China’s Foreign Ministry denied Thursday it ever required U.S. diplomats to submit to COVID-19 anal swab tests, disputing media reports that some personnel had complained.The Washington Post reported last week that U.S. State Department officials were looking into the complaints. The Post reports a State Department spokesman told reporters the department was “evaluating all reasonable options” to address the issue with the aim of preserving the “dignity” of U.S. officials “consistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”Some Chinese doctors have said the anal swab test is more accurate and effective than a nasal swab, despite the unpleasant nature. But at a news briefing in Beijing, China Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters, “Upon verification with my colleagues, China has never asked U.S. diplomats in China to go through anal swab tests.”U.S. media outlet Vice Wednesday quoted a State Department official as saying the test had been given in error, and that China said it would stop such tests on U.S. diplomats.
…

Organizers for the postponed Tokyo Summer Olympic Games are placing a number of coronavirus-related restrictions on spectators coming out to witness the traditional relay of the Olympic torch.The relay will begin March 25 in the northwestern prefecture of Fukushima, the site of the March 2011 nuclear disaster triggered by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami.Yukihiko Nunomura, the vice director general of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, announced Thursday that spectators will be required to wear masks, and will not be allowed to eat or drink except for water to avoid heatstroke. Cheering and shouting is also banned, but spectators can clap as the torch relay passes by.Organizers say spectators will be required to preregister for a spot at each relay point to witness the torch’s arrival, but Nunomura said the relay could be stopped if too many spectators gather along the route.The Tokyo Olympics were scheduled for last July and August, but organizers and then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided to postpone the event until this year as the novel coronavirus pandemic began spreading across the globe.With Tokyo and other parts of Japan under a state of emergency to quell a surge of new infections, however, recent public opinion polls indicate an overwhelming majority of Japanese believe the games should be postponed again or canceled.The opening ceremony for the postponed Tokyo Games will be held on July 23.
…

