'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.'
The ejection of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Games over his "helmet of remembrance" has put the spotlight on rules over where athletes are not allowed to express themselves on political matters at the Olympics.
'As the PLA higher command is almost dismantled and instability spreads, India needs to be prepared for any eventuality,' cautions China expert Srikanth Kondapalli.
As India and China continue to face off across the Himalayas six decades later, the echoes of that earlier conflict remain unmistakable. The core of China's sensitivity lies not in maps or mountain passes, but in its perception of sovereignty over Tibet, points out Dr Kumar.
The Chinese Communist Party reaffirmed President Xi Jinping's leadership and backed a major purge of top military officials during a key meeting. The meeting also endorsed a new 5-year plan focused on domestic market resilience and self-reliance.
The well-fought defensive battles in Aksai Chin and eastern Arunachal, in remote and forbidding locations such as Galwan, Rezang La, Gurung Hill and Walong, effectively halted Chinese advances not once but twice during the campaign. These engagements, fought with grit and without adequate support, were not immediately known to the world in 1962, points out Dr Kumar.
If Xi Jinping is dethroned in the future, the instrument for that may well be embedded within the PLA, notes former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Xi, who will turn 70 on June 15, was re-elected by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China as its leader in October last year, becoming the first Chinese leader after Mao Zedong to continue in power beyond two five-year terms.
Azizul Haque, a prominent figure in India's Naxalite movement, has died at the age of 83. His passing marks the end of an era in Bengal's radical Left history.
He told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC: "He (Chairman Mao) appears to me as a father and he himself considered me as a son. (We had) very good relations. The only problem was that on many occasions, when official dinners were held, Chairman Mao always used to bring me to his side".
Four young men tore portraits of Mao Zedong and have gone in to hiding after uploading the pictures of their act on the web, ahead of the once-in-a-decade leadership change in the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
The first Chinese version of a book on Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts was launched in Beijing on Monday, marking the debut of Gandhian philosophy in a country intensely dominated by the ideology of 'Chairman' Mao Zedong.
He might be the founding father of the People's Republic of China, but the economic policies Mao Zedong followed have few takers today in the Communist Party of China which believes 'he did it all wrong'.
His successor issue is also expected to flare up fresh tensions between Beijing and Washington as China's policy comes in conflict with the US Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, which reaffirmed America's steadfast support for the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism.
The Dalai Lama addressed rumors about his successor, stating he intends to live for another 30-40 years to serve people. He spoke at a long life prayer ceremony ahead of his 90th birthday.
China's central bank will drop former leader Mao Zedong's face from six million new 10 yuan ($1.46) notes to mark next month's Olympic Games.
Accused of adopting "rough and oppressive" religious policies in Tibet, China on Friday refuted the criticism and underlined that there was nothing wrong in its attempts to put up the portraits of Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders in Tibetan temples.
At the end of the discussion, the older Monpa said that if today the Chinese were to come inside India, "I will fight and kill them", prudently adding, "if they are of my age, if they are younger soldiers, I will not be able to fight". The entire village had a good laugh.
In a rare move, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday acknowledged that 'Chairman' Mao Zedong made "mistakes" but asked people to adopt a "correct" historical view to judge a revolutionary figure, who had changed the face of the nation.
Vladimir Putin -- who only travels to countries (like China, North Korea) where he cannot be arrested and extradited to The Hague to face the International Court of Justice -- embraces Kim Jong Un on his arrival in Pyongyang early on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
the Soviet leader bluntly told the then chairman of China's ruling Communist Party that he was responsible for the situation in Tibet.
DeepSeek is a case in point on how economic interdependence between nations are utilised for geopolitical ambitions and global domination efforts, observes China expert Srikanth Kondapalli.
The Chinese Olympic Committee has said they will provide a report "soon" and assured the IOC there would be no repeat of its athletes wearing the badges.
If Beijing succeeds in this multipronged effort to challenge the current dominant power, it will have not just economic but political and security consequences. There is no let-up in the South China Sea nor any de-escalation moves on the India-China border. This portends to ominous signalling from Beijing, observes China expert Srikanth Kondapalli.
Xi Jinping at a ceremony to mark Martyrs' Day at Tiananmen Square, September 30, 2022.
Xi's ascent to power and the quick consolidation of his leadership of the party with a shock anti-graft campaign securing the title of the "core leader" of the party bequeathed only to Mao has indeed forced his rivals in the party to submission and caught the attention of the world.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un met at a remote space centre in Russia's Far East region Amur on Wednesday, September 13, 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Beijing on Tuesday for the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People.
A quarter of the car sales in China are of electric vehicles; domestic brands command 81% of EV sales in the country.
There is simmering disquiet in the Communist party and the world is watching as to what can unfold in China in the days to come ahead of next year's party congress, notes Rup Narayan Das.
Xi's concept of "socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era" was added to the party's Constitution
China is set to open a 2,298-km high-speed railway line, the world's longest, in about two weeks, linking the capital city with the country's trading hub of Guangzhou.
'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.
Evoking late strongman Mao Zedong's long forgotten thoughts, China's ruling Communist Party of China chief Xi Jinping has promised 'great renewal' of the nation to pursue the dream of becoming a major global power.
Dr. Kotnis, who hailed from Solapur in Maharashtra, came to China in 1938 as part of a five-member team of doctors sent by the Indian National Congress to help the Chinese during the World War II.
Chinese lawmakers on Friday expelled disgraced leader Bo Xilai from the parliament, completing his extirpation from politics and stripping him of immunity from prosecution for a series of corruption charges.
Thousands of Chinese are on Tuesday observing the 24th anniversary of the bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
China on Thursday said it will speed up modernisation of military and build itself into a 'maritime power', an announcement which may cause anxiety in India and some other neighbours of the Communist giant.
The China threat continues to resonate in the strategic partnership between India and the USA, points out Rup Narayan Das.
The fate of Gu Kailai, the high profile wife of disgraced Chinese Communist Party leader Bo Xilai who has confessed to murdering a British businessman, will be announced on Monday.
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