India, China have taken steps to improve people-to-people ties: MEA

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday that India and China have taken several steps to improve ties between the people of both nations, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and the re-establishment of civil aviation connectivity.

Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed confidence that these measures will further strengthen the positive ties between India and China.

“Discussions between the two countries are ongoing and the talks are moving in a positive direction. Several steps have been taken to improve relations between the people of both countries. You may have seen the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Civil aviation connectivity has also been re-established between the two countries, along with many other such measures. We believe these steps will further strengthen the positive relationship between the two countries,” said Jaiswal.

The MEA spokesperson was responding to a question on concerns raised by the Indian diaspora regarding the rise in abusive content against Indians and Indian culture on Chinese social media platforms. Members of the Indian community had reportedly highlighted the issue during an ‘open forum’ hosted by the Indian Embassy in Beijing.

Last month, during his official visit to China, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had met China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties. The two sides acknowledged the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas.

“Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri met H.E. Ms Hua Chunying, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China. They reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations. They discussed means of advancing the vision of the two leaders that India and China are partners and development opportunities for each other, including through mutually beneficial outcomes across trade and economic ties, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides acknowledged the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas,” the Embassy of India in China stated on X.

Misri also held a meeting with Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Central Party School’s Vice President Li Wentang and discussed opportunities for future cooperation and exchanges.

–IANS

akl/as

Related Posts

Delhi Police nab three involved in chokehold robberies

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) The Central District Police of Delhi achieved a major breakthrough after the team of Police Station Nabi Karim on Saturday apprehended three notorious absconding robbers allegedly involved in chokehold robbery incidents. One minor boy, who was roaming near the spot after the incident, had earlier been apprehended by the complainant with the assistance of PCR staff.

According to the police, the accused persons were arrested swiftly on the basis of a tip-off. During interrogation, it was revealed that a robbed mobile phone had been sold for Rs 2,000. All the arrested accused persons were found to have multiple previous criminal involvements. Further investigation is underway to recover the robbed mobile phone.

On April 30, information regarding a robbery at knifepoint was received at Police Station Nabi Karim. The complainant stated that he was on his way to meet his nephew at New Delhi Railway Station. While passing over Pul Paharganj, three to four boys intercepted him, caught hold of him, and forcibly robbed him of Rs 10,000 in cash along with his blue-coloured Samsung M-14 mobile phone at knifepoint.

The complainant, with the assistance of PCR staff, managed to apprehend the minor boy involved in the robbery case, who was still roaming in the area after the incident.

Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 227/26 under Sections 309(4), 311, and 3(5) of the BNS was registered at Police Station Nabi Karim, and an investigation was taken up.

Considering the gravity of the offence, a dedicated police team comprising ASI Sanjeev, Head Constable Nitin, and Constable Sanjay was constituted under the supervision of the SHO of Police Station Nabi Karim and the overall supervision of ACP Paharganj. The team was assigned the task of tracing and apprehending the absconding accused persons.

Police have arrested four accused persons in connection with the case, including the minor boy “G” alias “P” (17), a resident of Transit Camp, Anand Parvat; Badal alias Karan (25), Sachin alias Dhoti (23), and Sanjay alias Atma (25), all residents of Multani Dhanda in Paharganj, Delhi.

The police team promptly inspected the crime scene and conducted extensive local inquiries. Efforts were also made to obtain CCTV footage from nearby areas; however, no CCTV cameras were found installed in the vicinity.

Based on the disclosure made by the minor boy, secret informers were deployed in the area to gather information regarding the remaining accused persons. Subsequently, on May 6, acting on credible information, the police team apprehended the remaining accused near Shiela Cinema at Pul Paharganj.

During sustained interrogation, the accused persons confessed to their involvement in the robbery. They disclosed that they had sold the robbed mobile phone to an unknown person near New Delhi Railway Station for Rs. 2,000.

The accused further admitted that they had spent the robbed cash amount, along with the money received from selling the mobile phone, on procuring and consuming intoxicating substances to satisfy their addiction.

Police stated that all the arrested accused persons have multiple previous criminal involvements registered at different police stations across Delhi.

