The talks of extension of Chinese president Xi Jinping&rsquo;s tenure beyond the stipulated limit of two terms as per their 1982 constitution is generating reasonable interest in the diplomatic circles. We Indians, from an open democracy with no such restrictions, have no case to comment on the political philosophies, structures and processes that China wants to adopt. It is purely their call, albeit it has exposed an inherent flaw in their constitutional design.

The sensibility of this proposed change is under scrutiny as President Xi is currently the head of all three apex level decision making bodies, including the communist party, national people&rsquo;s congress and the military commission. In absence of political opposition in the one-party political system, a division of power amongst these three institutions has some modicum of conceptual debate on national issues, if not an elbow space for a &nbsp;dissent in a communist structure. With the proposed changes, however, the possibility of prompting by the all-powerful president himself cannot be ruled out. The change is symbolic of giving higher credence to a perceived successful personality over the proven institutional strength of existing governance structures.

What concerns the international community most are the political connotations; China is seen as transitioning to quasi-dictatorial political structures. There are fair chances of enhanced political hubris of China in the absence of internal political opposition. This can get worse with President Xi&rsquo;s penchant for the conduct of aggressive diplomacy as observed so far.&nbsp;

Closer home, one cannot forget the Chinese duplicity and high handedness in orchestrating a major incursion across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) into Indian territory while President Xi was on a state visit to India, conveying a coercive politico- military message. Soon, thereafter, the Doklam happened as a sequel. The timings of the Doklam face-off was apparently linked to the domestic political compulsion of President Xi who intended to showcase his firm handling of territorial issues with an aim of enhancing his central position in Chinese polity in the forthcoming 19th Congress meet and the 90th anniversary of PLA.&nbsp;

However, the Chinese bluff was exposed with firm political handling and Indian military resolve. A repeat of such military incursions cannot be ruled out in the future once Xi is firmly in the saddle for a longer tenure. Open threats of using military force and anti-India rhetoric from their foreign office on trivial issues are part of Chinese psychological warfare to keep India on the back foot.&nbsp;

Looking at the pattern of political aggressiveness during his tenure so far, Xi seems to have used anti-India quotient in a deft manner, thereby, rallying national sentiments in his favour besides similar other international politically significant initiatives with military signatures.&nbsp;

It also appears that China is getting worried due to the refusal of India to join CPEC bandwagon which is the key to its success, their biggest political investment in recent times. Fearing an adverse impact on their politico-economic ambitions, they seem to be desperate to tame India through a show of force, a sure shot recipe in their medieval mindset. &nbsp;Whereas, with the increased political clout and strategic pull of India as well as with the help from the US has put the Chinese under pressure to introspect their conduct. &nbsp;

Chinese stand down from supporting Pakistan in FAFT and their reported outreach to the ASEAN countries in working out a code of conduct in the South China Sea are indicative of scaling down of their obstinate political posturing. These changes are due to their political compulsions to push through their national agenda as of now. However, their underlying confrontationist tendencies are likely to continue under Xi in order to retain Chinese political position of strength.

Xi happens to be the tallest Chinese leader in the current strategically transitory situation. Moreover, he has developed a working equation and personal rapport with the current world political leaders who are going to be around for some time. From the Chinese perspective, it certainly is a sensible idea to perpetuate the vision of president Xi instead of bringing in a new incumbent in order to ensure political stability. Hence, a case for his continuation as an exception in the Chinese national interests.

While the Chinese proposal has its merits, it is also fraught with negatives that are detrimental not only to China but also to the world in general. Given the current Chinese politico-economic outreach and subtle military signatures beyond their borders. Since human mind has limited cognitive capabilities, depending on one individual as an ultimate arbitrator becomes counterproductive in the longer run.&nbsp;

Moreover, anti-incumbency is a known phenomenon in any political system which would have no room for catharsis in a single point closed Chinese system, unlike a democracy where there is an option for change. One man show at times may fail to keep pace with the contemporary geopolitical changes due to a rigidity of perceptions, thereby, losing out on political flexibility to adapt to requisite environmental synergies. In the proposed system perception of an individual would have the power to overrule the institutional decision-making mechanism which may manifest into inappropriate synergies.

Now that President Xi is likely to continue in the office beyond the stipulated two terms, he would serve the Chinese interests better if he accords priority to cooperation instead of confrontation. It is &nbsp;President Xi, who has to take a call with added faith and concomitant responsibilities bestowed upon him by the Chinese people.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Xi Jinping would serve the Chinese interests better if he accords priority to Cooperation instead of confrontation.

