about making deals—a skill that Trump likes to remind people he excels at. But US policy needs to be underpinned by principles and a great strategy in order to work. Simply making deals risks reducing allies like Taiwan down to bargaining chips that can be tossed away when the price is right. It is especially concerning when considering that no deal can be struck with China in Taiwan’s favor. Beijing does not consider Taiwan’s status up for negotiation—unless the outcome is bringing Taipei under CCP rule. That would give Trump’s Chinese fans something to cheer about.

Diplomacy with Beijing is not that easy

Chinese state media on Friday expressed alarm and warned of a &quot;showdown with the US&quot; after President-elect Donald Trump named Peter Navarro, an economist who has urged a hard line against China, to head a new White House National Trade Council.

Navarro is an academic and one-time investment adviser who has authored books such as &quot;Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base&quot;. The book was made into a documentary film about Beijing&#39;s desire to become the dominant economic and military power in Asia.

&quot;That individuals such as Navarro who have a bias against China are being picked to work in leading positions in the next administration, is no laughing matter,&quot; the official English-language China Daily said in an editorial.

&quot;The new administration should bear in mind that with economic and trade ties between the world&#39;s two largest economies now the closest they have ever been, any move to damage the win-win relationship will only result in a loss for both sides.&quot;

The previous day, China&#39;s foreign ministry said in reaction it was playing close attention to Trump&#39;s transition team and possible policy direction, that cooperation between the two countries was the only correct choice.

The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party&#39;s official People&#39;s Daily, said Trump&#39;s decision over Navarro was &quot;by no means a positive signal&quot;.

&quot;China needs to face up to the reality that the Trump team maintains a hard-line attitude toward China. It must discard any illusions and make full preparations for any offensive move by the Trump government,&quot; the Global Times said in an editorial.

&quot;China is powerful enough to withstand pressures from the Trump government. Beijing will get used to the tensions between the two countries. If Washington dares to provoke China over its core interests, Beijing won&#39;t fear setting up a showdown with the US, pressuring the latter to pay respect to China.&quot;

Trump, a Republican, made trade a centrepiece of his presidential campaign and railed against what he said were bad deals the United States had made with other countries. He has threatened to hit Mexico and China with high tariffs once he takes office on Jan. 20.

Navarro, 67, a professor at University of California, Irvine, advised Trump during the campaign. As well as describing what he sees as America&#39;s losing economic war with China, Navarro has highlighted concerns over environmental issues related to Chinese imports and the theft of US&nbsp;intellectual property.

(Reuters)

Beijing is 'alarmed' after Trump picks the author of 'Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base' to lead a major trade council

Chinese state media on Friday expressed alarm and warned of a "showdown with the US" after President-elect Donald Trump named Peter Navarro, an economist who has urged a hard line against China, to head a new White House National Trade Council. Navarro is an academic and one-time investment adviser who has authored books such as "Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base". The book was made into a documentary film about Beijing's desire to become the dominant economic and military power in Asia. "That individuals such as Navarro who have a bias against China are being picked to work in leading positions in the next administration, is no laughing matter," the official English-language China Daily said in an editorial. "The new administration should bear in mind that with economic and trade ties between the world's two largest economies now the closest they have ever been, any move to damage the win-win relationship will only result in a loss for both sides." The previous day, China's foreign ministry said in reaction it was playing close attention to Trump's transition team and possible policy direction, that cooperation between the two countries was the only correct choice. The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said Trump's decision over Navarro was "by no means a positive signal". "China needs to face up to the reality that the Trump team maintains a hard-line attitude toward China. It must discard any illusions and make full preparations for any offensive move by the Trump government," the Global Times said in an editorial. "China is powerful enough to withstand pressures from the Trump government. Beijing will get used to the tensions between the two countries. If Washington dares to provoke China over its core interests, Beijing won't fear setting up a showdown with the US, pressuring the latter to pay respect to China." Trump, a Republican, made trade a centrepiece of his presidential campaign and railed against what he said were bad deals the United States had made with other countries. He has threatened to hit Mexico and China with high tariffs once he takes office on Jan. 20. Navarro, 67, a professor at University of California, Irvine, advised Trump during the campaign. As well as describing what he sees as America's losing economic war with China, Navarro has highlighted concerns over environmental issues related to Chinese imports and the theft of US intellectual property. (Reuters)

Chinese-state media bristle over Trump's anti-China appointment

China today launched a global carbon dioxide monitoring satellite to understand climate change, hours after it lifted nearly a week-long red alert for the worst smog that engulfed about 40 cities in the country.

The 620-kilogram&nbsp;satellite TanSat was put into orbit by Long March-2D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China&#39;s Gobi Desert early this morning, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. This was the 243rd mission of the Long March series rockets. Besides TanSat, the rocket also carried a high-resolution micro-nano satellite and two spectrum micro-nano satellites for agricultural and forestry monitoring.

China is the third country after Japan and the US to monitor greenhouse gases through its own satellite. The satellite was sent into a sun synchronous orbit about 700 kilometres&nbsp;above the earth and will monitor the concentration, distribution and flow of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, Yin Zengshan, chief designer of TanSat at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) micro-satellite research institute said.

