As India rises, creating niche areas for itself in the Asian landscape, China and India are bound to step on each other's vital areas of importance, says Srikanth Kondapalli.As the nation-wide polls indicate, the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to form the new government in New Delhi. Its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had, during his tenure as chief minister of Gujarat and during the election campaign across India, provided an inkling into his foreign policy priorities. Foremost in these speeches were mentions made about India's neighbours, with cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, migration from Bangladesh and China's 'mindset of expansionism' dominating the discourse. As prime minister, Modi has the primary responsibility under the Constitution to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and further the wellbeing of citizens. Of all the countries, the case of China offers a mixed picture for Modi as on many fronts it has been a touch-and-go relationship. … [Read more...] about 6 reasons why Modi needs to put China first
China on south china sea dispute
China’s South-to-North Water Diversion
BEIJING - China's South-to-North Water Diversion project, the world's largest, has served as the lifeline of water supply for China's parched north for the past few years. Five years into the operation of the project's middle route, the following facts and figures will help put into context the project's scale and significance: -- The project transfers water from the Yangtze River to quench the thirst of dry areas in the north through eastern, middle and western routes. The expanse to be benefited from the project accounts for around 15 percent of the nation's total land area. -- With an estimated cost of 500 billion yuan (about 71 billion US dollars), the project started with the construction of the eastern route in 2002 and the middle route in 2003, while the western route is still in its pre-construction stage. -- The middle route, the most prominent of the three due to its role in feeding water to the national capital, starts from the Danjiangkou Reservoir in Central China's Hubei … [Read more...] about China’s South-to-North Water Diversion
China to encourage investment in climate change mitigation
China's top environmental watchdog will roll out preferential policies to tap the potential of financial instruments in tackling climate change as the country makes efforts to contribute to the world's climate progress amid challenges in promoting development, a senior environmental official said. Zhao Yingmin, vice-minister of ecology and environment, made the comment on Tuesday on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations climate change conference in Madrid. "China has always attached great importance to tackle climate change by proactively carrying out national strategy on the issue," he told an event focusing on climate investment and finance that was held at the China pavilion on the sidelines of the UN conference. China has made significant progress in promoting low-carbon development. Its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP last year were 45.8 percent below the 2005 level, meaning the emission of 5.26 billion metric tons of the greenhouse gas was avoided, Zhao said. He … [Read more...] about China to encourage investment in climate change mitigation
China’s Antarctic bases within Australia’s claim are going unchecked
Email By Jackson Gothe-Snape Updated April 12, 2019 20:42:54 Map: Australia Photo: An artist's depiction of what China's new base in Antarctic will look like. (Supplied) What is China doing down there? Truth is, we don't know for sure.Flying high in the skies above Antarctica's ice in late 2016, the former head of the Australian Antarctic Division was on a spectacular mission.The Antarctic Treaty System bars military activity or mineral exploration and it is up to scientists like Nicholas Gales to ensure their neighbours are doing as they should.His goal that day was to complete the first inspection of the remote American base at the South Pole by a nation unaided by the Americans themselves."We flew in under our own resources with one of our chartered ski-equipped aircraft, a Basler," he told a parliamentary committee less than a year later. Photo: Dr Nicholas Gales and colleagues during the historic inspection of the US base. (Supplied: AAD/Jason Roberts) "We spent two … [Read more...] about China’s Antarctic bases within Australia’s claim are going unchecked
China Focus comes back to Edinburgh Fringe
Video PlayerClose Julia Amour, Director of Festivals Edinburgh, speaks at the launch ceremony for China Focus at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, on Aug. 3, 2018. China Focus, a collective project of excellent Chinese theatre productions, kicked off its second year edition at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Friday. (Xinhua/Han Yan) LONDON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China Focus, a collective project of excellent Chinese theatre productions, kicked off its second year edition at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Friday. It brings five Chinese shows this year, including A life on the Silk Road, Tutu, A Chinese Bestiary, The Creation Myths of China and Painted Skin Return. Inspired by the story of Zhang Qian being sent to the western regions and connotated in the inclusive and open Dunhuang culture, A life on the Silk Road absorbs the magical illusions of The Classic of Mountains and Seas and leads audience to discover this well-known historical figure of China … [Read more...] about China Focus comes back to Edinburgh Fringe