The future of foreign reporting in China is being brought into question as the Chinese government aims to consolidate its control on media.Beijing recently pulled the plug on Britain’s BBC World News amid China’s strained diplomatic ties with several nations in the West.China’s move came after the BBC published a series of accounts by women from the Uighur ethnic minority, who spoke of rape, abuse and torture in the so-called re-education camps in China’s Xinjiang region. Beijing rebutted the reporting as false. Britain had also revoked the license of China’s state-owned CGTN television network.In a statement reported by the state-affiliated Xinhua News Agency, China’s broadcaster regulator, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), said that the BBC violated regulations in its China-related reports and that its broadcast application would not be renewed.Hu Xijin, editor of the Chinese state-affiliated media the Global Times, tweeted that the reports were “all false” and that the BBC “has become a bastion of the Western public opinion war against China.”The BBC has published many “exclusive reports” on Xinjiang and Hong Kong, which are all false. I highly suspect that the BBC has been closely instigated by the intelligence agencies of the US and the UK. It has become a bastion of the Western public opinion war against China.— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) February 4, 2021Media tensionsThe expulsion and blocking of foreign media add to an increasingly difficult reporting environment. At least 17 journalists were expelled from China in 2020, according to a September statement by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC).Several had their media credentials revoked after the U.S. government designated Chinese outlets in America as foreign missions. And other news outlets were ordered to provide detailed statements on their staff and finances.Sari Arho Havren, a China analyst based in Brussels, said Beijing wants to promote a “new world media order” and with domestic and state media firmly controlled, foreign media are the next target.“News that contradicts Beijing’s official line is then labelled by the propaganda machinery as fake news and lies and counter-narratives have been quickly released,” Havren told VOA.“[The BBC ban] demonstrates how foreign media operating in China is increasingly treated as domestic media, meaning that the reporting from China that is not in line with the official party line will become increasingly sensitive and risky,” Havren said. “Tit-for-tat measures will likely also increase, as well as China investing heavily in buying China-friendly media coverage abroad, and expanding hybrid influencing into foreign media.”China in recent years has sought to use media to encourage investment and promote a more positive image. Research by Freedom House shows Beijing has expanded state media operations and used paid supplements in overseas media, among other methods.Havren, who previously lived and worked in Hong Kong and China, said that despite transparent attempts to reshape the media landscape, Beijing is finding success.“Chinese media pushes ahead with Beijing’s propaganda both at home and rather freely also abroad,” Havren said. “With all the resources that China is putting into molding the China-friendly media order, China is in my opinion succeeding in influencing the global narrative. Even though it often happens clumsily, but slowly we can see it also succeeding.”Beijing’s tactics of punishment and retaliation against media that goes against China is “increasingly placed upon foreign media as well,” the analyst said.When China retaliated against the BBC, Hong Kong quickly followed suit, with public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) announcing it would suspend BBC content.The former British colony lives under a “one country two systems” agreement after it was returned to China from Britain in 1997. But after anti-government protests in 2019, Beijing implemented a national security law to stabilize the unrest.Since then, Hong Kong has seen itself more aligned with customs in Beijing, raising concerns among civil society over rights including press freedom.Obstacles to coverageChina’s aim to clampdown on news covering sensitive issues within the country, both domestically and overseas, is nothing new. Beijing feels Western media unfairly targets and exaggerates local affairs within the country, often retaliating by labelling reports as fake news.In its World Press Freedom Index, the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders currently ranks Hong Kong 80 and China 177 out of 180, where 1 is the freest.The Foreign Correspondent Club of China also publishes an annual working conditions report, on difficulties for international journalists within the country and challenges from limited access.THREAD 1/5 It’s here: our 2019 working conditions report. The report finds that Chinese authorities have weaponized visas against the foreign press by issuing truncated press credentials and expelling journalists thru non-renewal. Read the full report: https://t.co/1T5uB7sxMr— Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (@fccchina) March 2, 2020One such obstacle is the hiring of Chinese nationals as news assistants.Often aspiring journalists themselves, these news assistants can be hired as researchers, translators or producers but are prohibited from independent reporting. Despite directly working with foreign media, assistants are employed via the Chinese state. It is the only position Chinese nationals can take within a foreign news bureau based in China.But the assistant’s role has garnered more scrutiny by authorities in recent years. Now, when they are hired or are due to renew their contracts, assistants must sign a “pledge” reminding them of their restricted role and their allegiance to the state.It is also becoming long-winded to fill a position, and potential employees are becoming increasingly skeptical of taking the job, VOA was told.A news assistant for Bloomberg, Haze Fan, was detained in China in December on suspicions of endangering national security. Fan, who is still in detention, previously worked as an assistant for U.S. news channels including CNBC and CBS News.A Beijing-based foreign reporter, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said that locals are also becoming more cautious about speaking with anyone labeled foreign media.“Less and less people want to talk to us. They are always afraid. We have nine out of ten who have pre-booked, canceled at the last minute,” the reporter, who has covered China for over two years, said.Reports of tight surveillance and harassment are not uncommon. The reporter told VOA they believed Chinese authorities broke into their residence when they were of the country.“Someone had been in my house. The window was open, and the wardrobe door was open, so they clearly wanted me to know they had been there, that’s how I interpreted it,” the journalist said.The reporter admitted they had heard other journalists discussing similar incidents, but “living here, I have to live on [Beijing’s] terms.”Despite the caution, the journalist says reporting on China is more important than ever, adding, “This is where the interesting story is.”
…

The International Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday that Brisbane was the preferred candidate to host the 2032 Games and said it would enter “targeted dialogue” with bid organizers.
 
“The IOC future host commission recommended that the executive committee initiate a targeted dialogue with Brisbane and the Australian Olympic Committee for the organization of the 2032 Olympic Games,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.
 
“The executive committee unanimously accepted this recommendation.”
 
Australia last hosted the Olympics in Sydney in 2000.
 
