Uncategorized | CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon

03/02/2019

Xinhua Headlines: Moving China: The Spring Festival train journey now and then

This combo photo shows attendants getting ready to work aboard the train K1/6 during the Spring Festival travel rush in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province in January of 1998 (top, photo taken by Gao Meiji); and bullet train stewards taking part in an etiquette training in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Jan. 17, 2019 (bottom, photo taken by Su Yang). (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) — Veteran train driver Zhou Li, 54, has driven all four generations of Chinese trains — from steam locomotives to high-speed.

Having spent two-thirds of his Spring Festivals driving a train, this year is Zhou’s 31st Spring Festival travel rush.

The Spring Festival holiday is a frenetic travel period in China when hundreds of millions of Chinese return to their hometowns for family gatherings, to visit relatives and friends or just for a break from city life.

Zhou is one of many Chinese train drivers who have witnessed the fast development of the national railway network in connection with the changes of the world’s biggest travel rush.

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China 70 years ago, the speed of trains has increased sixfold while the length of the entire railway system has expanded from only slightly more than 20,000 km in 1949 to some 131,000 km by the end of 2018.

Thanks to this enormous train network, the journey home for 413 million Chinese, the number of people who travel via train during the holiday this year, has become faster, more convenient and more high-tech.

According to calculations based on archived reports by the People’s Daily, some 31 million trips were made via train during Spring Festival 1957, which seems like nothing compared to this year’s number.

However, it still exerted a huge pressure on the country’s transport system. The People’s Daily even carried an editorial in 1959 urging short-distance travelers to walk or use bicycle wherever possible, to ease the burden on the public transport system.

Just 10 years ago, standing in carriages filled with passengers and their luggage for a 58-hour trip was ordinary for many. Today, the constantly improving and expanding railway network and the launch of bullet trains means such journeys are less crowded and more enjoyable.

Yu Maosheng, 38, said that he used to wait for several hours when queuing for train tickets, and it used to take him more than 30 hours to return home to Linyi in eastern China’s Shandong Province from Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong Province.

Today, the trip between Shenzhen and Linyi has been shortened to 10 hours thanks to high-speed trains.

In September 2017, Fuxing high-speed trains independently developed by China began to run between Beijing and Shanghai. With a speed of 350 kmh, it is the fastest train in commercial service in the world.

Fuxing trains will be running on the railway between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, in northern China’s Hebei Province, when the two cities host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

“Efforts are also being made to introduce intelligent railways, which will apply cutting-edge technologies including big data and artificial intelligence,” said Wang Junbiao with the China Academy of Railway Sciences.

Meanwhile, China has developed the world’s largest real-time ticket service website, with nearly 3.5 billion tickets sold annually. New technologies including face scan check-in have been applied in many train stations.

This year, Yu bought his tickets online and said he is looking forward to checking in with facial recognition technology.

For veteran driver Zhou, he can still remember the days he would witness travelers carrying multiple bags while rushing to get on the train and secure enough room for their belongings. With neat and more spacious carriages, that chaos is rarely seen nowadays.

“It all improved very quickly, just like the speed of the train,” he said.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in China alert, Spring Festival, train journey, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

03/02/2019

Feature: Bird guardians’ Spring Festival on the Yellow River wetlands

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) — Unlike the rest of the neighborhood, which is busy decorating their houses with couplets of rhymed wishes for the upcoming Spring Festival, at 11 p.m. Friday, Song Keming, a mild man with a strong build and pleasant features, put on his coat and began his inspection along the vast and extensive wetlands along the Yellow River.

This is his plan for Chinese New Year’s Eve, as it has been for every day and night for the past 20 years.

Enduring temperature below the freezing point, Song tries to curb his coughs caused by chronic bronchitis as he and others patrol along the wetland. It is the winter habitat for tens of thousands of migratory birds, including Asian great bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii, “dabao” in Chinese), a critically endangered species that has been spending winters here for thousands of years.

There are only about 800 specimens of the great bustard’s Asian subspecies left in China, from where it gets the nickname “the giant panda of the birds.” With striped plumage and known to be the heaviest flying terrestrial bird, the Asian subspecies migrates over 10,000 kilometers across Eurasia every year, which is one of the longest migration ranges of any threatened species.

For 20 years, Song has been guarding Changyuan wetland reserve bordering Shandong and Henan provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The wetlands have been an important wintering home for the bustard and many other wildlife species that form the rich biosphere of the “Mother River of China.”

During the day, Song and other members of the “Green Future” environmental protection association – a non-profit volunteer team founded and led by Song Keming – search along hundreds of miles along the riverbanks to remove poisoned bait placed by poachers and to rescue any surviving wildlife from threats such as deadly toxins, nets or gunshots or properly dispose of dead bodies.

