The much-awaited Shangri-La Dialogue started with renewed emphasis on the Indian and South East Asian connection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the future resides in the East and the region can be shaped with collective hope. He said Singapore is an example of great excellence. “When rule prevails and oceans are open, nations prosper and Singapore is an example of it,” he said.

“Lion nation and Lion city is united by common values and Singapore is a gateway to East for us,” said Modi. He emphasised that in the past three decades, the lost connection with the East has been reclaimed. Modi said that oceans played an important part in our thinking even in pre-Vedic times. “Even in Puranas the geographical context of the country is in reference to the sea,” he said. He said that oceans carry 90 per cent of Indian trade and oceans have always played an important role in our region.

He acknowledged that trade in the region is growing significantly. He said that our relationship with other states is expanding with exceeding pace. “Global transit routes should remain peaceful and free for all,” he said. South East Asia is our neighbour by land and sea. Modi asserted that India’s role has increased in the ASEAN region. Modi emphasised that in all major grouping of nations of South East Asia, India is present. He described projects in which India is deeply involved in detail and country by country, ranging from Korea to Cambodia.

Modi also spoke about his bilateral meetings in Wuhan and Sochi.

He said that both he and Putin felt the need for a strong multipolar world. Through his speech, Modi continued to emphasise the need for a stable Indo-Pacific region.

He said that India’s cooperation with China is expanding. “Two-day meeting in Wuhan helped cement an understanding,” Modi said. “World will have a better future if India and China can work together,” Modi added.

Modi,&nbsp;after mentioning China and Russia, continued to emphasise India’s strong cultural relationship with South East Asia.

He spoke about India’s deepening defence ties with South East Asian economies. “With Singapore, we have the longest and uninterrupted naval exercise which has lasted for 25 years,” Modi said. He gave similar examples of close regional cooperation between India and other countries when it came to naval affairs and patrolling of the sea. He said that our presence will grow in the region and will grow on the bed rock of peace.

He admitted that there has been a disruption in the global order. “Despite progress, we live in the age of uncertainty, clashing vision and competing models,” he said. He also said that internal disturbances are acquiring ethnic fault lines. “It is an interdependent world and nations need to rise above the divisions and work together,” he said.

“I see ASEAN as an inspiration,” he said. He said that ASEAN’s unity is essential for this region to prosper. He said that ASEAN unity must be supported. “ASEAN lies at the heart of the new Indo Pacific,” Modi said. He said that ASEAN is required for a stable world and this entity is not against anyone.

Modi also renewed his faith in multilateral order and safe oceans for everyone. He also rued growing protectionism in goods and services. He continued to focus on rule based systems to ensure international stability in trade and commerce. Modi said that India is prepared to work with anyone to promote peace and trade.

He added that the great power rivalry must be avoided. He said that Asian cooperation will define the new century. “Differences should not be allowed to turn into disputes,” said Modi.

“Our roles will be inclusive. We are inheritors of Vedanta philosophy. The truth is one and learned speak in many ways. This is the way we engage the world. It is not dependent on the size of a country,” he said. He ended his speech on the note that by only working together, stability to the world order can be brought about.

Modi delivered the dialogue's keynote address Friday in Singapore. In his speech, Modi pushed for ASEAN unity and a new, rule-based multipolar world order