The bid would be for the Games to be held in the state of Queensland, with Brisbane as the hub.
 
There had been reported interest from India and Chinese city Shanghai, while Qatar last year confirmed it was planning to bid.
 
A potential joint bid between South and North Korea had also been touted, while Germany had also expressed its interest in holding the Games in the North Rhine-Westphalia region.
 
All those hopefuls were dealt a blow by the news on Wednesday, but Bach insisted the IOC had recorded “the interest of a number of parties”, although he did not identify them.
 
“It is not a decision against the other candidates, it is a decision in favor of a candidacy,” Bach said.
 
He clarified that no final decision on the host city had been made, but that “more detailed discussions” with Brisbane would start, although he gave no timetable.
 
The next IOC session will be held in March, with another scheduled for July.
 
The bid would be focused around Brisbane and Gold Coast, which both already boast extensive sporting infrastructure.
 
Gold Coast held the 2018 Commonwealth Games, while Brisbane boasts 21 sports venues.
 
Australia also previously hosted the Olympics in Melbourne, in 1956.
 
The bid also enjoys the backing of John Coates, the Australian Olympic Committee president and an influential IOC vice president.
 
The awarding of the 2032 Olympics is the first to take place with a new election method adopted in June 2019 in an attempt to counter application fees and a lack of serious bids.
 
For the 2024 Games, Bach bemoaned the process had “produced too many losers”, after Rome, Hamburg and Budapest all pulled out of the running.
 
In September 2017, the IOC awarded the 2024 Games to Paris and the 2028 Olympics to Los Angeles.
 
The IOC has since set up its “future host” commission.
 
It is chaired by Norwegian Kristin Kloster Aasen and its nine members are not part of the IOC executive commission.
 
Bach said criticisms of the process were misplaced.
 
“All the rules were passed unanimously by the IOC session in 2019…. to make the whole procedure more low cost, prevent any undue interference, to make it less political,” he said.
 
Kloster warned that the award of the 2032 Games to Brisbane is “not a concluded deal.”
 
“It is a very advanced project, which has been in place for a long time and which enjoys the support of the authorities,” she said. “There are many criteria which correspond to what we expect.”
 
Coates, meanwhile, admitted that Wednesday’s announcement was “an important step.”  
 
However, he cautioned that “it is obvious to us that we must continue to work hard.” 
…

China’s state media reported Wednesday the country’s Tianwen-1 spacecraft has entered a temporary “parking orbit’ around the planet Mars, where it will stay for about three months before attempting to land a rover on the surface.China National Space Administration (CNSA) said the spacecraft executed a maneuver to adjust its orbit early Wednesday Beijing time.  
 
The Tianwen-1 probe includes an orbiter, a lander and a rover, and while in orbit, the space agency said the probe will be mapping the planet’s surface and collecting additional data, particularly about the prospective landing site for the rover.
 China Probe Becomes Second in Two Days to Reach Mars China’s space agency says goal is to have Tianwen-1 probe land rover on planet’s surface The deputy chief designer of the probe, Tan Zhiyun, told China Central Television (CCTV) the Tianwen-1 will take pictures of the prospective landing zone and judge the topography and potential for dust storms and other factors that will help scientists prepare for a safe landing in May or June.
 
The spacecraft began orbiting Mars on Feb. 10 after a roughly seven-month journey from Earth. An orbiter from the United Arab Emirates arrived one day earlier, and last week, the U.S. space agency NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on the planet.  
 
All three of the missions were launched in July to take advantage of the close alignment between Earth and Mars that happens only once every two years.
 