The satellite will help understanding of climate change and provide China&#39;s policy makers with independent data. On a three-year mission, TanSat will thoroughly examine global carbon dioxide levels every 16 days, accurate to at least 4 ppm (parts per million), the report said.

The new satellite will enable China to obtain emissions data first-hand and share it with researchers worldwide, Yin said.

The Paris agreement on climate change came into force on November 4, with more than 100 countries committed to reducing their carbon emissions. The satellite can trace the sources of greenhouse gases and help evaluate whether countries are fulfilling their commitments.

TanSat means a louder voice for China on climate change, carbon reduction and in negotiations with a bigger say on carbon trading.

Earlier in midnight, Beijing lifted the red alert for air pollution as cold air dispersed the smog that has affected the city since December 17 which drew strong criticism from public as it disrupted the normal life. Beijing woke up this morning with a relatively clear sky.

Since December 17 emergency measures such as even-odd car restrictions will end and classes will resume at schools, official media reports said. While the red alert was implemented by 23 cities including Beijing, 17 other cities implemented Orange alerts for pollution. PM2.5 density in the capital remained high throughout the period of the red alert.

About the satellite Lu Naimeng, TanSat chief scientist said concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 280 ppm to 400 ppm over the past 150 years, leading to an increase in average global temperatures of about 0.7 degrees Celsius over the last century.

China&#39;s CO2 emissions are to peak around 2030, with emissions per unit of GDP cut by 60 per cent of 2005 levels by the same date.

(PTI)

As its cities are engulfed in the world's worst smog, Beijing is being forced to take up the lead in international climate change science

China today launched a global carbon dioxide monitoring satellite to understand climate change, hours after it lifted nearly a week-long red alert for the worst smog that engulfed about 40 cities in the country. The 620-kilogram satellite TanSat was put into orbit by Long March-2D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gobi Desert early this morning, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. This was the 243rd mission of the Long March series rockets. Besides TanSat, the rocket also carried a high-resolution micro-nano satellite and two spectrum micro-nano satellites for agricultural and forestry monitoring. China is the third country after Japan and the US to monitor greenhouse gases through its own satellite. The satellite was sent into a sun synchronous orbit about 700 kilometres above the earth and will monitor the concentration, distribution and flow of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, Yin Zengshan, chief designer of TanSat at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) micro-satellite research institute said. The satellite will help understanding of climate change and provide China's policy makers with independent data. On a three-year mission, TanSat will thoroughly examine global carbon dioxide levels every 16 days, accurate to at least 4 ppm (parts per million), the report said. The new satellite will enable China to obtain emissions data first-hand and share it with researchers worldwide, Yin said. The Paris agreement on climate change came into force on November 4, with more than 100 countries committed to reducing their carbon emissions. The satellite can trace the sources of greenhouse gases and help evaluate whether countries are fulfilling their commitments. TanSat means a louder voice for China on climate change, carbon reduction and in negotiations with a bigger say on carbon trading. Earlier in midnight, Beijing lifted the red alert for air pollution as cold air dispersed the smog that has affected the city since December 17 which drew strong criticism from public as it disrupted the normal life. Beijing woke up this morning with a relatively clear sky. Since December 17 emergency measures such as even-odd car restrictions will end and classes will resume at schools, official media reports said. While the red alert was implemented by 23 cities including Beijing, 17 other cities implemented Orange alerts for pollution. PM2.5 density in the capital remained high throughout the period of the red alert. About the satellite Lu Naimeng, TanSat chief scientist said concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 280 ppm to 400 ppm over the past 150 years, leading to an increase in average global temperatures of about 0.7 degrees Celsius over the last century. China's CO2 emissions are to peak around 2030, with emissions per unit of GDP cut by 60 per cent of 2005 levels by the same date. (PTI)

China launches satellite to track global carbon emissions

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he wants US troops out of his country in the next two years and is willing to scrap defence pacts with longtime ally Washington if necessary.

The comments follow a series of anti-American tirades by the firebrand leader, who has repeatedly attacked the US while cosying up to Beijing, upending his nation&#39;s foreign policy in comments that have sometimes been quickly retracted.

&quot;I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops,&quot; Duterte told an economic forum in Tokyo, in a clear reference to US forces.

&quot;I want them out and if I have to revise or abrogate agreements, executive agreements, I will,&quot; he added.

The US, which once operated sprawling bases in the country, now has a small number of Special Forces on the southern island of Mindanao to aid in counter-terrorism operations.

Duterte has previously said he wants US troops out of Mindanao because their presence stokes tensions on the island where Islamic militants have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency.

The acid-tongued leader arrived in Tokyo Tuesday on his first visit to Japan since taking office June 30, looking to persuade executives his country is &quot;open for business&quot;, after overturning Manila&#39;s traditional diplomatic alliances.

The 71-year-old has also slammed Washington for questioning his violent crime crackdown, which has claimed some 3,700 lives and attracted widespread international criticism.

