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Trump threatens to jack up the tax on Chinese imports after Beijing restricts export of rare earths

China signalled on Sunday that it would not back down in the face of a 100 per cent tariff threat from President Donald Trump, urging the US to resolve differences through negotiations instead of threats.

“China’s stance is consistent,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement posted online. “We do not want a tariff war but we are not afraid of one.”

The response came two days after Trump threatened to jack up the tax on imports from China by November 1 in response to new Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earths, a key ingredient for many consumer and military products.

The back and forth threatens to derail a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping and end a truce in a tariff war in which new tariffs from both sides briefly topped 100 per cent in April.

Trump has raised taxes on imports from many US trading partners this year, seeking to win concessions in return for tariff reductions. China has been one of the few countries that hasn’t backed down, relying on its economic clout.

“Frequently resorting to the threat of high tariffs is not the correct way to get along with China,” the Commerce Ministry said in its online post, which was presented as a series of answers from an unnamed spokesperson to questions from unspecified media outlets.

The statement called for addressing any concerns through dialogue.

“If the US side obstinately insists on its practice, China will be sure to resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the post said.

Both sides accuse the other of violating the spirit of the truce by imposing new restrictions on trade.

Trump said China is “becoming very hostile” and that it’s holding the world captive by restricting access to rare earth metals and magnets.

China’s new regulations require foreign companies to get special approval to export items that contain even small traces of rare earths elements sourced from China.

These critical minerals are needed in a broad range of products, from jet engines, radar systems and electric vehicles to consumer electronics including laptops and phones.

China accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the world’s rare earths mining and controls roughly 90 per cent of global rare earths processing. Access to the material is a key point of contention in trade talks between Washington and Beijing.

The ministry post said that export licenses would be granted for legitimate civilian uses, noting that the minerals also have military applications.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry post said that the US has introduced several new restrictions in recent weeks, including expanding the number of Chinese companies subject to US export controls.

It also said that the US is ignoring Chinese concerns by going forward with new port fees on Chinese ships that take effect on Tuesday. China announced Friday that it would impose port fees on American ships in response.

The Taliban-led government’s Defence Ministry says its forces have conducted ‘retaliatory and successful operations’

Pakistan seized 19 Afghan military posts and “terrorist hideouts” in response to what it termed “unprovoked” attacks by Afghan forces in the border areas, security sources said on Sunday, while Kabul claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 others injured during the retaliatory operations.

The Taliban-led government’s Defence Ministry confirmed the attacks early on Sunday, saying that its forces had conducted “retaliatory and successful operations”.

“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response,” the ministry said.

Afghan forces targeted Pakistani posts at Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, said that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and around 30 wounded during the operations on Saturday night, Tolo News reported.

Mujahid added that during the retaliatory operations across the Durand Line, 20 Pakistani security outposts were destroyed, and numerous weapons and military equipment seized.

He said that nine Afghan soldiers were killed and 16 others were wounded in the operations, according to the report.

The spokesperson said that the operation was halted at midnight following requests from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, it added.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the Taliban attacks on border posts “unprovoked”, accusing them of firing at civilians.

“Firing by Afghan forces on the civilian population is a blatant violation of international laws. Pakistan’s brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated,” he said.

He said Pakistan’s forces are alert, and Afghanistan is being answered with “stones for bricks”.

The situation deteriorated between the neighbours following repeated terrorist attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), allegedly using the Afghan soil, including one in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district last week, which claimed the lives of 11 military personnel, including a Lt Colonel and a Major.

On Thursday night, explosions were reported from the Afghan capital. Kabul blamed Islamabad for the attacks, but the Pakistani army refused to confirm or deny its involvement.

Apparently prompted by the Kabul strikes, the Afghan security forces targeted attacks against Pakistan on Saturday night.

Pakistan launched its retaliatory response early on Sunday, hitting several border areas and destroying border posts, the state media reported.

There was no official statement or comments from the Pakistan Army on the development.

However, security sources confirmed that Pakistani forces deployed at the international border “targeted several Afghan border posts”, adding that there were reports of significant damage inflicted on multiple Afghan posts and militant formations.

“So far, Pakistan has captured 19 Afghan posts on the Afghan border from where attacks were being launched on Pakistan,” state broadcaster PTV News said on X, citing security sources.

They claimed “several Afghan soldiers were killed” and militant formations were forced to retreat due to the “effective and intense retaliation by Pakistani forces”

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the third production line of jet

Ajay Banerjee

The plane’s maiden flight is expected to pave the way for induction of these jets into the Indian Air Force. File photo

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), public sector plane maker, on Friday said the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jet will make its maiden flight from a facility in Nasik on October 17.

Also, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the third production line of jet – the first two lines are in Bengaluru.

The plane’s maiden flight is expected to pave the way for induction of these jets into the Indian Air Force. Deliveries are presently 18-months behind schedule.

Though HAL is a listed company, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) holds a majority stake.

The MoD had signed two separate contracts with HAL for producing 180 of the Tejas Mark- 1A jets. The first contract for Rs 48,000 crore was inked in January 2021 for the supply of 83 jets. Last month, the MoD signed another contract for procurement of 97 Tejas Mark-1A for Rs 62,370 crore.

The contract for 97 jets is in addition to the 83 aircraft already ordered, making it a collective order of 180 Tejas Mark 1A jets. 

In the latest contract, the government has made a firm push towards self-reliance, the aircraft will have an indigenous content of almost 64 per cent, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous contract of the 83 jets of the same plane signed in January 2021. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as the ‘Uttam’ Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, electronic protection suite will further strengthen the Aatmanirbharta initiatives.