The talks of extension of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s tenure beyond the stipulated limit of two terms as per their 1982 constitution is generating reasonable interest in the diplomatic circles. We Indians, from an open democracy with no such restrictions, have no case to comment on the political philosophies, structures and processes that China wants to adopt. It is purely their call, albeit it has exposed an inherent flaw in their constitutional design. The sensibility of this proposed change is under scrutiny as President Xi is currently the head of all three apex level decision making bodies, including the communist party, national people’s congress and the military commission. In absence of political opposition in the one-party political system, a division of power amongst these three institutions has some modicum of conceptual debate on national issues, if not an elbow space for a dissent in a communist structure. With the proposed changes, however, the possibility of prompting by the all-powerful president himself cannot be ruled out. The change is symbolic of giving higher credence to a perceived successful personality over the proven institutional strength of existing governance structures. What concerns the international community most are the political connotations; China is seen as transitioning to quasi-dictatorial political structures. There are fair chances of enhanced political hubris of China in the absence of internal political opposition. This can get worse with President Xi’s penchant for the conduct of aggressive diplomacy as observed so far. Closer home, one cannot forget the Chinese duplicity and high handedness in orchestrating a major incursion across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) into Indian territory while President Xi was on a state visit to India, conveying a coercive politico- military message. Soon, thereafter, the Doklam happened as a sequel. The timings of the Doklam face-off was apparently linked to the domestic political compulsion of President Xi who intended to showcase his firm handling of territorial issues with an aim of enhancing his central position in Chinese polity in the forthcoming 19th Congress meet and the 90th anniversary of PLA. However, the Chinese bluff was exposed with firm political handling and Indian military resolve. A repeat of such military incursions cannot be ruled out in the future once Xi is firmly in the saddle for a longer tenure. Open threats of using military force and anti-India rhetoric from their foreign office on trivial issues are part of Chinese psychological warfare to keep India on the back foot. Looking at the pattern of political aggressiveness during his tenure so far, Xi seems to have used anti-India quotient in a deft manner, thereby, rallying national sentiments in his favour besides similar other international politically significant initiatives with military signatures. It also appears that China is getting worried due to the refusal of India to join CPEC bandwagon which is the key to its success, their biggest political investment in recent times. Fearing an adverse impact on their politico-economic ambitions, they seem to be desperate to tame India through a show of force, a sure shot recipe in their medieval mindset. Whereas, with the increased political clout and strategic pull of India as well as with the help from the US has put the Chinese under pressure to introspect their conduct. Chinese stand down from supporting Pakistan in FAFT and their reported outreach to the ASEAN countries in working out a code of conduct in the South China Sea are indicative of scaling down of their obstinate political posturing. These changes are due to their political compulsions to push through their national agenda as of now. However, their underlying confrontationist tendencies are likely to continue under Xi in order to retain Chinese political position of strength. Xi happens to be the tallest Chinese leader in the current strategically transitory situation. Moreover, he has developed a working equation and personal rapport with the current world political leaders who are going to be around for some time. From the Chinese perspective, it certainly is a sensible idea to perpetuate the vision of president Xi instead of bringing in a new incumbent in order to ensure political stability. Hence, a case for his continuation as an exception in the Chinese national interests. While the Chinese proposal has its merits, it is also fraught with negatives that are detrimental not only to China but also to the world in general. Given the current Chinese politico-economic outreach and subtle military signatures beyond their borders. Since human mind has limited cognitive capabilities, depending on one individual as an ultimate arbitrator becomes counterproductive in the longer run. Moreover, anti-incumbency is a known phenomenon in any political system which would have no room for catharsis in a single point closed Chinese system, unlike a democracy where there is an option for change. One man show at times may fail to keep pace with the contemporary geopolitical changes due to a rigidity of perceptions, thereby, losing out on political flexibility to adapt to requisite environmental synergies. In the proposed system perception of an individual would have the power to overrule the institutional decision-making mechanism which may manifest into inappropriate synergies. Now that President Xi is likely to continue in the office beyond the stipulated two terms, he would serve the Chinese interests better if he accords priority to cooperation instead of confrontation. It is President Xi, who has to take a call with added faith and concomitant responsibilities bestowed upon him by the Chinese people. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: China is giving Xi Jinping unprecedented power

India and China on Wednesday carried out their first joint army exercise in the eastern Ladakh region of India&#39;s Jammu and Kashmir, news agency PTI reported.

