Tag: Chinese

Chinese invasion of Taiwan could cost world economy USD 1 trillion: US intelligence

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Washington: US intelligence officials predicted that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan or an attack as early as 2025 on the island nation could cost the world economy USD 1 trillion, reported Taipei Times.
US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines presented what she called a “general estimate” during testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.
“A Chinese invasion of Taiwan could halt production by the world’s largest advanced chipmaker, wiping out up to USD 1 trillion per year from the global economy in the first few years,” said the top US intelligence official.

The advanced semiconductors produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) are used in 90 per cent of “almost every category of electronic device around the world,” said Haines.
Haines said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is leaning toward unifying with Taiwan in a “peaceful” manner, but is also preparing possible military action to achieve that goal, reported Taipei Times.
“I think we continue to assess that he [Xi] would prefer to achieve unification of Taiwan through peaceful means,” she said.
If a Chinese invasion stopped TSMC from producing those chips, “it will have an enormous global financial impact that I think runs somewhere between USD 600 billion to USD 1 trillion on an annual basis for the first few years,” she said.
“It will also have an impact on [US] GDP if there was such an invasion of Taiwan and that [TSMC’s production] was blocked,” Haines said.

However, Haines said it would also have a large impact on China’s economy, reported Taipei Times.
To deal with that risk, TSMC is investing USD 40 million to build two sophisticated wafer fabs in Arizona at Washington’s urging.
A fab using the 4-nanometer process is scheduled to begin mass production next year, and the other, using the more advanced 3-nanometer process, is slated to mass-produce chips starting in 2026, reported Taipei Times.
Haines’ comments came after US Senator Rick Scott raised concerns about the possibility of China invading Taiwan, citing Xi’s remarks in the past year suggesting that he was preparing the Chinese population for a war against Taiwan.
Xi has directed the Chinese military to “provide him with a military option, essentially, to be able to take it without concern of [US] intervention,” which is expected to “have a meaningful impact on his capacity to do so,” Haines said.
Also at the hearing, US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Scott Berrier appeared to have greater concern than Haines about a possible invasion of Taiwan, saying that Xi’s rhetoric has been “picking up” after he assumed his third term as president, reported Taipei Times.
Berrier provided a list of possible invasion dates ranging from 2025 to 2049. “I think the bottom line is he’s told his military to be ready,” Berrier said.
Haines said the relationship between the US and China has become “more challenging,” citing a speech made by Xi in March in which he blamed Washington for suppressing Beijing, reflecting his distrust of the US and his belief that Washington is seeking to contain his country, reported Taipei Times.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 8, 2023
Large presence of Chinese vessels in Indian Ocean region, India keeping close watch: Navy chief

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New Delhi: There is a “large presence” of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean Region and India keeps a “very close watch” on the developments in the region to protect and preserve its national interests in the maritime domain, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Saturday.
During an interaction at a conclave here, he also said that the Indian Navy is seized of the docking of various PLA Navy ships at ports in Pakistan, and it is “keeping a watch on it”.
Asked about the threat aspects, the Navy chief spoke of both conventional and non-conventional threats, besides those emerging from what he described as “silent and inclusive paradigm” resulting in a “web of threats” that are emerging.

Meanwhile, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari in a separate interaction themed on ‘Indian Air Force: The Future is Now’, held at The Chanakya Conclave in Delhi, said in future what needs to be worked on is that besides the land-based offensive platforms, “we will have space-based offensive systems too”.
This will lead to “reduced response time” and “greater effect” on adversaries, so the future lies in having “space-based offensive platforms,” he said in response to a question from the audience on evolving military threats.
The IAF chief also said that the fundamental utilisation of space for military use is in three domains, including ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and communication, which have seen a “quantum jump” in their capabilities in the last several years.
After Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari’s session, the Navy chief took part in a session on ‘Indian Navy in the 21st Century: Evolving Maritime Threats’.
The Indian Navy’s role is to protect, promote and preserve national interests in the maritime domain, wherever they are, and it assesses the threats and challenges, the Navy chief said.