At night, from 11 p.m. till dawn, the volunteers drive along the wetland that stretches 3,000 kilometers from Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan to Shandong provinces, to fend off poachers, who usually come with hunting rifles and hounds, with the help of local public security organs.

Song has been hit by poachers’ vehicles, shot by their rifles and beaten with bricks and fists, but none of these had frightened him enough to cause him to step away from the battlefield.

Every autumn and winter, as migratory birds return from the northern Mongolian Plateau or the Siberian Arctic tundra, poaching happens more often, especially around the Spring Festival holidays. While criminals continue to break the law in an effort to make a fortune, Song and his team are actively trying to make it more and more impossible for these poachers to succeed.

Last year, the “Green Future” team caught four suspected poachers and helped the local police open three criminal cases. The volunteers scattered a dozen poachers from the reserve, including some well-equipped poaching gang members.

In recent years, more and more like-minded local residents have gathered around Song. Now the team has more than 300 volunteers. More and more people, as well as public departments, have been joining the cause to fight hard against poaching.

To Song’s joy, Chinese society is growing in awareness of the importance of species and habitat protection, while those who choose to eat wildlife to show off their wealth have become a rare minority.

Song was delighted to find that China’s building of an ecological civilization as a national strategy and the protection of species have been obtaining positive results.

This winter, a record number of migratory birds flew back to the Changyuan Wetland Reserve, including grey cranes, taiga bean geese, greylags, etc.

“About 180 great bustards have been observed wintering at the reserve, and by spring when they are about to head north, we expect the total number to be around 200,” Song confirmed with Xinhua reporter over the phone on Saturday.

The nicknamed “Bustard Guardian” firmly believes that as long as the Yellow River wetlands are attentively protected to preserve the wintering home for the migratory birds, where wildlife can stay safe from poaching and disturbances and live in peace, the vigorous biodiversity of the mother river will recover.

And the great bustards, a symbol of the king’s diligent peasants recorded as early as in the Book of Songs (1100 to 600 B.C.), can continue to coexist harmoniously with the Chinese nation, Song said.

In order to honor the man’s tireless efforts in protecting the wetlands, Song Keming was named “the most beautiful environmentalist in Henan,” winning the “Green Guardian” award of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the “Green Monument” award of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The work of Green Future has received wide acclaim and support from the country and was highly commended by international experts and scholars at the International Conference on Promoting the Protection of Asian Great Bustard held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 2017.

However, Song could not let himself rest on the laurels. He told the reporters that there is still a long way to go to protect the great bustard and the Yellow River wetlands. The situation is still urgent and we should not be blindly optimistic, he warned.

The International Committee for the Protection of Birds has included great bustard in the Red Book of Endangered Species. “There are only about 800 left in China. Each one of them that we are losing to poaching is a loss too heavy for the survival of the species!” he said.

The man who humbly refers himself as “just a peasant who doesn’t know how to make great speeches” is determined to continue protecting the wetlands and its biodiversity until he can no longer move.

In the future, Song hopes to help the local villages develop eco-tourism that will not cause harm and disturbance to the wildlife in a way that village folks can benefit from species conservation and ecological restoration. For example, helping poachers become tour guides to show the visitors where to view the most breathtaking landscape or how to identify the most beautiful birds or operate homestays and hostels – anyway that they can make money legitimately, Song suggested.

If wildlife and the health of the wetlands became the attraction for eco-tourism, the local population will voluntarily protect the environment, as proven in precedents worldwide, he said.

“I hope that every ordinary person can start from himself, refuse to eat wildlife, refuse to wear fur, refuse to use drugs containing wild animal components and actively report any suspicious sales of wildlife products to the forest police,” Song said, telling Xinhua that he wishes everyone a happy Chinese New Year.

“Everyone can make his/her share of contribution to protecting endangered species,” Song said.

As for himself, the 54-year-old “bustard guardian” is willing to believe that with the concerted efforts of the entire Chinese society, the future is promising for China’s building of an ecological civilization and the biodiversity conservation and for the Asian great bustard to survive and thrive.

“I look forward to witnessing the Mother River of the Chinese nation regain its vitality as people and nature develop in perfect harmony,” Song said.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in Bird guardian, China alert, Spring Festival, Uncategorized, wetlands, Yellow River | Leave a Comment »

02/02/2019

Chanda Kochhar: The rise and fall of India’s celebrated CEO

The fall of Chanda Kochhar, the iconic banking CEO and a poster woman for Indian industry, holds a cautionary tale for the entire business community, writes the BBC’s business correspondent Sameer Hashmi.

India’s third-largest lender, ICICI Bank, on Wednesday found the former chief executive guilty of violating internal bank policies and professional misconduct.

