With Xinjiang tightening anti-terror law banning instigation of people to cross border to undergo terror training Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif has assured China of cracking down on militant outfits blamed for attacks in the volatile province. 
 
Pakistan will firmly crackdown on terrorist forces like the &quot;East Turkestan Islamic Movement&quot; (ETIM) and protect the security of &quot;China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&quot;, (CEPC) state-run China Military Online quoted him as saying during his meeting with China&#39;s top military official Fang Fenghui in Urumqi, provincial capital of Xinjiang on Tuesday. 
 
Fang is the member of China&#39;s Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest military body and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC. 
 
Sharif was in Urumqi to attend the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism in Counter Terrorism by Afghanistan-China-Pakistan-Tajikistan Armed Forces. 
 
His assurance of firm crackdown followed China-Pakistan border police recently launching first joint patrols of the disputed Pakistan Controlled Kashmir (POK) border amid reports that 114 Uyghurs Muslims from Xinjiang joined Islamic State in Syria. 
 
Xinjiang, the home for Uyghurs who resented the increasing settlements of Hans from other provinces has witnessed violent attacks in recent years. 
 
China blamed ETIM, a separatist outfit linked to al-Qaeda for the attacks. Under pressure from China, Pakistan army has conducted military operations against ETIM training bases in the tribal areas bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent months. 
 
Xinjiang recently adopted new anti-terrorism rules stipulating reassessment of risk levels of prisoners before release and solitary confinement and education for ring leaders. 
 
The new rules stipulated that recruiting, training or transporting terror-related personnel will be regarded as carrying out terror activities, as will as organising or instigating others to illegally cross into another country to participate in terror activities or terror training, state-run Global Times reported. 
 
The Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism formed by China significantly includes Afghanistan which also shares borders with Xinjiang.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Under Chinese pressure, Pakistan army has lately conducted operations against al-Qaeda linked ETIM's training bases

With Xinjiang tightening anti-terror law banning instigation of people to cross border to undergo terror training Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif has assured China of cracking down on militant outfits blamed for attacks in the volatile province. Pakistan will firmly crackdown on terrorist forces like the "East Turkestan Islamic Movement" (ETIM) and protect the security of "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor", (CEPC) state-run China Military Online quoted him as saying during his meeting with China's top military official Fang Fenghui in Urumqi, provincial capital of Xinjiang on Tuesday. Fang is the member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest military body and Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC. Sharif was in Urumqi to attend the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism in Counter Terrorism by Afghanistan-China-Pakistan-Tajikistan Armed Forces. His assurance of firm crackdown followed China-Pakistan border police recently launching first joint patrols of the disputed Pakistan Controlled Kashmir (POK) border amid reports that 114 Uyghurs Muslims from Xinjiang joined Islamic State in Syria. Xinjiang, the home for Uyghurs who resented the increasing settlements of Hans from other provinces has witnessed violent attacks in recent years. China blamed ETIM, a separatist outfit linked to al-Qaeda for the attacks. Under pressure from China, Pakistan army has conducted military operations against ETIM training bases in the tribal areas bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent months. Xinjiang recently adopted new anti-terrorism rules stipulating reassessment of risk levels of prisoners before release and solitary confinement and education for ring leaders. The new rules stipulated that recruiting, training or transporting terror-related personnel will be regarded as carrying out terror activities, as will as organising or instigating others to illegally cross into another country to participate in terror activities or terror training, state-run Global Times reported. The Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism formed by China significantly includes Afghanistan which also shares borders with Xinjiang. (PTI)

Pakistan army chief promises China firm crackdown on Uyghur militants

Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it was withdrawing permission for a Chinese company to buy the freehold to 20 hectares of land being reclaimed under a $1.4 billion port project after India objected. 
 
Instead, it will grant the state-owned construction company a 99-year lease on the land next to the port in Colombo, under a new agreement. 
 
&quot;India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbour,&quot; government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. &quot;We have amended the agreement. There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease.&quot; 
 
The government had put the project on hold pending a review of all the big-ticket agreements signed under the previous administration of Mahinda Rajapakse. The former president relied heavily on Chinese investment to rebuild the country&#39;s infrastructure after the end of the island&#39;s decades-long ethnic war in May 2009, a move which some say alienated India. 
 