On a daily basis, it is being seen that there is a certain amount of contestation happening at sea. It is well below the threshold of conflict, but possibility of a full-fledged war cannot be ruled out, the Navy chief said.
On a question on PLA Navy ships docking at ports in Pakistan, he said, these ships are docking at ports in various countries, and not just in Pakistan.
As far as their visit to ports in Pakistan are concerned, “we are seized of it, and keep a watch on it”, he said.
Admiral Kumar said the Pakistan Navy is modernising itself at a “good pace” and seeks to become a 50-platform force in 10-15 years, and they are adding new corvettes and frigates to their fleet.
As far as China is concerned, in the last 10 years, a large number of ships and submarines have been commissioned by it, the third aircraft carrier is under construction, and much larger destroyers they are working on, he said, adding, “we feel this will plateau at some time”.
“We are keeping a very close watch in the Indian Ocean Region… and effort is to know whose presence is there and what are they up to, and monitoring it 24×7, and we deploy aircraft, UAVs, ships, submarines, etc.,” the Navy chief said.
“There is a large presence of Chinese vessels. At any point of time, there are 3-6 Chinese warships in the India Ocean Region,” he said, adding some are close to the Gulf of Oman, and some in the eastern part of the IOR, among other places.
Chinese research vessels are ever present, numbering from 2-4 and Chinese fishing vessels as well. So, there is a large presence of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean Region, and India Navy keeps track of it, the Navy chief said.
“So, we refine our plans, actions that are required to be taken, and this also feeds into our capability development,” the Navy chief said.
Later, in response to a query from audience on Chinese research vessels, Admiral Kumar said, these vessels have the ability to track and collect electronic signals.
When they operate, close to “our areas of national interest”, the Indian Navy keeps an eye, and it has its ships which “monitor them very, very closely”.
On a question on whether modernisation and capability development has any link with threat assessment, he said, modernisation is part of the process and not threat-driven.
And, a Navy has to be a “well-balanced force”, so, it’s not about nuclear submarine vis-a-vis aircraft carrier, as each of the two bring their own capabilities and they are “not either/or”, Admiral Kumar said.
On Atmanirbhar Bharat, he reiterated that the Indian Navy has “committed to the national leadership that we (Navy) will be fully Atmanirbhar by 2047”.
He added that as Indian economy is poised to grow in coming years, the volume of trade will multiply along with it, and hence the importance of role of Indian Navy will also grow.
He explained that there are three components to a naval asset — float, move and fight.
In float component, about 95 per cent self-reliance has been achieved, while in move components which includes system propellers etc., it is about 65 per cent. And, in fight component, the figure is about 55 per cent, the Navy chief said.
Among other challenges, Admiral Kumar, also spoke of the region being prone to natural disasters, as also “non-combatant evacuations” which have been happening rather frequently.
Admiral Kumar underlined the challenge of cyber threat as well and “weaponisaion of cognitive domain” through largely use of social media.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 29, 2023
Indian anger and Chinese indifference quash hopes of border resolution

