'There is no Vice President...': China explodes after alleged harassment of Taiwanese VP in Prague
China defended its diplomats on Monday after Taiwan accused Beijing's embassy staff of planning to ram its vice president's car during an official visit to Europe. "Chinese diplomats overseas always respect their host country's laws and regulations," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. Taiwan's top China policy body, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said on Friday that Hsiao Bi-khim's motorcade was surveilled and followed in a ploy to be rammed during a visit to the Czech Republic in March 2024. Czech military intelligence spokesman Jan Pejsek told AFP on Sunday that Hsiao was targeted by "persons legalised in diplomatic positions at the Chinese Embassy in Prague".
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Mint
37 minutes ago
- Mint
Donald Trump Tariff Effect: Prices of China-made items sold in US outpaced core inflation since May, says report
A recent analysis conducted by 1,400 products has shown that China-made goods that are sold in the United States are seeing a hike that's faster than the overall inflation in the country. According to a report by Reuters, citing an exclusive analysis by DataWeave, the rise in the prices of the Chinese products show a sign that tariffs are starting to hit American consumers. As per the analysis, the prices of China-made products in the US on started to rise in May, a month after Donald Trump announced his sweeping tariffs, indicating that they have begun trickling down to the consumer. The median price of a basket of more than 1,400 items made in China and sold on to US buyers has gone up by 2.6 per cent between January and mid-June, outpacing the latest US inflation rate for core goods, which runs only through May. The price increases vary from item to item, and in some cases they have also declined, the report noted. For the six months through May, core goods CPI - which excludes services - rose by 1 per cent, implying a 2 per cent annualised rate. Both the federal data and DataWeave's study show that goods costs have trended upward in the last couple of months as tariffs begin to exert pressure on prices. The analysis was done on 25,000 items, focusing on 1,407 products sold on Amazon whose country of origin was China, and took into account the median prices of these items. As per the Reuters report, goods that saw the sharpest price hikes include — school and office supplies, electronic items such as printers and shredders, blank media items like CDs and DVDs, and home goods such as furnishings and cookware. China is a big global supplier of all these items. Of the 1,407 items tracked in the DataWeave study between January and June 17, 475 showed price increases, 633 remained unchanged, and 299 saw price declines. For example, a Hamilton Beach electric kettle climbed to a median $73.21 from $49.99, while the price of a GreenPan frying pan more than doubled to $31.99. Through April, inflation across that product group remained modest. Prices increased more sharply in May and accelerated into June, particularly in the Home & Furniture and Electronics categories, which showed a median increase of 3.5 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively, over the time frame of the study.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Will China be stumped by Dalai Lama on Sunday?
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A life in exile Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Succession strategy A thorn in China's side The Dalai Lama turns 90 soon — many will celebrate, but not the Chinese government. The man who has been Tibetans' binding force is expected to reveal a plan on July 6, Sunday, his birthday, for deciding his successor. The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious leaders this week. The religious conference, being held for the first time since 2019, will be attended by more than 100 Tibetan Buddhist leaders and will feature a video statement from the Dalai attention — especially from China — is focused on his expected announcement on succession. China considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and wants to choose his successor on its own. The Dalai Lama will thwart the Chinese designs if he makes a statement on the issue of his successor on his birthday this Tsering Teykhang, the deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in Dharamshala, told Reuters it was important for the world to hear directly from the Dalai Lama on the issue because while China "tries to vilify him at every chance ... it is trying to frame rules and regulations on how to have the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in their hand"."China is trying to grab this institution ... for its political purpose," she his famous beaming smile, the Dalai Lama has become a global symbol of peace whose message transcends religion. He is regarded by his many supporters as a visionary in the vein of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. However, the charismatic leader has long been a source of discomfort for into a farming family in the Tibetan village of Taktser on July 6, 1935, he was chosen as the 14th incarnation of Tibetan Buddhism's supreme religious leader at the age of two. He was given the name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso -- Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith and Ocean of Wisdom -- and taken to Lhasa's 1,000-room Potala Palace to be trained to become the leader of his indulged a precocious scientific curiosity, playing with a watch sent to him by US president Franklin Roosevelt and repairing cars, one of which he crashed into a palace gate. But his childhood ended abruptly at age 15, when he was hastily enthroned as head of state after the Chinese army invaded Tibet in years later, as Chinese troops crushed a popular uprising, he escaped to India. When told the Dalai Lama had fled, Chinese leader Mao Zedong reportedly said: "In that case, we have lost the battle."He was welcomed by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who offered Dharamsala as a base for him and thousands of fellow Tibetan refugees. He set up a government-in-exile in the Himalayan town and launched a campaign to reclaim Tibet, evolving to adopt a "middle way" approach that relinquished demands for independence for calls for greater the Dalai Lama's life, he has been treated as an honoured guest in India -- an official policy stance that has been a source of tension with is unclear how, or even whether, his successor will be named, with his predecessors chosen by monks according to ancient Buddhist Tibetan tradition, the search for a Dalai Lama's reincarnation, who becomes his successor, begins only upon the incumbent's death. After the next Dalai Lama is identified as a baby, there can be a gap of nearly two decades until he is groomed and takes the Dalai Lama has suggested he could break from the tradition to prevent China from using the leadership gap to tighten its grip on Tibetan exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950, and the succession question has become more urgent as the Dalai Lama has become more frail, with his public engagements increasingly