VIF Information Alerts - 11 September 2018

India called and said it wants a trade deal with the US, says Donald Trump

Published: Hindustan Times
11 Sep 2018

President Donald Trump has said India wants a trade deal with the US despite the tough stance taken by his administration on the issue. Trump wants to stop the subsidies that growing economies like India and China have been receiving as he wants the US, which he considers as a developing nation, to grow faster than any other nation. He often accuses India of imposing 100% tariffs on American products.Click here to read.... [2]

John Bolton threatens war crimes court with sanctions in virulent attack

Published: The Guardian
10 Sep 2018

John Bolton, the hawkish US national security adviser, has threatened the international criminal court (ICC) with sanctions and made an excoriating attack on the institution in a speech in Washington. Bolton pushed for sanctions over an ICC investigation into alleged American war crimes in Afghanistan. He also announced on Monday the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington because of its calls for an ICC inquiry into Israel.Click here to read.... [3]

China watching, India cautious to US move on talks with Japan and Australia

Published: The Indian Express
11 Sep 2018

WITH BEIJING watching the India-US engagement closely, India decided to cautiously approach its engagement with the quadrilateral countries — including Japan and Australia — in the Indo-Pacific region, where an increasingly proactive and assertive China is active in the maritime domain. Sources told The Indian Express that the United States wanted to upgrade the level of engagement between the quadrilateral grouping to the level of foreign secretary, but the Indian side politely told them to keep it to the joint-secretary level — which is at least two steps lower than the proposed engagement.Click here to read.... [4]

Draft law prohibits preaching on internet, livestreaming of worship

Published: Global Times
10 Sep 2018

China revealed a draft guideline on regulating online religious information on Monday, which observers called very "timely," as religious information on the Chinese internet is chaotic due to the illegal promotion of some extreme forces and cults. The online religious information includes religious doctrines, culture, knowledge and activities promoted through instant messages and various social media platforms in the form of texts, photos, audio and video messages, the guideline says.Click here to read.... [5]

China does away with family planning offices

Published: Reuters
11 Sep 2018

China’s health commission is getting rid of three offices that were previously dedicated to family planning, it announced late on Sunday, the latest signal that Beijing may further reduce restrictions on childbirth to combat an aging population. State-media has hinted in recent weeks that China, the world’s most populous nation, may be preparing to end its decades-long policy of determining the number of children that couples can have.Click here to read.... [6]

Nepal pulls out of BIMSTEC military drill, India says move ‘not convincing’

Published: Hindustan Times
11 Sep 2018

India has expressed its displeasure at Nepal deciding to merely be an observer in a scheduled joint military exercise of Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) countries which kicked off in Pune on Monday, after having made a commitment to participate.

According to a person familiar with the development, New Delhi has told Kathmandu that its decision is not appropriate and its explanation of internal political pressure is “not convincing”. Nepal’s decision, conveyed on Friday, has put India and the regional grouping in an “embarrassing position”, added this person, who asked not to be identified.Click here to read.... [7]