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India’s defence minister has accused China of border aggressions that have “eroded the entire basis” of their relationship, as negotiations over the line of actual control (LAC) remain deadlocked.
On Thursday, China’s defence minister, Li Shangfu, landed in Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. It is the first visit to India by a Chinese minister since 2020, when 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in clashes along the Himalayan border in Ladakh and the two sides came the closest to war for almost 70 years.
A screengrab from footage recorded in mid-June 2020 showing Chinese and Indian soldiers during an incident where troops clashed on the border in the Galwan Valley. Photograph: Tengku Bahar/AFP/Getty Images
Since then, according to Indian former army officers and defence experts, the situation along the 2,100-mile (3,500km) disputed LAC, remains on a knife-edge. It continues to be militarised on both sides, with 18 rounds of military talks having failed to de-escalate the tension, and many still fear the possibility of large-scale conflict.
India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, told Li during the talks on Thursday that the deployment of large numbers of Chinese troops and the “violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations”. Li, however, called the situation “generally stable” and sought to distance bilateral relations from the border dispute.
Rajnath Singh, right, talking with Li Shangfu, second left, at the SCO summit in New Delhi. Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP
Among both India and China watchers, there is not much optimism that Li’s visit will do anything to resolve the tensions. Some reports estimate that India has lost 40% of patrolling points in the region of Ladakh to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The Indian government has denied any loss of territory.
“There is a huge discrepancy in the narrative of both sides,” said Pravin Sawhney, an Indian army veteran and author of The Last War: How AI Will Shape India’s Final Showdown with China. “There cannot be rapprochement between the two sides because it is a fact that the Chinese are sitting on Indian territory.”
The SCO meeting is taking place amid growing concern in China over India’s relationship with the US and a converging of their strategic interests when it comes to China. According to a report in March, India was able to ward off a potential Chinese military border incursion as a result of real-time intelligence and satellite imagery provided by the US about Chinese border positions. It was said to have enabled India to “catch Chinese armed forces off guard” and reportedly enraged Beijing.
Border provocations from China have continued despite strong condemnation from India. In December last year, more than 20 Indian soldiers were injured in a clash with Chinese troops in the eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, in what India described as a Chinese attempt to “transgress the border”.

Indian activists protesting against China in New Delhi in December last year after the clashes in Arunachal Pradesh. Photograph: Rajat Gupta/EPA
In March, China announced it was “renaming” 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh that it claims as part of Tibet. India’s home minister visited the border region that same week, stating that “times when anyone could encroach on Indian land have passed”. Beijing hit back, calling the visit a violation of its territorial sovereignty.
While there has been disengagement in some areas, Indian army officers and defence experts said about 1,500 sq km in Ladakh taken over by the PLA in 2020 remained under Chinese control. Two main areas of contention in Ladakh are Demchok and Depsang, which were previously patrolled by Indian troops but are now occupied by PLA soldiers.
Deependra Singh Hooda, the Indian army’s former chief of the Northern Command, described the situation there as tense.
“Depsang and Demchok areas are tactically important for India; but after so many rounds of talks there is no move forward and there does not seem any inclination from the Chinese side to resolve it quickly,” he said.
“The Chinese are preventing the Indian soldiers access to a large number of patrolling points,” Hooda said. “By sitting in this area, China is denying India access to a fairly large area.”
People living near the border in Ladakh allege that in the disengagement negotiations, New Delhi has ceded land to Beijing by agreeing to the creation of buffer zones – where neither side can patrol – in land that was previously claimed by India, specifically in the disputed Pangong Tso and Chushul areas.
“These buffer zones have been created exclusively in the Indian territory ,” said Konchok Stanzin, a local councillor. “Chinese troops are still patrolling up to their claim line.”
Motorbike riders cross into the Himalayan Sela pass in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. Photograph: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images
Even officers who have been part of the military negotiations allege there is an intransigence on the Chinese side to defuse the situation. In the latest round of military talks this week before the SCO summit, “no mutually acceptable solution could be reached”, according to the Indian side.
“The PLA officers are generally curt to us during these meetings,” an Indian army officer, who has been part of several negotiations, said on condition of anonymity. “These meetings turn frustrating for us as the Chinese officers speak mostly Mandarin, which we cannot understand. They remain very economical with English.”
The tensions are most visible in the frenzied infrastructure race along the border. China has been building new highways, railway lines, bridges, air strips and sophisticated military bases, modern housing and 5G towers, while India – which historically avoided developing areas near the Chinese border in order to prevent any provocation – has been left behind, with many of its border areas still impoverished.
While India might have passed China in population size, it is nowhere close in terms of its economy and military spending. In 2022, China spent $230bn (£184bn) on the defence budget; three times more than India.
“China has used infrastructure development as an excuse to escalate conflict and make incursions into Indian land,” said Maj Gen Amrit Pal Singh, the retired former head of army operational logistics for Ladakh. “In this kind of situation we have to react so that they cannot take any piece of our land. So India has doubled its focus on infrastructure near the border with China.”
Indian security forces accompanied by a sniffer dog clear an area near the Zojila tunnel. Photograph: Farooq Khan/EPA
In January, Rajnath inaugurated 27 infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening the border infrastructure, and India is speeding up the construction of 37,500 miles of roads, 350 miles of bridges, 19 airfields and a few tunnels near, or leading to, the border. It is also strengthening aerial connectivity, with at least four new air strips and about 40 helipads being built in Ladakh.
The scale and speed of this infrastructure push can be seen in an ambitious 8-mile tunnel being built in the Himalayan range, at an altitude of about 3,000 metres, to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh. Even as temperatures have dropped in winter, hundreds of workers and engineers have been instructed to work day and night to complete the $1.4bn Zojila tunnel.
“We are building this tunnel as swiftly as possible, keeping in mind that this is important for the defence of our country as there is a looming threat on the border from China,” said Harpal Singh, the head of the project.
Hooda was among those who believed the border situation was nowhere near being resolved. “Both sides are looking at each other with a great deal of suspicion,” he said.
“There is greater aggressiveness in patrolling. Physical clashes are taking place, soldiers are getting injured though no shots are being fired. These local incidents could spiral out of control; that is the big worry.”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