The Chinese-funded port was also controversial among environmentalists. Senaratne said the developers had agreed to drop a proposed Formula One track and increase public park space, and environmental safeguards would be put in place. 
 
The project is being funded by China Communications Construction Company and was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 during a visit to Colombo. 
 
Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a &quot;string of pearls&quot; strategy to counter the rise of rival India and secure its own economic interests. 
 
But Senaratne said the government had decided to go ahead with the project under new terms. Colombo would set up an offshore banking centre to compete with Dubai and Singapore, he said. 
 
The reclamation represents the biggest-ever single foreign investment in Sri Lanka. It will add 269 hectares (672 acres) of real estate in the congested capital, which has a population of over 650,000. Once completed, the Chinese will have 108 hectares (266 acres) on a 99-year lease for commercial development. 
 
Earlier, 20 hectares of that was to be on a freehold basis. Under the agreement, the Sri Lankan government will get 62 hectares (153 acres) and the rest will be public parks and access roads. 
 
China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways, and ports under Rajapakse, who is under investigation over allegations of corruption during his decade in power. 
 
The administration of President Maithripala Sirisena says the terms negotiated by the previous government were unfavourable. But it has still decided to go ahead with many of the Chinese-funded projects. 
 
(AFP)

Government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said Sri Lanka has amended the agreement, it will grant the Chinese company a 99-year lease instead

Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it was withdrawing permission for a Chinese company to buy the freehold to 20 hectares of land being reclaimed under a $1.4 billion port project after India objected. Instead, it will grant the state-owned construction company a 99-year lease on the land next to the port in Colombo, under a new agreement. "India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbour," government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. "We have amended the agreement. There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease." The government had put the project on hold pending a review of all the big-ticket agreements signed under the previous administration of Mahinda Rajapakse. The former president relied heavily on Chinese investment to rebuild the country's infrastructure after the end of the island's decades-long ethnic war in May 2009, a move which some say alienated India. The Chinese-funded port was also controversial among environmentalists. Senaratne said the developers had agreed to drop a proposed Formula One track and increase public park space, and environmental safeguards would be put in place. The project is being funded by China Communications Construction Company and was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 during a visit to Colombo. Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a "string of pearls" strategy to counter the rise of rival India and secure its own economic interests. But Senaratne said the government had decided to go ahead with the project under new terms. Colombo would set up an offshore banking centre to compete with Dubai and Singapore, he said. The reclamation represents the biggest-ever single foreign investment in Sri Lanka. It will add 269 hectares (672 acres) of real estate in the congested capital, which has a population of over 650,000. Once completed, the Chinese will have 108 hectares (266 acres) on a 99-year lease for commercial development. Earlier, 20 hectares of that was to be on a freehold basis. Under the agreement, the Sri Lankan government will get 62 hectares (153 acres) and the rest will be public parks and access roads. China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways, and ports under Rajapakse, who is under investigation over allegations of corruption during his decade in power. The administration of President Maithripala Sirisena says the terms negotiated by the previous government were unfavourable. But it has still decided to go ahead with many of the Chinese-funded projects. (AFP)

Sri Lanka withdraws freehold land offer to China after India's objection

The dreaded act of parallel parking could soon become a thing of the past with Chinese inventors backing their new parking robot to take away the stress for anxious drivers. 
 
The laser-guided &quot;Geta&quot; (get a car) robot slides under your vehicle, picks it up, finds a parking space in the lot and places the car in the tightest of spots. 
 
The soon to be launched robot needs just two minutes to park a vehicle, does not need tracks, has 360 degrees mobility and will utilise space better than humans, said creators Yee Fung Automation Technology, based in the south China city of Shenzhen. 
 
&quot;The parking robot is designed to increase parking space,&quot; Yee Fung&rsquo;s 33-year-old chief executive and brainchild of Geta, Marco Wu, told Reuters. 
 
&quot;The robot can go everywhere ... and will reform parking in the future.&quot; 
 
Mainland China is expected to have more than 200 million cars by 2020, the government say, meaning that finding space to park could become increasingly difficult. 
 
Wu said Geta finds spaces by transmitting signals to a computer containing a map which then directs the robot to an available spot. 
 
The purple and lime green robot will cost more than 1 million Yuan ($150,000) and Wu said there had been lots of interest from cities where space is at a premium. 
 
