VIF Information Alerts - 11 March 2019

Pakistan entering CPEC Phase-II
Published: The Nation

11 Mar 2019

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi disclosed on Sunday Pakistan is going to enter the second phase of CPEC with China. “There is no threat to CPEC [China Pakistan Economic Corridor]. Our government considers it a game changer,” he told the participants of a function here at the Tea House.

“We’ll ink agreements with China for poverty alleviation, agri research and production, relocation of labour and establishment of new economic zones under CPEC phase-II,” the foreign minister revealed. Giving some details, he said that four economic zones would be set up in the country under the second phase of this mega development project, which is part Beijing’s One Belt One Road initiative.Click here to read... [2]

Pakistan to take up India’s LoC violations at OIC forum
Published: The Nation

11 Mar 2019

Pakistan has decided to take up the issue of Line of Control (LOC) violations by India at the forum of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC), which is holding its preliminary session from March 10 to 14 in Rabat, Morocco. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has nominated a parliamentary delegation, led by Chairman of Kashmir Committee Syed Fakhar Imam, for participation in the 14th plenary Session of the PUIC, a National Assembly Secretariat press release said here Sunday.Click here to read... [3]

Take ‘sustained and irreversible’ action against terror: US to Pak
Published: The Tribune

09 Mar 2019

Stepping up pressure on Pakistan, the US has asked Islamabad to take “sustained and irreversible” actions against terrorist groups operating from its territory to prevent future attacks and promote regional stability. The State Department statement came as Pakistan, under global pressure after the Pulwama terror attack and India’s air strikes against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist camp in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on February 26, started taking actions against some of the terrorist outfits and their leaders over the past few days.Click here to read... [4]

India’s arms imports from Russia in 2014-18 down 42% from 2009-13: Report
Published: Hindustan Times

11 Mar 2019

Russia’s arms export to India fell by a whopping 42 per cent between 2014-18 and 2009-2013, according to a new report. As a result, Russia accounted for 58 per cent of total Indian arms imports in 2014-2018, compared with 76 per cent in 2009-2013, according to the report “Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2018” released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).Click here to read... [5]

Belt and Road reaches Nepal's wild north, winning China influence
Published: Nikkei Asian Review

09 Mar 2019

Chinese infrastructure projects linked to the Belt and Road are mushrooming here, including plans to repair bridges that cross the river border at Tatopani-Zhangmu and Rasuwagadhi-Jilong. For Nepal, the price is paid in diplomatic support for Beijing: The Nepalese consulate in Lhasa, the only foreign diplomatic mission in the Tibetan capital, recently reiterated unwavering support for Beijing's claims to both Tibet and Taiwan.Click here to read... [6]

China's GDP Growth Pace Was Inflated for Nine Years, Study Finds
Published: Bloomberg

08 Mar 2019

China over-reported its economic growth between 2008 and 2016 by an average of 1.7 percentage points, according to a recent study by researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Chicago. The discrepancy came from local governments who are rewarded for meeting growth and investment targets, the authors say in a draft paper published by the Brookings Institution.Click here to read... [7]