Tianwen-1 represents the most ambitious mission yet for China’s secretive, military-linked space program that first put an astronaut in orbit around Earth in 2003 and last year brought moon rocks back to Earth for the first time since the 1970s. China was also the first country to land a spacecraft on the little-explored far side of the moon in 2019.
…

The United States is looking to scrutinize China’s commitments under an investment deal that was signed in late December between the European Union and China, a senior State Department official told VOA Tuesday.   It comes as U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is working closely with European allies to push back on what American officials describe as China’s undermining activities to shared values and the rules based international order.   “If China did make additional concessions in that agreement on things like market access, on forced labor, we certainly welcome that, although we really would look to the Chinese to prove that that’s not just cheap talk, and that they’re going to implement those commitments,” said Molly Montgomery, the State Department’s deputy assistant secretary in charge of European and Eurasian Affairs.   The EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is seen as a geopolitical win for China, and a blow to transatlantic relations despite concerns over the deal in the European Parliament.   US-brokered Serbia-Kosovo talks unlikely In a recent interview with VOA, Montgomery also said the United States is committed to working with the European Union, which facilitates the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. Her comments come as Kosovo’s Vetevendosje party leader Albin Kurti is set to become prime minister after the February 14 elections.   Kurti has said that forming a negotiating team for dialogue with Serbia would not be a priority for his government.   When asked about the possibility of a U.S.-brokered dialogue, Montgomery told VOA: “We certainly continue to support the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and to look toward a comprehensive agreement, a normalization agreement that would lead to mutual recognition, or on the basis of mutual recognition.”   The following are excerpts from the interview. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.   VOA: What is the top policy priority of Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs in coming years?   Montgomery: I think the president has made it very clear beginning with his inaugural address that our priority really is to rebuild our relationships with our allies and partners in Europe.  We believe that they are the cornerstone of everything that we are trying to do, whether that is fighting COVID-19, or climate change, or pushing back against malign activities from Russia and China. We want to be working with our European partners. But we also, I will say, continue to believe that our goal for Europe is really a Europe whole, free, prosperous and at peace. So we’ll be working toward that goal for the next four years.   VOA: As China is competing with the U.S. for vaccine distribution and post-pandemic recovery in Europe, what is your takeaway on the recent China-CEEC group, also known as “17 plus 1,” virtual summit between China and Central and Eastern Europe countries?   Montgomery: I think all countries, whether it’s the United States or Europe, have a multifaceted and very complex relationship with China. There are parts of that relationship that are adversarial. Some of it is competitive and there are also areas where we want to cooperate with China. And so, I think our focus really is working on a multilateral basis with our allies and partners to strengthen our cooperation, and to look at areas where we can cooperate with China, such as on climate change, but also to be aware that there are economic activities that we want to push back on. There are threats to our values and there are human rights violations, such as we’ve seen in Xinjiang and in Hong Kong. And particularly the genocide — [about which] the U.S. government has been very clear — has been committed against mostly Muslim Uighurs in China. And so we’re really focused on working with our allies and our partners to develop an affirmative agenda as we look at this complex relationship with China, and to defend our values and our shared interests as well.   VOA: We are hearing voices from European countries doubting the U.S. is wavering in its position on the policy determination that genocide has been committed against Uighurs in Xinjiang. Is the U.S. wavering in its position?   Montgomery: The United States has been very clear — Secretary Blinken has been very clear — that we believe that what has happened in Xinjiang is genocide, that we have seen crimes against humanity committed against the Uighurs. And we’ve been very clear that these are very serious crimes and that there needs to be accountability. We have condemned these activities, these crimes — and we have made it clear that we need to see a stop to these human rights violations, to forced sterilizations, to torture, to other crimes that have been perpetrated primarily against mostly Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, especially.   VOA: Moving on to vaccine distribution. Serbia and Hungary have become the first European countries to use China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, many European countries rely on vaccines produced by American company Pfizer. Is there a divide? Is the United States pressing European countries to choose between Washington and Beijing?   Montgomery: No. You know, we are not asking countries to make a choice between the United States and China. At the same time, we believe that we are strongest when we work together to promote and to protect our shared values and interests. And so that’s why you see that … this administration has engaged very actively in the first month in multilateral fora [to work] with allies and partners, as well as with countries like China, to promote global health security. We want to work together to see an end to this pandemic.   But at the same time, we also know that China uses the multilateral system to promote its own interests to undermine some of our shared values, and so we want to work very closely with our partners and our allies to protect those interests, and to push back where we see that China is trying to undermine the rules based international order.   VOA: How confident is the U.S. to work with its European allies on a unified approach towards China after the EU-China investment deal? Was the U.S. caught by surprise by this deal?   Montgomery: We really look forward to having early consultations with the EU on this investment agreement. I think you’ve heard from Secretary Blinken and from others — our allies have certainly heard that we’re eager to look for areas where we can cooperate on China, on the basis of our shared values, and to promote our mutual interests.   Listen, if China did make additional concessions in that agreement on things like market access, on forced labor, we certainly welcome that. Although we really would look to the Chinese to prove that that’s not just cheap talk, and that they’re going to implement those commitments. And so we really look forward to having conversations moving forward with the EU and with our European allies and partners about working together on these issues.    VOA: On recent Kosovo elections: what is your takeaway? Is the prospect for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue dimmer?   Montgomery: We certainly continue to support the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and to look toward a comprehensive agreement, a normalization agreement that would lead to mutual recognition, or on the basis of mutual recognition. And so that will be our goal moving forward.   VOA: Do you envision a U.S.-brokered Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, independent of a parallel EU effort, under the Biden administration?   Montgomery: We’re really committed to working with the EU, which facilitates the dialogue, and with our partners in tandem. This is, I think, a very important principle for our engagement in the Western Balkans. We know that we have been most successful there when we have worked hand in glove, or shoulder to shoulder with our European allies and partners, and so that’s going to be our approach.   VOA: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Visegrád Group (V4). How does the U.S. envision its cooperation with the V4 in coming years?   Montgomery: Well, you’ve seen that we have congratulated the V4, the countries of the the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, on 30 years of cooperation in the Visegrád Group format. We really look forward to partnering with them on shared challenges, everything from COVID-19 to climate to things like strengthening our democracies and independent media.   VOA: Thank you for talking to VOA.   Montgomery: Great to be with you. 
…