Duterte has also insulted President Barack Obama, calling him a &quot;son of a whore&quot; and announcing a &quot;separation&quot; from the US during a visit to Beijing last week.

Although he quickly walked back from his comments, saying that &quot;separation&quot; did not mean he would &quot;sever&quot; ties, he reiterated his calls on Wednesday for an end to all joint war games with the US.

&quot;This will be the last manoeuvre war games between the United States and the Philippines` military,&quot; he said of an event hosted in recent weeks by the Philippines.Duterte is set to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later on Wednesday and will also meet with Emperor Akihito during the trip.

Although his Japanese hosts depend on the US for security, Tokyo has so far not responded to Duterte`s diatribes, while Washington has taken a calm approach.

&quot;We&#39;re going to take the long view,&quot; State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

&quot;We&#39;re not going to react and respond to every bit of rhetoric,&quot; he added.

Abe had worked to improve bilateral relations with Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, providing patrol boats to support Manila in its territorial row with Beijing over rival claims to the South China Sea.

The Philippines took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive claims in the region and won a resounding victory in July.

But Duterte has not pressed the issue with Beijing, instead working to improve ties and attract billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investments.

Duterte also attempted to calm worries in Japan over his trip to China, assuring his audience that he was not seeking military ties with Beijing, just a closer economic relationship.

&quot;We did not talk about arms, we did not talk about stationing of troops,&quot; he said. &quot;We avoided talking about alliances, military or otherwise.&quot;

(AFP)

He also slammed Washington for questioning his violent crime crackdown that has attracted widespread international criticism

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he wants US troops out of his country in the next two years and is willing to scrap defence pacts with longtime ally Washington if necessary. The comments follow a series of anti-American tirades by the firebrand leader, who has repeatedly attacked the US while cosying up to Beijing, upending his nation's foreign policy in comments that have sometimes been quickly retracted. "I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops," Duterte told an economic forum in Tokyo, in a clear reference to US forces. "I want them out and if I have to revise or abrogate agreements, executive agreements, I will," he added. The US, which once operated sprawling bases in the country, now has a small number of Special Forces on the southern island of Mindanao to aid in counter-terrorism operations. Duterte has previously said he wants US troops out of Mindanao because their presence stokes tensions on the island where Islamic militants have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency. The acid-tongued leader arrived in Tokyo Tuesday on his first visit to Japan since taking office June 30, looking to persuade executives his country is "open for business", after overturning Manila's traditional diplomatic alliances. The 71-year-old has also slammed Washington for questioning his violent crime crackdown, which has claimed some 3,700 lives and attracted widespread international criticism. Duterte has also insulted President Barack Obama, calling him a "son of a whore" and announcing a "separation" from the US during a visit to Beijing last week. Although he quickly walked back from his comments, saying that "separation" did not mean he would "sever" ties, he reiterated his calls on Wednesday for an end to all joint war games with the US. "This will be the last manoeuvre war games between the United States and the Philippines` military," he said of an event hosted in recent weeks by the Philippines.Duterte is set to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later on Wednesday and will also meet with Emperor Akihito during the trip. Although his Japanese hosts depend on the US for security, Tokyo has so far not responded to Duterte`s diatribes, while Washington has taken a calm approach. "We're going to take the long view," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday. "We're not going to react and respond to every bit of rhetoric," he added. Abe had worked to improve bilateral relations with Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, providing patrol boats to support Manila in its territorial row with Beijing over rival claims to the South China Sea. The Philippines took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive claims in the region and won a resounding victory in July. But Duterte has not pressed the issue with Beijing, instead working to improve ties and attract billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investments. Duterte also attempted to calm worries in Japan over his trip to China, assuring his audience that he was not seeking military ties with Beijing, just a closer economic relationship. "We did not talk about arms, we did not talk about stationing of troops," he said. "We avoided talking about alliances, military or otherwise." (AFP)

Philippines' Duterte wants US troops out in two years

Chaos ensued in Hong Kong&#39;s legislature today as the pro-Beijing camp blocked the swearing-in of two new lawmakers who want the city to split from China, international news agency AFP reported.

&nbsp;

Dozens of pro-Beijing lawmakers staged a walkout as a mark of protest, according to British national daily, the Guardian.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The two lawmakers --Sixtus &ldquo;Baggio&rdquo; Leung and Yau Wai-ching of the radical activist Youngspiration party -- are among the five activist candidates who were voted into the Legislative Council (Legco) , Hong Kong&#39;s lawmaking body, last month amid a rising tide of anti-China sentiment in the semi-autonomous city, the Guardian reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The young pro-democracy lawmakers had their oaths rejected last week after they draped themselves in &quot;Hong Kong is not China&quot; flags, according to AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Both refused to pronounce China properly, while they were being administered the oath that states that Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China.