April 28, 2023
Chinese TB-001 drone flies around Taiwan in rare encirclement, says island’s military

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A Chinese combat drone that state media says can carry a heavy weapons payload has flown around Taiwan, according to the island’s defence ministry.
The ministry said a TB-001 drone was one of 19 military aircraft that had entered the island’s air defence identification zone in 24 hours.
It flew around Taiwan, first crossing the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, then up the east of Taiwan before crossing back towards the Chinese coast.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) regularly sends aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, but full circuits around the island are extremely rare.
Chinese state media has referred to the TB-001 as the “twin-tailed scorpion” and has shown pictures of it with missiles under its wings, saying it is capable of high-altitude, long-range missions.
China’s air force has flown what it calls “island encirclement” missions with the nuclear-capable H-6 bomber.
No shots were fired and Chinese aircraft have not flown in Taiwan’s airspace. The ADIZ, is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats.
China has increased military pressure on democratically governed Taiwan over the past three years as it tries to force Taipei to accept Beijing’s sovereignty claims. Taiwan’s government rejects being part of China and says only the island’s people can decide their future.

This month China staged war games around Taiwan after the Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, met with Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the US House of Representatives, in Los Angeles.
The drills included deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group led by the Shandong, one of China’s two aircraft carriers. Japan’s defence ministry, which also monitors activity in the region, this week said the Shandong ran a record 620 fighter jet launches across 18 days in April.
Chinese military aircraft have since 2022 regularly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, though China says it does not recognise this.
Thursday’s sorties included fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft, many of which crossed the media line. Taiwan’s defence ministry also detected six PLA ships, but did not give locations. It said defence aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems had been “tasked in response”, a usual reaction to the PLA’s ADIZ incursions.
With Reuters
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

April 28, 2023
China’s border pacts’ violation ‘eroded’ basis of ties: Rajnath to Chinese defence min

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New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told his Chinese counterpart, General Li Shangfu that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements, officials said.
In their meet, which came a day before the SCO Defence Ministers meet – which India, as the Chair of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023, is hosting, the two ministers had frank discussions about developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.
During the meet, Rajnath Singh categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders.

