By  —  Shyamal Sinha

Antony John Blinken is an American government official and diplomat serving as the 71st United States secretary of state since January 26, 2021. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama.

China on Thursday reacted angrily to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with a senior representative of the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in New Delhi, saying it is a violation of Washington’s commitment acknowledging Tibet as part of China and not to support Tibetan independence.

Blinken on Wednesday met Ngodup Dongchung, an official in the Tibetan government-in-exile and representative of the Dalai Lama, in a clear signal to China about the Biden administration’s continued support to the Tibetan cause.

In the meeting, Dongchung thanked Blinken for the continued support by the US to the Tibetan movement.

When asked, a spokesperson of the US State Department told PTI, ‘Secretary Blinken had an opportunity to meet briefly this morning in New Delhi with a representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Central Tibetan Administration Representative Ngodup Dongchung.’ Separately, another Tibetan representative, Geshe Dorjee Damdul, attended a roundtable Blinken held with around seven civil society members.

Asked for his reaction by the official media here at a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, ‘Tibetan affairs are purely China’s internal affairs that allow no foreign interference”.

‘The 14th Dalai Lama is by no means just a religious person but rather a political exile who has long been engaged in anti-China separatist activities attempting to split Tibet from China,’ he said.

China firmly opposes all forms of contacts between foreign officials and the Dalai Lama, he said.

‘Any formal contact between the US and the Dalai clique is a violation of the US commitment to acknowledge Tibet as part of China”, not to support Tibetan independence and attempts to separate it from China, he said.

‘We urge the US to honour its commitment to stop meddling in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of Tibetan affairs, and offer no support to Tibet independence forces to engage in anti-China separatist activities. China will take all necessary measures to defend its own interests,” he said.

China comes up with such routine reactions whenever foreign dignitaries and officials meet the Dalai Lama or his representatives.

The 14th Dalai Lama has made India his home since fleeing his Tibetan homeland in 1959.

The Chinese government officials and the Dalai Lama or his representatives have not met in formal negotiations since 2010.

Beijing has in the past accused the 86-year-old Dalai Lama of indulging in ‘separatist’ activities and trying to split Tibet and considers him as a divisive figure.

Another US official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said: “The Dalai Lama obviously is a globally revered spiritual leader and so the gesture was gratefully received and appreciated.”

The people cited above said the meeting was being seen as a strong signal of support for the Dalai Lama and was also significant as it was held in India at a time when New Delhi and Beijing are locked in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

However, the Tibetan spiritual leader has insisted that he is not seeking independence but ‘genuine autonomy for all Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet’ under the ‘Middle-Way approach’.

Blinken arrived in India on Tuesday on a maiden two-day visit with an extensive agenda featuring the rapidly evolving security situation in Afghanistan, boosting Indo-Pacific engagement and ways to enhance COVID-19 response efforts among others.

According to the US State Department, Antony Blinken’s trip to New Delhi is meant to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with India.

By  — Shyamal Sinha

while addressing the 11th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting, S Jaishankar India’s External Affairs Minister has called for a “collective and collaborative” response to effectively deal with the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, saying that national boundaries are not respected by this virus.   Key Points India considers the Mekong region of great importance ..

India is seeking a multi-dimensional engagement with the Mekong region considering its great importance, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

In an address at the 11th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting, Jaishankar also called for a ‘collective and collaborative’ response to effectively deal with coronavirus pandemic, saying the virus does not respect national boundaries.

The MGC initiative comprising six countries — India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam — was launched in 2000 to boost cooperation in a range of areas including connectivity, tourism and culture.

‘For India, the Mekong region is of great importance. India seeks multi-dimensional engagement with the Mekong countries. We need to broaden the base of our partnership by identifying newer areas of cooperation,’ Jaishankar said.

‘We aim to promote connectivity in the region in the broadest sense of the term including not just physical but also digital, economic, and people-to-people connectivity,’ he said.

Referring to the coronavirus crisis, Jaishankar said there was a need to find ways on how the MGC partnership can lend its strength to the fight against the pandemic.

‘We are into the second year of dealing with the pandemic-related disruption. Our experience shows that the virus does not respect national boundaries. It is, therefore, necessary that the response to the pandemic is also collective and collaborative,’ he said.

‘We need to work together to find ways how the MGC partnership can lend its strength to the fight against the pandemic,’ he added.

The external affairs minister also said that the Mekong Ganga Cooperation stands on a strong foundation of shared geographical, historical and civilizational ties among the six countries.

‘This oldest sub-regional cooperation is as much a celebration of our long and rich history of trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges as it is a vehicle to advance modern day cooperation to bring progress and prosperity to our people,’

he said.

India considers the Mekong region of great importance and hence seeks a multi-dimensional engagement with Mekong countries.India wants to identify newer areas of cooperation and doing so will broaden the partnership of the countries.Addressing the meeting, S Jaishankar has said that India wants to promote better connectivity in this region through economic, digital and people-to-people connectivity.In the meeting finding ways to the fight against the pandemic through better MGC partnership was reflected upon. S Jaishankar said that the partner nations need to work together in addressing the crisis.India said that Mekong Ganga Cooperation stands on a strong foundation based on shared historical and geographical ties and cooperation among the countries should be improved to bring progress and prosperity.

sourced – PTI

By  —  Shyamal Sinha

China is building an airport for fighter aircraft operations near the Eastern Ladakh area in Shakche, Xinjiang province. This aims to dissolve obstacles in its fighter aircraft operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.