It was the culmination of an investigation set up by the bank to look into allegations of conflict of interest. It concluded that she had failed to make mandatory disclosures and her actions were not in line with the bank’s internal processes.

The bank also announced it planned to “claw back” all bonuses paid to Ms Kochhar between April 2009 and March 2018, an amount estimated to run into millions of dollars.

Ms Kochhar had risen through the ranks of ICICI to become its chief executive in 2009.

But she went on indefinite leave in June 2018, following which she announced her retirement in October 2018 even as the investigation against her was still continuing.

‘The face of a movement’

Ms Kochhar was one of India’s most celebrated bankers and arguably the most prominent female chief executive in the country.

For nearly a decade, various surveys consistently called her one of the world’s most powerful and influential female CEOs. For many Indian women, especially those working in the corporate sector, Ms Kochhar was a role model.

“She was the face of a movement that encouraged women entrepreneurs. Her downfall has done immeasurable harm to Indian chief executives, especially women business leaders,” Gurcharan Das, author and former chief executive of Procter & Gamble India, told the BBC.

Advisor to the US President Ivanka Trump (L) looks on as Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and CEO of ICICI bank limited speaks during a panel discussion at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at the Hyderabad convention centre (HICC) in Hyderabad on November 29, 2017 — Image captionMs Kochhar with Ivanka Trump, daughter of the US president and his adviser

Ms Kochhar began her career as a trainee at ICICI in 1984 after getting her MBA. At the time, ICICI was a financial institution that helped companies with project financing. It got a banking licence in 1994, following the liberalisation of India’s economy.

Ms Kochhar’s ascent mirrored ICICI’s journey from a small financial institution to one of India’s largest technology-driven financial service behemoths.

Under the tutelage of KV Kamath – the larger-than-life boss who headed the bank through much of the 1990s and 2000s – Ms Kochhar was given charge of several significant projects which saw ICICI set itself apart in a market dominated by public-owned banks.

In 2009, at the age of 48, she beat several other strong candidates to succeed Mr Kamath as chief executive.

Unlike her predecessors, who followed a more inclusive leadership approach, Ms Kochhar ran a tight ship with complete control and authority.

She was credited with navigating the bank out of troubled waters following the 2008 global recession.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ICICI Bank's MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar during the launch of 'Digital Village' project and adopting a village in Gujarat, at ICICI Headquarters, Bandra Kurla Complex, on January 2, 2015 in Mumbai, India — Image captionMs Kochhar is credited with navigating ICICI out of troubled waters following the 2008 global recession

Ms Kochhar was also renowned for her attention to detail – not only when it came to running the company but also when making public appearances or being interviewed.

She invested in a very strong PR machinery that ensured her public profile was meticulous. When I interviewed Ms Kochhar at her office in 2012, her communications team had a number of requests and queries ranging from the type of questions that would be asked to camera angles and even the size of the plant in the background.

Her love for saris and diamonds was well known. Her former colleagues say she was very particular about picking the right sari to match the mood and tone of an occasion. She even wore them while attending international conferences like the World Economic Forum in Davos – making it a style statement.

The fall from grace

Ironically perhaps, it was her lack of attention to disclosing allegedly critical information about her husband’s business dealings with a client of her bank that led to her downfall.

Ms Kochhar’s problems began in October 2016 when a whistleblower raised allegations of conflict of interest against her.

Initially the issue did not attract much media attention, but in March 2018 the story began to gain traction in the Indian press.

The scandal centres around a $456m (£347m) loan issued by ICICI bank to consumer electronics company Videocon Industries.

It had been alleged that Ms Kochhar sanctioned loans to Videocon Industries, violating the bank’s lending policies, in exchange for an investment by its owner Venugopal Dhoot in a business headed by Ms Kochhar’s husband.

Ms Kochhar, her husband and Mr Dhoot have denied the claims.

Soon after the allegations surfaced in April, Mr Kochhar said they were all “false”.

Speaking to India Today TV, he said, “Where is the conflict of interest? ICICI Bank will have relationship with all top corporates in India. If I can’t touch any corporate who deals with ICICI, is it fair to me? Can I function like this? I am a Bajaj MBA and a Harvard alumnus. I am an educated professional. Should I sit at home just because my wife is the CEO of ICICI?”

Mr Dhoot also denied any wrongdoing, insisting in an interview with the PTI news agency that the loan to his company was given on merit. He also said he knew all 12 members of the panel that approved it, not just Ms Kochhar.

Initially, ICICI’s board dismissed all the allegations against Ms Kochhar.

But continuous media glare and questions from investors forced the bank to set up an inquiry to investigate if Ms Kochhar had violated the bank’s rules with regards to conflict of interest and internal lending.