The much-awaited Shangri-La Dialogue started with renewed emphasis on the Indian and South East Asian connection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the future resides in the East and the region can be shaped with collective hope. He said Singapore is an example of great excellence. “When rule prevails and oceans are open, nations prosper and Singapore is an example of it,” he said. “Lion nation and Lion city is united by common values and Singapore is a gateway to East for us,” said Modi. He emphasised that in the past three decades, the lost connection with the East has been reclaimed. Modi said that oceans played an important part in our thinking even in pre-Vedic times. “Even in Puranas the geographical context of the country is in reference to the sea,” he said. He said that oceans carry 90 per cent of Indian trade and oceans have always played an important role in our region. He acknowledged that trade in the region is growing significantly. He said that our relationship with other states is expanding with exceeding pace. “Global transit routes should remain peaceful and free for all,” he said. South East Asia is our neighbour by land and sea. Modi asserted that India’s role has increased in the ASEAN region. Modi emphasised that in all major grouping of nations of South East Asia, India is present. He described projects in which India is deeply involved in detail and country by country, ranging from Korea to Cambodia. Modi also spoke about his bilateral meetings in Wuhan and Sochi. He said that both he and Putin felt the need for a strong multipolar world. Through his speech, Modi continued to emphasise the need for a stable Indo-Pacific region. He said that India’s cooperation with China is expanding. “Two-day meeting in Wuhan helped cement an understanding,” Modi said. “World will have a better future if India and China can work together,” Modi added. Modi, after mentioning China and Russia, continued to emphasise India’s strong cultural relationship with South East Asia. He spoke about India’s deepening defence ties with South East Asian economies. “With Singapore, we have the longest and uninterrupted naval exercise which has lasted for 25 years,” Modi said. He gave similar examples of close regional cooperation between India and other countries when it came to naval affairs and patrolling of the sea. He said that our presence will grow in the region and will grow on the bed rock of peace. He admitted that there has been a disruption in the global order. “Despite progress, we live in the age of uncertainty, clashing vision and competing models,” he said. He also said that internal disturbances are acquiring ethnic fault lines. “It is an interdependent world and nations need to rise above the divisions and work together,” he said. “I see ASEAN as an inspiration,” he said. He said that ASEAN’s unity is essential for this region to prosper. He said that ASEAN unity must be supported. “ASEAN lies at the heart of the new Indo Pacific,” Modi said. He said that ASEAN is required for a stable world and this entity is not against anyone. Modi also renewed his faith in multilateral order and safe oceans for everyone. He also rued growing protectionism in goods and services. He continued to focus on rule based systems to ensure international stability in trade and commerce. Modi said that India is prepared to work with anyone to promote peace and trade. He added that the great power rivalry must be avoided. He said that Asian cooperation will define the new century. “Differences should not be allowed to turn into disputes,” said Modi. “Our roles will be inclusive. We are inheritors of Vedanta philosophy. The truth is one and learned speak in many ways. This is the way we engage the world. It is not dependent on the size of a country,” he said. He ended his speech on the note that by only working together, stability to the world order can be brought about.

'Nations need to rise above divisions and work together,' says Modi at Shangri-La Dialogue

Burmese politician and diplomat, Aung San Suu Kyi, has reportedly sought help with the ongoing Rohingya crisis, from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations and Australia, in a closed-door meeting.

At a meeting of leaders at the Australia-ASEAN summit in Sydney on Sunday, Suu Kyi addressed the issue &quot;comprehensively [and] at some considerable length,&quot; The Guardian quoted the Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying.

&quot;Aung San Suu Kyi ... seeks support from ASEAN and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point-of-view. Everyone seeks to end the suffering,&quot; Turnbull said.

Over 650,000 of the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August, escaping systemic violence from the country&#39;s military, including murder, rape and the deliberate torching of villages.

Suu Kyi has spoken little publicly about the conflict and pointedly refused to use the word Rohingya, which is not a minority recognised by the Myanmar government.

&quot;It is not the intention of the Myanmar government to apportion blame or to abnegate responsibility. We condemn all human rights violations and unlawful violence,&quot; she had said earlier.

ASEAN had a declared policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states but the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has said the ongoing persecution of Rohingya was of international concern.

&quot;Because of the suffering of Rohingya people and that of displacement around the region, the situation in Rakhine state and Myanmar can no longer be considered to be a purely domestic matter because it has the potential of developing into a serious security threat to the region,&quot; The Guardian quoted Razak as saying.

Further, the ASEAN chairman, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said instability in one ASEAN state held ramifications for all.

&quot;All of us in the region, we will be anxious if there is any instability if there is trouble in any of our member countries. We are also concerned as human beings if there&#39;s a humanitarian situation which has developed and people&#39;s welfare and lives and safety are at stake. And we do our best to help the governments to re-establish stability and tranquillity in the situation,&quot; he said.

He, however, said he was not aware of specific security threats posed by the ongoing displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar.

Malcolm Turnbull said the issue of the Rohingya crisis was &quot;discussed constructively&quot; and that Australia and ASEAN member states were ready to assist.