&nbsp;

Yau was reportedly heard to replace the words &quot;the People&#39;s Republic of China&quot; with &quot;the People&#39;s refucking of Zeena&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Protesting lawmakers today lashed out at Leung and Yau for being &ldquo;disrespectful&rdquo; and insulting China and demanded they apologise, the Guardian report said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to AFP, the chaotic scenes came after a late-night court bid on Tuesday by city leader Leung Chun-ying and justice secretary Rimsky Yuen to block the pair from taking up their seats.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

However, president of the Legco, pro-Beijing lawmaker Andrew Leung, had already given the green light for them to retake their oaths on Wednesday. &nbsp;Meanwhile, the court refused to grant an injunction against the oath-taking, but gave permission for a judicial review into whether the pair should be disqualified, putting their future as lawmakers into question.

&nbsp;

Hong Kong remains gripped with tensions amid fears that Beijing is tightening its grip.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The young lawmakers had their oaths rejected last week after they draped themselves in "Hong Kong is not China" flags

Chaos ensued in Hong Kong's legislature today as the pro-Beijing camp blocked the swearing-in of two new lawmakers who want the city to split from China, international news agency AFP reported. Dozens of pro-Beijing lawmakers staged a walkout as a mark of protest, according to British national daily, the Guardian. The two lawmakers --Sixtus “Baggio” Leung and Yau Wai-ching of the radical activist Youngspiration party -- are among the five activist candidates who were voted into the Legislative Council (Legco) , Hong Kong's lawmaking body, last month amid a rising tide of anti-China sentiment in the semi-autonomous city, the Guardian reported. The young pro-democracy lawmakers had their oaths rejected last week after they draped themselves in "Hong Kong is not China" flags, according to AFP. Both refused to pronounce China properly, while they were being administered the oath that states that Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Yau was reportedly heard to replace the words "the People's Republic of China" with "the People's refucking of Zeena". Protesting lawmakers today lashed out at Leung and Yau for being “disrespectful” and insulting China and demanded they apologise, the Guardian report said. According to AFP, the chaotic scenes came after a late-night court bid on Tuesday by city leader Leung Chun-ying and justice secretary Rimsky Yuen to block the pair from taking up their seats. However, president of the Legco, pro-Beijing lawmaker Andrew Leung, had already given the green light for them to retake their oaths on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the court refused to grant an injunction against the oath-taking, but gave permission for a judicial review into whether the pair should be disqualified, putting their future as lawmakers into question. Hong Kong remains gripped with tensions amid fears that Beijing is tightening its grip. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Hong Kong: Pro-Beijing camp blocks swearing-in of democracy activists

Hong Kong rebel lawmakers swore, shouted, banged drums and railed against &quot;tyranny&quot; Wednesday when they took their oaths of office in the city&#39;s parliament, as calls grow for a split from Beijing.

The chaotic first meeting of the new term of the Legislative Council (Legco) came after a citywide vote last month saw victories for several lawmakers advocating more autonomy or even independence for Hong Kong.

The city is semi-autonomous under a &quot;one country, two systems&quot; deal sealed when Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997.

The arrangement protects Hong Kong&#39;s freedoms for 50 years, but there are increasing concerns those liberties are disappearing as Beijing tightens its grip.

Lawmakers are required to recite a short oath in Legco before they can officially take up their seats.

That oath declares repeatedly that Hong Kong is a &quot;special administrative region&quot; of China.

The government had warned lawmakers in advance they risked losing their seats if they did not take the oath properly.

Nathan Law, 23, Legco&#39;s youngest lawmaker and a former pro-democracy protest leader, delivered an impassioned speech ahead of taking the oath.

&quot;You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body - but you can never imprison my mind,&quot; he said, quoting India&#39;s independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Each time he referred to China in the oath, he changed the tone to turn it into a question.

Law, who is calling for self-determination for Hong Kong, was one of the main leaders of the 2014 Umbrella Movement rallies which brought tens of thousands to the streets calling for democratic reform.

Two new pro-independence lawmakers, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, added their own words before the oath, pledging to serve the &quot;Hong Kong nation&quot;.

Both displayed flags emblazoned with the words: &quot;Hong Kong is not China&quot;.

Leung took the full oath in English but refused to pronounce &quot;China&quot; correctly, instead calling it &quot;Cheena&quot;.

Yau was distinctly heard saying &quot;the People&#39;s Re-fucking of Zeena&quot;, instead of &quot;the People&#39;s Republic of China&quot; in her oath, although she denied that later, blaming her accent. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Risk to seats&nbsp;

New lawmaker Eddie Chu, who advocates a public referendum on Hong Kong&#39;s future sovereignty, shouted &quot;Democratic self-determination! Tyranny will perish!&quot; after taking his oath.

Teacher Lau Siu-lai, also a former Umbrella Movement activist, read every word of the oath at a snail&#39;s pace, prompting some pro-Beijing lawmakers to walk out.&nbsp;

The Legco clerk told Leung, Yau and one other pro-democracy lawmaker that he was unable to &quot;administer&quot; their oaths, because they had modified them.

It is not yet clear whether any of the lawmakers deemed not to have taken the oath properly will be barred from taking up their seats.&nbsp;

According to government rules, he must now refer those cases to the Legco president, due to be elected later Wednesday.

