by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
By Gaurav Sharma,
Beijing : China on Friday said it will keep building infrastructure in Doklam and India has no business to comment on construction activity on Chinese territory.
Some satellite images purportedly show massive infrastructure build-up in Doklam, as close as 81 meters to the point of face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the disputed plateau last year.
“I don’t know who offers such kind of photos. I don’t know the detailed information,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said when asked about the images.
“You must be quite clear. Donglong (Doklam) always belongs to China and is always under China’s effective jurisdiction. There is no dispute in this regard,” Lu said.
“China is exercising its sovereignty in its own territory. It’s legitimate and justified. Just as China will not make comments about Indian construction of infrastructure on India’s territory, we hope other countries will not make comment on China’s construction of infrastructure on its territory,” Lu said.
India and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-day stand-off at Doklam, which is claimed by Bhutan.
The face-off began when the Indian military halted road building by the Chinese at Doka La in the region which is very close to India’s highway.
Even as both sides resolved the crisis by retreating from the point of face-off in August, news reports suggested that China was busy building infrastructure to fortify its position in the region.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
By Gaurav Sharma,
Beijing : China on Monday expressed anger over Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat’s recent remarks, saying such “unconstructive” comments defy the consensus to maintain peace and would rather hurt it.
At a press conference last week, Gen Rawat said it was time India shifted its focus from the western border with Pakistan to its northern frontier with China, which could send back troops again to the point of face-off in Doklam plateau.
He also said that India needed to check China’s growing assertiveness in the neighbouring countries in the South Asia region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said the remarks would disturb peace, which both countries were trying to restore after a military stand-off last year.
“Last year, India-China relations have witnessed some twists and turns but Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting last September reached a consensus to bring the ties back on track,” Lu said.
“Recently, the two sides enhanced dialogue on consultations and bilateral relations have shown sound momentum of improvement and development.
“Under such background, the unconstructive remarks by the Indian senior officials not only go against the consensus reached by the two heads of state and do not conform to the efforts made by the two sides to improve and develop bilateral relations.
“It cannot help to preserve tranquillity and peace in the border areas,” Lu added.
Lu said India should stick to the consensus reached between Modi and Xi and “refrain from doing things which may complicate the situation. This serves the common interest of the whole region and the interest of the Indian side.”
Briefing the media, Gen Rawat had said the Chinese troops retreated from Doka La in Doklam possibly due to the harsh winter and could return to the point of the face-off.
Indian and Chinese troops were locked in an over two-month stand-off at Doka La in Doklam plateau over road construction by China.
The borders of India, China and Bhutan meet at Doka La in Doklam, which is claimed by Beijing and Thimpu.
India’s objection to the road was Doka La’s proximity to its highway that connects its northeast with rest of the country. Both armies retreated from the point of face-off on August 28.
Asked which particular remark of Gen Rawat’s China has taken exception to, Lu said: “I have made myself clear. If the senior official according to the report referred to Donglang (Doklam), I think you are clear about our position – Donglang belongs to China and has always been in the effective jurisdiction of China.
“The China border troops patrolling and stationed in the area are exercising our sovereignty rights. We hope the Indian side has learned the lessons of history and will avoid similar accidents to take place again.
“If he refers to the situation in the whole India-China boundary, I have also said that last September the two heads of state have reached important consensus during the Xiamen summit. Both sides have maintained effective communication since then.
“The aim is to enhance strategic mutual trust and create enabling atmosphere for strategic communication. Recently the bilateral relations have shown positive momentum.
“On such background, the official mentioned by you made such kind of remarks that go against the consensus of the states and do not conform to the general trend of improvement of bilateral relations. We believe such kinds of remarks are not conducive to maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas.”
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
Beijing : China is looking to establish a service system for barrier-free transport by 2020, according to the Ministry of Transport (MOT).
A guideline on improving transportation services for the elderly and the disabled was jointly released Thursday by the MOT, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and four other departments, Xinhua reported on Saturday.
By 2020, barrier-free facilities should be established at all newly-built and rebuilt railway stations, service centres along expressways, airport terminals and other transport facilities, for the disabled and the elderly.
Post offices should make sure that any mails for the elderly and the disabled are delivered to their specific addresses, while new buses in cities with over 5 million citizens should be low-floor vehicles, the guideline reads.
Moreover, the guideline asks local governments to provide support in the forms of land and funds for the construction of barrier-free infrastructure.
It also asks for policies that allow guide dogs to get on public transport, and braille signs on public transport facilities.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
By Gaurav Sharma,
Beijing : China on Tuesday told the “outside world” to stop guessing about its reported plans to build a military naval base near Pakistans Gwadar in the Arabian Sea.
Under the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Beijing is developing Gwadar port, the last point of the economic route that begins from Chinese city Kashgar.
A Beijing-based military analyst Zhou Chenming was quoted as saying in a media report that “China needs to set up another base in Gwadar for its warships because Gwadar is now a civilian port.”
“As you know the building of CPEC is an important part of the Belt and Road initiative and China and Pakistan are also making efforts to build the CPEC, which is in the common interest of the countries along the route,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.
“So, I don’t think it is necessary for the outside world to make too many guesses in this regard.”
According to a Pakistani news outlet, officials in Islamabad denied reports that a Chinese naval base was coming up.
Gwadar is strategically located in the Arabian Sea and some 70 km away from Iran’s Chabahar port being developed by India.
China last year opened its first military overseas base at Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business Summit, Events, News, Politics, Social Round-up
Gautam Bambawale
By Gaurav Sharma,
Beijing : India’s envoy to China, Gautam Bambawale, on Monday met Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Rashid Alimov and discussed the agenda and preparation of the annual summit of the grouping in China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the summit, likely to be held in June.
Bambawale, who took over as India’s envoy to China in November last year, presented his credentials to Alimov.
Both sides discussed issues of further development and strengthening of multifaceted interaction in the SCO framework in a constructive atmosphere.
There was a detailed exchange of views on the main agenda items of SCO and preparation for the upcoming events of SCO in 2018.
Bambawale assured Rashid of India’s readiness to closely cooperate on all important areas of SCO activities.
India and Pakistan entered the Chinese-led grouping last year. With their admission, the number of member countries stands at eight.
—IANS