&quot;There are many companies interested in our products, such as commercial property companies in Singapore and London, public parking companies in the Middle East, and developers, governments, as well as public parking companies in China,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The Geta robot slides under your vehicle, picks it up, finds a space, and then deposits your car in it

The dreaded act of parallel parking could soon become a thing of the past with Chinese inventors backing their new parking robot to take away the stress for anxious drivers. The laser-guided "Geta" (get a car) robot slides under your vehicle, picks it up, finds a parking space in the lot and places the car in the tightest of spots. The soon to be launched robot needs just two minutes to park a vehicle, does not need tracks, has 360 degrees mobility and will utilise space better than humans, said creators Yee Fung Automation Technology, based in the south China city of Shenzhen. "The parking robot is designed to increase parking space," Yee Fung’s 33-year-old chief executive and brainchild of Geta, Marco Wu, told Reuters. "The robot can go everywhere ... and will reform parking in the future." Mainland China is expected to have more than 200 million cars by 2020, the government say, meaning that finding space to park could become increasingly difficult. Wu said Geta finds spaces by transmitting signals to a computer containing a map which then directs the robot to an available spot. The purple and lime green robot will cost more than 1 million Yuan ($150,000) and Wu said there had been lots of interest from cities where space is at a premium. "There are many companies interested in our products, such as commercial property companies in Singapore and London, public parking companies in the Middle East, and developers, governments, as well as public parking companies in China," he said. (Reuters)

Having trouble parking? Chinese robot will do it for you

China and Poland have agreed on Monday to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping&#39;s&nbsp;visit to the country.

The move was made as Xi met with Polish President Andrzej Duda, in a bid to further promote cooperation across the board and benefit the two peoples.

Xi said at the meeting that the two peoples have enjoyed lasting friendship since the two countries established diplomatic relations 67 years ago.

The two countries have borne fruitful results in high-level and people-to-people exchanges, and economic and trade cooperation, especially since they established a strategic partnership in 2011, said Xi.

He added that China has cherished the traditional friendship with Poland and stands ready to work with Poland to push forward the bilateral relations in a sound and steady way.

Xi also called for efforts to enhance mutual trust, align development strategies of the two countries and boost interconnectivity and production cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative.

Bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, finance, agriculture, science and technology should be promoted, according to Xi.

Hailing the bilateral ties, Duda said that Poland is willing to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Sino-Polish comprehensive strategic partnership in various areas including the Belt and Road initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and people-to-people exchanges.

A joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership was inked after the meeting, as well as a memorandum of understanding on a bilateral cooperation blueprint.

Poland is the second leg of Xi&#39;s Eurasia tour. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19.

After visiting Poland, Xi will travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. 
 
(Reuters)

A bunch of cooperation agreements signed covering various aspects, including infrastructure construction, education, culture and aerospace

China and Poland have agreed on Monday to upgrade their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the country. The move was made as Xi met with Polish President Andrzej Duda, in a bid to further promote cooperation across the board and benefit the two peoples. Xi said at the meeting that the two peoples have enjoyed lasting friendship since the two countries established diplomatic relations 67 years ago. The two countries have borne fruitful results in high-level and people-to-people exchanges, and economic and trade cooperation, especially since they established a strategic partnership in 2011, said Xi. He added that China has cherished the traditional friendship with Poland and stands ready to work with Poland to push forward the bilateral relations in a sound and steady way. Xi also called for efforts to enhance mutual trust, align development strategies of the two countries and boost interconnectivity and production cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative. Bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, finance, agriculture, science and technology should be promoted, according to Xi. Hailing the bilateral ties, Duda said that Poland is willing to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Sino-Polish comprehensive strategic partnership in various areas including the Belt and Road initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and people-to-people exchanges. A joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership was inked after the meeting, as well as a memorandum of understanding on a bilateral cooperation blueprint. Poland is the second leg of Xi's Eurasia tour. Before visiting Poland, Xi visited Serbia from June 17 to June 19. After visiting Poland, Xi will travel to Uzbekistan for a state visit and attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. (Reuters)