Orangutans are a critically endangered species and the coronavirus pandemic halted efforts to protect and increase their population. But as VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, rescue efforts in Indonesia are back under way.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi 
 
…

Protesters in Myanmar took part in yet another day of demonstrations against the country’s military junta Tuesday, although in much smaller numbers than the massive turnout in many cities and towns seen the previous day.  An angry crowd of demonstrators gathered in front of the Indonesian embassy in Yangon following reports Jakarta is seeking support from other member countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a plan that would hold the junta to its promise of new elections within a year. The protesters demanded that Indonesia respect the results of last November’s elections, won in a landslide by deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. In Jakarta, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah denied the reports, telling media Tuesday that it “is not Indonesia’s position at all to support a new election in Myanmar.” Teuku said Indonesia is consulting with its fellow ASEAN members to reach a consensus before a special meeting on the situation in Myanmar.US Sanctions Myanmar Military Officials Latest economic action in response to coup includes call to reinstate elected governmentMonday’s demonstrations, which were coupled with a general strike, took place in defiance of an ominous warning broadcast Sunday on Myanmar state television that warned protesters “are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will suffer the loss of life.”Popular protests have been staged across Myanmar on a daily basis since the military detained Suu Kyi and other members of the civilian government on February 1, claiming widespread election fraud. Three people have been killed as a result of the daily protests, including two who died Saturday in Mandalay — one of them a teenage boy — when police and security forces used live and rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannon and slingshots against demonstrators. The United States and other Western nations have demanded the release of Suu Kyi and her lieutenants, and called on the junta to restore power to the civilian government.  The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on several members of the junta, with two of them, General Moe Myint Tun and Air Force chief General Maung Maung Kyaw, placed on the list Tuesday.  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Monday said on Twitter, “The U.S. stands with the people of Burma who demand the restoration of the democratically elected government.” The tweet also said the designations “are another step to promote accountability for military leaders who perpetrate violence and attempt to suppress the will of the people.” Burma is another name for Myanmar.The U.S. stands with the people of Burma who demand the restoration of the democratically elected government. Today’s designations are another step to promote accountability for military leaders who perpetrate violence and attempt to suppress the will of the people.— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 23, 2021VOA’s United Nations correspondent, Margaret Besheer, reports the spokesperson for the president of the U.N. General Assembly announced Tuesday the assembly will hold an informal meeting Friday on the situation in Myanmar.  
…

