VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: June 19, 2019

PAKISTAN

Pakistan, Japan sign MoU on defence cooperation: Dawn
June 19, 2019

Pakistan and Japan on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation and exchanges. The MoU was signed after the 10th round of military-to-military talks at the Ministry of Defence in Rawalpindi. Additional Defence Secretary Rear Admiral Owais Ahmed Bilgrami led the Pakistani delegation, while the director general for International Affairs at Japan’s Bureau of Defence Policy led the Japanese side. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

US Seeks Peace Agreement, Not Withdrawal: Khalilzad: Tolo News
June 19, 2019

The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, says the United States is seeking a “comprehensive peace agreement, not a withdrawal agreement” in its talks with the Taliban. Khalilzad apparently responded to a Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen’s remarks on Tuesday, June 18, who said that the United States has “accepted” to withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan. Taking to Twitter hours after the Taliban’s comments, Khalilzad said, they are preparing prepare for the next round of talks with the Taliban. Click here to read... [3]

NEPAL

For the first time, ruling party lawmakers criticise Oli administration’s foreign policy: Kathmandu Post
June 19, 2019

Days after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli returned from a week-long trip to Europe, lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties have criticised his administration’s handling of foreign policy. Speaking at a regular session of the House while deliberating on the budget allocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ruling party lawmakers questioned the “independence and efficacy” of the Oli administration’s foreign policy conduct. Click here to read... [4]

CHINA

Xi, Trump hold telephone conversation: Xinhuanet
June 19, 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on Tuesday at the latter's request. Trump said he looks forward to meeting Xi again during the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit in the Japanese city of Osaka later this month, and conducting in-depth discussions on bilateral ties and issues of common concern. The U.S. side, he added, values its economic and trade cooperation with China, and hopes that the teams on both sides can conduct communication, and find a way to resolve the current dispute as soon as possible. Click here to read... [5]

China has to reshape global value chain: China Daily
June 19, 2019

As the world undergoes unprecedented changes, China faces risks it has not encountered in its four decades of reform and opening-up. The trade war the United States has launched against China is set to disrupt and reshape the global industrial chain, value chain and supply chain. As a result, China has to make a new plan to further integrate with the world market-currently dominated by multinationals－in a bid to achieve industrial upgrading. Click here to read... [6]