Sowmiya Ashok
Sowmiya Ashok is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She reports on politics and the environment. She tweets @sowmiyashok
Articles By Sowmiya Ashok
Explained: What to expect from the second Belt and Road Forum
The second Belt and Road Forum is under way in Beijing. What has changed in this massive Chinese initiative since the first forum two years ago? How does Beijing see the BRI today — and how does the world see it?
Chinese think tank says countries interfering in its overseas port projects
The report specifically cites the example of India’s involvement in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port and its investment in Iran’s Chabahar port which the report says is only “100 km away from Gwadar port” a crucial part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Foreign Secy shared all evidence on Masood Azhar with China: MEA
China Monday said that common interests “far outweigh” the differences between China and India.
India, China should be sensitive to each other’s concerns: Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale
The bilateral meeting between India and China comes ahead of the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF), scheduled to be held in Beijing later this week. It also follows India’s efforts to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UNSC, over which China placed a technical hold on the proposal.
Death’s End: Learnings about Tomb Sweeping Day in China
At the Qingming Festival in China, notes on remembrance.
Alibaba chief fuels China debate on: 12-hour day, 6-day week
“If you don’t work 996 when you are young, when will you? Do you think never having to work 996 in your life is an honour to boast about?” Alibaba group founder and billionaire Jack Ma said.
Beijing-based stock image provider watermarks black hole image, gets shut down
China Daily reported that the picture of the black hole, unveiled Wednesday, was added to Visual China’s stock with a copyright claim, “meaning anyone using the image without paying Visual China would be infringing on the copyright”.
‘World’s biggest exercise’: Media in China focuses on scale of Indian elections
State-owned China Daily and Chinese news agency Xinhua also had reports on India’s “mega-election” while CGTN termed it “the world’s biggest exercise in democracy”.
China, India responsible for half of world’s air pollution deaths in 2017: report
The State Of Global Air report 2019, produced by the Boston-based Health Effects Institute (HEI), noted that air pollution collectively reduced life expectancy by 1 year and 8 months on average worldwide, rivaling that of smoking.
Telling Numbers: Of deaths due to toxic air in 2017, half in China and India, claims report
The report found that long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 contributed to 2.9 million deaths in 2017, making PM2.5 exposure responsible for 5.2% of all global deaths.
Air pollution killed 1.2 million people in India in 2017, says report; bigger killer than smoking
The report notes air pollution exposure collectively reduces life expectancy by 20 months on average worldwide. Across the world, air pollution is responsible for more deaths than many better-known risk factors such as malnutrition, alcohol use and physical inactivity, states the report.
China says US move to blacklist JeM chief ‘setting bad example’
China also said it was making “positive progress” by working with various parties at the United Nations.
A Selfie in Fuzhou: In one man’s photographs of himself over 60 years, lie glimpses of Chinese history
Ye Jinglu's “personal image history” would begin in Fuzhou, the capital of southeastern China’s Fujian province, where he returned to manage the business of running a teashop and pawnshop.
US moves draft to blacklist Masood Azhar, China says it complicates issue
The US on Wednesday circulated the draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council to blacklist Azhar and subject him to a travel ban, an assets freeze, and an arms embargo.
‘Act cautiously’: China tells US after its move to blacklist Masood Azhar at UN
"This is not in line and is not conducive to the solidarity and will only complex the issue. We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft," China said.
China destroys nearly 30,000 maps for showing Arunachal as part of India
According to the report, the maps, printed by a company in Anhui province in eastern China for export, “failed to show the correct territory of China” and “omitted South Tibet and the island of Taiwan”.
Will support Pak’s territorial integrity, no matter what: China
Speaking in Beijing at the first-ever China-Pakistan Foreign Minister-level strategic dialogue, Wang said: “No matter how things change in the world and in the region, China will firmly support Pakistan in upholding its sovereign independence and territorial integrity and dignity.”
Mumbai attacks one of the most notorious terror strikes: China
The paper comes days after China put a technical hold on India’s bid in the UNSC to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a “global terrorist”. The JeM had claimed responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel and saw escalations between India and Pakistan.
New course gives Chinese a taste of Tamil language, culture
The students learn from the greatest Tamil works instead: from Thiruvalluvar’s Thirukkural, a classic Tamil text comprising thousands of couplets, Subramania Bharati’s poems and lines from Sangam literature. Three times a week, Zhou teaches them Tamil texts.
India didn’t offer new proof to support blacklisting of Masood Azhar: Global Times
In a short video, Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin said Indian nationalists “making a fuss of the issue reflects their shallowness. China is India’s friend not a hostage of Indian nationalism.”