The Australian government says Facebook has agreed to allow Australians to resume viewing or sharing news content after the two sides reached an agreement over a proposal to make the digital giants pay domestic news outlets for their content. The two sides announced the deal Tuesday just hours before the Australian Senate was set to begin debate on a set of amendments to a bill that was passed just last week by the lower House of Representatives.  The amendments include a two-month mediation period that would give social media giants and news publishers extra time to broker agreements before they are forced to abide by the government’s provisions.   Treasurer Josh Frydenberg issued a joint statement with Communications Minister Paul Fletcher saying Facebook will restore Australian news outlets on the social media platform “in the coming days.”An illustration image shows a phone screen with the “Facebook” logo and Australian newspapers in Canberra, Australia, Feb. 18, 2021.Facebook regional director William Easton issued a statement saying the company was “satisfied” the Australian government agreed to the changes and guarantees “that address our core concerns about allowing commercial deals that recognize the value our platform provides to publishers relative to the value we receive from them.” Facebook blocked Australian news content last week despite ongoing negotiations with Canberra. The websites of several public agencies and emergency services were also blocked on Facebook, including pages that include up-to-date information on COVID-19 outbreaks, brushfires and other natural disasters. Australian media companies have seen their advertising revenue increasingly siphoned off by big tech firms like Google and Facebook in recent years. Google had also threatened to block news content if the law were passed, even warning last August that Australians’ personal information could be “at risk” if digital giants had to pay for news content. But the company has already signed a number of separate agreements with such Australian media giants as the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media. 
…

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two more Myanmar military officials in response to the killing of peaceful protesters. The measures announced late Monday target Moe Myint Tun and Maung Maung Kyaw. A Treasury Department statement called on Myanmar’s military to reinstall the country’s democratically elected government or face further actions. “The United States will continue to work with partners throughout the region and the world to press the Burmese military and police to cease all violence against peaceful protestors, to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in Burma, to urge for the immediate release of political prisoners, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, and to promote accountability for those responsible for attempting to reverse Burma’s progress toward democracy,” the statement said. Demonstrators protest against military coup in Yangon, Feb. 22, 2021.Earlier this month, the Treasury Department applied sanctions to 10 current of former military officials. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also condemned the coup and “unacceptable violence against peaceful demonstrators” in remarks Monday. He said EU ministers have agreed to a set of targeted measures, including applying sanctions against the military figures responsible for the coup and their economic interests. Borrell also said the EU would withhold all direct financial support to government reform programs in Myanmar.  But he said the measures would not impact the people of Myanmar, and that the EU would “continue to support civil society and to provide basic services.” 
…

Thousands of residents are being evacuated on the outskirts of Indonesia’s capital amid flooding after the Citarum River embankment broke, officials said Monday.
Bekasi district in Indonesia’s West Java province have experienced flooding since Saturday because of heavy rain.
“Some embankments are broken, not only from the river embankment but also from the irrigation embankments,” Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said Monday.
Rescuers from the National Search and Rescue Agency have been deployed.
Raditya Jati, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said that more than 28,000 residents in four villages in Bekasi district and 34 villages in Karawang district are affected by the floods. At least 4,184 people are being evacuated.
Thousands of houses in the area are covered with 100 to 250 centimeters (40 to 100 inches) of water and are without power.
Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains close to rivers.
…