Even then Ms Kochhar did not step down, choosing instead to go on indefinite leave in June 2018. She resigned four months later.

Indian CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar speaks during the ICICI Securities Limited Initial Public Offering (IPO) press conference in Mumbai on March 15, 2018 — Image captionMs Kochhar has denied all the charges against her

But after the investigative committee – headed by a former Supreme Court judge – submitted its report, the bank decided to treat her resignation as termination. The report did not, however, investigate whether Videocon invested in her husband’s company in exchange for loans.

Speaking soon after that, Ms Kochhar issued a statement talking about her “disappointment” with the decision.

‘I am utterly disappointed, hurt and shocked by the decision. I have not been given a copy of the report. I reiterate that none of the credit decisions at the bank are unilateral. ICICI is an institution with established robust processes and systems which involve committee based collective decision making with several professionals of high calibre participating in the decision making,” it read.

The controversy has also raised questions about the credibility of the board and its failure to investigate the matter when it was first raised.

Shiriram Subramaniun, who heads InGovern, a corporate governance advisory firm, called the episode a lesson for company boards across the country.

“Companies need to recognise that their primary duty is toward the shareholders and not star chief executives,” he told the BBC.

But Ms Kochhar’s troubles didn’t stop there. Last week, the country’s federal investigating agency, the CBI, filed a case of criminal conspiracy and fraud against her and her husband Deepak Kochhar.

They are looking closely into Ms Kochhar’s role in the ICICI decision to sanction the loan to Videocon. In its preliminary complaint report, the organisation accused her of receiving “illegal gratification through her husband” to sanction the money.

It also accuses her of cheating, dishonesty and “abusing her official position” by sanctioning the loan to Videocon. It has also filed a case against Mr Dhoot and is investigating the roles of senior ICICI bank executives who were part of the bank committee that sanctioned the loans.

The bank told the BBC that they were not willing to comment about the investigation at this stage.

Source: The BBC

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02/02/2019

Three women who could be Modi’s biggest nightmare in India’s election

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Three powerful women politicians, each from a very different section of Indian society, may pose a big threat to the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning a second term in a general election due by May.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, part of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for much of the time since its independence from the British in 1947, joined the struggle in January, when the opposition Congress party made her its face in the nation’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh.

Two other senior female politicians – the firebrand chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, and Mayawati, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister – are also plotting to unseat Modi’s ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition by forming big opposition groupings, though there is no firm agreement between them as yet.

“The opposition has more powerful women leaders than the NDA, and therefore they will be able to carry conviction with voters generally, and with women voters, in particular,” said Yashwant Sinha, 81, a former finance minister who quit Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dominates the NDA, last year.

“They should be very worried, especially after the defeat in the three major Hindi heartland states,” he said, referring to BJP’s losses in recent state elections.

The entry of Priyanka – she is usually referred to by just her first name – into the political fray drew a gushing reaction from much of the Indian media.

TRIPLE CHALLENGE

The other two women seen threatening Modi’s grip on power have a lot more experience than Priyanka, and both could be seen as potential prime ministerial candidates in a coalition government.

Mayawati, a 63-year-old former teacher who goes by just the one name, last month formed an alliance between her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) – which mainly represents Hinduism’s lowest caste, the Dalits – and its once bitter foes, the Samajwadi Party that tends to draw support from other lower castes and Muslims.

Then there is 64-year-old Banerjee, who has twice been railways minister in federal governments. Last month, Banerjee – who built her All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party after leaving Congress in 1997 – organised an anti-BJP rally in Kolkata that attracted hundreds of thousands.

Party colleagues of the three women leaders said they were not available for comment.

To be sure, Modi remains, for now, the most popular leader in the country, opinion polls show.

Modi also cannot be accused of ignoring women’s issues during his first term. He has launched a government campaign – Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, or “Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter” – and called for the eradication of female foeticide. His campaigns to provide toilets and subsidised gas cylinders for poorer Indians are often promoted as ways to empower women.

He has six women in his 26-strong cabinet, though a lot of power is centralised with Modi and a couple of senior male lieutenants.

The BJP said it would seek votes on the basis of achievements under Modi and the opposition did not have a “positive alternative to the government, and its activities”.

PERSONAL TIES

Congress has said it wants to form a post-poll partnership with Mayawati’s BSP and SP alliance, though it will be fighting against it in 78 seats. The alliance will not contest two Gandhi strongholds won multiple times by Rahul and his mother Sonia.

Mayawati told a press conference announcing the alliance with the SP that Congress was not part of it because they did not think “there would be much benefit in having them with us before the election”.

The BSP, however, backs Congress-led governments in the northern states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

There is no formal alliance between Banerjee and Congress, though she does know Rahul and Priyanka.

