With the United States and Pakistan engaged in a war of words, China on Friday sprung to the defence of its 'all weather ally', asking Washington to respect Islamabad's sovereignty and territorial integrity while fighting its war on terror.
China's embassy in Colombo has sought an urgent meeting with senior Sri Lankan authorities after Colombo sought a deferment of the planned docking of a high-tech Chinese research vessel at the strategic Hambantota port over which India raised concerns, sources said.
'Both sides should, therefore, focus on easing tensions in the friction areas by refraining from any actions that may lead to an escalation in the situation'
China in a provocative move fielded Qi Fabao, the regimental commander of the (PLA), who was injured during the June 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, as a torchbearer for the Olympics Games Torch Relay, which led India to diplomatically boycott the opening ceremony of the games on Friday.
China on Tuesday dismissed reports of fresh incursions by its troops into India as "routine patrolling" and asserted that both countries have a very effective and smooth mechanism to handle border incidents.
National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra will meet Senior Vice Minister of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Dai Bingguo in New Delhi on Thursday.
China on Thursday played down what appeared to be a tense conversation between President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 summit a day earlier, saying the conversation is "candid, normal" and should not be interpreted as criticism or threat.
The trigger that led Japan and the Philippines to ink the deal was because of the deteriorating security situation in the South China Sea. China's coast guard increased the frequency and intensity of incursions into Philippine waters, provoking the Philippines to take countermeasures to deter China, explains Dr Rajaram Panda.
"We are capable of properly resolving the issues between us through dialogue and consultation. We do not need the intervention of the third party", he said.
Trump on Wednesday said in a tweet that he was "ready, willing and able to mediate" between the two countries.
China on Thursday voiced its opposition to India's reported plans to hold the next year's meeting of G-20 leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.
China, besides denying the United States allegations that COVID-19 has emerged from a bio-lab in Wuhan, also rejected that it emanated from a wet market in the central Chinese city from bats or pangolins before infecting humans.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also talked about the China-Pakistan economic corridor in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, asserting that India is 'resolutely opposed' to any actions by other countries to change the status quo in the region.
China on Tuesday dismissed fresh reports of incursions by its troops into Indian territory, saying it was committed to solving the vexed boundary issue through talks and would like to make joint efforts with India to maintain peace along the border.
Since the June 15 clash, the PLA has inducted large numbers of troops, armoured vehicles and artillery along the LAC, from Depsang and Galwan in northern Ladakh to Hot Springs, Pangong Tso, and Chushul in central Ladakh, to Demchok and Chumar in southern Ladakh.
"We have tweeted that the two leaders discussed a range of issues. A range of issues means a range of issues. I don't want to add anything further... I leave it to you to draw your conclusion," external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.
China on Monday said Defence Minister A K Antony's visit Beijing has given both countries an opportunity to enhance their "strategic cooperative partnership" and jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas through increased military-to-military coordination.
China said that it had put off the visit of Indian pilgrims who enter Tibet via the Nathu La pass "for safety reasons" in view of the border issue.
China on Monday waded into the furore over the controversial remarks by two now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries against Prophet Mohammed, expressing the hope that the incident can be properly managed.
President Trump made these remarks on Monday while talking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to Joint Base Andrews from Florida.
China had in August extended by three months its technical hold on the proposal to list JeM founder Azhar as a global terrorist after having blocked the move in February this year at the United Nations.
In an angry reaction to US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's remarks that "China's actions could erect a Great Wall of self-isolation" in the South China Sea, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media that "Carter's remarks reflected typical American style thinking and hegemony".
In a message to Trump, Xi, 67, said that after learning US President Trump and Melania have tested positive for COVID-19, he and his wife Peng Liyuan extend sympathy to them and wish them a speedy recovery, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Xi Jinping will visit Pakistan this year after a cancelled a trip in 2014.
Taking serious note of protests by Tibetans in India during the visit of President Hu Jintao, China on Thursday said Tibet was an "integral part" of its territory and the region's affairs were an "internal matter".
Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths, official media reported.
Three Chinese journalists based in India representing the state-run Xinhua news agency were denied permission for extended stay in the country.
The MEA spokesperson did not reply to questions like whether the US had approached India with the offer, whether New Delhi has communicated its response over it to Washington, DC or whether the Trump administration has been briefed about the current standoff between Chinese and Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh.
The MEA spokesperson further said the actions and behaviour of the Chinese side since earlier this year along the LAC have been in "clear violation" of the bilateral agreements and protocols concluded between the two countries to ensure peace and tranquility on the border.
Amid the diplomatic sparring and souring of bilateral ties in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegation of Indian involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Special Envoy and Coordinator, Global Engagement Centre, James Rubin said the standoff was a 'tricky subject' as he sought cooperation into the investigation as far as it goes.
On the border dispute, officials on both sides say the protracted boundary talks made progress, while both sides made attempts to avert tensions along the 3,488-kilometre-long Line of Actual Control, which remains undefined.
China on Wednesday welcomed India's plans to grant visa-on-arrival facility to Chinese tourists, but did not commit to a reciprocal gesture for Indians visiting the country in large numbers.
China on Tuersday said it will first find a solution that applies to all non-NPT countries seeking entry into NSG and will then discuss India's application, a day after the two country's held talks over India's bid for membership of the elite grouping.
China has said that it successfully carried out a land-based mid-course anti-ballistic missile (ABM) technical test on Sunday with Chinese experts claiming that the tests, stated to be the sixth of its kind, validated the reliability of the country's anti-ballistic missile umbrella.
This is her first visit to Beijing after she took over the office last year.
China on Tuesday maintained that its decision to block the bid to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar banned by the United Nations was in accordance with "facts and relevant resolutions"
The eastern theatre command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army successfully completed all tasks of its combat readiness patrols and exercises around Taiwan Island, official media in Beijing reported.
It is learnt that the face-off took place after a Chinese patrol tried to enter Indian territory and the troops of China's People's Liberation Army were forced back.
This is Kim's first overseas visit since he took over power in 2011 after his father's death.
"After friendly consultations between the Chinese and US sides, the handover work for the US underwater drone was smoothly completed in relevant waters in the South China Sea at midday on December 20," a brief Chinese ministry statement said without providing details.
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