In a statement issued before the oath-taking, the government cited a law that stipulates &quot;any person who declines or neglects to take an oath duly requested which he or she is required to take shall vacate office or be disqualified from entering on it&quot;.

Baggio Leung dismissed the possibility, telling AFP there was &quot;no reason&quot; to disqualify him.

The session was suspended after Law refused to return to his seat, questioning why the clerk had objected to the three lawmakers&#39; oaths.

(AFP)

Two of them added their own words before the oath, pledging to serve the 'Hong Kong nation'

Hong Kong rebel lawmakers swore, shouted, banged drums and railed against "tyranny" Wednesday when they took their oaths of office in the city's parliament, as calls grow for a split from Beijing. The chaotic first meeting of the new term of the Legislative Council (Legco) came after a citywide vote last month saw victories for several lawmakers advocating more autonomy or even independence for Hong Kong. The city is semi-autonomous under a "one country, two systems" deal sealed when Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997. The arrangement protects Hong Kong's freedoms for 50 years, but there are increasing concerns those liberties are disappearing as Beijing tightens its grip. Lawmakers are required to recite a short oath in Legco before they can officially take up their seats. That oath declares repeatedly that Hong Kong is a "special administrative region" of China. The government had warned lawmakers in advance they risked losing their seats if they did not take the oath properly. Nathan Law, 23, Legco's youngest lawmaker and a former pro-democracy protest leader, delivered an impassioned speech ahead of taking the oath. "You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body - but you can never imprison my mind," he said, quoting India's independence leader Mahatma Gandhi. Each time he referred to China in the oath, he changed the tone to turn it into a question. Law, who is calling for self-determination for Hong Kong, was one of the main leaders of the 2014 Umbrella Movement rallies which brought tens of thousands to the streets calling for democratic reform. Two new pro-independence lawmakers, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, added their own words before the oath, pledging to serve the "Hong Kong nation". Both displayed flags emblazoned with the words: "Hong Kong is not China". Leung took the full oath in English but refused to pronounce "China" correctly, instead calling it "Cheena". Yau was distinctly heard saying "the People's Re-fucking of Zeena", instead of "the People's Republic of China" in her oath, although she denied that later, blaming her accent. Risk to seats New lawmaker Eddie Chu, who advocates a public referendum on Hong Kong's future sovereignty, shouted "Democratic self-determination! Tyranny will perish!" after taking his oath. Teacher Lau Siu-lai, also a former Umbrella Movement activist, read every word of the oath at a snail's pace, prompting some pro-Beijing lawmakers to walk out. The Legco clerk told Leung, Yau and one other pro-democracy lawmaker that he was unable to "administer" their oaths, because they had modified them. It is not yet clear whether any of the lawmakers deemed not to have taken the oath properly will be barred from taking up their seats. According to government rules, he must now refer those cases to the Legco president, due to be elected later Wednesday. In a statement issued before the oath-taking, the government cited a law that stipulates "any person who declines or neglects to take an oath duly requested which he or she is required to take shall vacate office or be disqualified from entering on it". Baggio Leung dismissed the possibility, telling AFP there was "no reason" to disqualify him. The session was suspended after Law refused to return to his seat, questioning why the clerk had objected to the three lawmakers' oaths. (AFP)

Rebel Hong Kong lawmakers swear, shout, bang drums, take oath of office

Several pro-independence candidates won seats in Hong Kong&#39;s legislative election which saw a record turnout in the Chinese-controlled city on Sunday, a result likely to further strain ties with Communist Party rulers in Beijing. 
 
Hong Kong&#39;s pro-democracy opposition also kept its crucial one-third veto bloc in the 70-seat Legislative Council over major legislation and public funding that has helped check China&#39;s influence. 
 
The vote, which ushered in a new crop of legislators including a 23-year-old former protest leader who vowed to &quot;fight&quot; the Chinese Communist Party, underscores growing frustration with how Beijing has handled its &quot;special administrative region&quot; and marks a significant turning point. 
 
The former British colony was handed back to China in 1997 under a &quot;one country, two systems&quot; agreement that promised to maintain the global financial hub&#39;s freedoms and separate laws for at least 50 years, but gave ultimate control to Beijing. 
 
Beijing officials have repeatedly warned Hong Kong not to stray too far and Chinese leaders will now have to decide how to respond. There was no immediate reaction in official Chinese media to the election results. 
 
Despite the disqualification of six pro-democracy election candidates from the election in July on the grounds that they backed independence, at least five &quot;localists&quot; and younger democratic newcomers won seats, including one of the leaders from the mass democracy protests of 2014, Nathan Law. 
 
Localists put the interests of Hong Kong before those of Beijing. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m quite shocked,&quot; said Law, 23. &quot;We inherit some spirit from the movement and I hope that can continue in the future... We still have to unite in order to have stronger power to fight the Chinese Communist Party.&quot; 
 
Sunday&#39;s vote was the first major election since the student-led &quot;Umbrella Revolution&quot; protests of 2014 that blocked roads for 79 days in which Beijing gave no ground. 
 
