This week, President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an informal summit meeting in Wuhan, Hubei province, which marked an improvement in Sino-Indian relations. Meanwhile, there were signs US-China trade tensions might dissipate, with US President Donald Trump preparing to send senior trade officials to China the following week. Amid China-US tensions, the People's Liberation Army Air Force conducted several "island encirclement" patrols around Taiwan, seen as a warning to the island and the US.
Xi-Modi meeting sets stage for deepening China-India ties
This week saw an informal, two-day meeting between Xi and Modi, beginning on April 27 in Wuhan. China's State media reported that both leaders demonstrated a strong willingness to enhance cooperation and achieve common development, which would benefit not only the two nations but the world as well. Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying "the meeting will open a new chapter in bilateral ties" and that "the great cooperation between our two great countries can influence the world". Modi called on both sides to "increase mutual understanding, and work together to deal with global issues and challenges using the wisdom of the two countries".
Overall, Indian media were upbeat, with high expectations for the meeting, which was hailed as a historic opportunity. It was viewed as a fresh start for both sides to exchange views over long-term and strategic issues so as to reset the crucial bilateral relationship. A Hindustan Times editorial characterized the meeting as the first step for China and India to address contentious issues and boost greater cooperation "by aligning their positions more closely on global issues". The significance of the meeting was interpreted bilaterally and globally. Ram Madhav, national general secretary of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, commented in The Indian Express that the meeting "augurs well for a multi-stakeholder political order" in this multipolar world.
Global mainstream media, on the other hand, adopted a rather cautious tone regarding the outcomes of the meeting. They argued that it would be premature to view the leaders' warm rhetoric as a sign of rapprochement, since bilateral ties would still be dominated by strategic competition. The Diplomat said "though the interaction between the two leaders is notable, there is reason for skepticism and managing expectations". The Economist quoted Dhruva Jaishankar, a Delhi-based analyst at the Brookings Institution, as saying the meeting was "more like pressing a pause button than a reset", and in order to make a real difference, "China has to re-conceive how to play its role as a major power".
Senior US officials to visit Beijing for trade talks
Trump was about to dispatch his top economic advisers to China for high-level talks aimed at easing trade tensions, something the Chinese side welcomed. The openness to negotiations was hailed by analysts as a positive step that could lead to potential solutions on trade issues.
However, the world's mainstream media seemed cautious about the prospects of trade talks defusing smoldering trade conflicts. According to the Associated Press, the likeliest outcome was a more modest one: That the talks could produce a delay in the series of damaging import tariffs the two nations have threatened to impose on each other's goods.
The US administration's internal disputes over its trade policies were cited as one reason for the cautious tone. Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, observed that disputes within the administration over Trump's ultimate goal — better access to the Chinese market or a fundamental shift in Beijing's industrial policies — made quick progress unlikely. In addition, mainstream media said China was not ready to make concessions. It was also noted that the Chinese government and State media had welcomed news of the US delegation's visit, but had also raised doubts about whether any breakthrough could be achieved.
China Daily welcomed the talks in an editorial, but said Beijing should "not relax vigilance" since Trump and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had implied that it was Washington's actions that had pressured Beijing into promising further opening-up.
Many mainstream media said China-US conflicts were about more than trade issues, and the key problem lay in China's industrial policy, and more specifically Made in China 2025. However, Stephen S. Roach, former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, said a report by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer presented "a weak case against China", and was an embarrassing symptom of a scapegoat mentality that had turned the United States into a nation of whiners.
Chinese PLA's island patrol training awaits Taiwan separatists
A PLA Air Force formation conducted island patrol training on Thursday April 26, which coincided with a pair of US Air Force B-52 bombers flying over the South China Sea. The US exercise was reported by media in Taiwan, which speculated it could have been a warning from Washington to Beijing after China stepped up its military presence around Taiwan.
Despite Taiwan's dream of gaining protection from the US, most global media offered analysis that Trump, by providing support for Taiwan, was simply playing the "Taiwan card" to gain leverage in trade and economic disputes.
The Chinese media sounded stern alarm against Taiwan independence. The Global Times said Taiwan independence forces had better abandon their dream of US protection. The only way for Taiwan separatists to preserve their safety was to mind their words and deeds.
All rights reserved. Copying or sharing of any content for other than personal use is prohibited without prior written permission.
