VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: 31th July, 2018

PAKISTAN
US warns IMF against bailout for Pakistan: Dawn

July 31, 2018

United States' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned that the US would closely be watching whether the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bails out Pakistan — a key player in China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) project, and right now in need of a bailout. "Make no mistake, we will be watching what the IMF does," Pompeo stated in an interview to CNBC after saying that he would welcome mutually beneficial engagement between the US and Pakistan. "There's no rationale for IMF tax dollars — and associated with that, American dollars that are part of the IMF funding — to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself," he added, signifying that Pakistan's new government, which is severely in need of a bailout, might run into further financial troubles after taking oath. Click here to read... [2]

Grand opposition alliance taking shape in parliament: Dawn’

July 31, 2018

The possibility of a grand opposition alliance looms before the future parliament as leaders of four groups on Monday agreed they would launch a joint protest campaign “inside and outside the parliament” against alleged rigging in the July 25 elections.Senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), MuttahidaMajlis-i-Amal (MMA) and Awami National Party (ANP) met at the residence of speaker of the outgoing assembly AyazSadiq in Islamabad, and agreed that they would not leave the field open for their opponents and will give the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the party looking to form the future government, a tough time. Click here to read... [3]

AFGHANISTAN
Ghani Meets Dostum, Discusses Range Of Issues: Tolo News

July 31, 2018

President Ashraf Ghani on Monday met First Vice President Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum in Kabul where the two officials exchanged views on a number of key issues pertaining to the country. “Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan met with General Abdul Rashid Dostum, the first vice president, Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah today (Monday) where they exchanged views on various topics relating to the country,” the Presidential Palace said in a statement.Monday's meeting marked the first high level meeting between the four leaders of the National Unity Government in the past thirteen months. Click here to read... [4]

NEPAL
India, Nepal to jointly promote Ramayana, Buddhist tourism circuits: Times of India

July 31, 2018

India, Nepal to jointly promote Ramayana, Buddhist tourism circuits, Tourism minister K J Alphons told Lok Sabha on Monday. Alphons was responding to questions on the efforts made by the Indian and Nepalese governments to promote Ramayana and Buddhist circuits among tourists. Click here to read... [5]

CHINA
China, UK to safeguard global trade: People’s Daily

July 31, 2018

Beijing and London agreed on Monday to continue jointly safeguarding multilateralism and global free trade as well as the World Trade Organization rules during the 9th China-UK Strategic Dialogue in the Chinese capital. The dialogue was co-chaired by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Trade liberalization is widely accepted by the international community and is an irresistible trend, and China has always stood on the right side to uphold the free trade system, Wang said when jointly meeting the media with Hunt. Click here to read... [6]

China donates warships to Sri Lanka and Philippines in drive to expand regional influence: South China Morning Post

July 31, 2018

China will donate warships to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in the latest effort to boost its military influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The gift of a frigate to Sri Lanka was announced last week by Senior Colonel Xu Jianwei, military attaché at the Chinese embassy in Colombo, while Philippine naval spokesman Commander Jonathan Zata confirmed the donation of four new patrol boats from Beijing on Sunday. The People’s Liberation Army will also provide “various training” to the Sri Lankan military and build an auditorium complex at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Xu told an event last Monday, the Colombo Gazette reported. Click here to read... [7]

US competes with China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ with US$113 million Asian investment programme: South China Morning Post

July 31, 2018

The US government is expanding its infrastructure drive in the Asia-Pacific region using new investment programmes amid rising anxiety in Washington about China’s aggressive overseas development policies. Announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, the initiative follows concerns about the Trump administration’s commitment to engaging with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Click here to read... [8]