his book "Voice for the Voiceless", released in March 2025, the Dalai Lama has already said his successor would be born outside China in a free country, indicating that the next Dalai Lama could come from among Tibetan exiles, who number about 1,40,000, half of them in India. He has also said that his successor could be an adult, and not necessarily a man."The rest of my life I will dedicate for the benefit of others, as much as possible, as extensive as possible," the Dalai Lama told a gathering of his followers on June 30 as they offered prayers for his long life."There will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lamas," he said, without elaborating on the statement defies Beijing's longstanding claim that it has the sole right to choose the next Dalai Lama. China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a "simple Buddhist monk".In his maroon robes, simple sandals and wide-rimmed spectacles, the Dalai Lama is an unlikely celebrity. But his sense of mischief -- he once announced he would like to reincarnate as an attractive blonde -- and infectious chuckle have proved irresistible, making him a darling of the world's Chinese government, however, has remained impervious to his charm, branding him a separatist and a "wolf in a monk's robe".China says its leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, as a legacy from imperial times. A selection ritual, in which the names of possible reincarnations are drawn from a golden urn, dates to 1793, during the Qing dynasty. Chinese officials have repeatedly said the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should be decided by following national laws that decree use of the golden urn and the birth of reincarnations within China's the Dragon, controlling the Dalai Lama's succession is about more than religion—it's about political authority and maintaining control over Tibet. The Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has long been regarded as a 'separatist' and 'rebel' by Beijing.A blueprint for inserting itself in Tibetan successions has already been prepared by China. After the 10th Panchen Lama , as Tibet's second-highest spiritual figure is known, died in 1989, the boy whom the Dalai Lama recognised as the successor went missing in Tibet when he was 6. He has not been seen since, and China claims that he is now living a "normal life."In his stead, China selected and promoted its own Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, who is seen by many Tibetans as illegitimate. Last month, Norbu met with the country's leader, Xi Jinping , and reaffirmed his allegiance to the Chinese Communist considers the Dalai Lama to be a symbol of Tibetan resistance and fears that an independent successor could fuel separatist sentiments. By controlling the reincarnation process, Beijing hopes to install a Dalai Lama loyal to the Chinese government, ensuring tighter control over current Dalai Lama, however, has made it clear that any successor appointed by China will not be respected by Tibetans. Notably, he is not seeking independence, but a meaningful autonomy within China and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist culture. His goal of returning his people to their homeland remains distant, with the Dragon working to finish the task of crushing the Tibetan movement for autonomy.(With agency inputs)
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
End of 'Emperor Xi'? Chinese president's disappearance raises questions about who holds reins
The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping for two weeks is raising questions about who is really in control in China. Xi's absence between May 21 and June 5 set tongues wagging about whether there is a possible realignment of power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Xi is also slated to miss the upcoming Brics summit in Brazil, which is taking place on July 6 and 7 read more Is it the end of 'Emperor Xi', as US President Donald Trump called him, in China? Is a power shift imminent? The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping for two weeks is raising questions about who really holds the reins in China. Xi is also slated to miss the upcoming Brics summit in Brazil, which is taking place on July 6 and 7. This is the first time Xi would be missing the summit since taking power. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what happened? What do we know? Let's take a closer look: What happened? Xi was out of public view for two weeks. His absence between May 21 and June 5 set tongues wagging about whether there is a possible realignment of power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Xi is General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). According to reports, General Zhang Youxia, the First Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), may currently hold power in China. Zhang, who is part of the powerful 24-member Politburo, is reportedly backed by senior CCP members who are loyal to ex-Chinese president Hu Jintao. These members are said to be far less ideologically rigid than Xi, who has tried to codify his views in – which is in textbooks and being taught in schools. Though Xi continues to hold his many titles, his influence is said to be waning in key sectors such as the military and the economy. The silence of state media on Xi's absence is also telling. He Weidong (L) and Zhang Youxia, vice chairmen of Chinese Communist Party Central Military Commission (CMC). Reuters All these developments come in the backdrop of Wang Yang is reportedly being groomed as Xi's successor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Wang, a technocrat himself, in 2022 was considered to be a likely contender for the top job in China. The removal of generals close to Xi, the slow doing away of 'Xi Jinping Thought' from the narrative and the return of technocrats like Wang are indications that Xi may slowly being shown the door. This isn't the first time China had sidelined its high profile leaders. Interestingly, this happened most recently and publicly with Xi's predecessor Hu. Hu in 2022 was dragged out of the Chinese Communist Party's 20th ceremony. This occurred as Xi, who was sitting next to Hu, remained unmoving. Hu was even seen trying to talk to Xi but was publicly rebuffed. Chinese President Xi Jinping and former President Hu Jintao attend the closing session of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017. Reuters Xi at Brics will be replaced by Chinese Premier Premier Li Qiang. Li previously filled in for Xi at the G20 in India in 2023. China blamed Xi's absence at Brics on a 'scheduling conflict'. Does India need to worry? Experts say India need to be on alert. They say China often uses external affairs as a way of relieving the pressure from internal disputes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They point out that turbulence within the political system in China is often a precursor to conflict on the border – like in 2012 and 2020. They say China could increase cyberattacks, step up disinformation efforts to try to create problems in India. China could also take to the United Nations to try to hurt India's international reputation and stymie India's efforts when it comes to reform and counter-terrorism.
