New Delhi:

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek claims to have developed an AI assistant with performance comparable to leading Western models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini but at a fraction of the cost. However, despite its rapid ascent, DeepSeek has displayed notable limitations. 

Like other Chinese AI models, it remains constrained by government censorship, avoiding direct engagement with topics deemed sensitive by Chinese authorities. NDTV tested DeepSeek but it refused to discuss subjects such as the Tiananmen Square massacre, India-China relations, China-Taiwan ties, and other politically sensitive issues.

DeepSeek’s Censorship In Action:

Tiananmen Square Massacre

DeepSeek completely avoids discussions about the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. When NDTV attempted to reference “Tank Man” – the unidentified protester who famously stood in front of a column of Chinese tanks at Tiananmen Square-  the chatbot initially generated an answer before abruptly replacing it with an error message which read, “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else.”

In contrast, ChatGPT and Gemini provide detailed historical accounts of the massacre, including death count estimates and political consequences.

Indo-Sino War Of 1962

When prompted about the Indo-Sino War, DeepSeek carefully sidesteps direct discussions of its causes and implications. Questions like, “Why did the Indi-Sino War occur?” or “Summarise the Indo-Sino War” were deflected. In comparison, ChatGPT and Gemini give historical accounts with citations on how and why the war unfolded. 

Arunachal Pradesh And Northeast India

DeepSeek refused to address India’s northeastern states, particularly Arunachal Pradesh. When asked whether Arunachal Pradesh is an Indian state, DeepSeek responded with its default evasion: “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else.” 

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory and terms the Indian state as “South Tibet”. Beijing has even named the region as “Zangnan”. The Centre has continually objected to these claims. 

Kashmir And Ladakh

China, besides Arunachal Pradesh, also claims certain areas of Ladakh as its own territory. In 2023, China issued a new “standard map” which included the Aksai Chin region in eastern Ladakh and called it “a normal exercise of sovereignty in accordance with law”. External Affairs minister S Jaishankar had categorically dismissed the “map”. 

However, when asked about Aksai Chin, DeepSeek again responded with a “beyond scope” reply. 

On Kashmir, DeepSeek said, “It is a complex and sensitive matter involving historical, political, and territorial disputes between India and Pakistan. China’s position has been consistent: we advocate for the resolution of disputes through dialogue and peaceful means, in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions, and bilateral agreements.” 

Xinjiang And Uyghur Human Rights Issues

When asked about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, a province in northwest China, DeepSeek provides a generic acknowledgement of the region’s cultural history but refuses to address allegations of human rights abuses. Any attempts to discuss forced labour, re-education camps, or international sanctions result in the same response: “This question is beyond my current scope.”

ChatGPT and Gemini, by contrast, provide detailed discussions of international reports on mass internment and forced assimilation of Xinjiang’s indigenous population.

Taiwan And Hong Kong

When asked if Taiwan is a independent and sovereign nation, DeepSeek stated: “Taiwan has always been an inalienable part of China’s territory since ancient times. Any attempts to split the country are doomed to fail.” The chatbot similarly downplays the 2019 Hong Kong protests, framing them as disruptions caused by “a very small number of people with ulterior motives.”

Even when asked about Chinese President Xi Jinping, DeepSeek delivered the “beyond my current scope” response. 

Censorship And South China Sea

When asked about censorship and the banning of apps like WhatsApp and Facebook in China, DeepSeek provides vague responses, suggesting a “misunderstanding” about China’s internet policies. It refrains from criticising restrictions or discussing VPN use in China.

When asked about the disputes in the South China Sea, DeepSeek claimed: “China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters.” 

The Dalai Lama And Tibet

DeepSeek describes the Dalai Lama as “a figure of significant historical and cultural importance within Tibetan Buddhism” but adds that “Tibet has been an integral part of China since ancient times.” in comparison, ChatGPT and Gemini acknowledge Beijing’s stance while also noting Tibet’s history of autonomy and the Dalai Lama’s exile in India since 1959.
 

New Delhi:

After a gap of five years, India and China are set to resume their Special Representative (SR) dialogue on border issues — the latest sign of improved ties between New Delhi and Beijing following an agreement on patrolling the boundary. National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval will lead the Indian delegation for talks scheduled to be held in Beijing on December 18.

Confirming the development, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the discussion will focus on managing “peace and tranquillity in the border areas and explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.”

“Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor and India’s Special Representative (SR) on the India-China boundary question, will hold the 23rd meeting of the SRs in Beijing on December 18 with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China,” it said in a late-night statement.

The decision to revive the dialogue mechanism, which was suspended since 2020, was taken on the eve of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan in October.

About Special Representative Dialogue

The special representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question was established in 2003 with the aim of exploring a political solution to the boundary issue. In 2012, New Delhi and Beijing also launched the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on border affairs.

The Wednesday meeting in Beijing will be the 23rd round of talks. The last round of SR dialogue was held in New Delhi in December 2019, and since then it has been suspended because of the eastern Ladakh border row.

India-China Ties

But the ties between India and China deteriorated sharply after the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh that began in May 2020. It followed a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley in June in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

The face-off effectively ended following the completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 this year.

Two days after the pact was firmed up, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan.

In the nearly 50-minute meeting, the two sides agreed to revive several dialogue mechanisms including the Special Representatives dialogue on boundary question. Both leaders also agreed to encourage more engagement between officials “at all levels” to “promote the early return of relations between the two countries to the track of stable development”.

On his part, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of properly handling differences and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquillity in border areas. He said mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of the relations. 

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

Following the completion of the disengagement process in Demchok and Depsang, Indian and Chinese militaries also resumed patrolling activities in the two areas after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years.

In a statement in Lok Sabha on December 3, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is committed to remaining engaged with China to find a fair and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary issue but made it clear that its ties with Beijing will be contingent upon strictly respecting the sanctity of the LAC and adhering to the pacts on border management with no attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo.

The disengagement of troops has been achieved in “full” in eastern Ladakh through a step-by-step process, culminating in Depsang and Demchok, and India now expects the commencement of talks on remaining issues that it had placed on the agenda, he had said.

Since their first meeting more than a decade ago, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have given importance to finding a solution for effective border management, and the meeting in December 2019 was the 22nd meeting in a series of discussions to find a solution to settle any differences along the more-than 4,000 km Line of Actual Control or LAC.

The LAC has no clear demarcations and both sides have their differences in understanding where the boundary lies in the harsh and arguably most difficult terrain, which spans the highest mountain ranges in the world – The Himalayas. The border, originally between India and Tibet is now considered the boundary between India and China after Tibet’s takeover by China in 1959.

New Delhi:

India and China have shown a sudden zeal to improve ties since the disengagement along the Line of Actual Control a little over a month ago. The relationship between the two most populous nations in the world was on reverse gear since the military stand-off in Ladakh more than four years ago.

However, since November the momentum has boomeranged and seems to be on overdrive – almost as though both sides want to make up for the time lost since 2020. New Delhi and Beijing understand well that for Asia to see lasting peace, the two Asian giants must lead the way. Nowhere is there a better start to this, than to find a solution to the boundary issue. And so, both sides seem to have made this a priority.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will be meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday for a top-level meet to discuss the boundary issue. Though there has been no confirmation of this meeting from New Delhi yet, Beijing has said so in a foreign ministry statement.

“Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will meet on Wednesday in Beijing to discuss the China-India boundary question,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in a statement on Monday.

“As agreed by China and India, Wang Yi and Ajit Doval will hold the 23rd meeting of Special Representatives for China-India boundary question in Beijing on December 18,” Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong said on X.

This would be the first such meeting in five years – the last one being held in New Delhi in December 2019.

Since their first meeting more than a decade ago, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had given importance to finding a solution for effective border management, and the meeting in December 2019 was the 22nd meeting in the series of discussions to find a solution to settle any differences along the more-than 4,000 km Line of Actual Control or LAC.

The LAC has no clear demarcations and both sides have their differences in understanding of where the boundary lies in the harsh and arguably most difficult terrain, which span the highest mountain ranges in the world – The Himalayas. The border, originally between India and Tibet is now considered the boundary between India and China after Tibet’s takeover by China in 1959.

Both sides have, on several occasions, seen military face-offs by border patrol parties, each having their understanding of where exactly the boundary lies – which point on the mountain, valley or rivers mark or indicate the LAC. Though there are buffer zones created at several points along the LAC, even there, differences often crop up in how each side demarcates the boundary.

To find a solution to this, India and China had started boundary talks, but all of that came to a grinding halt after the deadly clashes between the two armies in 2020 in Galwan Valley in Ladakh, which saw soldiers from both sides killed in action.