The day-long drill, which focused on humanitarian aid and disaster relief, took place on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), that divides the border between India and China.

It comes amid a hectic diplomatic manoeuvring between the two countries over a range of issues including China blocking India&#39;s entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as its efforts to get Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the UN.

The Indian army called the exercise was a &quot;great success&quot; and said it had increased the level of trust and cooperation between the border forces on either side of the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. It also said that the exercise complimented the Hand in Hand joint exercises which the two countries have been conducting since 2007.

A mock situation of an earthquake occurring at an Indian village was created with joint teams engaging in rescue operations, evacuation and medical assistance, the Indian Army stated. India and China have been involved in a border dispute for decades, with India often accusing Chinese troops of intruding into its territory.

The first exercise in the series was held in February this year in Chushul-Moldo area on the Chinese side of the LAC.

This year&#39;s edition of &#39;Hand in Hand&#39; will be held at Aundh, near Pune in Maharashtra, from November 15 to 27.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The exercise comes amid hectic diplomatic manoeuvring over a host of issues including India's entry to the NSG

India and China on Wednesday carried out their first joint army exercise in the eastern Ladakh region of India's Jammu and Kashmir, news agency PTI reported. The day-long drill, which focused on humanitarian aid and disaster relief, took place on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), that divides the border between India and China. It comes amid a hectic diplomatic manoeuvring between the two countries over a range of issues including China blocking India's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as its efforts to get Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the UN. The Indian army called the exercise was a "great success" and said it had increased the level of trust and cooperation between the border forces on either side of the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. It also said that the exercise complimented the Hand in Hand joint exercises which the two countries have been conducting since 2007. A mock situation of an earthquake occurring at an Indian village was created with joint teams engaging in rescue operations, evacuation and medical assistance, the Indian Army stated. India and China have been involved in a border dispute for decades, with India often accusing Chinese troops of intruding into its territory. The first exercise in the series was held in February this year in Chushul-Moldo area on the Chinese side of the LAC. This year's edition of 'Hand in Hand' will be held at Aundh, near Pune in Maharashtra, from November 15 to 27. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India, China hold first joint exercise in Kashmir's Ladakh region

China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet for constructing a hydro project, a decision that&nbsp;could potentially impact the flow of water into lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh.

The Lalho project on Xiabuqu river&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;a tributary of the Brahmputra&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;will be China&#39;s &quot;most expensive project&quot;, Zhang Yunbao, head of the project&#39;s administration bureau, told China&#39;s state-run news agency Xinhua&nbsp;on Saturday.&nbsp;

The project involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan ($740 million). Construction began in June 2014 and is scheduled to be completed in 2019.

He also said the project would serve multiple purposes including flood control, power generation and irrigation of the drought-prone farming area.&nbsp;

From Shigatse&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;located close to the Indian state of Sikkim&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;the Brahmaputra flows into India through the state of Arunachal Pradesh.&nbsp;

It is not clear yet what impact the blockade of the tributary will have on India and Bangladesh, as both countries rely on Brahmaputra water.

Beijing&#39;s decision to block the Brahmaputra tributary comes after India threatened to scrap the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in retaliation to the Uri attack on September 18. China is known to be a close ally of Pakistan.

Geopolitical analysts have raised concerns over China&#39;s policy of using control over river water as a leveraging tool over India, especially in its dispute with Pakistan.&nbsp;

Defence expert professor Brahma Chellaney told DNA in an interview last month that China believes in &quot;absolute control over river waters&quot; and its policy of building dams on the Brahmaputra could tap into resources of India, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.

On September 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave a guarded reply when asked about India&#39;s Indus waters dispute with Pakistan. Some of the rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty originate in China.

&quot;As a friendly neighbour to both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan can properly address disputes and improve relations through dialogue and consultation, maintain and enhance all-round cooperation and join hands to promote regional peace, stability and development,&quot; Shuang had told PTI.

Last year, China had operationalised the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station on the Brahmaputra river, the largest in Tibet.&nbsp;

The outline of the country&#39;s 12th Five Year Plan indicates that three more hydropower projects on the Brahmaputra river in the Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation, a development that has worried New Delhi.