At a meeting of leaders at the Australia-ASEAN summit in Sydney on Sunday, Suu Kyi addressed the issue

Burmese politician and diplomat, Aung San Suu Kyi, has reportedly sought help with the ongoing Rohingya crisis, from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations and Australia, in a closed-door meeting. At a meeting of leaders at the Australia-ASEAN summit in Sydney on Sunday, Suu Kyi addressed the issue "comprehensively [and] at some considerable length," The Guardian quoted the Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying. "Aung San Suu Kyi ... seeks support from ASEAN and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point-of-view. Everyone seeks to end the suffering," Turnbull said. Over 650,000 of the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August, escaping systemic violence from the country's military, including murder, rape and the deliberate torching of villages. Suu Kyi has spoken little publicly about the conflict and pointedly refused to use the word Rohingya, which is not a minority recognised by the Myanmar government. "It is not the intention of the Myanmar government to apportion blame or to abnegate responsibility. We condemn all human rights violations and unlawful violence," she had said earlier. ASEAN had a declared policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states but the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has said the ongoing persecution of Rohingya was of international concern. "Because of the suffering of Rohingya people and that of displacement around the region, the situation in Rakhine state and Myanmar can no longer be considered to be a purely domestic matter because it has the potential of developing into a serious security threat to the region," The Guardian quoted Razak as saying. Further, the ASEAN chairman, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said instability in one ASEAN state held ramifications for all. "All of us in the region, we will be anxious if there is any instability if there is trouble in any of our member countries. We are also concerned as human beings if there's a humanitarian situation which has developed and people's welfare and lives and safety are at stake. And we do our best to help the governments to re-establish stability and tranquillity in the situation," he said. He, however, said he was not aware of specific security threats posed by the ongoing displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar. Malcolm Turnbull said the issue of the Rohingya crisis was "discussed constructively" and that Australia and ASEAN member states were ready to assist.

Rohingya crisis: Aung San Suu Kyi asks ASEAN, Australia for help

Australia on Saturday warned the use of encrypted messaging apps to plan terrorist attacks was the greatest threat faced by intelligence agencies in modern times and urged a &quot;united and cohesive&quot; response.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told an ASEAN-Australia special summit in Sydney that the use of the &quot;dark web&quot; by extremists and other criminals was a spiralling problem.

&quot;The use of encrypted messaging apps by terrorists and criminals is potentially the most significant degradation of intelligence capability in modern times,&quot; he said.

Dutton added at the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders that the only way to deal with the threat, and the increasing use of the internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalise and recruit new members, was together.

&quot;While our nations are focused on countering the ongoing threat of terrorism domestically, it would be a mistake to approach the problem from a purely national perspective,&quot; he said.

&quot;Terrorism and violent extremism transcend national borders.&nbsp;

&quot;Countering the threat requires a united and cohesive regional effort involving coordination between our respective national security and law enforcement agencies.&quot;

Canberra is already helping Southeast Asian states choke terrorist financing and counter violent extremism.

The problem has been exacerbated by jihadists now being forced out of Syria and Iraq with the Islamic State caliphate mostly crushed.

The issue was driven home last year when pro-Islamic State militants seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, with Australia aiding Manila to win it back.

A memorandum of understanding will be issued at the summit later Saturday, reportedly with an agreement to pool cyber intelligence and police resources across the region for the first time.

The Australian newspaper said it would include a regional digital forensics taskforce and uniform criminal legislative frameworks to secure prosecutions.

Australia has suffered six terror attacks in recent years and disrupted 14 more, including a plot to bring down a plane departing Sydney.

In response, Canberra has consolidated key functions like national security, immigration, counter-terrorism, cyber-security, and border protection under a newly-created Home Affairs department, headed by Dutton.

He said that to address the issue of apps which allow extremists to operate clandestinely, Canberra planned to introduce legislation to strengthen agencies&#39; ability to adapt to encryption.

This will include making companies that provide communications services and devices obliged to assist when asked, while also making the use of surveillance devices and computer network exploitation by authorities easier.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with Australia a dialogue partner since 1974.&nbsp;

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told an ASEAN-Australia special summit in Sydney that the use of the 'dark web' by extremists and other criminals was a spiralling problem

