Monthly Archives: May 2010

Indian President Calls for India and China to Cooperate Economically

SHANGHAI, May 31 – Indian President Pratibha Patil concluded her visit to China today by calling for India and China to work together towards a long-term economic partnership.

Speaking at the India-China Business Forum in Shanghai, what she called an “appropriate conclusion” to her six-day visit, the president said that “India stands ready to do more business.”

The speech followed a Sunday meeting with Yu Zhengsheng, the ruling Communist Party’s chief for Shanghai, in which Patil called for greater market access for Indian goods in the Chinese market. Continue reading →

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New DPRK Bulletin Details Hu’s Meeting With Kim Jong Il in Beijing

Photo: Reuters May 31 – The May issue of DPRK Monthly, the magazine put together by North Korea expert Paul White, is now available for complimentary download.

This issue details the recent China-North Korea bilateral meetings which Chinese President Hu Jintao and North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Il attended in Beijing, the construction of the new Yalu River bridge between the two nations, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s comments on bringing parts of DPRK’s territory into a business model similar to China’s free trade and economic development zones. Continue reading →

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Washington: India, China and Russia the New World Order

May 28 – U.S. President Barack Obama placed particular importance on his country’s future relationship with China, India and Russia in a 52-page National Security Strategy report released Thursday morning.

In the report, Obama identifies the four countries as future partners in a new international order that will define the 21st Century. Although the United States undoubtedly claims India as its closest ally out of the three, the president hopes to deepen strategic ties with both China and Russia as the group works towards an amicable future. Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 2 Comments

India President to Visit Louyang Temple

By: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Patil-Hu May 28 – Indian President Pratibha Patil arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for the first visit of the Indian Head of State to China in ten years.

Patil met with Chinese President Hu Jintao who said that her visit would boost “mutual understanding and friendship and advance the development of the China-India strategic partnership.”

The Chinese president said the two sides should utilize both bilateral and multilateral forums to increase cooperation and coordination, an acknowledgment of last year’s climate change talks in Copenhagen where they united to resist a push by industrialized nations to reach a new legally binding treaty. China and India have also sought common stances on global finance and other international issues as the two largest of the so-called BRIC nations, which also include Russia and Brazil. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture & History | 2 Comments

Chatham House: Pakistan Option Unpopular with Kashmiris

May 28 – A study by Robert Bradrock, a scholar from London’s Kings College for Chatham House, has found just 2 percent of Kashmiris on the Indian side favor uniting the disputed Jammu and Kashmir territory with Pakistan, and that support amongst other groups to do so was also a minority view.

The study involved interviewing 3,774 people in both parts of Kashmir in September and October of 2009. The findings contradict common Pakistani state and media statements that most Kashmiris wish to join Pakistan. Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 22 Comments

New Report Documents Current State of Indian Slums

By Joe Drury

May 27 – India is home to approximately 49,000 slums, according to a report released on Wednesday by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).

The report, titled “Some Characteristics of Urban Slums, 2008-09” is based on a survey carried from July 2008 to June 2009 in 4,738 urban blocks. Data from a previous report collected in 2002 is also included in the survey, offering a useful tool to measure changes in the conditions of slums, 57 percent of which are built on public land. Continue reading →

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Delhi High Council Stifles Air India Strike

May 27 – A nationwide strike by some Air India employees was quelled on Wednesday when the Delhi High Council imposed a stay on the workers. The stay order essentially means that the workers on strike may be sacked if they do not resume their work.

“The court has imposed a stay on the ongoing strike and also on the one they had proposed to undertake from May 31,” said Arvind Jadhav, chairman of National Aviation Company of India – Air India’s parent company. “We may terminate staff who started the strike.”

The two-day strike left tens of thousands of travelers stranded as the company was forced to cancel over 100 flights. Some media sources have reported that the state-run airline has issued termination notices to 17 employees for their roles in the strike, and may have suspended as many as 15 others. Continue reading →

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