In March, Union minister of state for water resources Sanwar Lal Jat said in a statement that India had expressed its concerns to China about the likely impact of the dams.

But China has maintained that it has taken India&#39;s concerns into consideration, stating that its hydroelectric projects do not involve water storage.

While there is no water treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) on trans-border rivers. In 2013, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

The blockade could potentially impact the flow of Brahmaputra water into lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh

China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet for constructing a hydro project, a decision that could potentially impact the flow of water into lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh. The Lalho project on Xiabuqu river — a tributary of the Brahmputra — will be China's "most expensive project", Zhang Yunbao, head of the project's administration bureau, told China's state-run news agency Xinhua on Saturday. The project involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan ($740 million). Construction began in June 2014 and is scheduled to be completed in 2019. He also said the project would serve multiple purposes including flood control, power generation and irrigation of the drought-prone farming area. From Shigatse — located close to the Indian state of Sikkim — the Brahmaputra flows into India through the state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is not clear yet what impact the blockade of the tributary will have on India and Bangladesh, as both countries rely on Brahmaputra water. Beijing's decision to block the Brahmaputra tributary comes after India threatened to scrap the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in retaliation to the Uri attack on September 18. China is known to be a close ally of Pakistan. Geopolitical analysts have raised concerns over China's policy of using control over river water as a leveraging tool over India, especially in its dispute with Pakistan. Defence expert professor Brahma Chellaney told DNA in an interview last month that China believes in "absolute control over river waters" and its policy of building dams on the Brahmaputra could tap into resources of India, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries. On September 27, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave a guarded reply when asked about India's Indus waters dispute with Pakistan. Some of the rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty originate in China. "As a friendly neighbour to both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan can properly address disputes and improve relations through dialogue and consultation, maintain and enhance all-round cooperation and join hands to promote regional peace, stability and development," Shuang had told PTI. Last year, China had operationalised the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station on the Brahmaputra river, the largest in Tibet. The outline of the country's 12th Five Year Plan indicates that three more hydropower projects on the Brahmaputra river in the Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation, a development that has worried New Delhi. In March, Union minister of state for water resources Sanwar Lal Jat said in a statement that India had expressed its concerns to China about the likely impact of the dams. But China has maintained that it has taken India's concerns into consideration, stating that its hydroelectric projects do not involve water storage. While there is no water treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) on trans-border rivers. In 2013, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows. (WION with inputs from PTI)

China blocks Brahmaputra tributary in Tibet to build dam

China has vetoed India&#39;s application to the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief a terrorist for the second time.&nbsp;

The country&#39;s six-month &#39;technical hold&#39; on India&#39;s application was to lapse&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;but has now been extended for another six months. Had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically.&nbsp;

India blames Azhar&#39;s JeM for the attack on an army base in Uri last month that killed 19 soldiers and also for the attack on an air force station in Pathankot in January.

New Delhi had submitted a detailed dossier on Azhar and moved the UNSC 1267 Committee following the attack in Pathankot.

&quot;The technical hold on India&#39;s listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended. There are still different views on India&#39;s listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations&quot; China&#39;s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI in Beijing.

&quot;The UNSC organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council,&quot; he said in a written reply to a question, PTI reported.

On&nbsp;March 31&nbsp;this year, China was the only member of the 15-member UNSC to freeze India&#39;s application seeking ban on Azhar under the Sanctions Committee.&nbsp;Being placed on the 1267 sanctions list would result in assets freeze and travel ban.&nbsp;

The 14 members supported New Delhi&#39;s bid to place the JeM leader and Pathankot attack mastermind on the sanctions list. But China put the application on &#39;technical hold&#39; at the last minute.&nbsp;

Besides India, the US, the UK and France had also &quot;co-sponsored&quot; the resolution seeking Azhar&#39;s listing as a terrorist.

India had back then criticised the UN sanctions committee for taking a &quot;selective approach&quot; in tackling terrorism and for its failure to designate terrorists.&nbsp;

It had said that it found it &quot;incomprehensible&quot; that while JeM was listed in the UNSC Committee as far back as 2001 for its terror activities and links with the al-Qaeda, the designation of the group&#39;s main leader, financier and motivator as a terrorist has been put on a technical hold.

