Asia – Page 45 – The Singapore Post

Xi’s dream project ‘Belt Road Initiative’ in trouble amid China’s shrinking economy

15Mar

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Xi’s dream project ‘Belt Road Initiative’ in trouble amid China’s shrinking economy

Due to China’s dwindling economy, President Xi Jinping's dream of setting a new world order seems to have come to a halt after the Covid-19 slowed down the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), pushing it towards becoming financial inviable.According to media reports, Beijing has been forced to cut back on new loans and investments under the BRI due to covid-19 induced economic troubles.According to the Green Belt and Road Initiative Centre, a research organization, Chinese investment has reduced to USD 47 billion in 2020--a whopping slump of 54 per cent in just one year.Wang Xiaolong, director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's International Economic Affairs Department, said 20 per cent of the BRI projects were seriously affected while other 30-40 per cent witnessed adverse impact.China's ec

China’s hybrid-war against India could foment unrest in Kashmir: Expert

15Mar

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Asia, China, Opinion

China’s hybrid-war against India could foment unrest in Kashmir: Expert

India could face another violent civil unrest and massive protests in Jammu and Kashmir if China embarks on another territorial adventure in Ladakh with Pakistan supporting at the Line of Control, according to Abhinav Pandya, founder and CEO of Usanas Foundation, an India-based geopolitical and security affairs think-tank.In an opinion piece, Pandya has said that there is a strong potential for India’s adversaries, i.e., Pakistan, Turkey, and China, to engineer a massive popular resistance movement in Kashmir the near future.“The Kashmir valley has been in turmoil for the last three decades. During this time, it has witnessed a violent anti-India jihadist movement in a social-political milieu that is overwhelmingly radicalized on religious lines and has a strong Pakistani intelligence foot

India, China agree to convene Senior Commanders meeting to discuss complete disengagement

12Mar

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Asia, China

India, China agree to convene Senior Commanders meeting to discuss complete disengagement

India and China have agreed to convene the 11th round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date so that the two sides could work towards complete disengagement from the remaining friction areas.The decision came after the 21st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) on Friday.According to Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed that the completion of the disengagement in the North and South Bank of the Pangong Lake provided a good basis for the two sides to work towards early resolution of these remaining issues.The countries reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector and had in-depth discussions on the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector.Th...

Southeast Asian nations urge halt to violence in Myanmar

11Mar

By News DeskNo Comments

Asia, Singapore, World

Southeast Asian nations urge halt to violence in Myanmar

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged a halt to violence and the start of talks on a peaceful solution in Myanmar, where the military seized power from an elected government and is escalating its use of mass arrests and deadly force against peaceful protesters. Myanmar’s top diplomat briefed other foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during a video conference Tuesday, according to the meeting’s agenda. It was the first meeting of foreign ministers of the 10-member ASEAN since the Feb. 1 coup, when Myanmar’s military detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders. Brunei, which heads ASEAN this year, had proposed that a joint statement be issued after the meeting. But the ministers apparently failed to agree on a declaration, and Brunei is

Myanmar: People worried as 2nd NLD member dies in military detention

10Mar

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Asia, World

Myanmar: People worried as 2nd NLD member dies in military detention

People in Myanmar are worried after another leader from Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) died in military detention after being allegedly tortured in custody, according to a watchdog group.The report by watchdog group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) also mentioned the notorious night-time raids that have been picking up people without further notice.Since the military seized power in a coup on February 1, security forces quickly moved to stifle dissent and arrested government officials, protesters, journalists, civil servants and NGO workers and repressed independent media.Human Rights Watch said that people who are forcibly disappeared are more likely to be subjected to torture or ill-treatment than others arrested.Assis

Co-operative Promotion Centre built with India’s aid inaugurated in Nepal

10Mar

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Asia

Co-operative Promotion Centre built with India’s aid inaugurated in Nepal

With India’s financial assistance of Nepali Rupees of 35 million, the Indian Embassy in Nepal on Wednesday inaugurated the Co-operative Promotion Centre in the Lalitpur district with an aim to further strengthen farming communities of the Himalayan nation.According to an official statement, Namgya C. Khampa, Deputy Chief of the Indian High Command inaugurated the Co-operative Promotion Centre.“The project was taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project and implemented by District Coordination Committee in Lalitpur, the new building was built under ‘Nepal-Bharat Development Cooperation’,” the statement read.The building will have three floors, the first and the second floors will be used for an open market, office purposes, training rooms, resource centres and cafeterias, accord

India proposes inclusion of Chabahar Port in INSTC multi-lateral corridor project

4Mar

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Asia, World

India proposes inclusion of Chabahar Port in INSTC multi-lateral corridor project

India on Thursday proposed the inclusion of Iran’s Chabahar Port in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and invited Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to join the multi-lateral corridor project.“INSTC is an important trade-corridor project, wherein India is partnering with 13 countries to establish the economic-corridor for the benefit of our peoples. We also welcome the interest of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to join the multi-lateral corridor project. Establishing an Eastern Corridor through Afghanistan will maximize its potential,” Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said.He was addressing the virtual “Chabahar Day” event organised on the margins of the Maritime India Summit 2021.“India has proposed the inclusion of Chabahar in the INSTC route. I am hopeful t

India to fund NRs 246 million for reconstruction of Cultural Heritages in Nepal

3Mar

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Asia

India to fund NRs 246 million for reconstruction of Cultural Heritages in Nepal

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said that it will be funding Nepali Rs 246 million for the reconstruction of three more Cultural Heritage projects in Nepal after six out of the 28 heritage sites contracts have already been reconstructed.“The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Contract Agreements for restoration and reconstruction were signed on Wednesday for Jestha Varna Mahavihara in Lalitpur, Sulighyang Gumba, and Shermathang Gumba located in Sindhupalchowk district,” according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) release.However, the MEA said that the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) will be providing technical assistance for the restoration of Jestha Varna Mahavihara while other two will be undertaken by Central Level Project Impleme

Nepal not leaning towards China, wants good ties with India: Former PM Bhattarai

2Mar

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Asia, China

Nepal not leaning towards China, wants good ties with India: Former PM Bhattarai

Nepal is not leaning towards China and wants good ties with New Delhi, said former Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday.Bhattarai said that his country is going through a political crisis and it wants to bring back stability, and ensure good ties with India.“Some people in Delhi feel Nepal is completely leaning towards China, which is not the right perception. Historically, we have been closer to India. China is also our friend but we don’t interact with them that much because they lie on the other side of the Himalayas,” he said.“Nepal is going through a crisis. Nepal Communist Party that had formed a government with a majority is almost divided into two factions…This is not right for a country’s democracy when Parliament is dissolved midway to give way to instability,” he ad

62nd Tibetan Uprising Day to be commemorated on March 10

1Mar

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Asia, China, World

62nd Tibetan Uprising Day to be commemorated on March 10

Tibetans and their supporters across the world will observe the 62nd anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10 this year.The Tibetan Uprising Day is observed every year on March 10 to commemorate the 1959 Tibetan peaceful uprising against Communist China’s repression in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.Tibet was a sovereign state before China’s invasion in 1950 when the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) entered northern Tibet. In 1951, a 17 Point Agreement was forced upon the Tibetans by the Chinese Government. By 1958, it was clear that they had no intention of securing the preservation of Tibetan autonomy and institutions.Many Tibetans attempted escaping the communist persecution by going to India, but only a small percentage actually survived the difficult conditions of the journey.T

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