Archive for ‘GeoPolitics’

15/04/2012

* US says China making progress on currency, urges more

Reuters: “A senior White House aide said on Saturday that China had made some progress toward easing restrictions on its currency but stressed the United States wanted to see more actions taken.

At a briefing with reporters in Colombia, where President Barack Obama is attending a summit with Latin American leaders, White House adviser Ben Rhodes said the Obama administration was closely reviewing Beijing’s announcement that it was doubling the size of its yuan’s trading band against the dollar. “It comes in the continuum of us wanting to see the Chinese take more of these steps to see their currency appreciate to come in line with market value,” Rhodes said. “They’ve made some progress. We’d like to see more movement.”

“The Peoples Bank of China said on Saturday it would allow the yuan to rise or fall 1 percent from a mid-point every day, effective Monday, compared to its previous 0.5 percent limit. Currency experts said the move reflected a belief in Beijing that the currency is near its equilibrium level and that China’s economy, although cooling, is sturdy enough to handle long-promised structural reforms.

China’s currency is a sensitive topic in the United States, where many business leaders believe an undervalued yuan gives Chinese exports an unfair price advantage on global markets.”

via U.S. says China making progress on currency, urges more | Reuters.

14/04/2012

* Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khans detention: US apologises, India talks tough

Cover of

Cover of My Name Is Khan

Times of India: “The US customs and border protection authorities have expressed “profound” apologies for the Shah Rukh Khan detention incident. However, taking the incident seriously, external affairs minister SM Krishna has asked the Indian ambassador to US, Nirupama Rao, to take up the matter with the authorities. Reacting strongly to the detention, Krishna said it has become a policy of detention and apology by the US which cannot continue.

Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a New York airport for over two hours by immigration officials after arriving from India in a private plane with Nita Ambani, to address students at Yale University here. While Nita, wife of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and the rest of their group were cleared immediately, Khan was stopped and was given immigration clearance only after about two hours, sources told PTI. 46-year-old Khan was to address a press conference at 2pm and deliver his lecture at 4pm at the Yale University. However, he arrived for the press meet three hours behind schedule and his hour-long lecture started at about 6pm.

“Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America. The immigration guys kicked the star out of stardom,” Khan said with some sarcasm addressing the students at the University. He added that he always has his “small victories” even in such circumstances. “The immigration officials always ask me how tall I am and I always lie and say 5 feet 10 inches. Next time I am going to get more adventurous. If they ask me What colour are you, I am going to say white,” Khan said.”

via Shah Rukh Khans detention: US apologises, India talks tough – The Times of India.

Life imitates art. Shah Rukh Khan starred in a film called “My name is Khan” – which was subtitled and I’m not a terrorist – is mainly about him being stopped at US airports after the 911 Twin Towers terrorist action.

 Related pages: http://watchnewmoviesonline.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/my-name-is-khan-2010-watch-movie-online.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Khan – “Upon its release, the film broke many box office records.[9] My Name is Khan was the highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas at the time. Within four weeks, the film crossed the INR70 crore (US$13.97 million) mark in India and became the first film of 2010 to do so. In the overseas markets, the film grossed INR110.34 crore (US$22.01 million).[10] My Name is Khan is currently the sixth highest grossing Bollywood film with a worldwide gross of 200 crores.[11] The film was released in India on DVD on 28 April 2010. Blu-ray in India, plus a DVD release worldwide followed on 10 August 2010.[12]

02/04/2012

* China to deepen reforms to drive growth: vice premier

Xinhua: “Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said Monday that China will deepen reforms and opening-up to remove obstacles on its course to transfer growth mode and drive economic and social development.

Li made the remarks when delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2012, which runs from Sunday to Tuesday in Boao, a scenic town in south China’s island province of Hainan. “Faced with the profound changes in international and domestic landscapes, we must let reforms and opening-up continue to lead the way in removing the institutional obstacles that hamper the shift of the growth model,” Li said. Noting that the country has entered a critical stage of reform, Li said China will deepen reform of the fiscal sector, taxation, finance, pricing, income distribution and enterprises.