According to the Defence Ministry, he added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.
The repeated attempts by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to violate the Line of Actual Control (LAC), leading to tension in Ladakh, had spurred the institution of the Corps Commander-level meetings.
The 18th round of the Corps Commander-level talks was held on Sunday, but was inconclusive as there was noheadway on the contentious issue of the Depsang Plains and de-escalation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
While the two sides agreed on mutual withdrawals from Pangong Tso, Gogra, and Hot Springs, the Depsang Plains and Demchok remain points of contention and tension.
Beside his Chinese counterpart, Rajnath Singh also met his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and the meeting took place in a cordial and warm atmosphere. Both the leaders emphasised on the age-old cultural, linguistic, and civilisational ties between the two countries, including people-to-people connect.

Both the Ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan. Further, the two Ministers discussed the development of the International North South Transport corridor to ease logistic problems to Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia.
The Iranian Defence Minister will also attend the SCO meeting on Friday as his country has observer status in the organisation.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 27, 2023
Chinese President Xi speaks to Ukrainian counterpart

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Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday offered to mediate to bring about a ceasefire and political settlement to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying Kyiv must “seize the opportunity” as he warned that there are no winners in a nuclear war.
Xi, who toyed with the idea of mediating to end the over-year-long conflict after his last month’s highly publicised visit to Moscow during which he referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as “dear friend”, told Zelenskyy that “dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way forward” and offered to send a special envoy to negotiate a ceasefire.
“There is no winner in a nuclear war. On the nuclear issue, all relevant parties must stay calm and exercise restraint, truly act in the interests of their own future and that of humanity, and jointly manage the crisis,” he said, apparently cautioning against a prolonged conflict.

“With rational thinking and voices now on the rise, it is important to seize the opportunity and build up favourable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis,” Xi said.
This is the first contact between Xi and Zelenskyy since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Xi is trying to enlarge China’s diplomatic outreach after Beijing successfully negotiated a peace deal between arch-rivals in the Middle East – Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Avoiding any direct reference to Russia, Xi told Zelenskyy that “it is hoped that all parties would seriously reflect on the Ukraine crisis and jointly explore ways to bring lasting peace and security to Europe through dialogue”.
“China will continue to facilitate talks for peace and make its efforts for an early ceasefire and restoration of peace. China will send the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis,” an official statement here quoted Xi as saying.

The official statement made no mention of Russia. China has not condemned Russia after it started the war against Ukraine over disputed territories but did not recognise Moscow’s claims but firmed up political, trade and military ties.
In his careful reaction, Zelenskyy tweeted saying that he “had a long and meaningful phone call with President Xi Jinping. I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations”.
Putin has already welcomed China’s mediation.
Observers say that Zelenskyy, who is closely coordinating with the US and EU and received abundant support in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, has little room to accept a settlement without Russia forgoing its claims over the areas claimed by both countries.
Ahead of Xi’s visit to Russia, China released a 12-point paper calling for a ceasefire followed by peace talks to end the Ukraine war. It, however, struck a nuanced stand of respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and legitimate security concerns of Moscow and expressed its firm opposition to the use of nuclear weapons.
Significant points of China’s stand in its position paper were a call for ceasing hostilities and global support for the resumption of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine to end the war, respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and Moscow’s legitimate security concerns and Beijing’s opposition to threat or use of nuclear and biological weapons.
In his meeting with Xi, Putin said Chinese proposals could be used as the basis of a peace settlement in Ukraine, but that the Western countries and Kyiv were not yet ready.
In a joint statement, both Xi and Putin cautioned against any steps that might push the Ukraine conflict into an “uncontrollable phase,” adding that there could be no winners in a nuclear war.
Xi commended Zelenskyy for stating, on multiple occasions, the importance he attaches to developing the bilateral relationship and advancing cooperation with China.
“Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation of China-Ukraine relations. The two sides need to look to the future, view and handle the bilateral relations from a long-term perspective, carry forward the tradition of mutual respect and sincerity, and take the China-Ukraine strategic partnership forward,” he said.
“China’s readiness to develop relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear-cut. No matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation,” Xi said.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
SCO Defence Ministers Meeting: Rajnath likely to hold talks with Chinese counterpart

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New Delhi: India, as the Chair of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023, will host the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting here on April 28, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen Li Shangfu. Before the SCO meet, the 18th round of India-China Corps Commander level talks held on Sunday, but it failed to make headway on the contentious issue of the Depsang Plains and de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The repeated attempts by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to violate the LAC, leading to tension in Ladakh, spurred the institution of the Corps Commander-level meetings.