China, Poland to lift ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

Yang&nbsp;Jianli&nbsp;is a Harvard fellow and president of the Washington-based&nbsp;Initiatives for China.&nbsp;Yang, who is a Chinese citizen with permanent resident status in the United States, was part of the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests. The protests were student-led, but had massive support from citizens. The protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing for seven weeks until the government ordered a military crackdown on June 4.&nbsp;Martial law had been imposed earlier. Tanks and soldiers armed with assault rifles marched on the protesters. When the protesters tried to stop their advance, the soldiers opened fire. Estimates vary, but between hundreds and thousands of people were killed in what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square massacre.&nbsp;Yang tells&nbsp;Ramesh Ramachandran&nbsp;that a repeat of 1989&nbsp;is probable should public disenchantment with the Chinese government&#39;s policies grow.&nbsp;Edited excerpts from an interview:&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
((use photo of Tiananmen Square massacre victims here; Getty has good photos))&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What is your take on contemporary India&ndash;China relations? Does India&#39;s China policy satisfy you?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I can&#39;t say I am very happy with it, but I understand the concerns of the Indian government about its territorial dispute with China&nbsp;and the threat of terrorism from Pakistan, which has a good relationship with China. India is a large democracy and a&nbsp;neighbour&nbsp;of China. I wish and hope that India will take a more proactive role in propagating the ideas of universal values such as democracy to China and also be more forthcoming in supporting us when it comes to visas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What is your position on Tibet?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Historically and contemporarily the situation in Tibet is very complex. Three principles guide us to work with Tibet:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* First, respect for the Tibetans&#39; right to self-determination and that the future of Tibet should be decided by the Tibetans themselves.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* Second, we should be united to change China.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* Third, we should achieve our goal with non-violence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Arab Spring happened in 2011. Similarly, we have seen people&#39;s movements in Hong Kong (the Umbrella Movement) and Taiwan (the Sunflower Student Movement) in 2014. You&nbsp;participated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Do you think a Chinese Spring is probable?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is, of course, probable. Ever since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the collapse of the erstwhile USSR, it has never been far from the Chinese leaders&#39; minds. They have learnt from the experiences of dictators, be they Right wing or Left wing, to prevent people from coming together, to control society. With such high degree of control in China, people may not be able to do much, but I don&#39;t think they will continue this way for very long. Social unrest, people&#39;s resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don&#39;t think the Chinese government will be able to control such a society forever.&nbsp;So&nbsp;(a repeat of)&nbsp;1989 is very possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Did the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 add to your disillusionment with the government of the day?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I was already disenchanted with the regime and the Communist party before the students&#39; movement broke out in the spring of 1989.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lGyZpbA_tY&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;

How do you view the intersection of the foreign policies of India and the US vis-a-vis China?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Indian government is leaning towards the US more than before. It is a good sign. The US is reflecting on its decades-old China policy. China might be the second largest economy in the world, but in terms of democracy it remains at the bottom. The US thought trade with China will bring about prosperity and democracy, but it did not happen. What went wrong? Decades of economic prosperity saw the Chinese middle class join the ruling elite class, but the economic and political elites are beginning to turn their back on President Xi Jinping. I think in five or 10 years China must have some big opportunity to change and I really hope that India, the US, and other democracies will not lose the opportunity to help the Chinese people to change China. When China becomes democratic, its government will become more responsible, more predictable. Therefore in terms of security a lot of countries such as India, the US, Japan, and the Philippines will become better off for sure.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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<h5>?Social unrest, people&#39;s resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don&#39;t think the Chinese Government will be able to control such a society for ever, not for a long time. So 1989 is very possible.</h5>
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How are contemporary domestic politics affecting the power dynamic in China?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A personality cult around President Xi has met with strong resistance within the party. His days will not be so easy. Four factors need to be present at the same time for real change in China:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;general dissatisfaction with the government&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;viable democratic opposition&nbsp;which is not yet there&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* A&nbsp;power struggle or cracks within the leadership (cracks will not be meaningful until some factions have different political views from others),&nbsp;and&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

* International recognition and support for the movement for change when it happens&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

We had almost achieved a revolution in 1989,&nbsp;but the international community did not&nbsp;recognise&nbsp;or intervene or give support to it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