Australia on Saturday warned the use of encrypted messaging apps to plan terrorist attacks was the greatest threat faced by intelligence agencies in modern times and urged a "united and cohesive" response. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told an ASEAN-Australia special summit in Sydney that the use of the "dark web" by extremists and other criminals was a spiralling problem. "The use of encrypted messaging apps by terrorists and criminals is potentially the most significant degradation of intelligence capability in modern times," he said. Dutton added at the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders that the only way to deal with the threat, and the increasing use of the internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalise and recruit new members, was together. "While our nations are focused on countering the ongoing threat of terrorism domestically, it would be a mistake to approach the problem from a purely national perspective," he said. "Terrorism and violent extremism transcend national borders. "Countering the threat requires a united and cohesive regional effort involving coordination between our respective national security and law enforcement agencies." Canberra is already helping Southeast Asian states choke terrorist financing and counter violent extremism. The problem has been exacerbated by jihadists now being forced out of Syria and Iraq with the Islamic State caliphate mostly crushed. The issue was driven home last year when pro-Islamic State militants seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, with Australia aiding Manila to win it back. A memorandum of understanding will be issued at the summit later Saturday, reportedly with an agreement to pool cyber intelligence and police resources across the region for the first time. The Australian newspaper said it would include a regional digital forensics taskforce and uniform criminal legislative frameworks to secure prosecutions. Australia has suffered six terror attacks in recent years and disrupted 14 more, including a plot to bring down a plane departing Sydney. In response, Canberra has consolidated key functions like national security, immigration, counter-terrorism, cyber-security, and border protection under a newly-created Home Affairs department, headed by Dutton. He said that to address the issue of apps which allow extremists to operate clandestinely, Canberra planned to introduce legislation to strengthen agencies' ability to adapt to encryption. This will include making companies that provide communications services and devices obliged to assist when asked, while also making the use of surveillance devices and computer network exploitation by authorities easier. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with Australia a dialogue partner since 1974.

Australia warns Southeast Asia of high-tech terror threat

Voting got under way in Cambodia on Sunday in a Senate election that the ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen was expected to sweep following a crackdown on opposition.

The vote, to elect 58 members of the 62-strong Senate, will see 123 members of parliament and thousands of commune councillors vote across Cambodia. The country&#39;s king and National Assembly each appoint a further two Senate members.

Rights groups and members of the opposing Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) have called the vote a &quot;sham&quot; and &quot;undemocratic&quot; after almost half of the councillors were stripped of their right to vote after the CNRP was dissolved by a court last November at the government&#39;s request.

&quot;This election is different from before because there is no opposition party,&quot; said Thav Bunthy, 58, a commune councilor from Hun Sen&#39;s ruling Cambodian People&#39;s Party (CPP). &quot;It&#39;s not just good for my party but also for the country,&quot; he said, speaking outside a polling station in Phnom Penh.

The dissolution of the CNRP was followed by the arrest of its leader, Kem Sokha, last year for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government with U.S. help, an accusation both the United States and Kem Sokha have rejected.

The CNRP condemned the vote on Sunday, saying its 5,062 commune councillors and lawmakers had been stripped of their voting rights.

&quot;The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) calls on all friendly countries of Cambodia and the United Nations to not accept the results of the Senate election,&quot; the CNRP said in a statement.

Advocacy group ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights APHR said the vote cannot be considered &quot;a legitimate democratic exercise&quot;, after the dissolution of CNRP and the overall climate of repression over the past year.

Voting got underway in Cambodia on Sunday in a Senate election

Voting got under way in Cambodia on Sunday in a Senate election that the ruling party of Prime Minister Hun Sen was expected to sweep following a crackdown on opposition. The vote, to elect 58 members of the 62-strong Senate, will see 123 members of parliament and thousands of commune councillors vote across Cambodia. The country's king and National Assembly each appoint a further two Senate members. Rights groups and members of the opposing Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) have called the vote a "sham" and "undemocratic" after almost half of the councillors were stripped of their right to vote after the CNRP was dissolved by a court last November at the government's request. "This election is different from before because there is no opposition party," said Thav Bunthy, 58, a commune councilor from Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). "It's not just good for my party but also for the country," he said, speaking outside a polling station in Phnom Penh. The dissolution of the CNRP was followed by the arrest of its leader, Kem Sokha, last year for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government with U.S. help, an accusation both the United States and Kem Sokha have rejected. The CNRP condemned the vote on Sunday, saying its 5,062 commune councillors and lawmakers had been stripped of their voting rights. "The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) calls on all friendly countries of Cambodia and the United Nations to not accept the results of the Senate election," the CNRP said in a statement. Advocacy group ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights APHR said the vote cannot be considered "a legitimate democratic exercise", after the dissolution of CNRP and the overall climate of repression over the past year.