In June last year, China, a key ally of Pakistan, had blocked India&#39;s demand under the Council&#39;s anti-terrorism resolutions&nbsp;for taking action against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi, mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

China&#39;s move to extend the technical hold are likely to cast a cloud over the expected meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the upcoming BRICS Summit on&nbsp;October 15-16.&nbsp;

The country has also opposed India&#39;s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

On Saturday, it announced a new hydroelectric project on a tributary of the Brahmaputra that may impact the flow of water into India, raising concerns that may use its control of river water as a leveraging tool over India in its disputes involving Pakistan.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

This is the second time Beijing has vetoed New Delhi's move to put sanctions on the alleged Uri attack mastermind

China has vetoed India's application to the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief a terrorist for the second time. The country's six-month 'technical hold' on India's application was to lapse on Monday but has now been extended for another six months. Had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically. India blames Azhar's JeM for the attack on an army base in Uri last month that killed 19 soldiers and also for the attack on an air force station in Pathankot in January. New Delhi had submitted a detailed dossier on Azhar and moved the UNSC 1267 Committee following the attack in Pathankot. "The technical hold on India's listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended. There are still different views on India's listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations" China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI in Beijing. "The UNSC organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council," he said in a written reply to a question, PTI reported. On March 31 this year, China was the only member of the 15-member UNSC to freeze India's application seeking ban on Azhar under the Sanctions Committee. Being placed on the 1267 sanctions list would result in assets freeze and travel ban. The 14 members supported New Delhi's bid to place the JeM leader and Pathankot attack mastermind on the sanctions list. But China put the application on 'technical hold' at the last minute. Besides India, the US, the UK and France had also "co-sponsored" the resolution seeking Azhar's listing as a terrorist. India had back then criticised the UN sanctions committee for taking a "selective approach" in tackling terrorism and for its failure to designate terrorists. It had said that it found it "incomprehensible" that while JeM was listed in the UNSC Committee as far back as 2001 for its terror activities and links with the al-Qaeda, the designation of the group's main leader, financier and motivator as a terrorist has been put on a technical hold. In June last year, China, a key ally of Pakistan, had blocked India's demand under the Council's anti-terrorism resolutions for taking action against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi, mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. China's move to extend the technical hold are likely to cast a cloud over the expected meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the upcoming BRICS Summit on October 15-16. The country has also opposed India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). On Saturday, it announced a new hydroelectric project on a tributary of the Brahmaputra that may impact the flow of water into India, raising concerns that may use its control of river water as a leveraging tool over India in its disputes involving Pakistan. (WION with inputs from PTI)

China dampens India's attempt to tag Masood Azhar as terrorist

India should avoid &quot;unnecessary entanglement&quot; in the South China Sea dispute during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi&#39;s visit to New Delhi to prevent it becoming yet &quot;another factor&quot; to impact bilateral ties, a state-run Chinese daily said on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;India may want to avoid unnecessary entanglement with China over the South China Sea debate during Wang&#39;s visit if the country wishes to create a good atmosphere for economic cooperation, which would include reducing tariffs on made-in-India products exported to China amid the ongoing free trade talk known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership,&quot; an article in the state-run Global Times said. 
 
&quot;India is expected to allow only moderate tariff reduction on made-in-China products under the talks in a bid to preserve its domestic industries. If India wants China to be more generous in terms of tariff reduction, it would be unwise for the country to let its&nbsp; 
relationship with China deteriorate further at this moment,&quot; it said. The daily said that India&#39;s focus on the South China Sea issue at this moment was puzzling as the move it said might risk &quot;unnecessary side effects&quot; to bilateral ties and potentially create obstacles for Indian exporters hoping to increase their presence in China, the world&#39;s second largest importer. 
 
Underlining that tensions between China and India have been increasing in recent months owing to a series of political incidents, it said, &quot;Considering that India does not face territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, is it worth letting the South China Sea issue become another factor that will impact India&#39;s cooperation with China? India should consider this.&quot; Amid unease in ties, Wang will arrive in India to hold talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj on August 13 during which key regional and bilateral issues will be discussed, including the NSG issue. 
 
His visit comes ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou next month in which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take part. 
 
Following the ruling by an international tribunal last month which rejected Beijing&#39;s claims over much of the disputed sea area, China is campaigning against the issue to be raised in G20 Summit saying it is a matter to be resolved between parties concerned and outsider has no role. 
 