Since then, many disaffected youngsters have decried what they see as increasing Beijing interference stifling dissent and civil liberties, leading to a radicalisation of the political scene and occasional violent protests. 
 
Several veteran democrats failed to retain their seats, as voters backed a new batch of younger democrats espousing self-determination and a more confrontational stance with China. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a new era,&quot; said Lee Cheuk-yan, a democratic lawmaker who lost his seat after more than two decades in public office. 
 
&quot;People want change, change meaning that they want new faces ... but the price is a further fragmentation (of the democracy camp). Ideologically they&#39;re talking about independence and they want to assert themselves.&quot; 
 
Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Raymond Tam said the government would do its best to &quot;bring them around to a more centrist position&quot;. 
 
&quot;But it&#39;s too early to say if this will be an issue,&quot; he said. 
 
Pro-establishment lawmakers like Elizabeth Quat said she hoped the issue of splitting from China wouldn&#39;t enter the legislature or it could damage Hong Kong&#39;s economic interests. 
 
&quot;Independence is not realistic at all,&quot; she said. &quot;Hopefully, this will not be their main objective.&quot; 
 
Voters flocked to cast ballots in record numbers with some having to wait several hours after the close of polling past midnight at congested voting booths, leading to some delays in vote counting on Monday. 
 
&quot;Hong Kong is really chaotic now. I want to do something to help,&quot; said 28-year-old Maicy Leung, who was in a snaking queue of several hundred. &quot;It&#39;s to help the next generation and to help myself.&quot; 
 
The Electoral Affairs Commission said 58 per cent of the city&#39;s 3.8 million eligible voters had cast their ballot, up from 53 per cent in 2012 and the highest turnout for any legislative election since 1997. 
 
(Reuters)

The vote ushered in a new crop of legislators including a 23-year-old former protest leader who vowed to 'fight' the Chinese Communist Party

Several pro-independence candidates won seats in Hong Kong's legislative election which saw a record turnout in the Chinese-controlled city on Sunday, a result likely to further strain ties with Communist Party rulers in Beijing. Hong Kong's pro-democracy opposition also kept its crucial one-third veto bloc in the 70-seat Legislative Council over major legislation and public funding that has helped check China's influence. The vote, which ushered in a new crop of legislators including a 23-year-old former protest leader who vowed to "fight" the Chinese Communist Party, underscores growing frustration with how Beijing has handled its "special administrative region" and marks a significant turning point. The former British colony was handed back to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" agreement that promised to maintain the global financial hub's freedoms and separate laws for at least 50 years, but gave ultimate control to Beijing. Beijing officials have repeatedly warned Hong Kong not to stray too far and Chinese leaders will now have to decide how to respond. There was no immediate reaction in official Chinese media to the election results. Despite the disqualification of six pro-democracy election candidates from the election in July on the grounds that they backed independence, at least five "localists" and younger democratic newcomers won seats, including one of the leaders from the mass democracy protests of 2014, Nathan Law. Localists put the interests of Hong Kong before those of Beijing. "I'm quite shocked," said Law, 23. "We inherit some spirit from the movement and I hope that can continue in the future... We still have to unite in order to have stronger power to fight the Chinese Communist Party." Sunday's vote was the first major election since the student-led "Umbrella Revolution" protests of 2014 that blocked roads for 79 days in which Beijing gave no ground. Since then, many disaffected youngsters have decried what they see as increasing Beijing interference stifling dissent and civil liberties, leading to a radicalisation of the political scene and occasional violent protests. Several veteran democrats failed to retain their seats, as voters backed a new batch of younger democrats espousing self-determination and a more confrontational stance with China. "It's a new era," said Lee Cheuk-yan, a democratic lawmaker who lost his seat after more than two decades in public office. "People want change, change meaning that they want new faces ... but the price is a further fragmentation (of the democracy camp). Ideologically they're talking about independence and they want to assert themselves." Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Raymond Tam said the government would do its best to "bring them around to a more centrist position". "But it's too early to say if this will be an issue," he said. Pro-establishment lawmakers like Elizabeth Quat said she hoped the issue of splitting from China wouldn't enter the legislature or it could damage Hong Kong's economic interests. "Independence is not realistic at all," she said. "Hopefully, this will not be their main objective." Voters flocked to cast ballots in record numbers with some having to wait several hours after the close of polling past midnight at congested voting booths, leading to some delays in vote counting on Monday. "Hong Kong is really chaotic now. I want to do something to help," said 28-year-old Maicy Leung, who was in a snaking queue of several hundred. "It's to help the next generation and to help myself." The Electoral Affairs Commission said 58 per cent of the city's 3.8 million eligible voters had cast their ballot, up from 53 per cent in 2012 and the highest turnout for any legislative election since 1997. (Reuters)

Anti-China activists gain foothold in Hong Kong election

Accusations that Beijing is exploiting Myanmar&#39;s resources are manipulated by Western media, a state-run Chinese newspaper said today, with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on a visit overshadowed by a stalled dam project. 
 