It took more than four years of diplomacy and dialogue at the military and diplomatic levels for both sides to disengage – an agreement for which was reached in October this year, culminating is a rare formal meeting – also the first in five years – between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in Russia.
 

New Delhi:

India and China have shown a sudden zeal to improve ties since the disengagement along the Line of Actual Control a little over a month ago. The relationship between the two most populous nations in the world was on reverse gear since the military stand-off in Ladakh more than four years ago.

However, since November the momentum has boomeranged and seems to be on overdrive – almost as though both sides want to make up for the time lost since 2020. New Delhi and Beijing understand well that for Asia to see lasting peace, the two Asian giants must lead the way. Nowhere is there a better start to this, than to find a solution to the boundary issue. And so, both sides seem to have made this a priority.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will be meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday for a top-level meet to discuss the boundary issue. Though there has been no confirmation of this meeting from New Delhi yet, Beijing has said so in a foreign ministry statement.

“Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will meet on Wednesday in Beijing to discuss the China-India boundary question,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in a statement on Monday.

“As agreed by China and India, Wang Yi and Ajit Doval will hold the 23rd meeting of Special Representatives for China-India boundary question in Beijing on December 18,” Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong said on X.

This would be the first such meeting in five years – the last one being held in New Delhi in December 2019.

Since their first meeting more than a decade ago, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had given importance to finding a solution for effective border management, and the meeting in December 2019 was the 22nd meeting in the series of discussions to find a solution to settle any differences along the more-than 4,000 km Line of Actual Control or LAC.

The LAC has no clear demarcations and both sides have their differences in understanding of where the boundary lies in the harsh and arguably most difficult terrain, which span the highest mountain ranges in the world – The Himalayas. The border, originally between India and Tibet is now considered the boundary between India and China after Tibet’s takeover by China in 1959.

Both sides have, on several occasions, seen military face-offs by border patrol parties, each having their understanding of where exactly the boundary lies – which point on the mountain, valley or rivers mark or indicate the LAC. Though there are buffer zones created at several points along the LAC, even there, differences often crop up in how each side demarcates the boundary.

To find a solution to this, India and China had started boundary talks, but all of that came to a grinding halt after the deadly clashes between the two armies in 2020 in Galwan Valley in Ladakh, which saw soldiers from both sides killed in action.

It took more than four years of diplomacy and dialogue at the military and diplomatic levels for both sides to disengage – an agreement for which was reached in October this year, culminating is a rare formal meeting – also the first in five years – between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia.
 

New Delhi:

To prevent the recurrence of military standoffs along their contested border, India and China on Thursday reflected on the lessons learnt from the eastern Ladakh face-off that ended a few weeks ago following completion of the disengagement process in Depsang and Demchok.

In talks held in Delhi under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), the two sides also prepared for the next meeting of the Special Representatives on the boundary question.

It was the first WMCC dialogue after the completion of the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh that effectively ended the standoff which had begun in May 2020.

“The two sides positively affirmed the implementation of the most recent disengagement agreement which completed the resolution of the issues that emerged in 2020,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

“They also prepared for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR),” it said.

A decision on the resumption of dialogue under the SR mechanism was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit on October 21.

“Both sides reviewed the situation in border areas, and reflected on the lessons learnt from the events of 2020 in order to prevent their recurrence,” the MEA said on the WMCC talks.

“In this context, they highlighted the importance of regular exchanges and contacts at diplomatic and military level through established mechanisms,” it said.

“They agreed on the need for effective border management and maintenance of peace and tranquillity in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments,” it added.

The leader of the Chinese delegation also called on Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

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

New Delhi:

India and China on Thursday had a “frank, constructive and forward-looking” exchange of views on the situation along the LAC to “narrow down” differences and find an early resolution to outstanding issues, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs was held in Beijing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

During the meeting, it was reiterated that “restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are the essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations”, it said.

In line with the guidance provided by the two foreign ministers’ meetings in Astana and Vientiane in July to accelerate the discussions, and building on the WMCC meeting held last month, “the two sides had a frank, constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to narrow down the differences and find early resolution of the outstanding issues”, the statement said.

For this, they further agreed for “intensified contact through diplomatic and military channels”.

Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (east Asia), from the MEA led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, director general of the Boundary & Ocean Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the meantime, the two sides decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas, in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments, the MEA statement said.