Dinesh Trivedi, a former federal minister and a close aide to Banerjee, said she enjoys a good personal relationship with Sonia Gandhi, the matriarch of the dynasty and a former Congress president, and so working with her two children would not be a problem.

“In terms of experience, Mamata Banerjee is far ahead,” Trivedi said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi would look at Mamata Banerjee as somebody who could really inspire them.”

The strength of Priyanka, Mayawati and Banerjee as a potential opposition alliance is that they can appeal to different parts of the electorate.

Two Congress sources said the formal entry into politics of Priyanka could help rejuvenate the party in Uttar Pradesh, where it is a marginal player. Coming from what is India’s first family, they said she could appeal to upper caste voters in the state who typically vote for the pro-business BJP.

A Congress leader close to the Gandhis said she would attract women, young people, and floating voters.

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Priyanka is far from a political neophyte, having supported her brother and mother during previous election campaigns. She has also experienced political and personal tragedy, as Rahul Gandhi stressed in a speech last week.

“You have to understand my relationship with my sister – we have been through a hell of a lot together,” he said.

“Everybody is like ‘look, you come from this illustrious family, and everything is easy’. Actually it’s not so easy. My father was assassinated, my grandmother was assassinated, huge political battles, wins in political battles, losses in political battles.”

“NATIONAL LEADER”

BSP spokesman Sudhindra Bhadoria said Mayawati’s gender did not matter.

“She has managed a party from scratch to this level. The important fact is that she has organised large numbers, both men and women, Dalits, other backward castes, the poor, minorities,” Bhadoria said. “I don’t fit them in the straightjacket of male-female. I think she’s a national leader.”

She is regarded as ambitious. A U.S. diplomatic cable in 2008, among many thousands leaked by Wikileaks two years later, described her as “first-rate egomaniac” who “is obsessed with becoming prime minister”.

But Mayawati has also been credited with empowering oppressed lower caste Hindus.

Banerjee, who defeated a 34-year-old communist government in West Bengal in an election in 2011, is known for her streetwise political skills and portrays herself as a secular leader in a country polarised under the BJP.

Source: Reuters

Posted in India alert, India’s election, Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, nightmare, PM Modi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Uncategorized, women | Leave a Comment »

02/02/2019

India issues ‘demarche’ to American Embassy on detention of Indian students in US

The External Affairs Ministry said India continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of the detention of several Indian students in connection with their enrolment in a “fraudulent university in the US”.

INDIA Updated: Feb 02, 2019 15:23 IST

Press Trust of India
New Delhi

The India mission and consulates have visited several detention centres throughout the US to extend consular assistance to the detained students, the MEA said.(AP Photo)

India Saturday issued a demarche to the American Embassy here, expressing its concern over the detention of Indian students in the US, and sought immediate consular access to them.

The External Affairs Ministry said India continues to closely monitor and take proactive measures to address the situation arising out of the detention of several Indian students in connection with their enrolment in a “fraudulent university in the US”.

One-hundred-thirty foreign students arrested by US authorities for enroling at a fake university allegedly to remain in that country are largely Indians. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made the arrests on Wednesday.

“Our concern over the dignity and well-being of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated,” it said.

The ministry underlined to the US Embassy that students, who may have been duped into enrolling in the ‘university’ should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them. “We have urged the US side to share full details and regular updates of the students with the government, to release them from detention at the earliest and not to resort to deportation against their will,” the ministry said.

The India mission and consulates have visited several detention centres throughout the US to extend consular assistance to the detained students, the MEA said.

“So far, about 30 Indian students have been contacted by our consular officers. Efforts to contact the remaining Indian students are continuing,” it said.

The ministry said a 24/7 helpline has been established in the Indian Embassy in Washington for assistance/queries related to the detention of Indian students. The helpline numbers are: +1-202-322-1190 and +1-202-340-2590 and email is: cons3.washington@mea.gov.in. The ministry said the Indian government and the Indian Embassy and consulates in the US attach the highest priority to the welfare of the detained students and will continue to work with the American authorities and other stakeholders to address the issue. PTI MPB GVS

Source: Hindustan Times

Posted in American Embassy, demarch, detentions, India alert, Indian students, Uncategorized, US | Leave a Comment »

02/02/2019

Bengal won’t tolerate anarchy anymore, will uproot Mamata govt: PM Modi in Durgapur

The Prime Minister also batted for the Hindu Bangladeshi migrants in a bid to woo the voters ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that are due this May.

Addressing his second rally in West Bengal on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Mamata government for its “anti-development approach”.

Addressing a rally in Durgapur, PM Modi said the ruling Trinamool Congress was not bothered about the development of the state with major projects stuck for over a long period of time.

