Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered to “break new ground” to give a fillip to the China-France ties, days after French President Emmanuel Macron’s high-profile visit to India during which the two countries unveiled an ambitious defence roadmap besides intensifying cooperation in the strategic Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region.

Macron’s visit to India also coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France.

In his message on the occasion, Xi said “As today’s world is once again at a critical crossroads, China and France should jointly open up a path of peace, security, prosperity and progress for human development.”

Xi said China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral ties and he stands ready to work with Macron to take the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an “opportunity to uphold fundamental principles, break new ground, build on past achievements, open up a new future, and make China-France comprehensive strategic partnership more solid and dynamic,” the official media reported.

China has offered to step up French imports to the country, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

“We will continue to unleash consumer and investment market demand, continue to expand the import of high-quality products and services from France”, he said and hoped that France too will provide Chinese companies with a fair, just and predictable business environment.

China prioritises ties with France as Macron is pushing Europe to become a third bloc, a balancing force between the US and China.

Hailing China-France ties, Chinese official media has called for stepping up cooperation in high-tech areas.

“Scientific and technological cooperation between France and China has been a cornerstone of their relationship. From aerospace and the nuclear industry to renewable energy, the two countries have made significant strides in joint research and development”, state-run China Daily said in its editorial.

President Macron was the sixth leader from France to be the chief guest at India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on January 26.

Beijing kept a wary watch on Macron’s visit to India as Paris is emerging as a key defence partner to New Delhi amid efforts by the US and European Union to court India as a counterweight to counter China.

After Macron’s talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries unveiled an ambitious defence industrial roadmap to co-develop critical military hardware besides firming up cooperation in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region, a key area of concern for China.

“Defence and security partnership has been the cornerstone of India-France partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes a comprehensive range of bilateral, multinational, regional and institutional initiatives, especially in the Indian Ocean Region”, the joint statement issued after Macron’s visit to India said.

“They also agreed to intensify their cooperation in the Southwest Indian Ocean, building on the joint surveillance missions carried out from the French island territory of La Reunion in 2020 and 2022”, it said.

The intensification of India-France cooperation in the Indian Ocean concerns China as it tries to make forays in India’s backyard.

The US, India and several other world powers have been discussing the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The 69th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2024 with Gujarat Tourism wrapped today at GIFT City. Between stylish red carpet looks, candid moments and winning speeches, the night will go down as one of the most memorable celebrations of Hindi cinema. 

Ranbir Kapoor came in all guns blazing (literally), Kareena Kapoor Khan once against proved why she is everyone’s favourite and Janhvi Kapoor wowed audiences with her moves. And these are just a few highlights of the evening. 

Check out these unmissable inside pics: 

In Keragodu village of Karnataka’s Mandya, a controversy over a Hanuman flag has led to political confrontations, protests, and police intervention. The incident took place last week when a group of men erected a 108-foot flagpole and raised a Hanuman flag.

The village panchayat had granted permission for the installation of the flagpole, but complaints were filed against it, prompting officials to request the removal of the Hanuman flag. Villagers, however, stood firm in their decision, accusing a few individuals of attempting to politicise the matter.  A large police contingent was deployed, and members of the BJP, JD(S), and Bajrang Dal joined villagers in protesting against the removal.

Protests escalated on Saturday when villagers closed their shops in defiance. Yesterday, Gram Panchayat officials visited the village to remove the flag, leading to a gathering of villagers chanting slogans of ‘Go Back’ in protest against the officials.

The controversy took a political turn when banners of local Congress MLA Ravi Kumar were vandalised during the protests. In response, police presence was heightened in the region, anticipating further unrest.

BJP leaders and Hindu activists strongly condemned the removal of the flag. The BJP announced plans to hold protests in all districts of Karnataka, with a specific protest scheduled at Mysuru Bank Circle in Bengaluru today.

To quell the unrest, police resorted to lathi charge and replacing the Hanuman flag with the national flag on the flagpole. Official sources revealed that the flag post’s installation was funded by residents of Keragodu and 12 neighboring villages, with the active involvement of BJP and JD(S) workers.

Opposition parties criticised the Congress-led government for the police intervention, with BJP leader R Ashoka condemning the government’s “anti-Hindu stance.” He argued that the Hanuman flag was raised with the gram panchayat’s approval, questioning the sudden removal by the Congress government.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded to the situation, expressing concern that a ‘bhagwa dwaja’ (saffron flag) had been raised instead of the national flag. 

“It is not right. I have asked (the authorities concerned) to hoist the national flag.” 

The District In-charge Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy clarified that the flagpole’s location falls under the panchayat’s jurisdiction, and permission was initially obtained for hoisting the national flag on Republic Day.

“There may be politics behind it (the installation of the Hanuman flag replacing the National Flag). I don’t know who is behind it …This country works under democracy and the Constitution. Tomorrow they may say they want to hoist the flag (saffron flag) in front of the DC’s office. Can it be allowed? If it is permitted at one place, it will extend to other places. This is the only reservation,” he said.

“We are not here to hurt our youth. I have spoken to officials, police and youths. We are ready to install the Hanuman flag at a private place or near a temple. We will support them. We too are Rama Bhaktas,” he added.