HAL is facing a delay in supply of F-404 engines for the Tejas Mark-1A from US company General Electric. Almost a dozen jets are ready at the HAL facility, but only four engines have been supplied by the GE, so far. In turn, this has meant not a single jet has been delivered to IAF, which is battling a dwindling combat strength. Deliveries should have commenced in March 2024 and the engines should have started coming a year prior to that date.

Tejas programme is to help the IAF to replace its fleet of MiG- 21s, which were finally being phased at ceremony at Chandigarh, last month.

Separately, the IAF already has 40 Tejas Mark1 jets.

The IAF presently has 29 squadrons (16-18 planes each) of fighter jets against the mandate of 42 to tackle a collusive two-front threat against Pakistan and China.

The IAF’s fleets of Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, all inducted in phases during the 1980s, are slated to retire in batches beyond 2029-30. These four types of jets are about 230-250 in number and are presently operating on an extended life cycle.

According to the plan, India needs to produce some 500 fighter jets for the IAF in the next two decades.

A Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has granted six weeks’ time to amicus curiae advocate SS Ahmed to visit the Mughal Road to inspect the implementation process for recommendations regarding safety of the road for commuters.

The Bench comprised Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal. The six weeks were granted with a view to submit a report with regard to the implementation process undertaken by the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and Government of J&K on the recommendations/ report of the expert committee constituted by the Division Bench on December 7, 2023. The committee had visited the vulnerable sites on National Highway-244, the road connecting Batote to Kishtwar via Doda under NHIDCL.

When the three public interest litigations (PILs) in this regard came up for hearing, the amicus curiae with advocates Supriya Chouhan and M Zulkarnain Chowdhary appearing for the petitioners submitted that pursuant to the Division Bench order dated April 22, the amicus curiae along with two petitioners — Syed Asim Hashmi (the then president, Bar Association, Doda) and Asif Iqbal Bhat (social activist) undertook the visit of the vulnerable spots on National Highway-244 in particular to carry out spot inspection of the sites along the NH i.e. Batote, Doda, Kishtwar.

Ahmed further submitted that necessary exercise has substantially been carried out and a detailed report dated August 20 in this regard has since been submitted. He further submitted that due to inclement weather, the amicus could not visit Mughal Road and, therefore, some more time would be required to complete the exercise.

Mughal Road connects Rajouri and Poonch district of Jammu region with Kashmir and is used by thousands of commuters as it is an alternative road to Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

No casualties or damage reported, say officials

Four landmines and a mortar shell exploded near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district without causing any harm to human lives, officials said on Thursday.

The mortar shell buried underground went off when an earth-mover was digging the land at Sagra village in Mankote area on Thursday morning, the officials said. The driver of the excavator escaped unhurt in the explosion that rocked the area.

A police team was rushed to the scene following the explosion to probe the matter. The mortar shell apparently remained unexploded during cross-border shelling, the officials said.

Had gone missing on intervening night of Oct 6 & 7

The body of the second missing Army paratrooper was found on Friday morning from the Gadool forests of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said here.

On Thursday, body of another soldier had been recovered, days after the two had gone missing during an operation in the high-altitude Gadool area, promoting authorities to launch a massive search operation.

A senior official told The Tribune that the second body has also been found from the same area. He said the deaths are weather-related. Indian Army is yet to issue a statement.

Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said on X late on Wednesday night that on the intervening night of October 6 and 7, an “operational team in the Kishtwar range encountered a severe snowstorm and whiteout conditions in the mountains of south Kashmir.”

“Since then, two soldiers have lost communication. Intense search and rescue operations have been launched, but progress has been hampered by prevailing adverse weather conditions,” the Army had said.

Says he was questioned about Chinese, Pakistani funding

An ex-Army man, who served in the Army for 17 years and was among those arrested after the September 24 violence in Leh, has alleged that during the questioning by the Ladakh Police, he was asked about “Chinese and Pakistan funding” and even called “anti-national”. He is now out on bail.

Violence had broken out in Leh town, leaving four people dead and nearly 100 injured in security forces’ firing on September 24. The police launched a crackdown and arrested over 70 people. The court, however, has released half of the arrested persons on bail.

Talking to The Tribune, 42-year-old Tundup Namgyal said he had put up a post on an ex-Armymen WhatsApp group informing through a voice note about the hunger strike held from September 10 in Leh. He was detained on the day when the violence took place.

Released from jail on October 2, Namgyal, also an ex-nambardar and now a businessman, also alleged that he was beaten up as soon as he was taken to the police station. “Upon reaching the police station, they started beating me. I was told that I am anti-national. They asked how much funds do I get from China? How much funds do I get from Pakistan? How much funds does Sonam Wangchuk give you? Give the names of 5-6 boys,” said Namgyal, who is also president of Ex-servicemen Association in Durbuk block.

Namgyal said he continuously told them that he has served the country for 17 years and cannot think about any activity which goes against the country. “I retired in August 2018. I served in Siachen glacier twice, on the India-China border twice. I even served in the UN peacekeeping force in 2011…but I am very disappointed that I have been called anti-national and I have to face allegations like these,” he said.

Namgyal said that people like him are ready to “die for the country.”

“But democracy is completely destroyed here. This is not the way you treat your own men,” he said.

According to Namgyal, people have been raising genuine demands and the administration should listen to the people. “Our four-point demand should be fulfilled,” he said.

Leh Apex Body (LAB), which is one of the two groups spearheading the ongoing movement for statehood and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, this week said that the body has raised the issue of “harassment” of nambardars (village heads) who were questioned by the UT Police.

LAB co-chairman Cherring Dorjay Lakruk had said on Wednesday that LAB has taken up this matter with the administration. The Ladakh police haven’t issued any statement with regard to these allegations.