“Projects worth Rs 90,000 crore are moving at snail’s pace because of the attitude of the state government. They are not cooperating with the Centre, they have an anti-development approach,” PM Modi said while referring to infrastructure development in West Bengal.

He said while the state government is busy crushing the dreams of the poor and the middle class, the Central government is trying to deliver a new flight to those dreams.

He said the people of Bengal will oust and uproot the government led by Mamata Banerjee, which does not care about the dignity of democracy.

The PM further said the Mamata government has strangled democracy adding that the people of Bengal will no longer tolerate anarchy.

“Ruling TMC is certain to go, I can see clearly that Bengal will usher in parivartan (change),” he said.

Referring to clashes on Friday night in Durgapur, PM Modi said TMC has no respect for the law.

Clashes erupted between workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress late on Friday in Durgapur.

The clashes erupted after TMC workers allegedly attacked a BJP cadre and pulled down hoardings and banners announcing PM Modi’s visit.

Read | Clashes erupt between BJP, TMC workers ahead of PM Modi rally in WB’s Durgapur

Lauding the BJP workers in Bengal, he said their efforts and sacrifice would not go in vain.

“Your fervour is giving Didi sleepless nights, and that’s why she is adopting the ways of the Left,” PM added.

Lauding the Interim budget 2019, PM Modi said the budget illustrates “Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas”, adding that it was just a trailer.

“The budget after the elections will portray the contours of a New India,” he said.

The Prime Minister also batted for the Hindu Bangladeshi migrants in a bid to woo the voters ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that are due this May.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi kicked off the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with a public rally in Thakurnagar.

Read | No need to pay ‘syndicate’ tax: PM Modi woos voters in WB’s Thakurnagar ahead of LS polls

In a bid to woo the people, the Prime Minister said the people will not be required to pay any ‘syndicate tax’ and the money to the farmers will be directly paid to their bank accounts.

The rallies are being held at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has upped the ante against the BJP-headed government at the Centre and has given the call to oust the PM Modi government in the next General Election.

Apart from PM Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and many other top leaders are also expected to attend several ‘Ganatantra Bachao’ rallies across the state.

Source: The Statesman

Posted in anarchy, Bengal, Durgapur, India alert, Mamata Banerjee, PM Modi, Uncategorized, uproot | Leave a Comment »

02/02/2019

Chinese authorities block access to Australian detained for suspected espionage – lawyers

BEIJING (Reuters) – Two lawyers hired by the wife of an Australian detained in Beijing for suspected espionage said they have been denied access to him by Chinese authorities on the grounds that the detainee did not agree to their appointment.

Yang Hengjun, a 53-year-old Chinese-born writer, was detained in the southern city of Guangzhou while waiting for a transfer to Shanghai last month, after flying in from New York.

He was taken to Beijing, where China has said the city’s State Security Bureau is holding him under “coercive measures”, a euphemism for detention, as he is investigated on suspicion of “endangering state security”.

One of the lawyers, Mo Shaoping, said the state security bureau informed him on Friday that Yang “did not accept lawyers appointed by his family”, but that the bureau rejected his request to verify this with Yang in person.

“The thing we’re most concerned about is whether this is the real wish of Yang Hengjun,” the other lawyer, Shang Baojun, told Reuters, adding that they hoped to glean more information when Australian consular officials are allowed to meet with him next.

China’s Ministry of State Security has no publicly available contact details. The Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment on Saturday, but has previously said that Yang’s rights and interests were being protected in accordance with the law.

Mo previously told Reuters that his client was suspected of “espionage”, and was being held under “residential surveillance at a designated location”.

The special detention measure allows authorities to interrogate suspects for six months without necessarily granting access to legal representation. Rights groups say that the lack of oversight raises concern about abuse by interrogators.

Source: Reuters

Posted in Australia, authorities, block access, China alert, Lawyer, suspected espionage, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

02/02/2019

China hails ‘important progress’ in US trade talks

Image captionVice Premier Liu He and President Donald Trump talk to the press about trade

China’s trade delegation says it made “important progress” in the latest round of talks with the US, China’s state media reports.

At the end of a two-day meeting in Washington, no deal was reached but China pledged to buy more US soybeans.

US President Donald Trump touted the promise as proof that the two sides were making progress.

They are pushing to reach a deal by 1 March to avert an escalation in tariffs.

At a press conference with Vice Premier Liu He on Thursday, President Trump said he hoped to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to hash out a final agreement by the looming deadline.

“We have made tremendous progress,” President Trump said.

“That doesn’t mean you’re going to have a deal but there’s a tremendous relationship and a warm feeling.”

China also agreed to increase imports of “US agricultural products, energy products, industrial manufactured goods and service products” during the talks, Xinhua reported.

Is this progress?

The two sides are racing to come up with a trade deal by 1 March, or the US has said it will increase tariff rates on $200bn (£152bn) worth of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%.