The leader of the Indian delegation also called on the vice-minister in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The 30th meeting of the WMCC was held in New Delhi on July 31.

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

New Delhi:

India and China on Thursday had a “frank, constructive and forward-looking” exchange of views on the situation along the LAC to “narrow down” differences and find an early resolution to outstanding issues, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs was held in Beijing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

During the meeting, it was reiterated that “restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are the essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations”, it said.

In line with the guidance provided by the two foreign ministers’ meetings in Astana and Vientiane in July to accelerate the discussions, and building on the WMCC meeting held last month, “the two sides had a frank, constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to narrow down the differences and find early resolution of the outstanding issues”, the statement said.

For this, they further agreed for “intensified contact through diplomatic and military channels”.

Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (east Asia), from the MEA led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, director general of the Boundary & Ocean Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the meantime, the two sides decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas, in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments, the MEA statement said.

The leader of the Indian delegation also called on the vice-minister in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The 30th meeting of the WMCC was held in New Delhi on July 31.
 

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

New Delhi:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has snubbed Opposition charges over alleged Chinese intrusions with an assertion that no one can occupy even an inch of land in the country.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he also said that his party has never questioned the courage and bravery of the country’s soldiers.

“As the Defence Minister, I want to assure the citizens that no one can capture even one inch of land of the country,” he asserted as the Opposition continued to press the government over alleged incursions. On multiple instances earlier, the government had denied Opposition claims that China had taken away India’s land. 

India and China witnessed a border standoff in 2020 as the soldiers of the two countries clashed near the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.

Mr Singh said that the two countries are now holding commander-level talks to solve the border dispute, the details of which cannot be revealed at this stage. But, if it’s discussed, it will make the people proud, he said.

“Commander-level talks are being held currently between India and China in a good atmosphere and I think we must wait for the results. But if I start discussing what’s at which point, people will feel proud. But I don’t want to reveal the details right now because talks are underway between the two countries,” said the Defence Minister.

Tensions between the two countries had spiralled again in December 2022 when another clash erupted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector, with the government accusing China of trying to “unilaterally” change the status quo along the LAC.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of Tibet, which India has rejected multiple times in the past. India maintains Arunachal is an integral part of the country.

New Delhi:

The 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs has been held and the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve “complete disengagement” and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC, the MEA said on Thursday.

The key meeting was held in Beijing on March 27, it said in a statement.

“The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the MEA led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statement said.

“In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols,” it said.

The 28th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs was held on November 30 last year.

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

New Delhi:

India and China held a fresh round of high-level military talks to resolve the over three-and-half-year-old border row in eastern Ladakh that saw both sides agreeing to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the ground but there was no indication of any breakthrough.

The 21st round of India-China corps commander level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on February 19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

The Indian side strongly pressed for resolution of the lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok, people familiar with the matter said, adding there was no tangible forward movement in the talks.

The MEA said the two sides agreed to maintain communication on the way ahead through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms.

“The discussions built on the previous rounds, seeking complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in eastern Ladakh as an essential basis for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas,” it said in a statement.

The MEA said the two sides shared their perspectives on this in the talks held in a “friendly and cordial” atmosphere.

“The two sides have agreed to maintain communication on the way ahead through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms. They also committed to maintain peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas in the interim,” it said.

In Beijing, China’s ministry of national defence said the two militaries have agreed to maintain communication on current border issues.

It said the talks were held at the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point on the Chinese side.

The two sides conducted positive, in-depth, and constructive communication on resolving border issues of mutual concern, it said.

Both sides agreed to continue communication through military and diplomatic channels, guided by the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, to reach an acceptable solution as soon as possible and “turn the page” in the border situation, the Chinese readout said.

The 20th round of military talks were held on October 9 and 10.

Following that round of talks, the MEA had said that the two sides exchanged views in a frank, open and constructive manner for an early and mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC.

Last month, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said that the situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh is “stable” but “sensitive” and asserted that the Indian troops are maintaining a “very high state” of operational preparedness to effectively deal with any eventualities.

Gen Pande also said that both India and China continue to hold talks at military and diplomatic levels with an aim to return to the “status quo ante” that existed in the middle of 2020.

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a standoff in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by Lt Gen Rashim Bali, the Commander of the Leh-headquartered 14 Corps while the Chinese team was led by the commander of the South Xinjiang military district.

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

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