&quot;In fairness, after dozens of countries have expressed support for China&#39;s stance in the South China Sea, India&#39;s attitude toward the issue may not be as important as the nation had imagined,&quot; the article said. 
 
&quot;While many Indian people have been focused on the South China Sea ahead of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi&#39;s upcoming trip to the country, less attention has been paid to the recent fall in exports of made-in-India products to China,&quot; it said. 
 
It said India should move its focus from geopolitical competition to economic issues to stop a further decline in exports to China. &quot;Under normal circumstances, defusing the tensions between the two counties will help lay a sound foundation for fostering closer&nbsp; 
economic ties. In this regard, Wang Yi&#39;s trip will offer concrete opportunities for India,&quot; the daily said. 
 
&quot;India&#39;s exports to China have dropped 16.7 per cent year-on-year in the first seven months of the year, Chinese customs data showed on Monday, suggesting that a large number of Indian enterprises are having a hard time exploring the Chinese market amid simmering tensions between the two countries. Regretfully, due attention has not been paid to the living conditions of those Indian firms,&quot; it said. 
 
India-China bilateral trade which totalled around $70 billion last year tilted heavily in favour of Beijing with over $46 billion trade deficit. 
 
Wang&#39;s visit will be the first high-level visit between the two countries after China stalled India&#39;s Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid at the Plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was a non-NPT signatory. 
 
Wang&#39;s visit also comes just days after Chinese troops &quot;transgressed&quot; the border on land and by air in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand last month. 
 
Wang will also be visiting Goa, where India is due to host BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in October. 
 
Meanwhile, another article in the same daily accused India of blocking BRICS initiative to liberalize visa regime for member countries and said getting business visa to India has become a &quot;pain in the butt&quot;. 
 
&quot;Given its unusual sensitivity, the Indian authorities&#39; visa policies toward Chinese personnel often reflect the latest twists and turns in the Sino-Indian relations,&quot; it said. 
 
It alleged that &quot;in the aftermath of India&#39;s failed bid to join the NSG, which New Delhi blamed Beijing as the culprit behind the scenes of their non-admittance, the Indian authorities first refused to renew the visas of three Chinese journalists from Xinhua, then blocked a visa waiver programme for BRICS nationals for security reason.&quot; 
 
&quot;Although news about India&#39;s latest reform on GST galvanised waves of optimism among business communities across China, for Chinese nationals, a business visa to India remains a pain in the butt,&quot; it said. 
 
The article said that although boundary disputes, NSG membership and other &quot;historical episodes&quot; are unlikely to be solved in the short run, it is in both countries&#39; interests to &quot;look beyond and explore the new possibilities&quot;. 
 
(PTI)

The newspaper report says India should shift its focus from geopolitical competition to economic issues