US trade negotiators agreed to visit China for more discussions in mid-February, Chinese state media reported.

In December, the two countries agreed to 90 days of negotiations, in an effort to defuse their escalating trade war, which had led to new tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods.

US and China's tariffs against each other

Soybean pledge

Shortly after the truce took effect, China – by far the world’s biggest importer of soybeans – bought 1.13 million tonnes of the crop from the US.

The White House said on Thursday the country had agreed to purchase an additional 5 million tonnes of soybeans.

Soybeans have been at the forefront of negotiations as US farmers have suffered from the sudden loss of their largest customer.

The country imported more than 30 million tonnes of soybeans from the US in 2017 – a figure that dropped sharply last year amid the trade war.

Machinery on a US farm spits out soy beans into the back of a truck.

Chinese businesses, meanwhile, have been trying to find new sources to replace crops from the US, which was the country’s second biggest supplier after Brazil in 2017.

Analysis: What China wants

Robin Brant, BBC News, Shanghai

China’s state media has painted these talks as “progress” based on the offer of measures or reforms that China wants to see, or needs.

These are not concessions, but steps that are in line with reform and opening up already planned by President Xi.

What politicians call the retail takeaway – in this case it literally is one – of buying more soybeans from American farmers went down well with President Trump.

That’s the idea. China would probably like a deal with the President Trump. Just the President.

A deal that the lead US negotiator, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, will sign off on is likely to involve verifiable, structural changes to the economy.

China is far less likely to concede that.

China would rather simply buy more soybeans and other goods or services to help President Trump fulfil his campaign pledge to deal with the trade imbalance between the two countries.

What happens next?

Mr Lighthizer said he was focused on securing a enforceable deal. He warned that many issues remained unresolved.

The US pressed for changes on intellectual property laws and rules that limit the operations of foreign companies in China, both of which have been key sticking points in negotiations.

The two sides “attached great importance to the issues of intellectual property protection and technology transfer and agreed to further strengthen cooperation”, according to Xinhua.

“We’ve made progress,” Mr Lighthizer said.

“At this point, it’s impossible for me to predict success but we are in a place that, if things work, it could happen.”

Source: The BBC

Posted in China alert, important progress, trade talks, Uncategorized, US | Leave a Comment »

02/02/2019

Next stop Guam? China shows off its next generation DF-41 and DF-26 ballistic missiles

Beijing announces second-strike exercise involving an ICBM capable of hitting any point on the US or Russian mainland
State broadcaster releases first ever footage of ‘Guam killer’ DF-26 intermediate-range missile in action

PUBLISHED : Saturday, 02 February, 2019, 7:01pm

UPDATED : Saturday, 02 February, 2019, 7:01pm

COMMENTS: 4

The DF-26 is a next generation intermediate-range ballistic missile that takes its nickname from the fact the US island of Guam is within its striking distance. Photo: Xinhua

China’s ballistic missile technology is advancing rapidly and recent demonstrations of its capabilities leave little doubt that when it comes to military dominance in the Asia-Pacific region, Beijing is keen to send a message to Washington that the United States is not the only player in town.

Last month, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) showed off its firepower by running a simulated strike mission using a Dongfeng-41 (DF-41) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and revealing footage of the improved stability of Dongfeng-26 (DF-26) ballistic missile.

Chinese missile drill tests ‘ultimate symbol of PLA destructive potential’

DF-41: China’s ultimate nuclear deterrent

With its capability to deliver a nuclear warhead almost anywhere in the world, the DF-41 is China’s most advanced ICBM and has been the subject of intense speculation by Western analysts for the past decade.

At 16.5 metres (54 feet) it is slightly longer than its predecessor, the DF-31A, and with a range of up to 15,000km (9,320 miles) it not only flies further than either of its main rivals – the United States’ LGM-30 Minuteman (13,000km) and Russia’s RT-2PM2 Topol-M (11,000km) – but is capable of striking any part of the Russian or US mainland.

The fourth-generation missile has a top speed of Mach 25 (25 times the speed of sound) and as a “multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle” can carry at least 10 warheads, each of which can be aimed at a different target.

The DF-41 can be fired from a silo-based platform or a road- or rail-based mobile launcher. The latter makes it more able to evade attack and in turn increases its value as a deterrent.

Song Zhongping, a missile expert and former officer with the PLA’s Second Artillery Force, said that the recent reports released by state media that Beijing had run a simulation of a second-strike against an “imaginary enemy” from an underground facility, showed the DF-41 was already in service.

A second-strike is a response to a nuclear attack with an equally powerful force.

