President Xi calls to ease differences over South China Sea during talks with Vietnamese leader
Beijing (PTI): President Xi Jinping Monday called for "better management" of differences between China and Vietnam over their maritime disputes as he met Vietnam’s new top leader To Lam here, amidst increasing tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
Just two weeks ago, Lam took over as the general secretary of the ruling Vietnamese Communist Party, a powerful post similar to one held by Xi, who heads the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) - the country’s top political position.
Lam succeeded Nguyen Phu Trong, who died last month after 13 years as leader.
Hosting Lam for crucial talks, Xi underscored that at the critical stage of national development and revitalization, China and Vietnam should consolidate the development pattern featuring higher political mutual trust, more solid security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, stronger public support, closer multilateral coordination and cooperation, and better management and resolution of differences.
He welcomed Lam's State Visit to China - his first foreign trip after taking over power.
Xi said Lam’s gesture fully reflects the great importance the Vietnamese leader attaches to the relations between the two communist parties and the two countries, as well as the high level and strategic nature of China-Vietnam relations.
He expressed willingness to establish good working relations and personal friendship with Lam.
Xi said China takes Vietnam as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy and supports Vietnam in upholding the leadership of the CPV, taking the socialist path suited to its national conditions, and further advancing the cause of reform, opening up and socialist modernisation.
On his arrival in China, Lam said Vietnam accords top priority to ties with Beijing.
Though headed by the “brotherly Communist Parties”, tensions remain between China and Vietnam over their overlapping claims in the disputed South China Sea.
Both countries claim the Paracel and Spratly islands, and Vietnam has become more vocal about the disputes, drawing closer to India, the US and its allies.
Much to the chagrin of China, Vietnam in recent years has also upgraded its ties with India, the US and Japan to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the country’s highest designation for a diplomatic relationship, in an apparent attempt to have international support for itself in the event of any conflict with China.
Both countries fought a bitter war in 1979.
Lam’s visit is taking place amidst heightening tensions between China and the Philippines, backed by the US and Japan over the disputed South China Sea.
China claims most of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.
Xi told Lam that China is ready to maintain close strategic communication and high-level exchanges with Vietnam, firmly adhere to mutual support, actively explore ways to expand synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, accelerate the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure, enhance the "soft connectivity" of smart customs, and jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Lam, who arrived in the Chinese city of Guangzhou on August 18, said the older generations of leaders of the two parties and countries have forged deep friendships, and the Vietnamese people will never forget China's assistance in Vietnam's national liberation, independence and socialist construction.
He said that his party and country have always considered the development of relations with China as the top priority in their foreign policy and will strive to carry on the tradition of bilateral friendship created by the older generations of leaders of the two parties and countries.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
