Aircraft from India would help enhance maritime surveillance: Seychelles President
New Delhi, June 26: Seychelles President Danny Faure on Tuesday said that the second Dornier aircraft gifted by India would help bolster the coastal surveillance capacity of his Indian Ocean island nation.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a ceremony at the Air Force Station here, gifted a second Dornier aircraft to Seychelles to help it enhance maritime reconnaissance and maintain security in that part of the Indian Ocean region.
"The Dornier 228 has come at the right time and would be flown on the forthcoming 42nd Independence Day of Seychelles on June 29, signifying the strong relations between the two countries," said Faure.
Describing the event as yet another milestone in furthering bilateral defence cooperation between India and Seychelles, Sushma Swaraj said: "The handing over of the Dornier aircraft reflects the firm commitment and continued engagement of the Government of India in further developing, consolidating and expanding the comprehensive multifaceted cooperation between India and Seychelles".
Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Donier 228 is designed for multipurpose utility like EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) monitoring, maritime surveillance, pollution monitoring and control, search and rescue and commuter services.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju hailed the event as a "proud moment" for the company as the aircraft has been delivered ahead of schedule and accepted by the Seychelles Air Force.
"We have provided hands-on training to the pilots and technical staff from Seychelles. We are committed to extending full-fledged support to the teams involved with its maintenance and operations of the aircraft", he said.
The Dornier 228 is equipped with a combination of 360-degree surveillance radar, forward-looking infrared system, satellite communication, traffic collision and avoidance system, enhanced ground proximity warning system and host of other customer specified sensors.
The first aircraft was handed over to Seychelles in January 2013.
During his visit to Seychelles in March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the gifting of a second Dornier aircraft to enhance the surveillance capability of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation in tackling maritime threats.
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Trump arrives in China for talks with Xi
Beijing (PTI): US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit during which he will discuss a host of global issues, including the Iran war, with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump, who is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi, was received by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng at the airport.
The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold their seventh face-to-face talks. They last met face-to-face in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea.
The US President arrived in China on his second visit in nine years to clinch a trade deal, to end the frictions over tariffs that affected its over USD 525 billion exports to the US.
Trump, who is accompanied by top CEOs, was the last US president to visit China in 2017, during his first term.
President Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday, US Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said on Sunday.
The two leaders will meet again on Friday for a bilateral tea and working lunch, she said, adding that the US plans to host the Chinese leader for a reciprocal visit later this year.
Ahead of Trump's arrival, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Scott Bessent completed the final round of trade negotiations in South Korea, details of which are not known.
The talks focused on trade and tariffs, Artificial Intelligence and technology, Taiwan and US' arms sales to Taipei, Iran and West Asia security and rare earths and supply chains.
Trump's schedule included a visit to the Temple of Heaven, a complex of imperial temples where emperors would pray for a good harvest.
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Ahead of his departure for Beijing, Trump told the media in Washington he would be talking with Xi about trade more than anything else.
He plans to sign more deals with China to buy more American food and aircraft. The two countries also plan to set up a Board of Trade with China to address differences between the countries.
From a trade point of view, China looks to reap a rich harvest as Trump is accompanied by top CEOs of US multinational giants, including Tesla chief Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook, who have well-entrenched business in China.
Apple has regained the top spot in China's competitive smartphone market as of early 2026, driven by a 28 per cent surge in iPhone shipments.
In April, Tesla's China-made vehicle sales (including exports) reached 79,478, a 36 per cent year-over-year increase, signalling a production rebound.
The top US business leaders will be allowed to mingle with their Chinese counterparts at an exclusive international business club, according to Chinese officials.
The global focus on the summit, however, would be on any possible outcome that could end the US-Israeli-Iran war and end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahead of Trump's visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made his first visit to Beijing after the war and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
The US watched his visit closely as China is the largest importer of Iranian oil and shares strategic defence ties with Tehran, and has considerable influence over Iran.
After talks with Araghchi, Wang called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, even as it appreciated Tehran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, a prime demand of Trump to end the war.
Commenting on Wang-Araghchi talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told. And that is what you are doing in the Strait, which is causing you to be globally isolated. You're the bad guy in this."
China's anxieties over the Gulf war increased, especially after Trump imposed a blockade of Iranian ports, restricting Iran's oil exports to China.
Bert Hoffman, former World Bank country director for China, said China wants the Iran war to end because it has many partners in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. "So they don't like to see wars, they like to have stability," he said.
In its editorial on Trump's visit, state-run Global Times said Xi has held multiple telephone conversations and meetings with him, which have helped correct the course of the bilateral relationship and steer it clear of hidden dangers at critical moments.
For China-US relations to truly stabilise and improve in the future, the most fundamental step is to fully and faithfully implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, it said.
From China's point of view, the Taiwan issue was expected to figure prominently in the talks.
Last week, China's Foreign Minister Wang told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during their telephone talks, that the US should make the right choice about the self-ruled Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan as part of its own and has been ramping up military pressure on the island with periodic military drills around the island.
VIDEO | Beijing: US President Donald Trump arrives in China for high stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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