Suu Kyi&#39;s first major foreign trip since her civilian administration took power in March has been dominated by the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam, on hold since protests in 2011. 
 
Beijing has been pressing for the resumption of the Chinese-backed project ever since. 
 
Suu Kyi is due to meet with China&#39;s President Xi Jinping today, after Beijing said the democracy champion had agreed to &quot;set up an investigation committee to appropriately solve&quot; the dam issue. 
 
The state-run Global Times acknowledged that a &quot;real breakthrough&quot; on the dam was unlikely during the visit, but insisted: &quot;It is only a matter of time before the project will be resumed.&quot; 
 
It also chided people in Myanmar who claim that Beijing is exploiting the country&#39;s resources. 
 
&quot;The misguided thought is the result of people&#39;s impulse at the initial stage of democratisation and the manipulation of the Western media,&quot; it added. 
 
Beijing was instrumental in shielding Myanmar&#39;s former junta rulers from international opprobrium while Suu Kyi, now state counsellor, languished for years under house arrest as a democracy activist. 
 
At the time Myitsone was seen as emblematic of Beijing&#39;s economic dominance over Myanmar. 
 
In 2011 a quasi-civilian government halted the project, originally designed to supply most of its electricity to China, in a surprise move after local protests. 
 
Now that Suu Kyi&#39;s National League for Democracy is in power, the Global Times said, &quot;Myitsone dam does not have to be reviewed from a political perspective anymore&quot;. 
 
The United States funded some of the non-governmental groups opposing the dam, according to classified documents released by WikiLeaks. 
 
The state-run China Daily said in an editorial that Suu Kyi&#39;s visit showed she was a &quot;political realist&quot; who realises the importance of &quot;reassuring&quot; China. 
 
Myanmar has drawn closer to the United States during its transition to civilian rule. 
 
At the same time, Myanmar needs to get Beijing onside as it pursues historic peace talks with armed groups on its border. 
 
Suu Kyi on Thursday was greeted with military honours in Beijing, where she met Premier Li Keqiang, telling him: &quot;At present, there are complex changes in the world.&quot; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Local media has refuted reports saying China has been exploiting Myanmar's resources

Accusations that Beijing is exploiting Myanmar's resources are manipulated by Western media, a state-run Chinese newspaper said today, with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on a visit overshadowed by a stalled dam project. Suu Kyi's first major foreign trip since her civilian administration took power in March has been dominated by the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam, on hold since protests in 2011. Beijing has been pressing for the resumption of the Chinese-backed project ever since. Suu Kyi is due to meet with China's President Xi Jinping today, after Beijing said the democracy champion had agreed to "set up an investigation committee to appropriately solve" the dam issue. The state-run Global Times acknowledged that a "real breakthrough" on the dam was unlikely during the visit, but insisted: "It is only a matter of time before the project will be resumed." It also chided people in Myanmar who claim that Beijing is exploiting the country's resources. "The misguided thought is the result of people's impulse at the initial stage of democratisation and the manipulation of the Western media," it added. Beijing was instrumental in shielding Myanmar's former junta rulers from international opprobrium while Suu Kyi, now state counsellor, languished for years under house arrest as a democracy activist. At the time Myitsone was seen as emblematic of Beijing's economic dominance over Myanmar. In 2011 a quasi-civilian government halted the project, originally designed to supply most of its electricity to China, in a surprise move after local protests. Now that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy is in power, the Global Times said, "Myitsone dam does not have to be reviewed from a political perspective anymore". The United States funded some of the non-governmental groups opposing the dam, according to classified documents released by WikiLeaks. The state-run China Daily said in an editorial that Suu Kyi's visit showed she was a "political realist" who realises the importance of "reassuring" China. Myanmar has drawn closer to the United States during its transition to civilian rule. At the same time, Myanmar needs to get Beijing onside as it pursues historic peace talks with armed groups on its border. Suu Kyi on Thursday was greeted with military honours in Beijing, where she met Premier Li Keqiang, telling him: "At present, there are complex changes in the world." (AFP)

Beijing does not exploit Myanmar: state media?

China and Russia will hold joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, Beijing&#39;s defence ministry said today, after an international tribunal invalidated the Asian giant`s extensive claims in the area. 
 
The drills will be carried out in the &quot;relevant sea and air of the South China Sea&quot;, defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters at a monthly briefing. 
 
With international diplomatic tensions mounting and Washington regularly sending warships into the strategically vital area to assert the right to freedom of navigation, the move could see vessels from several of the world&#39;s most powerful militaries in the same region at the same time. 
 
The drills aim to &quot;consolidate and develop&quot; China and Russia&#39;s comprehensive strategic partnership, and &quot;enhance the capabilities of the two navies to jointly deal with maritime security threats&quot; Yang said. 
 
The announcement comes after a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that there was &quot;no legal basis&quot; to Beijing`s claims in the South China Sea, embodied in a &quot;nine-dash line&quot; dating from Chinese maps of the 1940s and extending almost to the coasts of other countries, which have competing claims. 
 