How do you see the US-China relationship evolving under the next US President?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Republican or Democrat, the US can be expected to have a different foreign policy towards China. Whoever wins, the US will take a stronger position on security, trade and human rights.&nbsp;Compartmentalisation&nbsp;of policies did not work in the interest of the US. There is a need for an integrated approach.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In April&nbsp;you&nbsp;organised&nbsp;the&nbsp;InterEthnic&nbsp;InterFaith&nbsp;Leadership Conference at&nbsp;McLeodganj,&nbsp;India &ndash; the home of the Dalai Lama&nbsp;--&nbsp;to which members of China&#39;s ethnic and religious minorities were invited. A few days before the conference, the visas of a few participants&nbsp;whom China sees as separatists&nbsp;were revoked. It is thought India cancelled the visas under Chinese pressure.&nbsp;How do you view India&#39;s refusal or cancellation of visas to people like&nbsp;Dolkun&nbsp;Isa, chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress?&nbsp;

I am disappointed, but I understand that India is trying to find a balance between Chinese pressure and hosting the conference. One can&#39;t overlook the fact that India allowed the conference to be held without any incident. The criticism that the Modi government is weak is not fair. Policy-makers and the Modi government understand that advancing human rights and democracy in China is in the national interest of India.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

China calls&nbsp;Dolkun&nbsp;Isa a terrorist.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dolkun&nbsp;Isa is a peaceful person. He is not a terrorist. He is a citizen of Germany, which is a strong democracy. He travels freely to many countries, including the US. Any country can send a list (of persons it designates as terrorists) to Interpol but it does not mean that every country should accept it. India reacted to pressure from China which is understandable,&nbsp;but perhaps it overreacted. However, in the end, India allowed us to hold the conference which is very positive. We don&#39;t accept violence in any form. Some Uyghurs may have engaged in some kind of violent attacks, but those Uyghurs we work with are peaceful. We try to engage with some young people who have not abandoned violence. For example, some student leaders from Hong Kong were invited to the conference and spoken to about the principles of non-violence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

1989 may repeat if disenchantment with government policies grows in China, feels?Yang Jianli, president of Initiatives for China. Yang was a part of the pro-democracy protests and now lives in the US. He spoke to Ramesh Ramachandran.

