China on Thursday dismissed reports about the death of former president Jiang Zemin as "pure rumour", after days of intense speculation about his health.
When Jiang Zemin traveled, as you can see in the photographs here, a Kodak Moment was never far away.
The largely ceremonial position of the chairman of the Central Military Commission was the last top post Jiang held in the government for the last 15 years.
Despite speculation, Jiang Zemin is unlikely to quit as military chief at Thursday's plenum.
'As the PLA higher command is almost dismantled and instability spreads, India needs to be prepared for any eventuality,' cautions China expert Srikanth Kondapalli.
The week-long 20th national congress of the Communist party of China began in Beijing on Sunday, October 16, 2022.
'For the first time in a hundred years, the army has been taken out of the political equation. And for the first time ever, there is only one man who calls the shots. Not even Mao had this kind of power.'
Apart from the Kashmir issue, past Pakistani reluctance to grant the MFN status to India had strong economic reasons too; namely, its fears that the MFN status would be more beneficial to India than to Pakistan, and could reduce the latter to a position of economic dependence on India. It is important to remove these fears from Pakistan's mind, feels B Raman.
Hu, 60, succeeds Jiang Zemin, 76, who held two consecutive five-year terms as Chinese president.
Chinese President Hu Jintao is all set to succeed Jiang Zemin as the Chairman of the State Central Military Commission (CMC), further consolidating his grip on power in world's most populous nation.
China assured the Pakistani president of maintaining their 'all weather' relationship.
His weeklong visit is expected to enhance India-China military-to-military ties and boost mutual understanding and trust.
China on Wednesday sought a clarification from Spain over a ruling by a Spanish court issuing arrest warrants against former Chinese president Jiang Zemin and four others for alleged genocide against Tibet, warning that the move would harm bilateral ties.
However, Beijing residents will still require a negative Covid-19 test taken within 48 hours to enter restaurants, schools, bars, internet cafes, indoor gaming stadiums, nursing homes, welfare facilities, hospitals and medical institutions.
'The title of 'core' of the leadership gives Xi Jinping greater political authority at a time when China is beset by various problems as well as a slowdown in economic growth,' points out former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade.
After the outbreak of the pandemic in the country he has ruled with an iron hand in recent years, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist party of China, has mostly stayed put in Beijing.
The Chinese Communist Party's all important 19th Party Congress is just months away, and President Xi Jinping finds himself confronting unlikely challenges to his pre-eminent position, says former RA&W officer and China watcher Jayadeva Ranade.
...Is a cultural swaraj under way, wonders Ajit Balakrishnan.
'Clarifying that modernisation of national defence and armed forces should be completed by 2035, Xi Jinping asserted the goal is to make the People's Liberation Army a "world class force" that "can fight and win" by 2050,' points out former RAW officer Jayadeva Ranade.
'Don't be too much after legacy that it should be solved in my lifetime.' 'It is not going to be solved, because you are not dealing with just any other country, you are dealing with a civilisation, a cultural nation.'
Xi arrived at the Nyingchi Mainling Airport on Wednesday and was warmly welcomed by local people and officials of various ethnic groups, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Chinese Communist party's central committee on Thursday, November 11, adopted a landmark resolution on the party's 'major achievements and historic experiences', effectively consolidating CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping's lifelong hold on power.
Manorama Kotnis, the 94-year-old sister of Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis who is considered the symbol of Indo-Chinese friendship, has passed away after a brief illness.
'In the short term the relationship will get worse.'
China's deteriorating economy is a serious concern. Xi Jinping and China's new premier will have a difficult task ahead of them after the 20th party congress, notes Jayadeva Ranade, the retired senior RA&W officer and China expert.
Important for India was Xi's meeting with representatives of PLA officers and soldiers stationed in Tibet. The video of the encounter was interesting to watch, especially the large number of lieutenant generals and major generals, observes Claude Arpi.
India needs to be alert on how the Doklam standoff plays into the factional infighting in China's Communist Party, says Ambassador Shyam Saran, the former foreign secretary.
An exclusive white paper by the Jamestown Foundation claims that the powerful figures arraigned against the President include former Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and current Vice-President Wang Qishan, The Hong Kong Post reported.
'The Indian medical mission travelled thousands of miles to assist us and fought shoulder to shoulder with people of my father's generation against Japanese fascists. The fine representative, young Dr Kotnis gave his precious life in China,' Xi noted.
The chaos on its stock markets, a fierce battle between the old and new guard in the Communist Party and the restive border provinces of Tibet and Xinjiang forebode tough times ahead for China, says Claude Arpi.
Xi's concept of "socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era" was added to the party's Constitution
Troops from 17 countries, including Pakistan and Russia, formed part of 1000 foreign soldiers who took part in China's first military parade aimed at highlighting the excesses committed by Japanese troops against Chinese in the WW II in which according Chinese historians over 20 million people were killed, eight million forced into labour and thousands of women held as sex slaves.