China has built a series of artificial islands on rocks and reefs in the area hosting facilities capable of supporting military operations, widely seen as an attempt to bolster its control of the waters. 
 
The tribunal ruling in a case brought by the Philippine infuriated Beijing, which rejected it as &quot;waste paper&quot; and reiterated its right to declare an Air Defence Identification Zone controlling flights over the area.&nbsp; 
 
 
&#39;September&#39;s exercise does not target any party&#39; 
 
China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, often in opposition to the West, particularly the United States, and their leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin enjoy a tight relationship. 
 
The two sides hold joint drills regularly &quot;on land and sea&quot;, Yang said, which &quot;contribute to peace and stability.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
September&#39;s exercise was &quot;routine&quot; and &quot;does not target any third party&quot;, he added. 
 
Last August, the two powers who were allies then rivals during the Soviet era carried out military exercises in the waters and airspace of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, involving 22 vessels, up to 20 aircraft and more than 500 marines. 
 
In May last year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China`s farthest-ever drills from its home waters. 
 
Xi and Putin meet frequently and their countries, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, often take similar stances there on divisive issues such as the conflict in Syria. 
 
Pentagon&#39;s &#39;freedom of navigation&#39; 
 
In response to Beijing&#39;s increased activity in the South China Sea, the US began a series of &quot;freedom of navigation&quot; operations in the area, sailing naval vessels within 12 nautical miles, the normal territorial limit around natural land of reefs in the region. 
 
The missions were widely seen as an attempt to push back against China&#39;s increasing assertiveness, although the Pentagon said they were also a warning to Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. 
 
On Monday, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice told Chinese officials in Beijing that the US intended to continue its patrols in the region, while the vice chairman of China`s Central Military Commission, Fan Changlong, warned that ties between the two powers could easily fray.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We should be honest with ourselves that deep down in this relationship we&#39;re still faced with obstacles and challenges,&quot; Fan said, adding that military ties had been &quot;impacted by some complicated and some sensitive factors&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Rice noted that &quot;risks of unintended consequences&quot; of the two countries` forces operating in ever-closer proximity had been reduced thanks to better communication and other confidence-building measures. 
 
(AFP)

The move could see vessels from several of the world's most powerful militaries in the same region at the same time

China and Russia will hold joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, Beijing's defence ministry said today, after an international tribunal invalidated the Asian giant`s extensive claims in the area. The drills will be carried out in the "relevant sea and air of the South China Sea", defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters at a monthly briefing. With international diplomatic tensions mounting and Washington regularly sending warships into the strategically vital area to assert the right to freedom of navigation, the move could see vessels from several of the world's most powerful militaries in the same region at the same time. The drills aim to "consolidate and develop" China and Russia's comprehensive strategic partnership, and "enhance the capabilities of the two navies to jointly deal with maritime security threats" Yang said. The announcement comes after a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that there was "no legal basis" to Beijing`s claims in the South China Sea, embodied in a "nine-dash line" dating from Chinese maps of the 1940s and extending almost to the coasts of other countries, which have competing claims. China has built a series of artificial islands on rocks and reefs in the area hosting facilities capable of supporting military operations, widely seen as an attempt to bolster its control of the waters. The tribunal ruling in a case brought by the Philippine infuriated Beijing, which rejected it as "waste paper" and reiterated its right to declare an Air Defence Identification Zone controlling flights over the area. 'September's exercise does not target any party' China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, often in opposition to the West, particularly the United States, and their leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin enjoy a tight relationship. The two sides hold joint drills regularly "on land and sea", Yang said, which "contribute to peace and stability." September's exercise was "routine" and "does not target any third party", he added. Last August, the two powers who were allies then rivals during the Soviet era carried out military exercises in the waters and airspace of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, involving 22 vessels, up to 20 aircraft and more than 500 marines. In May last year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China`s farthest-ever drills from its home waters. Xi and Putin meet frequently and their countries, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, often take similar stances there on divisive issues such as the conflict in Syria. Pentagon's 'freedom of navigation' In response to Beijing's increased activity in the South China Sea, the US began a series of "freedom of navigation" operations in the area, sailing naval vessels within 12 nautical miles, the normal territorial limit around natural land of reefs in the region. The missions were widely seen as an attempt to push back against China's increasing assertiveness, although the Pentagon said they were also a warning to Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. On Monday, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice told Chinese officials in Beijing that the US intended to continue its patrols in the region, while the vice chairman of China`s Central Military Commission, Fan Changlong, warned that ties between the two powers could easily fray. "We should be honest with ourselves that deep down in this relationship we're still faced with obstacles and challenges," Fan said, adding that military ties had been "impacted by some complicated and some sensitive factors". Rice noted that "risks of unintended consequences" of the two countries` forces operating in ever-closer proximity had been reduced thanks to better communication and other confidence-building measures. (AFP)

China, Russia to hold joint exercises in South China Sea to deal with maritime threats: Beijing

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