India back to standoff with China after cancelling media talks

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Chinese President Xi Jinping tells PLA to be ready to win regional war

India, just two days after the show of hospitality to Chinese President Xi Jinping, has cancelled its media dialogue with China.

The step has put many questions over the claims of Indian leaders who were projecting a message of growing friendship with China and boasting about clinching the 100 billion dollar Chinese investment, during the visit of President Xi to India.

India decided to cancel the bilateral media dialogue with China which was scheduled for September 24 in New Delhi. The central government withdrew clearances for Chinese editors who were coming to Delhi this week for a media exchange with Indian journalists – the event that takes place every year.

“Due to unavoidable complications, we have had to postpone the India-China Media Exchange. We thank you all for agreeing to participate on Sep 24th and we will call on your participation again when we hold the event. But for now, it stands cancelled,” the organizers have been quoted as saying to the invitee Indian journalists.

The organizers said they got a one-line fax message from the Indian government that clearances for the media summit have been withdrawn.

Before the Chinese President arrived in India, a figure of $100 billion was mentioned, while investment on such a scale was not confirmed in the course of the visit, the daily ‘The Statesman’ said in its article published on Tuesday.

The article titled ‘A talk with Mr Xi’ says that after the flying start in Ahmedabad, matters continued to go well, however the relations between India and China have their hazards.

“Before the visit was quite concluded, there were some reminders of the outstanding issues and unfinished business that continue to have an adverse effect on the relationship,” it said.

The article states that President Xi’s visit which was expected to lift the bilateral relationship to an altogether different level, the recent reports of friction between the two countries have their impact and cast a considerable shadow on the visit.

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In the meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) should improve their combat readiness and sharpen their ability to win a regional war in the age of information technology.

Addressing a closed door meeting with top PLA officers on Sunday, Xi said the armed forces should have complete faith and loyalty to the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership.

Following the meeting, the Chinese defence ministry issued a statement stating that the PLA must follow orders issued by President Xi.

Besides being the president and the head of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi also heads the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), which oversees China’s vast armed forces, the largest in the world.

The Indian media on Tuesday played up the statement saying  that it was not the first time that Xi has urged the PLA to be ready for a “regional war”, but the statement assumes significance as he said it again days after incursions by the Chinese army cast a long shadow over his three-day India visit.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunyin separately insisted on Monday that there was no need to have “unnecessary suspicion” on both sides on the border issue. She said the leaders of the two countries have reached an important consensus on politically resolving the border issue through friendly mechanism. “China and India have sufficient capacity and confidence to maintain peace and tranquillity in the boundary areas,” she said.