Seeking to overcome limitations in its fighter aircraft operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, China is developing an airbase for fighter aircraft operations close to the Eastern Ladakh area in Shakche town in the Xinjiang province.

“The base is coming up between the existing airbases of Kashgar and Hogan which have been carrying out fighter operations along the Indian borders for a long time. This new base for fighter operations will fill up the gap for the Chinese Air Force in this region,” government sources told ANI.

Shakche town already has an airbase and that is being upgraded for fighter aircraft operations, they said.

The sources added that the base would be ready for fighter aircraft operations in near future and the work has been expedited on it.

The gap between the existing air bases in China close to the LAC for fighter aircraft operations was around 400 kms but this would be bridged with the operationalisation of the Shakche airfield.

The Indian agencies are also keeping a close watch on an airfield near the Uttarakhand border in Barahoti with China where the Chinese have brought in a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles which are continuously flying in that region.

Recently, the Chinese Air Force held an exercise in the new inning of the summer near the Indian territories and the sorties were undertaken by them mainly from the Hogan, Kashgar and Gar Gunsa airfields.

The drills were watched closely by the Indian side and the Indian side was at a high state of readiness during that period.

The Chinese Air Force has traditionally been weak in this part of the LAC with India which has a number of airfields in the relatively short distance airfields along the LAC and has an adage over the Chinese Air Force in terms of strike capability.

The Chinese side has strengthened its air defence further in the area with the deployment of their S-400 air defence systems imported from Russia even as India has deployed a large number of systems to take care of the Chinese fighter aircraft fleet, in case it is required ever.

The Indian side has also deployed a number of fighter aircraft at the Leh and other forward airbases which can take on both China and Pakistan simultaneously from its bases in Ladakh.

The deployment of the Rafale fighter aircraft at the Ambala and Hashimara airbases and their operationalisation has also given a boost to India’s readiness against the Chinese.

Senior government sources told ANI that one such camp is coming up few kilometres inside the Chinese territory opposite the Naku La area in north Sikkim area, which is barely a few minutes distance from the area where Indian and Chinese troops had clashed last year when the confrontation started and also in January this year.

China has striked  India yet again. This time over His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations in Ladakh. Officials have confirmed to CNN-News18 that on July 6, Chinese army entered the Indian territory in Demchok with banners and objected to locals celebrating His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday. “The incident happened on July 6 at Doley Tango near Koyul which is around 30 kilometers southeast of Demchok,” a source told news18.

In Ladakh, there is a place called – Shiwaye-Tsel (a palace in Leh). There the celebrations used to go on for three days to mark the Dalai Lama’s birthday. People from border areas would come and participate in a horse race; dance performances are held by artists from Kargil, Nubra, Zanskar, and Leh. Similar celebrations are also held in Arunachal Pradesh as well.

In videos which have now surfaced, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) can be seen standing across river Indus with banners. A second video shows villagers holding the Dalai Lama’s portrait atop a vehicle as a small cavalcade rallies around the village. Officials said while the festivities were on, Chinese kept a vigil from distance and conveyed their objection. “They didn’t enter the village but did transgress a bit into Indian territory,” an official told News18.

According to officials, Chinese troops stayed on the Indian territory for about 30 minutes. At least five vehicles can be seen in the video. Locals said Chinese troops were accompanied by civilians.

The banner that Chinese carried said, “Tibetans living on the other side of the LAC bordering India are fully supported by the Chinese,” a source said. Another officer told News18 that the Chinese were reiterating their oft-repeated message that Tibet and China are one.

India and China have been locked in a dispute over eastern Ladakh since the Galwan incident of June 2020. While India at commander level talks has sought restoration of status quo as it existed pre-April 2020, the Chinese side have refused to discuss Demchok and Depsang flashpoints, according to officials. Two sides have had 11 rounds of military talks to resolve the eastern Ladakh flashpoints but friction points remain over Gogra, Hot springs, Demchok and Depsang.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had greeted the Dalai Lama on his 86th birthday last week. Since becoming Prime Minister in 2014, this is the first time Narendra Modi has openly confirmed communicating with the Dalai Lama.

In a tweet on Tuesday morning, PM Modi said, “Spoke on phone to His Holiness the @DalaiLama to convey greetings on his 86th birthday. We wish him a long and healthy life.”

“Most importantly, all Tibetans are urged to recite the Chenrezig mantra, Om Mani Padme Hung, over 1000 times, or at least 10 rounds of the rosary. The six-syllable mantra is associated with the Bodhisattva of compassion and the patron saint of Tibet, Chenrezig. For Tibetans, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the human manifestation of Chenrezig. Every year, Trungkar is celebrated with grandeur, glory, and festive spirit.

sourced – News 18