Badal alias Karan is involved in three previous cases registered at Police Station Pahar Ganj under sections related to theft and snatching. Sachin alias Dhoti has multiple criminal cases registered against him at Police Station Karol Bagh, Sabzi Mandi, Janak Puri, Pahar Ganj, and Prashad Nagar, including cases under the Arms Act. Sanjay alias Atma also has previous involvement in theft and snatching cases registered at Police Station Sadar Bazar and Police Station Kamla Market.

Further investigation is in progress.

–IANS

jk/uk

Punjab Police arrest seventh accused in YouTuber Roger Sandhu grenade attack case

Chandigarh, March 30 (IANS) In a major breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into the grenade attack on YouTuber and social media influencer Roger Sandhu’s house, the Punjab Police arrested the seventh accused on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Maninder alias Bobby, a resident of Ali Chak, Jalandhar, was apprehended at the Chandigarh Airport, marking a significant development in the case.

This arrest follows a series of actions under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s efforts to make the state a safer place, say police.

The arrest of Maninder, based on credible intelligence, was carried out by the Jalandhar Rural Police.

Police teams had been actively working to unearth the entire network of individuals involved in the attack.

The incident took place on the night of 1March 15-16, when a group of attackers launched an assault on Roger Sandhu’s residence in Raipur Rasoolpur, Jalandhar.

Initial investigations revealed that Maninder had facilitated the procurement of weapons and handed them over to co-accused Rohit Basra.

Basra, in turn, provided these weapons to other assailants, Amritpreet and Dheeraj, on March 8 in Jandu Singha.

Maninder has a criminal history with several prior cases registered against him under the Arms Act.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav stated that following this arrest, the total number of arrests in the case now stands at seven.

The police had previously arrested six other individuals, including Amritpreet Singh alias Sukha, Hardik Kamboj, Dheeraj Kumar, Santosh Kumar alias Pandey, Lachmi, and Rohit Basra. Authorities have seized one hand grenade, two 32-bore pistols, cartridges, and three motorcycles from the suspects.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jalandhar Rural, Gurmeet Singh, shared that the police acted swiftly after receiving credible information about Maninder’s arrival at the Chandigarh Airport.

He said that investigations are ongoing, and more arrests and recoveries are expected in the coming days.

–IANS

brt/pgh

US tariff shock batters Coimbatore–Tirupur industries; job losses mount

Chennai, Jan 17 (IANS) Once among India’s most vibrant industrial hubs, Coimbatore and Tirupur are facing one of their toughest phases in recent decades as steep tariff hikes imposed by the United States continue to take a heavy toll on jobs and exports.

The twin cities, which together provided livelihoods to several lakh workers from Tamil Nadu and other states, have been struggling since the US raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent in August last year.

Industry sources estimate that job losses have already crossed two lakh in the textile and engineering sectors combined. If allied industries such as castings, pumps and industrial valves are also included, the total number of people affected is believed to exceed three lakh.

Factory closures, reduced shifts and shrinking order books have become common, particularly among small and medium exporters. The impact has been equally severe on exports.

According to Dhanabalan, vice-president, apparel export operations and business development at a private mill, annual textile exports from Coimbatore and Tirupur to the US market earlier stood at around $1.7 billion. “Today, that figure has come down by nearly a billion dollars,” he said.

“If the 50 per cent tariff on Indian products continues, textile exports to the US could become virtually nil within a year.”

Industry leaders point out that the headline tariff is not the only burden. In addition to the 50 per cent levy, exporters face other standard duties, all of which are reflected in the delivered duty paid (DDP) price.

This sharply increases the final cost of Indian products in the US market. In comparison, competing exporters such as China and Bangladesh enjoy a cost advantage of nearly 30 per cent on DDP terms, making Indian goods far less competitive.

Concerns have deepened following reports that US President Donald Trump is considering a proposal to impose a 500 per cent tariff on countries that continue to purchase Russian oil.

“When a 50 per cent tariff itself is unthinkable, a 500 per cent tariff is practically impossible to absorb,” Dhanabalan warned.

“If such a proposal is implemented, exports to the US will decline further, and job losses will rise sharply.”

With uncertainty clouding the US market, exporters are urging the Indian government and industry bodies to aggressively strengthen alternative destinations.

“The European Union and the UK should be prioritised as key markets going forward,” Dhanabalan said, adding that diversification is now critical for the survival of the region’s export-driven industries.

As global trade tensions escalate, the future of Coimbatore and Tirupur’s industrial workforce hangs in the balance.

—IANS

aal/rad