Artillery and tanks have rolled back, and Chinese and Indian soldiers have retreated from along the banks of Pangong Tso, a strategic Himalayan lake that straddles their border.     It is the biggest push to ease tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors since Indian accusations of Chinese transgressions into its territory and a deadly clash in June led to a huge nine-month military build-up along their Himalayan border.    Announcing the “smooth” completion of the disengagement process, a joint news release by both sides called it a “significant step forward.”   This handout photograph released by the Indian Army on Feb. 16, 2021 shows People Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers and tanks during military disengagement along the Line of Actual Control at the border in Ladakh. (Indian Defense Ministry/AFP)But analysts caution that the troop withdrawal from Pangong Lake represents only a start of a potentially long process as soldiers from both sides remain massed along several other stretches of the Himalayan border.     “It’s a first step, a tentative step,” according to Jayadeva Ranade at Center for China Analysis and Strategy in New Delhi. “It is aimed at defusing the tension which exists particularly at this point around Pangong.”   Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament earlier this month that other disputes remain to be resolved along the border known as the line of actual control, or LAC.“There are still some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC,” the minister said. “We will focus on these in future discussions.”   The most contentious dispute centers on a large strategic plateau of over 900 kilometers known as the Depsang Plains where the two  Asian giants have also deployed a significant number of troops, according to analysts.    Following the disengagement at Pangong, negotiations on pulling back from three other so-called “friction points” where troops are still in close proximity have begun between military commanders. In the joint statement, the two countries said they will “push for a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues in a steady and orderly manner, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.”    Analysts warn however that the negotiations will not be easy as the months-long standoff has significantly damaged ties, particularly in the wake of the brutal clash last June in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed. While India said the standoff was triggered by Chinese intrusions into its territory, Beijing denied that its troops had transgressed the LAC and accused Indian border guards of provocative behavior.   “I would say that we will have to rebuild the relationship rather than take what existed forward,” according to Ranade. “The main point is what did the Chinese hope to achieve by their action, what was their intention? Certainly, those will be factors in the minds of the Indian planners and will ensure that we will be vigilant in future for Chinese actions.”    While the territorial differences between the Asian rivals may continue to simmer, economic ties could revive faster, according to analysts. Over the last two decades, India and China had put border disputes on the backburner and focused on building economic ties — in 2019 China emerged as India’s top trading partner with trade topping $90 billion.     But the recent military standoff gave those ties a jolt. India has permanently blocked 59 Chinese apps including hugely popular ones such as Tik Tok, and put barriers to Chinese investment in sensitive sectors. The government announced initiatives to boost local manufacturing aimed at reducing reliance on Chinese imports. A leading traders organization vowed to boycott Chinese goods amid a burst of nationalist sentiment.    In the wake of the recent disengagement, trade experts in New Delhi expect the rhetoric to cool down and trade ties to get a boost.“We have got really economically entangled with China just like most major economies,” points out Biswajit Dhar a trade anaylst  and professor at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. “Suddenly trying to move out of the Chinese ambit would be costly for India.”    Chinese goods, from mobile phones to ordinary household goods continue to flood Indian markets. FILE – An Indian man speaks on his mobile phone in front of a shop selling OPPO phones, a Chinese consumer electronics company, in Noida, outskirts of New Delhi, India, June 18, 2020.Many Indian industries such as pharmaceuticals and solar power remain critically dependent on Chinese components. More significantly, Indian exports to China grew last year.    “Indian industry is now looking at China as a market and China has offered India the market,” says Dhar underlining that there is a push to keep trade ties intact with Beijing. “Earlier the push  came only from sectors dependent on imports from China. Now there are sectors like steel and others who are dependent on markets in China. So, there is going to be a substantially large constituency in India which will be seeking normalization of relations with China.”    That means in the coming year political and economic ties between Asia’s two biggest countries could take divergent paths.
…