US President Barack Obama's India visit a superficial rapprochement: China

[VelocuR]

US President Barack Obama's India visit a superficial rapprochement: China

26 Jan, 2015, 12.50AM IST

BEIJING: US President Barack Obama's unprecedented second visit to India is a "superficial rapprochement" given their hard differences on issues like climate change and nuclear energy cooperation, a wary China said today as it kept a close watch on the outcome of talks.

Obama's arrival in New Delhi was sort of breaking news on state-run CCTV which showed live feed of him being received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport questions on how it is going to impact China and whether it was part of US strategy of containment of Beijing's growing influence in the region.

State-run Xinhua news agency in a commentary, said, "The shortened three-day visit is more symbolic than pragmatic, given the long-standing division between the two giants, which may be as huge as the distance between them."

"After all, only one year ago, US diplomats were expelled from New Delhi amid widespread public outrage over the treatment of an Indian diplomat in New York and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then chief minister of Gujarat, was still banned from entering the United States," it said.

"But that is not all to that. What lies under the superficial rapprochement is nothing short of a deal," it said.

It said that Obama's 'Pivot to Asia' policy has been "distracted or even derailed" by the undying conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

"He needs this trip to tell the Capitol Hill and his supporters that his administration can make progress on important relations. More frankly, he needs India to side with him," it said.

The commentary said that for India, a closer relationship with the US is compatible with its multi-faceted diplomacy and could be commercially beneficial.

"Three days are surely not enough for Obama and Modi to become true friends, given their hard differences on issues like climate change, agricultural disputes and nuclear energy cooperation," it said.

"Concerning nuclear energy cooperation, Washington and New Delhi have long been engaged in a complicated dance since 2008...With such a long list of differences on the table, Obama will face a hard job to have his Indian friends on the same page," Xinhua said.

US President Barack Obama's India visit a superficial rapprochement: China - The Economic Times

 

[third eye]

In one word to China .." Tuwanu Ki ?"

 

[VelocuR]

Pakistan's army chief visits China as US and India bond

January 25 2015
DailyMail UK

As India and the United States on Sunday announced a deepening of defence and security ties, Pakistan’s army chief General Raheel Sharif met the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) top general in Beijing.

Pakistan received China’s support for its efforts to crack down on terror groups, amid renewed criticism from Delhi and Washington.

General Sharif, whose two-day visit to China is coinciding with Obama’s India trip, was hosted by the powerful vice-chairman of the PLA’s Central Military Commission (CMC), top-ranking General Fan Changlong.

The CMC, the top military body, is headed by President Xi Jinping. The two generals discussed expanding security and defence cooperation.

Pakistani reports said China had “praised” the Pakistani army’s recent operation to target extremist groups near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, including those affiliated to the separatist East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which China says has been behind recent attacks in its frontier western Muslimmajority Xinjiang region.

China has in the past voiced concern about East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) camps active in Pakistan.

China’s statement of support to Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts comes amid increasing pressure from India and the US on the issue.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State John Kerry during a visit to Islamabad called on Pakistan to tackle all militant groups, including those that posed threats to Indian, American and Afghan interests.

“Regional security, defence related issues were discussed during the meeting,” said Pakistan military spokesperson Major Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted.

“A decison on the enhanced long-term defence collaboration, security and counter-terrorism cooperation, intelligence sharing, training exchanges has been taken,” he said.

They discussed operations against militants in the border areas. Gen Fan praised Pakistan’s military offensive codenamed ‘Zarb-i-Azb’, terming it as a decisive, indiscriminate, bold and hard blow for terrorists, Bajwa said.

The two countries have stepped up security to prevent infiltration of Uygur militants from China’s volatile Xinjiang region.

Pakistan’s military has targeted militant bases in the tribal areas which also included militants from ETIM, the group which has carried out a number of violent attacks in China’s restive Xinjiang region.

The Pakistan army chief arrived here on Saturday to meet China’s political and military leadership and discuss issues pertaining to security and defence cooperation.

With inputs from PTI

Chinese media says Obama visit is merely 'symbolic'

By Ananth Krishnan in Beijing

China's media said on Sunday that US President Barack Obama’s visit was “symbolic” than substance amid “long-standing divisions” between both the countries on a range of issues.

While China is yet to officially respond to Obama’s visit, which marked a significant deepening of cooperation between the two countries on defence and maritime security cooperation in the Asia- Pacific region, said staterun Xinhua news agency in a commentary on Sunday.

“What lies under the superficial rapprochement is nothing short of a deal.”

“The shortened three-day visit is more symbolic than pragmatic, given the longstanding division between the two giants, which may be as huge as the distance between them,” the commentary said.

“After all, only a year ago, US diplomats were expelled from New Delhi amid widespread public outrage over the treatment of an Indian diplomat [Devyani Khobragade] in New York...”

The commentary said “three days are surely not enough” for both countries to iron out their differences on issues like climate change and nuclear cooperation, although both sides announced progress on the latter issue.

“With such a long list of differences on the table, Obama will face a hard job to have his Indian friends on the same page.”

Read more: Pakistan's army chief visits China as US and India bond | Daily Mail Online

 

[TheMatador]

Obama cut short his trip because of Delhi belly and unpleasant Indian sanitation conditions, leaving host Modi humiliated.