The country will endeavor to make breakthroughs in key areas and key links, and bring into better play the markets role in resource allocation and advance institutional, technological and management innovation so as to increase the internal driving force and dynamism of development, Li said. Li said the country will adopt an even more proactive opening-up strategy and attach equal importance to export and import so as to boost balanced development of foreign trade and raise the level of an open economy. “China is dedicated to creating an open, transparent, fair, competitive and predictable marketplace and legal environment,” Li said, adding that more efforts will be made to step up intellectual rights protection to promote development of all enterprises in China during its course to transform growth mode.

More than 2,000 government, business and academic leaders from around the globe attended the meeting, which this year adopts the theme “Asia in the Changing World: Moving toward Sound and Sustainable Development.””

via China to deepen reforms to drive growth: vice premier – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

This declaration of reform by the Premier-to-be reaffirms the current Premier’s call for reform posted earlier. So this means the new leadership is fully behind the outgoing leadership.

Related post: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/03/14/premier-wen-says-china-needs-political-reform-warns-of-another-cultural-revolution-if-without/

02/04/2012

* Sino-ASEAN ties key to peace in S. China Sea

China Daily: “China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should work hard to boost practical cooperation and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, said a joint statement due to be issued on Monday by China and Cambodia. According to the statement, the two countries agreed that “China and ASEAN countries shall continue to abide by the purpose and spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and give full play to all the existing mechanisms including the guidelines for the implementation of the DOC to make it a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation for China and ASEAN countries”.

Monday is the final day of President Hu Jintao’s four-day state visit to Cambodia, which holds the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2012 and plays an important role in East Asian cooperation and China-ASEAN relations. It also comes just two days ahead of a two-day regional summit of ASEAN in Phnom Penh.”

via Sino-ASEAN ties key to peace in S. China Sea|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn.

Given the increasing tension in the South China Seas due to conflicting oceanic territoriual claims, where large depositis of oil and gas are predicted, this must be good news.

30/03/2012

* More Chinese investments in India soon

Times of India: “China has committed to facilitating Indian exports into Chinese markets to address the yawning trade imbalance between the two countries. Chinese president Hu Jintao said this to Manmohan Singh in his hour-long meeting with the PM at the end of the BRICS summit on Thursday. This will be Hu’s last summit as Chinese president.

In return, the PM invited Chinese investment in manufacturing and infrastructure projects in India. Chinese companies are kept out of several strategic sectors, but there is a significant change in the Indian government’s approach to Chinese investment.

With the two leaders kicking off a year of friendship celebrations, the overwhelming sense from the meeting was that the two nations are determined to get along, despite many difficulties and differences of outlook. Singh and Hu announced “expanded” foreign office consultations, and launched three new dialogues with China – on West Asia, Central Asia and Africa. India and China pursue markedly different policies in Africa, though with the same stated aims.”

via More Chinese investments in India soon – The Times of India.

Related page:

In the 50s, PM Nehru and PM Chou met and agreed Panchsheel, the five principles of peaceful coexistence. The press coined a phrase Hindi Chini bhai bhai, meaning Indians and Chinese are brothers.  It looked like the slogan was reflecting reality until in the late summer of 1962, due to the long-standing border dispute (legacy of British Raj) Chinese tanks rolled over the Himalyas and reached the oil fields of Assam in the East and also in Ladakh in the west.  Since then matters have thawed. BRIC (and now BRICS) was invented. This news release is good news, at least for India and China.

29/03/2012

* BRICS flexing muscle – to set up joint bank, call for dialogue on Iran & Syria

Times of India: “Seeking to reinforce their growing economic heft with diplomatic clout, the BRICS grouping Thursday pitched for a bigger say in global governance institutions, including the UN and the IMF, and told the West that dialogue was the only way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and the Syria crisis.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which comprise nearly half the world’s population and a growing share of global GDP, signed two pacts to spur trade in their local currencies. They also agreed to set up a working group for a joint development bank to promote mutual investment in infrastructure.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and Presidents Hu Jintao China, Dmitry Medvedev Russia, Dilma Rousseff Brazil and Jacob Zuma South Africa ended the fourth BRICS summit by renewing the pitch for reforming global governance institutions and closer coordination on global issues.The five leaders stressed on the restructuring of the world order to accommodate emerging economies and developing countries and for promoting sustained and balanced global economic growth.”

via BRICS to set up joint bank, call for dialogue on Iran & Syria – The Times of India.

28/03/2012

* President Hu arrives in Delhi ahead of BRICS summit

The Hindu: “Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in New Delhi Wednesday on a two-day visit to participate in the BRICSsummit

BRICS summit participants: Prime Minister of I...