This week, President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an informal summit meeting in Wuhan, Hubei province, which marked an improvement in Sino-Indian relations. Meanwhile, there were signs US-China trade tensions might dissipate, with US President Donald Trump preparing to send senior trade officials to China the following week. Amid China-US tensions, the People's Liberation Army Air Force conducted several "island encirclement" patrols around Taiwan, seen as a warning to the island and the US.
Xi-Modi meeting sets stage for deepening China-India ties
This week saw an informal, two-day meeting between Xi and Modi, beginning on April 27 in Wuhan. China's State media reported that both leaders demonstrated a strong willingness to enhance cooperation and achieve common development, which would benefit not only the two nations but the world as well. Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying "the meeting will open a new chapter in bilateral ties" and that "the great cooperation between our two great countries can influence the world". Modi called on both sides to "increase mutual understanding, and work together to deal with global issues and challenges using the wisdom of the two countries".
Overall, Indian media were upbeat, with high expectations for the meeting, which was hailed as a historic opportunity. It was viewed as a fresh start for both sides to exchange views over long-term and strategic issues so as to reset the crucial bilateral relationship. A Hindustan Times editorial characterized the meeting as the first step for China and India to address contentious issues and boost greater cooperation "by aligning their positions more closely on global issues". The significance of the meeting was interpreted bilaterally and globally. Ram Madhav, national general secretary of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, commented in The Indian Express that the meeting "augurs well for a multi-stakeholder political order" in this multipolar world.
Global mainstream media, on the other hand, adopted a rather cautious tone regarding the outcomes of the meeting. They argued that it would be premature to view the leaders' warm rhetoric as a sign of rapprochement, since bilateral ties would still be dominated by strategic competition. The Diplomat said "though the interaction between the two leaders is notable, there is reason for skepticism and managing expectations". The Economist quoted Dhruva Jaishankar, a Delhi-based analyst at the Brookings Institution, as saying the meeting was "more like pressing a pause button than a reset", and in order to make a real difference, "China has to re-conceive how to play its role as a major power".
Senior US officials to visit Beijing for trade talks
Trump was about to dispatch his top economic advisers to China for high-level talks aimed at easing trade tensions, something the Chinese side welcomed. The openness to negotiations was hailed by analysts as a positive step that could lead to potential solutions on trade issues.
However, the world's mainstream media seemed cautious about the prospects of trade talks defusing smoldering trade conflicts. According to the Associated Press, the likeliest outcome was a more modest one: That the talks could produce a delay in the series of damaging import tariffs the two nations have threatened to impose on each other's goods.
The US administration's internal disputes over its trade policies were cited as one reason for the cautious tone. Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, observed that disputes within the administration over Trump's ultimate goal — better access to the Chinese market or a fundamental shift in Beijing's industrial policies — made quick progress unlikely. In addition, mainstream media said China was not ready to make concessions. It was also noted that the Chinese government and State media had welcomed news of the US delegation's visit, but had also raised doubts about whether any breakthrough could be achieved.
China Daily welcomed the talks in an editorial, but said Beijing should "not relax vigilance" since Trump and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had implied that it was Washington's actions that had pressured Beijing into promising further opening-up.
Many mainstream media said China-US conflicts were about more than trade issues, and the key problem lay in China's industrial policy, and more specifically Made in China 2025. However, Stephen S. Roach, former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, said a report by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer presented "a weak case against China", and was an embarrassing symptom of a scapegoat mentality that had turned the United States into a nation of whiners.
Chinese PLA's island patrol training awaits Taiwan separatists
A PLA Air Force formation conducted island patrol training on Thursday April 26, which coincided with a pair of US Air Force B-52 bombers flying over the South China Sea. The US exercise was reported by media in Taiwan, which speculated it could have been a warning from Washington to Beijing after China stepped up its military presence around Taiwan.
Despite Taiwan's dream of gaining protection from the US, most global media offered analysis that Trump, by providing support for Taiwan, was simply playing the "Taiwan card" to gain leverage in trade and economic disputes.
The Chinese media sounded stern alarm against Taiwan independence. The Global Times said Taiwan independence forces had better abandon their dream of US protection. The only way for Taiwan separatists to preserve their safety was to mind their words and deeds.
All rights reserved. Copying or sharing of any content for other than personal use is prohibited without prior written permission.
