China reacts as India-Japan ties deepen, Modi heads to New Zealand

Newdelhi,UPDATED: Jul 3, 2026 20:06 IST

A series of international developments on Friday touched on diplomacy, trade, public health and law enforcement, with India featuring in some of the key announcements. China commented on India-Japan ties after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to Delhi, New Zealand said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel there next week, and Indian officials prepared to challenge a proposed US tariff move.

Elsewhere, at least 40 people were killed in a bus accident in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police in Lahore arrested four suspects in the alleged gangrape of two foreigners, and Pakistan's top civilian and military leaders reached Tehran for the funeral of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In Nepal, a Buddhist monastery rebuilt with Indian help won a UNESCO conservation award, while in the UK the NHS launched a walking challenge and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she was leaving X over "abuse and misinformation".

In Beijing, China said bilateral cooperation between countries should not target any third party or undermine the interests of another nation. The comment came a day after India and Japan unveiled a raft of landmark initiatives during Takaichi's visit to Delhi. In Wellington, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced that Modi will make his first official visit to the country next week. In Washington, Indian officials are set to testify before the US Trade Representative next week to counter proposed tariffs on exports, arguing that the findings on forced labour are legally flawed and would hurt American businesses and consumers.

In Pakistan, officials said at least 40 people, including women and children, were killed when a bus fell into a ravine in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In a separate case in Lahore, police said four suspects were arrested over the alleged gangrape of two foreigners, and one of those held is a relative of a senior Pakistani politician. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral of Khamenei, who was assassinated in US-Israeli strikes in February.

In Kathmandu, a 17th-century Buddhist monastery damaged in the 2015 earthquake and reconstructed with Indian assistance received a conservation award from UNESCO. In the UK, the state-funded Health Service unveiled plans for a nationwide walking challenge that will reward people for completing the equivalent of a marathon over a month through 20-minute daily walks. Separately, UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport would leave X, formerly Twitter, over what she described as the platform's tilt towards "abuse and misinformation".

Overall, the day brought a mix of diplomatic messaging, upcoming visits, trade action, public initiatives and major developments in Pakistan, alongside international recognition for a heritage restoration project backed by India.

With PTI Inputs

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