Yang Jianli is a Harvard fellow and president of the Washington-based Initiatives for China. Yang, who is a Chinese citizen with permanent resident status in the United States, was part of the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests. The protests were student-led, but had massive support from citizens. The protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing for seven weeks until the government ordered a military crackdown on June 4. Martial law had been imposed earlier. Tanks and soldiers armed with assault rifles marched on the protesters. When the protesters tried to stop their advance, the soldiers opened fire. Estimates vary, but between hundreds and thousands of people were killed in what came to be known as the Tiananmen Square massacre. Yang tells Ramesh Ramachandran that a repeat of 1989 is probable should public disenchantment with the Chinese government's policies grow. Edited excerpts from an interview: ((use photo of Tiananmen Square massacre victims here; Getty has good photos)) What is your take on contemporary India–China relations? Does India's China policy satisfy you? I can't say I am very happy with it, but I understand the concerns of the Indian government about its territorial dispute with China and the threat of terrorism from Pakistan, which has a good relationship with China. India is a large democracy and a neighbour of China. I wish and hope that India will take a more proactive role in propagating the ideas of universal values such as democracy to China and also be more forthcoming in supporting us when it comes to visas. What is your position on Tibet? Historically and contemporarily the situation in Tibet is very complex. Three principles guide us to work with Tibet: * First, respect for the Tibetans' right to self-determination and that the future of Tibet should be decided by the Tibetans themselves. * Second, we should be united to change China. * Third, we should achieve our goal with non-violence. The Arab Spring happened in 2011. Similarly, we have seen people's movements in Hong Kong (the Umbrella Movement) and Taiwan (the Sunflower Student Movement) in 2014. You participated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Do you think a Chinese Spring is probable? It is, of course, probable. Ever since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the collapse of the erstwhile USSR, it has never been far from the Chinese leaders' minds. They have learnt from the experiences of dictators, be they Right wing or Left wing, to prevent people from coming together, to control society. With such high degree of control in China, people may not be able to do much, but I don't think they will continue this way for very long. Social unrest, people's resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don't think the Chinese government will be able to control such a society forever. So (a repeat of) 1989 is very possible. Did the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 add to your disillusionment with the government of the day? I was already disenchanted with the regime and the Communist party before the students' movement broke out in the spring of 1989. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lGyZpbA_tY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> How do you view the intersection of the foreign policies of India and the US vis-a-vis China? The Indian government is leaning towards the US more than before. It is a good sign. The US is reflecting on its decades-old China policy. China might be the second largest economy in the world, but in terms of democracy it remains at the bottom. The US thought trade with China will bring about prosperity and democracy, but it did not happen. What went wrong? Decades of economic prosperity saw the Chinese middle class join the ruling elite class, but the economic and political elites are beginning to turn their back on President Xi Jinping. I think in five or 10 years China must have some big opportunity to change and I really hope that India, the US, and other democracies will not lose the opportunity to help the Chinese people to change China. When China becomes democratic, its government will become more responsible, more predictable. Therefore in terms of security a lot of countries such as India, the US, Japan, and the Philippines will become better off for sure. ?Social unrest, people's resentment against the government, sickening pollution, glaring corruption, public disgust with information control, blatantly unjust detentions... all these things I think will get people to try to do something, to demand change. Eventually I don't think the Chinese Government will be able to control such a society for ever, not for a long time. So 1989 is very possible. How are contemporary domestic politics affecting the power dynamic in China? A personality cult around President Xi has met with strong resistance within the party. His days will not be so easy. Four factors need to be present at the same time for real change in China: * A general dissatisfaction with the government * A viable democratic opposition which is not yet there * A power struggle or cracks within the leadership (cracks will not be meaningful until some factions have different political views from others), and * International recognition and support for the movement for change when it happens We had almost achieved a revolution in 1989, but the international community did not recognise or intervene or give support to it. How do you see the US-China relationship evolving under the next US President? Republican or Democrat, the US can be expected to have a different foreign policy towards China. Whoever wins, the US will take a stronger position on security, trade and human rights. Compartmentalisation of policies did not work in the interest of the US. There is a need for an integrated approach. In April you organised the InterEthnic InterFaith Leadership Conference at McLeodganj, India – the home of the Dalai Lama -- to which members of China's ethnic and religious minorities were invited. A few days before the conference, the visas of a few participants whom China sees as separatists were revoked. It is thought India cancelled the visas under Chinese pressure. How do you view India's refusal or cancellation of visas to people like Dolkun Isa, chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress? I am disappointed, but I understand that India is trying to find a balance between Chinese pressure and hosting the conference. One can't overlook the fact that India allowed the conference to be held without any incident. The criticism that the Modi government is weak is not fair. Policy-makers and the Modi government understand that advancing human rights and democracy in China is in the national interest of India. China calls Dolkun Isa a terrorist. Dolkun Isa is a peaceful person. He is not a terrorist. He is a citizen of Germany, which is a strong democracy. He travels freely to many countries, including the US. Any country can send a list (of persons it designates as terrorists) to Interpol but it does not mean that every country should accept it. India reacted to pressure from China which is understandable, but perhaps it overreacted. However, in the end, India allowed us to hold the conference which is very positive. We don't accept violence in any form. Some Uyghurs may have engaged in some kind of violent attacks, but those Uyghurs we work with are peaceful. We try to engage with some young people who have not abandoned violence. For example, some student leaders from Hong Kong were invited to the conference and spoken to about the principles of non-violence.

Tiananmen Square-like protests may repeat if things don?t change, says Chinese dissident Yang Jianli

Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank announced Wednesday they are planning to sell at least $ 7.9 billion (USD) of its stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, as it looks to pay down a whopping debt load. 
 
The move will reduce SoftBank&#39;s 32.2 per cent holding in the Chinese company to about 28 per cent with the sale, it said, adding that proceeds would be earmarked to pay down debts. 
 
SoftBank said in a statement it has &quot;approved of a series of capital raising transactions, which involve monetising a portion of the shares of Alibaba&quot;. 
 
The Japanese mobile carrier, led by Masayoshi Son, first made its investment in Alibaba in 2000. 
 
&quot;This investment has been phenomenally successful and, over the past 16 years, we have built a close relationship, working together on 
many exciting projects,&quot; Son said in the statement, adding that the pair would continue to work together. 
 
Led by Son, SoftBank launched an acquisition streak that saw it pick up an assortment of firms, including its $16 billion purchase of US-based mobile giant Sprint. 
 
