Indian economy returns to growth
NUCLEAR NEIGHBOURS PUSH FOR QUICK RESOLUTION TO BORDER CRISIS
India’s economy has ended its first recession since independence just in time to battle new challenges posed by a surge in Covid-19 infections. The economy expanded 0.4 per cent in the three months ended December after two consecutive quarters of declines. The recovery is expected to gather pace amid signs of a pick-up in consumer demand and government spending. India will halt vaccinations this weekend to upgrade software as it expands the programme. The state of Maharashtra, whose capital Mumbai accounts for 6 per cent of India’s economy, warned of a lockdown after daily cases rose to almost 7,000 last week. India reported more than 16,000 new cases yesterday
India and China have agreed to set up a hotline between their foreign ministers as the two nuclear-armed neighbours look to reduce tensions along a disputed Himalayan border where their troops have been locked in confrontation since last summer.
The decision was reached at a lengthy call between the two foreign ministers on Thursday, India’s foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday, adding that New Delhi was pushing for an quick resolution to the border crisis.
“A prolongation of the existing situation was not in the interest of either side,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement citing the conversation between foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and China’s Wang Yi.
Troop pull back
On Sunday, both countries said their troops had pulled out from a lake area in the western Himalayan region of Ladakh, where thousands of soldiers backed by tanks and artillery have been facing off since April.
As per an agreement announced by India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh in February, the two countries will now hold talks to end proximity deployments in other parts of Ladakh.
“Once disengagement is completed at all friction points, then the two sides could also look at broader de-escalation of troops in the area and work towards restoration of peace and tranquillity,” the foreign ministry statement said.
The standoff in Ladakh began last April, when India said Chinese soldiers had intruded deep into its side of the Line of Actual Control, or the de facto border.
China said its troops were operating in its own area, accusing Indian soldiers of provocative actions.
In June, troops clashed in Ladakh’s Galwan valley, where hand-to-hand combat left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Last week, Beijing said that four of its soldiers had been killed in the clash.
India and China share an undemarcated 3,800-km long border, where their troops previously adhered to protocols to avoid the use of any firearms.