Cambodia votes in Senate election, PM's party expected to win

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the group of 10 countries lying in the far east of India. It will be a great show when Prime Minister Modi is going to host the heads of these countries on the Republic Day of India. Never ever in the history, the heads of 10 countries have been the state guest in any single event.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar are the countries which form the core of South Asia and, directly or indirectly, control almost 50% trade of the world due to their strategic location. These are the countries which can effectively be helpful against China&rsquo;s expanding influence in the world and help India grow.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Out of these 10 countries, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are three major economies which control the busiest shipping channel and the lifeline of Chinese economy called as Strait of Malacca. Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei and Philippines are located so strategically that they can control the movements in the South China Sea. This is the reason why Mr Xi Xinping is having sleepless nights by the presence of the 10 leaders in the Republic Day of India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India is trying to influence these countries by extending a helping hand to them as part of India&rsquo;s look east policy and the government is initiating many projects with these countries. ASEAN countries have been, culturally and geographically, closer to India and will be helpful for us in long run.

&nbsp;

Chinese concerns are genuine because when it comes to discussing their economy, the most important factor is the security of the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Because of the vulnerability of tiny Strait of Malacca, China is probably initiating projects, such as the CPEC and OBOR. This is the shortest and probably the safest shipping route connecting the east and the west. Forbes has declared it as the most important choke point in case of a political or military conflict arising in the south-east Asian region.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The busiest shipping route of the world, Strait of Malacca is the lifeline of some of the major economies of the world, including ASEAN countries, Japan, Taiwan, both South and North Korea and of course China. More than 115,000 cargo vessels pass through this narrow passage every year, making it roughly 315 ships every day on an average which is 4 -5 times of its nearest competitor, Suez Canal. That is indeed remarkable.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

When it comes to the volumes of trade and we take on account China only, 80% of the oil imports of the dragon passes through this small water body. The channel ships nearly 18 million barrels per day out of which nearly one-third is for China. Not only this, almost 60% of the Chinese exports which corresponds to nearly a trillion USD pass through this. Any possible threat to this channel gives goosebumps to the Chinese leadership.

&nbsp;

An old proverb says that the wars are not won by military might but by a strategic perspective and thorough preparation. Very few people know that the shipping channel leading to Strait of Malacca is just 80km from Indian land and India can effectively monitor and even block this channel in case of a military conflict.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As part of the Indian Navy Modernisation Plan, India is further developing INS Baaz, an important naval base in the Campbell Bay Island, which is closest to the Strait of Malacca. It is being made suitable for operating Boeing Poseidon P8i aircrafts from this location. The number of strategic bases under Joint Tri-services Command is also not far off. The Indian abilities to control this strait are increasing day by day.

&nbsp;

China understands this concern well and is spending its money on multiple projects like oil pipelines from Central Asian Countries, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR) to reach Central Asian and European markets without using South Asian shipping channels. It also requested Thailand to work out a shipping channel through Isthmus of Kra which dragon is going to fund. It is also trying to influence Myanmar to establish a port in the country.

&nbsp;

Whatever China does, it will be a futile effort unless it keeps India in good faith. The current stand of China with respect to Pakistan is going to be harmful in the long run and the country will realise that it is not good to have a strong neighbour as the enemy. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Out of the 10 countries present in the ASEAN, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are three major economies which control the Strait of Malacca, the busiest shipping channel and the lifeline of the Chinese economy.