While the two sides agreed on mutual withdrawals from Pangong Tso, Gogra, and Hot Springs, the Depsang Plains and Demchok remain points of contention and tension.
Now all eyes are now on the visit of the Chinese Defence Minister.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), established in 2001, comprises Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan besides India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries – Belarus and Iran – will also be participating in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.
The Defence Ministers will discuss amongst other issues matters concerning regional peace and security, counter terrorism efforts within SCO and an effective multilateralism.
According to the Defence Ministry officials, the theme of India’s Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is ‘SECURE-SCO’. India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region. The ongoing engagement with SCO has helped India promote its relations with the countries in the region with which India has shared civilisational linkages, and is considered India’s extended neighbourhood.

SCO pursues its policy based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, non-interference in internal affairs, equality of all member states and mutual understanding and respect for opinions of each of them.
Rajnath Singh is likely to hold bilateral meetings with other Defence Ministers of participating countries on the sidelines of the meet, the officials added.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
Dalai Lama incident: Congress MLA suggests Chinese hand

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Shimla: Amid a controversy over a video clip purportedly showing the Dalai Lama asking a boy to “suck” his tongue, Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA Ravi Thakur on Saturday suggested the hand of China in it to defame the Tibetan spiritual head.
Thakur, the MLA from the Lahaul and Spiti district, also expressed solidarity with the Buddhist community protesting against what they called a “malicious propaganda” against the Dalai Lama.
Speaking to reporters, the MLA said the Dalai Lama is a respected Buddhist leader and removing him from the scene would help China to take full control over Tibet.

He also blamed television news channels for exploiting the “unfortunate” incident to garner viewership.
On April 10 last, the Dalai Lama apologised to a boy, his family and friends for the “hurt his words may have caused”, after a video clip purportedly showing the Tibetan spiritual head asking him to suck his tongue sparked a row.
In the two-minute-five-second video, the Dalai Lama also asked the child “to look at those good human beings who create peace, and happiness and not follow those who kill other people”.
In a statement, the Tibetan spiritual head’s office said, “A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologise to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”
Meanwhile, several social and religious organisations issued a joint statement on Saturday saying that Dalia Lama has solely dedicated his life to serve the humanity and global community.

In the Tibetan tradition, “eat my tongue” is a phrase used particularly by grandparents especially if the child asks for candy which grandparents don’t have, the statement said, and added that defaming the Dalai Lama is undeniably a part of Chinese propaganda.
“Dalai Lama is a global icon of peace, a Nobel laureate. He is an embodiment of compassion and a beacon of hope, love and compassion and has been selflessly and tirelessly promoting religious harmony and peace,” according to the statement.
A playful interaction between the Dalai Lama and a boy, a genuine affection and playful moment have been ruined beyond imagination, the statement added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
Chinese firm Xiaomi’s plea challenging ED rejected by Karnataka HC

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Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court has rejected Chinese firm Xiaomi’s plea against the seizure of Rs 5,551.27 crore from its bank accounts by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
A single-judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna, on Friday, though dismissed the petition, upheld its maintainability.
The Chinese technology company is facing charges of violations of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The bench observed that challenge to the Constitutional validity of Section 37A of the Act by the petitioner is held to be maintainable, on the fulcrum of the allegation that it is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. As Article 14 is person centric whereas Fundamental Rights under Article 19 are citizen centric.
Appearing for the central government and the ED, Additional Solicitor General M.B. Nargund Amaintained that Xiaomi is a foreign entity and can not maintain writ petition.
Earlier, counsels for Xiaomi India had argued that the firm was being targetted as it is a Chinese company and other companies are allowed to make payments of technology royalty.
They have also brought to the notice of the court that banks are not allowing Xiaomi to make remittances in foreign exchange for imports.
They argued that the company is required to make payments for foreign companies in connection with manufacturing and marketing smartphones.

