BEIJING: China expressed strong dissatisfaction on Tuesday over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s weekend visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Arunachal Pradesh to woo voters ahead of Monday’s assembly elections came despite Beijing's serious concerns, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.
Reacting to China’s statement, foreign minister S M Krishna said, "Well, regardless of what others say it is the Government of India's stated position that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. We rest at that.”
The ministry also said in a statement that New Delhi was "disappointed and concerned" over Chinese objection to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
“Arunachal Pradesh is inalienable part of India, and China is aware of this, said external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash.
"The Chinese statement does not help the process of ongoing negotiations between the two governments on the boundary question," he said.
Earlier, the statement from China said, "It is strongly dissatisfied with the visit to the disputed region by the Indian leader disregarding China's serious concerns."
``We demand the Indian side address China's serious and just concerns and not trigger disturbances in the disputed region so as to facilitate the healthy development of China-India relations,'' the statement said.
Manmohan Singh had toured and addressed an election rally in Arunachal Pradesh on October 3.
The protest reflects enduring Chinese sensitivities over the mountainous state, which shares a 640-mile (1,030-kilometer) unfenced border with China.
The Asian giants fought a border war in 1962 and the frontier has yet to be settled despite 13 rounds of talks on the issue.
China claims the region as its own territory and has never recognized a British colonial-era border known as the McMahon Line that designated the region as part of India. China also occupies a chunk of territory in Kashmir that India regards as its own.
Most recently, China sought to block part of a loan to India from the Asian Development Bank earmarked for projects in Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing also protested a visit to the region last month by exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, to no avail.
China's protests and continuing claims have fueled Indian fears of military aggression, prompting calls for New Delhi to reinforce military units on its side of the border.
India says China is illegally occupying 43,180 sq kms of Jammu and Kashmir. On the other hand, China accuses India of possessing some 90,000 sq km of Chinese territory, mostly in Arunachal Pradesh.
China earlier this year had also taken objection to Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, and had informally protested. Singh visited Arunachal on January 31 and February 1 this year, a few days after returning from a trip to China.
Singh's reference to the state as "our land of the rising sun" at a public rally was objected to by China.
China apparently saw it as India's assertion of its claim on Arunachal, which it claims is a "disputed territory".
Responding to China's objection, the then external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "Arunachal is an integral part of our country... Therefore, it is obvious the Prime Minister will visit any part of the country".
66% voter turnout in elections in three states
MUMBAI/CHANDIGARH/ITANAGAR: Moderate to heavy polling was registered in the Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh amid sporadic incidents of violence in which a polling agent was killed and Naxals attacked a patrol party and a booth.
Maharashtra registered 60 per cent turnout of voters while Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh saw a much higher polling of 66 per cent and 72 per cent respectively, Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla told reporters in New Delhi.
Mumbai, the country's financial hub, and its suburbs saw a turnout of 50 per cent.
A 48-year-old polling agent, Jyoti Ram, was killed in a clash between supporters of Congress nominee Dillu Ram and Independent candidate Kulwant Bazigar in Gulha assembly constituency in Haryana's Kaithal district, police said. He represented Bazigar.
In Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district where 17 policemen were shot dead by the Maoists on October 8, naxalites opened fire at a patrol party near Kasansur in Aheri block shortly before polling commenced. No one was injured, police said, adding security forces did not retaliate.
In another incident, Naxals opened fire at a polling station at Bonde in Korchi taluka of the district. While no one was hurt, additional forces were despatched by an airforce chopper, Manoj Sharma, ASP, Gadchiroli, said.
Over 1.29 lakh state police and central forces were deployed across the state to ensure orderly polling in 288 Assembly seats, DGP (Elections) A N Roy said adding that the incidents did not hamper the polling process.
Union Ministers Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh, industrialist Anil Ambani, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar were among the prominent voters.
Taliban presence in JK imagination of some people: Omar
Srinagar:Dismissing reports of Taliban presence in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said this was only imagination of "some people" and asked them to not spoil the positive atmosphere of the state by making such remarks.
"There have been some comments made about Taliban presence in the state and I wonder where they are. It is time that people should stop imagining about it and misguiding the tourists who want to visit the valley," he said addressing a conference on social and infrastructure development of militancy-hit state.
The Chief Minister said the state has seen a positive atmosphere after a very long time and everyone should try to maintain it.
"We have seen light at the end of a very very long and a very very dark tunnel. Please do not spoil it," he said. Omar said the reports about Taliban presence is being used by travel agents from other states to route tourists away from the valley.
"Even before Kerala became God's own country, Kashmir was heaven on earth. Reports like Taliban presence in Kashmir come in handy for some unscrupulous travel agents outside the state to divert the tourist inflow into the state," he said.
Giving statistics of the improved atmosphere in the state, which has been fighting militancy for the last over two decades, he said the number of such incidents in September 2008 were 708 and in 2009 its 395. He said casualties in 2008 were 147 and till this year, it has been only 70.
Indian Business News
Mumbai: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel is likely to meet Air India staff unions, including pilots, on Wednesday to discuss rationalisation of incentives and allowances in line with the airline's turnaround plans.