While the location of the deployment is unknown it is widely thought to have been somewhere in northeast China, close to the Russian border.

https://widgets.scmp.com/video/video_iframe.php?id=7s5e4b&poster=https%3A//cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/video/images/2019/01/29/thumbnail_web_text.jpg

DF-26: The ‘Guam killer’

The DF-26 is China’s next generation intermediate-range ballistic missile and takes its nickname from the fact its range – of 3,000km to 5,740km – puts the US island of Guam in the western Pacific and American military bases in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean within striking distance.

Operated by the PLARF, the solid-fuel missile system can be carried on a 12-wheeled Taian transporter erector launcher truck. This makes it difficult for US intelligence services to track and counter, either with their sea-based Aegis missile defences or, as on Guam, the long-range THAAD anti-missile interceptors.

Capable of carrying two types of nuclear warheads and many types of conventional ones – with a payload of 1,200kg (2,650lbs) to 1,800kg – the 14-metre-long missile can also be used for anti-ship strikes, such as US aircraft carriers and naval bases in the Asia-Pacific region.

China releases footage of ‘Guam killer’ DF-26 ballistic missile in ‘clear message to the US’

China’s defence ministry confirmed last year that the DF-26 had entered service, and amid growing military tensions with Taiwan and the US, state broadcaster CCTV last month released the first ever footage of a DF-26 launch.

At least one missile was used in an exercise in northwest China and the four finlike flight control surfaces seen around its nose appear to have been designed to improve its stability.

Military analysts said the fins would provide greater stability as the missile neared a moving target, such as an aircraft carrier.

Source: SCMP

Posted in ballistic missiles, China alert, DF-26, DF-41, Guam, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

02/02/2019

Economic Watch: Spring Festival shopping going rural amid anti-poverty push

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) — As a time-honored tradition for preparing for Chinese New Year, Spring Festival shopping in cities has become more rustic this year.

Pepper sauce from Guizhou, navel oranges from Jiangxi and beef shank from Anhui are part of the rural specialties Beijing-based IT engineer Zhang Xin bought for the upcoming week-long Spring Festival holiday. They are all products from poor villages.

Zhang bought some of the delicacies from e-commerce platforms, and some from a fair held in his community designed to promote products from rural areas.

The rural specialties sales boom in urban areas is a result of China’s all-out efforts to achieve its goal of lifting its rural population out of poverty by 2020.

Wholesalers, e-commerce companies and supermarkets are encouraged to establish stable and long-term cooperative relationships with impoverished villages to power the country’s poverty eradication campaign, according to a plan released Tuesday by 10 government agencies.

E-COMMERCE PUSH

Social e-commerce giant Pinduoduo showed that orders of rural specialties exceeded 55 million from Jan. 4 to Jan. 24 in its online Spring Festival fair, a record high.

A local pickle product in central China’s Hunan Province developed by the platform’s poverty-reduction program sold 15,800 bottles on the platform the day it was launched. Total sales exceeded 3.3 million yuan (490,500 U.S. dollars) so far, bringing additional income of 3,000 to 5,000 yuan for over 200 rural households.

Other e-commerce players also leverage their platforms to enrich consumers’s shopping choices while boosting sales in poor areas. Alibaba’s Taobao has invited heads of 50 counties across the country to sell their local products via live streaming.

The Spring Festival shopping season is an important opportunity for e-commerce platforms to upgrade their mechanisms in poverty reduction, so that improving sales will ensure farmers a jubilant Chinese New Year, said Pinduoduo cofounder Da Da.

SPROUTING FAIRS

Besides shopping online, rural products are coming to cities with fairs springing up in urban communities, companies and institutions to enable first-hand experience and more direct sales.

A poverty-reduction Spring Festival fair in the capital city of China’s southernmost Hainan Province gathered rural specialties from 11 counties and sold over 10 million yuan of produce in just three days.

Beijing earlier this month set up a longer-term fair to sell over 2,000 products from poor counties in seven provincial regions. The fair will be open all year round.

The State Council has decided to offer incentives for public and private institutions to purchase goods produced in the impoverished regions, while expanding the sales channels of farm produce in the areas.

Product quality in poor areas should be enhanced, with local infrastructure improved so that rural tourism can be developed, according to the guidelines released by the State Council.

Source: Xinhua

Posted in anti-poverty, China alert, rural areas, shopping, Spring Festival, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

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China hails ‘important progress’ in US trade talks

Is this progress?

Soybean pledge

Analysis: What China wants

What happens next?

Next stop Guam? China shows off its next generation DF-41 and DF-26 ballistic missiles

Chinese missile drill tests ‘ultimate symbol of PLA destructive potential’

China releases footage of ‘Guam killer’ DF-26 ballistic missile in ‘clear message to the US’

Economic Watch: Spring Festival shopping going rural amid anti-poverty push

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