Contesting this Additional Solicitor General Nargund had explained that the authorities had no complaints if Xiaomi is agreeable to keep the seized amount in the bank and use remaining amount.
He brought to the notice of the court that on April 24 and 29, before the ED passed the order to seize Xiaomi’s bank accounts, there was a transfer of around Rs 1,500 crore from the company’s bank accounts as per the available information.
However, Xiomi is maintaining that royalty payments made to three companies abroad would not violate the FEMA Act. The company further maintained that the IT department itself had allowed it as a value added activity.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
Pak court sends Chinese man to 14-day remand on blasphemy charges

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Peshawar: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sent a Chinese national to jail on a 14-day judicial remand on blasphemy charges in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after he was arrested on Monday, according to media reports on Tuesday.
The police arrested the Chinese national identified as Tian on Sunday and on Monday he was shifted to Abbottabad via an Army helicopter due to security concerns as the police feared local people could harm him.
Tian was booked on blasphemy charges and sent to prison on a 14-day judicial remand by an Abbottabad anti-terrorism court on Monday, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Chinese citizen, a manager at the Dasu Hydropower Project, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, in the Upper Kohistan district of the province, allegedly made blasphemous remarks on Friday when the workers were going to perform the weekly prayer.
According to local people, the Chinese manager complained to workers at the dam that “precious time” was being lost due to prayer breaks.
The Dasu Hydropower Project is a major venture under the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC).
“We have arrested the foreigner suspect under blasphemy and terrorism charges and airlifted him from here to present him before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Abbottabad,” District Police Officer (DPO) Upper Kohistan, Mohammad Khalid, was quoted as saying in the report.
The suspect was later produced before the ATC amid strict security measures. The DPO said the Chinese national was moved to Islamabad onboard a helicopter on Monday evening, the report said.

The police registered a first information report (FIR) against Tian at the Dasu police station on Monday, hours after hundreds of residents and labourers working on the dam project blocked a key highway and rallied, demanding his arrest.
Under Pakistan’s tough blasphemy laws, the offence carries the death penalty.
According to the officer, police swung into action after getting reports on Sunday night that a local mob tried to break into a Chinese camp near the project site.
The mob was controlled, but they assembled again on Monday and blocked the Karakoram Highway, which links Pakistan with China, in a protest that lasted for over six to seven hours, demanding the Chinese national’s arrest.
The blocked highway was later reopened to traffic, and work resumed at the Dasu Dam after Tian’s arrest.
In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the embassy in Islamabad was looking into the incident.
“The Chinese government has always asked Chinese citizens overseas to abide by the laws and regulations of their host countries and respect local customs and traditions,” Wang told reporters at a regular news briefing.
Meanwhile, in a bid to defuse the situation, a team of Ulema from nearby towns and villages have set up a committee to examine the situation.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Upper Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Irfanullah Mehsood and District Police Officer Mohammad Khalid.
The participants urged the agitators not to take the law into their hands as police and the district administration were “handling the matter admirably”.
Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan. On December 3, 2021, a Sri Lankan national working in a factory in Sialkot was lynched by a mob after workers accused him of blasphemy.
The Dasu Hydropower Project site was hit by a suicide bus blast in July 2021, in which 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, were killed.
Nine Chinese nationals and two Frontier Corps soldiers were among those killed when the bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the site of the under-construction Dasu Dam exploded.
The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), in a report in January 2022, stated that as many as 89 citizens were killed in 1,415 accusations and cases of blasphemy in the country since independence.
The report said that from 1947 to 2021, 18 women and 71 men were extra-judicially killed over blasphemy accusations. The allegations were made against 107 women and 1,308 men.
A large number of Chinese nationals have been working in Pakistan on various projects being undertaken under the CEPC.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 18, 2023