But the buying spree has put pressure on SoftBank&#39;s finances, and the firm also announced earlier this year it would buy back more than 14 per cent of its stock at a cost of about 500 billion yen. 
 
&nbsp;As per the official statement, Son and Alibaba&#39;s executive chairman Jack Ma will remain on the board of the other&#39;s firms 
 
&quot;Under the leadership of Masayoshi Son, SoftBank has been a highly valued, long-time partner of Alibaba for more than 16 years, and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership together,&quot; Ma said in a separate statement. 
 
&quot;As SoftBank looks to strengthen its own balance sheet, Alibaba determined that it was the best use of our capital to re-invest in our own business through an efficient buyback of a large number of shares in our own company that is accretive to our stockholders.&quot; 
 
SoftBank said Alibaba itself would buy back at least USD 2.0 billion worth of the shares it is selling. 
 
SoftBank has seen its profits boosted thanks to Alibaba&#39;s record USD 25 billion market debut in 2014 in New York. 
Today&#39;s announcement came after the Chinese online giant disclosed last week that US securities regulators were probing its accounting for possible violations of US securities laws. 
 
SoftBank shares rose more than two percent shortly after the opening bell today. 
 
Alibaba&#39;s US-listed shares declined 3.1 per cent yesterday after the announcement of SoftBank&#39;s planned share sale. (AFP)

Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank today said it will sell at least $ 7.9 billion (USD) of its stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, as it looks to pay down a whopping debt.

Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank announced Wednesday they are planning to sell at least $ 7.9 billion (USD) of its stake in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, as it looks to pay down a whopping debt load. The move will reduce SoftBank's 32.2 per cent holding in the Chinese company to about 28 per cent with the sale, it said, adding that proceeds would be earmarked to pay down debts. SoftBank said in a statement it has "approved of a series of capital raising transactions, which involve monetising a portion of the shares of Alibaba". The Japanese mobile carrier, led by Masayoshi Son, first made its investment in Alibaba in 2000. "This investment has been phenomenally successful and, over the past 16 years, we have built a close relationship, working together on many exciting projects," Son said in the statement, adding that the pair would continue to work together. Led by Son, SoftBank launched an acquisition streak that saw it pick up an assortment of firms, including its $16 billion purchase of US-based mobile giant Sprint. But the buying spree has put pressure on SoftBank's finances, and the firm also announced earlier this year it would buy back more than 14 per cent of its stock at a cost of about 500 billion yen. As per the official statement, Son and Alibaba's executive chairman Jack Ma will remain on the board of the other's firms "Under the leadership of Masayoshi Son, SoftBank has been a highly valued, long-time partner of Alibaba for more than 16 years, and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership together," Ma said in a separate statement. "As SoftBank looks to strengthen its own balance sheet, Alibaba determined that it was the best use of our capital to re-invest in our own business through an efficient buyback of a large number of shares in our own company that is accretive to our stockholders." SoftBank said Alibaba itself would buy back at least USD 2.0 billion worth of the shares it is selling. SoftBank has seen its profits boosted thanks to Alibaba's record USD 25 billion market debut in 2014 in New York. Today's announcement came after the Chinese online giant disclosed last week that US securities regulators were probing its accounting for possible violations of US securities laws. SoftBank shares rose more than two percent shortly after the opening bell today. Alibaba's US-listed shares declined 3.1 per cent yesterday after the announcement of SoftBank's planned share sale. (AFP)

SoftBank to sell part of stake in China's Alibaba for $7.9 billion

Software maker Microsoft Corp &lt;MSFT.O&gt; is selling about 1,500 of its patents to Chinese device maker Xiaomi [XTC.UL], a rare departure for the U.S. company and part of what the two companies say is the start of a long-term partnership.

The deal, announced on Wednesday includes a patent cross-licensing arrangement and a commitment by Xiaomi to install copies of Microsoft software, including Office and Skype, on its phones and tablets.

Both companies declined to disclose the&nbsp;financial terms of the deal.

&quot;This is a very big collaboration agreement between the two companies,&quot; said Wang Xiang, senior vice president at Xiaomi in a telephonic conversation to Reuters.

Analysts said Xiaomi&#39;s ambitions to be a major player outside China were hampered by weak patent protection and a fear of a prolonged legal battle.

