- THE BEIJING INDIA REPORT AS MILESTONE AND OPPORTUNITY
SUBJECT: BILATERAL
- The Beijing India Report 2024 highlights lack of gender sensitivity in India’s climate policies.
- Despite relevant laws(POSH Act, Domestic Violence Act), there’s a gap in economic empowerment and fundamental rights.
- Rural women are frontline climate responders, yet face higher exposure to malnutrition, food insecurity, displacement, and mental health issues.
- Pregnant women in India show highest anaemia rates; over 50% lack access to consistent food.
- Unpaid Labour and Time Burden
- Indian women spend nearly 7.8 hours/day on unpaid tasks;projected to rise to 8.3 hours/day by 2050 without intervention.
- Indigenous women’s practices (like forest-based livelihoods) promote sustainable agriculture.
- Their role in policy, food systems, and natural resource management must be recognized and scaled.
- Funding must support inclusive participation of women in green jobs and decision-making.
- Green budgeting and localised adaptation are key to inclusive development.
2. THE CONSERVATION ARGUMENT FOR RESURRECTING DIRE WOLF IS NOT CREDIBLE
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT
- U.S. firm attempts to revive extinct species (e.g., woolly mammoth, dire wolf) using genome editing and cloning techniques.
- Aim: Restore ecosystems and combat climate change (e.g., grasslands absorbing methane).
- Scientific Criticism and Credibility Gaps
- Only 20 genes edited in dire wolf; output is a “strange-looking gray wolf” with no peer-reviewed validation.
- Critics argue that such speculative projects divert attention and funds from urgent conservation of existing species.
- Projects lack ecological oversight and risk being misused for marketing or nationalist propaganda.
- Funding millions on gene revival while biodiversity continues to decline due to habitat loss is seen as misplaced prioritisation
3. CHINA EU MUST JOINTLY RESIST UNILATERAL BULLYING SAYS XI
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- Criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s “unilateral bullying” via heavy tariffs on Chinese goods.
- Called on the EU to resist such practices jointly with Chinato protect mutual interests and global trade fairness.
- China-EU Trade Importance – China and Europe trade heavily;Spain alone imports €45 billion worth of goods from China annually.
- Xi emphasized maintaining cooperation despite rising tensions with the U.S.
- Pedro Sanchez’s Remarks – Spanish PM supported continued cooperation, despite ongoing global trade tensions.
- Broke with EU’s hardline stance on China during his September 2024 visit, calling for review of EU’s punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
4. TRADE WARS BENEFITS NO ONE WE BELIEVE IN POWER OF OPEN MARKETS, FREE AND FAIR COMPETITION A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- Tajani welcomed President Trump’s 90-day tariff pause, urging for similar negotiations between the EU and U.S.
- Emphasized zero tariffs as the ideal for boosting international commerce and business confidence.
- EU-India Bilateral Trade & Investment Agreement (BTIA) Both sides committed to finalizing BTIA in 2025; the current political will is stronger than in previous attempts.
- Main hurdles: India’s market access barriers, especially in wine, spirits, agriculture, and dairy products.
- Tajani highlighted a need for balanced terms tailored specifically to the EU, not identical to those in U.S.-India deals.
- On Trump’s Approach
- Criticized the lack of EU consultation by the U.S., including on contentious issues like Greenland.
- Urged open and honest U.S.-EU dialogue to prevent further transatlantic rift.
- IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Corridor) Tajani acknowledged delays due to geopolitical instability, particularly between Israel and its neighbors.
- Italy is proposing to promote IMEC via Trieste Portunder the EU’s Global Gateway initiative as an alternative to China’s “Cotton Road.
5. CHINA IMPOSES 125% TARIFF ON U.S GOODS
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- China raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%in response to the Trump administration’s escalating tariffs (raised to145% on Chinese goods).
- Series of retaliatory hikes between April 2 and April 11 reflect deepening it-for-tat economic standoff
- Diplomatic Implications China’s Customs Tariff Commission labeled the tariffs “a joke in world economic history.”
- Beijing reiterated openness to dialogue but warned of strong countermeasures if U.S. undermines its economic interests.
- Economic & Geopolitical Stakes U.S.-China tariff war risks destabilizing global trade flows, especially for emerging economies.
- This dispute may impact India via supply chain disruptions, trade diversion opportunities, and currency volatility