India should avoid "unnecessary entanglement" in the South China Sea dispute during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to New Delhi to prevent it becoming yet "another factor" to impact bilateral ties, a state-run Chinese daily said on Tuesday. "India may want to avoid unnecessary entanglement with China over the South China Sea debate during Wang's visit if the country wishes to create a good atmosphere for economic cooperation, which would include reducing tariffs on made-in-India products exported to China amid the ongoing free trade talk known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership," an article in the state-run Global Times said. "India is expected to allow only moderate tariff reduction on made-in-China products under the talks in a bid to preserve its domestic industries. If India wants China to be more generous in terms of tariff reduction, it would be unwise for the country to let its relationship with China deteriorate further at this moment," it said. The daily said that India's focus on the South China Sea issue at this moment was puzzling as the move it said might risk "unnecessary side effects" to bilateral ties and potentially create obstacles for Indian exporters hoping to increase their presence in China, the world's second largest importer. Underlining that tensions between China and India have been increasing in recent months owing to a series of political incidents, it said, "Considering that India does not face territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, is it worth letting the South China Sea issue become another factor that will impact India's cooperation with China? India should consider this." Amid unease in ties, Wang will arrive in India to hold talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj on August 13 during which key regional and bilateral issues will be discussed, including the NSG issue. His visit comes ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou next month in which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take part. Following the ruling by an international tribunal last month which rejected Beijing's claims over much of the disputed sea area, China is campaigning against the issue to be raised in G20 Summit saying it is a matter to be resolved between parties concerned and outsider has no role. "In fairness, after dozens of countries have expressed support for China's stance in the South China Sea, India's attitude toward the issue may not be as important as the nation had imagined," the article said. "While many Indian people have been focused on the South China Sea ahead of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming trip to the country, less attention has been paid to the recent fall in exports of made-in-India products to China," it said. It said India should move its focus from geopolitical competition to economic issues to stop a further decline in exports to China. "Under normal circumstances, defusing the tensions between the two counties will help lay a sound foundation for fostering closer economic ties. In this regard, Wang Yi's trip will offer concrete opportunities for India," the daily said. "India's exports to China have dropped 16.7 per cent year-on-year in the first seven months of the year, Chinese customs data showed on Monday, suggesting that a large number of Indian enterprises are having a hard time exploring the Chinese market amid simmering tensions between the two countries. Regretfully, due attention has not been paid to the living conditions of those Indian firms," it said. India-China bilateral trade which totalled around $70 billion last year tilted heavily in favour of Beijing with over $46 billion trade deficit. Wang's visit will be the first high-level visit between the two countries after China stalled India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid at the Plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was a non-NPT signatory. Wang's visit also comes just days after Chinese troops "transgressed" the border on land and by air in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand last month. Wang will also be visiting Goa, where India is due to host BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in October. Meanwhile, another article in the same daily accused India of blocking BRICS initiative to liberalize visa regime for member countries and said getting business visa to India has become a "pain in the butt". "Given its unusual sensitivity, the Indian authorities' visa policies toward Chinese personnel often reflect the latest twists and turns in the Sino-Indian relations," it said. It alleged that "in the aftermath of India's failed bid to join the NSG, which New Delhi blamed Beijing as the culprit behind the scenes of their non-admittance, the Indian authorities first refused to renew the visas of three Chinese journalists from Xinhua, then blocked a visa waiver programme for BRICS nationals for security reason." "Although news about India's latest reform on GST galvanised waves of optimism among business communities across China, for Chinese nationals, a business visa to India remains a pain in the butt," it said. The article said that although boundary disputes, NSG membership and other "historical episodes" are unlikely to be solved in the short run, it is in both countries' interests to "look beyond and explore the new possibilities". (PTI)

India must avoid focus on South China sea: Chinese daily

Defending China&#39;s move to oppose India&#39;s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), their media have said that Beijing is not being &#39;disrespectful&#39; to New Delhi.This statement comes when relations between New Delhi and Beijing have been under strain following China&#39;s refusal in June to back India&#39;s bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). 
 
&quot;The China-India bilateral relationship now is on a sound track, with a by and large tranquil border and steadily booming trade. The two in general are able to maintain neutrality with regard to international affairs that are related to the other side. But problems emerge when it comes to issues that the two are at odds,&quot; an editorial in the Global Times stated. 
 
&quot;By opposing India&#39;s NSG membership, China is not being disrespectful to India because it obeys the rule that all NSG members are required to be signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),&quot; it added. 
 
The NSG will meet yet again this year to discuss the process of inclusion of countries like India, who have not signed the NPT. 
 
A special plenary session of the NSG can be called by the year end. According to sources, there is possibility of India&#39;s inclusion in the NSG, while New Delhi will continue to discuss the issue with China. The NSG in June failed to reach a consensus on New Delhi&#39;s membership application after several members of the 48-member group insisted on adhering to NPT conditions for admission.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)

'The China-India bilateral relationship now is on a sound track, with a large tranquil border and steadily booming trade,' Global Times said

Defending China's move to oppose India's bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), their media have said that Beijing is not being 'disrespectful' to New Delhi.This statement comes when relations between New Delhi and Beijing have been under strain following China's refusal in June to back India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). "The China-India bilateral relationship now is on a sound track, with a by and large tranquil border and steadily booming trade. The two in general are able to maintain neutrality with regard to international affairs that are related to the other side. But problems emerge when it comes to issues that the two are at odds," an editorial in the Global Times stated. "By opposing India's NSG membership, China is not being disrespectful to India because it obeys the rule that all NSG members are required to be signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," it added. The NSG will meet yet again this year to discuss the process of inclusion of countries like India, who have not signed the NPT. A special plenary session of the NSG can be called by the year end. According to sources, there is possibility of India's inclusion in the NSG, while New Delhi will continue to discuss the issue with China. The NSG in June failed to reach a consensus on New Delhi's membership application after several members of the 48-member group insisted on adhering to NPT conditions for admission. (ANI)

Not being 'disrespectful' by opposing India's NSG bid: China