&quot;This deal might just give them enough of a patent trove to move to Western markets,&quot; said Sameer Singh, a UK-based analyst. 
&nbsp;He further added that their position in China has been under constant attack from even lower-end Android vendors, so moving overseas is now a necessity.

Shipments of Xiaomi phones fell 9 percent year-on-year in China in the first quarter, according to Strategy Analytics, and its market share dipped to 12 percent from 13 percent, squeezed not only by Huawei [HWT.UL] and Samsung Electronics &lt;005930.KS&gt; but also smaller contenders including Oppo and Vivo.

Wang said the acquisition of Microsoft patents, which included voice communications, multimedia and cloud computing, on top of some 3,700 patents the Chinese company filed last year, were &quot;an important step forwards to support our expansion internationally.&quot;

Xiaomi launched its first U.S. device earlier this month, a TV set-top box it developed in cooperation with Alphabet Inc&#39;s &lt;GOOGL.O&gt; Google, which owns the Android operating system it and most Xiaomi devices run on. Xiaomi has also launched a tablet which runs a version of Microsoft&#39;s Windows operating system.

Jonathan Tinter, corporate vice president at Microsoft, said the company was keen to tap into Xiaomi&#39;s young, affluent and educated users by having its products pre-installed on their devices. He declined to go into detail about the patent deals, but said the overall deal was something &quot;we do only with a few strategic partners.&quot;

Microsoft has cut licensing deals with many Android device makers over the years, but has had less luck with Chinese manufacturers.

Florian Mueller, a patents expert who consulted for Microsoft in the past, said it was rare for Microsoft to actually sell its patents, adding &quot;it&#39;s possible Microsoft found it easier to impose its Android patent tax on Xiaomi as part of a broader deal that also involved a transfer of patents.&quot;

Software maker Microsoft Corp is selling about 1,500 of its patents to Chinese device maker Xiaomi [XTC.UL]

Software maker Microsoft Corp <MSFT.O> is selling about 1,500 of its patents to Chinese device maker Xiaomi [XTC.UL], a rare departure for the U.S. company and part of what the two companies say is the start of a long-term partnership. The deal, announced on Wednesday includes a patent cross-licensing arrangement and a commitment by Xiaomi to install copies of Microsoft software, including Office and Skype, on its phones and tablets. Both companies declined to disclose the financial terms of the deal. "This is a very big collaboration agreement between the two companies," said Wang Xiang, senior vice president at Xiaomi in a telephonic conversation to Reuters. Analysts said Xiaomi's ambitions to be a major player outside China were hampered by weak patent protection and a fear of a prolonged legal battle. "This deal might just give them enough of a patent trove to move to Western markets," said Sameer Singh, a UK-based analyst. He further added that their position in China has been under constant attack from even lower-end Android vendors, so moving overseas is now a necessity. Shipments of Xiaomi phones fell 9 percent year-on-year in China in the first quarter, according to Strategy Analytics, and its market share dipped to 12 percent from 13 percent, squeezed not only by Huawei [HWT.UL] and Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> but also smaller contenders including Oppo and Vivo. Wang said the acquisition of Microsoft patents, which included voice communications, multimedia and cloud computing, on top of some 3,700 patents the Chinese company filed last year, were "an important step forwards to support our expansion internationally." Xiaomi launched its first U.S. device earlier this month, a TV set-top box it developed in cooperation with Alphabet Inc's <GOOGL.O> Google, which owns the Android operating system it and most Xiaomi devices run on. Xiaomi has also launched a tablet which runs a version of Microsoft's Windows operating system. Jonathan Tinter, corporate vice president at Microsoft, said the company was keen to tap into Xiaomi's young, affluent and educated users by having its products pre-installed on their devices. He declined to go into detail about the patent deals, but said the overall deal was something "we do only with a few strategic partners." Microsoft has cut licensing deals with many Android device makers over the years, but has had less luck with Chinese manufacturers. Florian Mueller, a patents expert who consulted for Microsoft in the past, said it was rare for Microsoft to actually sell its patents, adding "it's possible Microsoft found it easier to impose its Android patent tax on Xiaomi as part of a broader deal that also involved a transfer of patents."

Microsoft sells 1500 patents to Xiaomi, builds partnership

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