"The Minister (Praful Patel) is likely to hold a meeting with the staff unions from a cross-section of departments on the turnaround plan," sources said.
The proposed meeting comes in the backdrop of the recent five-day long stir by executive pilots after the management suggested up to 50 per cent cuts in their productivity-linked incentive (PLI) and flying allowance.
The proposal was deferred after the employees, including pilots and engineers, vehemently opposed any cut, maintaining that the staffers should not be blamed for Air India's mounting losses.
There are 14 unions in the state-run airline representing engineers, pilots, cabin crew, officers and other employees.
Following the executive pilots' agitation, the government announced the formation of a sub-committee of the Air India Board to examine the issue in totality.
The sub-committee, which comprises Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav and Joint Secretaries in the Civil Aviation Ministry, EK Bharat Bhushan and Prashant Shukul, would submit its recommendations to the airline's Board.
AIG to sell Taiwan life insurance unit for $2.15 bn
New York: American International Group will be selling its life insurance unit in Taiwan to a consortium of companies for USD 2.15 billion.
Battered by the financial meltdown, AIG had received billions of dollars from the US government last year to tide over the turmoil. The leading insurer has also shed assets worldwide to streamline its operations.
AIG in a statement said it would be selling its 97.57 per cent stake in Taiwan-based Nan Shan Life Insurance Company for USD 2.15 billion.
In this regard, the American insurer has entered into an agreement with a consortium comprising Hong Kong-based Primus Financial Holdings Limited and China Strategic Holdings Limited.
Post acquisition, the consortium led by Primus Financial would maintain the Nan Shan brand, the existing compensation and benefits package for employees, among others.
Further, the current Nan Shan management team would remain in place.
"We are pleased to have found a buyer who shares our confidence in Nan Shan's bright future, and who has pledged to continue Nan Shan's commitment to its policyholders, agents, and employees, as well as to the people of Taiwan," AIG Chief Executive Officer Robert Benmosche said.
Nan Shan serves about four million policyholders and has a network of 24 branches, 450 agency offices and nearly 4,000 employees.
Indian Sports News
Younus quits captaincy after match-fixing charges
Islamabad:An annoyed Younus Khan quit captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team after being grilled by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports, which wanted him to explain the team's performance in the recent Champions Trophy.
The standing committee had asked Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt, Younus, coach Intikhab Alam and manager Yawar Saeed to explain their defeat against Australia and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy and the Pakistan captain was upset at the grilling.
It was not immediately known whether the Pakistan Cricket Board has accepted his resignation or were persuading him to re-consider his decision. Television reports said that PCB has rejected his resignation.
The hostile parliamentarians raised a number of questions on the team's performance in those two matches in the backdrop of allegations that the cricketers tanked those games.
Younus got so annoyed with the allegations that he tendered his resignation, something he had warned earlier.
Other officials, however, were more restrained in their response and tried to convince the parliamentarians that the players could not be blamed for those defeats since it's all part of the game.
They said it was just not Pakistan's day when they lost those matches.
The standing committee did not look too perturbed with Younus' sudden resignation, which they described as an internal matter of the PCB.
The 31-year-old Younus, who had led Pakistan to Twenty20 World Cup triumph earlier this year, faced harsh criticism after the team crashed out in the semifinal of the Champions Trophy.
A provincial Sports Minister, who happens to be a PCB Governing Council member, raised match-fixing allegations, while others sniffed an Indian conspiracy behind Pakistan's early ouster from the tournament in South Africa.
Wayamba beat Victoria, but misses out on Super8 berth
New Delhi: Wayamba Elevens defeated Victoria Bushrangers by 15 runs in last Group D match of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 but it was not enough for the Sri Lankan side to progress to the next stage of the event as they missed out on net run-rate.
After posting a paltry 118 for nine on the board, Wayamba needed to restrict Victoria under 83 to qualify for the next stage, but they failed to do so, thereby losing out a Super Eight spot to Delhi Daredevils and the Australian side.
Daredevils will now play their first league match in Bangalore on Saturday, and will return to the home turf to round off their league outing.
Brad Hodge top-scored for Victoria in their wayward run-chase with unbeaten 44 off 52 balls, while Andrew McDonald remained not out on 27 off 16 deliveries.
For Wayamba, Chanaka Welegedara was pick of the bowlers, scalping two wickets for 18 from his four overs.
Earlier, Shane Harwood (3/14) ripped apart the Wayamba Elevens batting line up while Clint MCKay (2/24) and Andrew McDonald (2/19) complemented him ably to restrict Wayamba to a paltry 118 for nine.
Jeevantha Kulatunga (42 off 39 balls) and Michael Vandort (42 off 44) were the lone bright spot in the Wayamba batting chart with the duo sharing 81 runs for second wicket but still could not manage to guide the Sri Lankan side total past 120 mark.
Defending the modest total, Chanaka Welegedara gave Wayamba a dream start, getting the vital wicket of Rob Quiney with Victoria yet to open their account.
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