BRICS summit participants: Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, President of China Hu Jintao, President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, President of South Africa Jacob Zuma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

and to hold wide-ranging bilateral talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.The Chinese President is accompanied by a high-profile delegation comprising Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, State Councillor Dai Bingguo, senior ministers and business leaders.

Mr. Hu will meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday before participating in the BRICS summit on Thursday. Mr. Hu, along with the presidents of Russia, Brazil and South Africa, will attend a banquet hosted by President Pratibha Patil in the evening.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold talks with the Chinese President on Thursday, on various issues including bridging the trade deficit and fast-tracking the new confidence-building measures. The two leaders are expected to declare 2012 as the year of India-China friendship and unveil initiatives to bolster cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.

India is expected is to raise the issue of huge imbalance in bilateral trade which has exceeded $70 billion, with the surplus heavily in China’s favour.”

via The Hindu : News / National : Hu arrives in Delhi ahead of BRICS summit.

21/03/2012

* UN unites on Syria – including China and Russia

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria . Original ...

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria . Original background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reuters: “The UN Security Council, including Russia and China, threw its weight on Wednesday behind

Mr. Kofi Annan, former General Secratery of th...

In a statement approved by all its 15 members, the council threatened Syria with unspecified “further steps” if it failed to comply with Annans peace plan, which calls for a ceasefire and demands swift access for aid agencies.

Although the original statement was diluted at Russias demand, editing out any specific ultimatums, the fact that all world powers signed up to the proposal dealt a serious blow to President Bashar al-Assad as he battles a popular uprising.

via U.N. unites on Syria, sanctions set for Assads wife | Reuters.

19/03/2012

* India displaces China as world’s largest arms importer

Times of India: “India has become the worlds biggest importer of arms, displacing China by accounting for 10 per cent of global arms sales volumes. Over the past five years, Indias imports of major weapons increased by 38 per cent between 2007-11, a Swedish security think tank said with Asia topping other regions in arms imports.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI in its new report said that India was closely followed by China and Pakistan whose weapons imports constituted 5 per cent each of global sales. Pakistan took delivery of “significant numbers of combat aircrafts during this period : 50 JF-17s from China and 30 F-16s from US,” SIPRI said. The Swedish think tank said China which had been world’s top arms importer in 2006-2007 has now dropped to fourth place, attributing this to improvements in the country’s arms industry and its rising arms exports.

SIPRI said China is now world’s sixth largest world exporter of weapons behind the US, Russia, Germany, France and UK.But “while the volume of Chinas arms export is increasing, this is largely a result of Pakistan importing more arms from China. “Beijing has not achieved a major breakthrough in any other significant market,” the report said. According to SIPRI estimates India is likely to spend more than USD 100 billion on weapons and systems in the next 15 years.”

via India displaces China as worlds largest arms importer – The Times of India.

Related articles

14/03/2012

* 40 years on: senior US diplomat recalls China trip as “single most dramatic, important event” in career

Extract from Xinhua: “For 74-year-old Winston Lord, former U.S. assistant secretary of state, his trip to China with former U.S.

English: US President Richard Nixon and Chines...

President Richard Nixon 40 years ago was “the single most dramatic and most important event” in his decades-long career. …

Years of hostility between China and the United States dispersed after Nixon’s world-stunning visit to China on Feb. 21, 1972, allowing the most powerful country and most populous one in the world to join hands in carving out a new future.

Lord, then a top aide to U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger and the first U.S. official to visit China after 22 years of mutual hostility and isolation, was proud of first secret trip to China in 1971.

“We were flying secretively from Pakistan to Beijing on a Pakistani plane, and as the plane got close to the Chinese air space, border, I was in the front of the plane, and Dr. Kissinger was in the back of the plane, so as we went into Chinese territory, I was the first. I always told everyone, and Kissinger agrees, that I was the first American official to visit China in 22 years,” said a beaming Lord.”

via Senior U.S. diplomat recalls China trip as “single most dramatic, important event” in career – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

Just over 40 years ago, President Nixon visited China, started ‘ping pong’ diplomacy and giant panda diplomacy. The rest, dear friends, as they say, is history. Nixon may have been dishonoured for the Watergate affair. But history, hopefully, will remember him well for inviting China to rejoin the modern world.

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