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the group of 10 countries lying in the far east of India. It will be a great show when Prime Minister Modi is going to host the heads of these countries on the Republic Day of India. Never ever in the history, the heads of 10 countries have been the state guest in any single event. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar are the countries which form the core of South Asia and, directly or indirectly, control almost 50% trade of the world due to their strategic location. These are the countries which can effectively be helpful against China’s expanding influence in the world and help India grow. Out of these 10 countries, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are three major economies which control the busiest shipping channel and the lifeline of Chinese economy called as Strait of Malacca. Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei and Philippines are located so strategically that they can control the movements in the South China Sea. This is the reason why Mr Xi Xinping is having sleepless nights by the presence of the 10 leaders in the Republic Day of India. India is trying to influence these countries by extending a helping hand to them as part of India’s look east policy and the government is initiating many projects with these countries. ASEAN countries have been, culturally and geographically, closer to India and will be helpful for us in long run. Chinese concerns are genuine because when it comes to discussing their economy, the most important factor is the security of the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Because of the vulnerability of tiny Strait of Malacca, China is probably initiating projects, such as the CPEC and OBOR. This is the shortest and probably the safest shipping route connecting the east and the west. Forbes has declared it as the most important choke point in case of a political or military conflict arising in the south-east Asian region. The busiest shipping route of the world, Strait of Malacca is the lifeline of some of the major economies of the world, including ASEAN countries, Japan, Taiwan, both South and North Korea and of course China. More than 115,000 cargo vessels pass through this narrow passage every year, making it roughly 315 ships every day on an average which is 4 -5 times of its nearest competitor, Suez Canal. That is indeed remarkable. When it comes to the volumes of trade and we take on account China only, 80% of the oil imports of the dragon passes through this small water body. The channel ships nearly 18 million barrels per day out of which nearly one-third is for China. Not only this, almost 60% of the Chinese exports which corresponds to nearly a trillion USD pass through this. Any possible threat to this channel gives goosebumps to the Chinese leadership. An old proverb says that the wars are not won by military might but by a strategic perspective and thorough preparation. Very few people know that the shipping channel leading to Strait of Malacca is just 80km from Indian land and India can effectively monitor and even block this channel in case of a military conflict. As part of the Indian Navy Modernisation Plan, India is further developing INS Baaz, an important naval base in the Campbell Bay Island, which is closest to the Strait of Malacca. It is being made suitable for operating Boeing Poseidon P8i aircrafts from this location. The number of strategic bases under Joint Tri-services Command is also not far off. The Indian abilities to control this strait are increasing day by day. China understands this concern well and is spending its money on multiple projects like oil pipelines from Central Asian Countries, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR) to reach Central Asian and European markets without using South Asian shipping channels. It also requested Thailand to work out a shipping channel through Isthmus of Kra which dragon is going to fund. It is also trying to influence Myanmar to establish a port in the country. Whatever China does, it will be a futile effort unless it keeps India in good faith. The current stand of China with respect to Pakistan is going to be harmful in the long run and the country will realise that it is not good to have a strong neighbour as the enemy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why China is having sleepless nights over ASEAN in India

The stage is set in New Delhi, India for two days ASEAN-India commemorative summit, an international meet to commemorate 26 years of&nbsp;India-ASEAN relations and its partnership.

Heads of all ten ASEAN member countries will be in India to attend the summit two-day summit from 25-26 of January.

Heads of ASEAN member countries, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei would start arriving in the country on January 25.

During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with leaders of ASEAN nations.

The ASEAN heads will be received by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and will be followed by lunch at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The leaders coming from ASEAN member countries will also attend Republic day parade and will make a walk in Mughal garden which would be followed by a formal photo shoot.

During the Summit Tour de Exhibition of 20 paintings of ASEAN-India Artists&rsquo; Camp will also be on display inside Mumtaz Hall.

Several cultural programmes will also be organised in honour of the ASEAN leader.

India and ASEAN have celebrated 25 years of their Dialogue Partnership, 15 years of Summit Level interaction and 5 years of Strategic Partnership in 2017.

Heads of all ten ASEAN member countries will be in India to attend the summit two-day summit from 25-26 of January

The stage is set in New Delhi, India for two days ASEAN-India commemorative summit, an international meet to commemorate 26 years of India-ASEAN relations and its partnership. Heads of all ten ASEAN member countries will be in India to attend the summit two-day summit from 25-26 of January. Heads of ASEAN member countries, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei would start arriving in the country on January 25. During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with leaders of ASEAN nations. The ASEAN heads will be received by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and will be followed by lunch at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The leaders coming from ASEAN member countries will also attend Republic day parade and will make a walk in Mughal garden which would be followed by a formal photo shoot. During the Summit Tour de Exhibition of 20 paintings of ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp will also be on display inside Mumtaz Hall. Several cultural programmes will also be organised in honour of the ASEAN leader. India and ASEAN have celebrated 25 years of their Dialogue Partnership, 15 years of Summit Level interaction and 5 years of Strategic Partnership in 2017.

Heads of ASEAN countries to participate in two-day summit in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha here earlier today.

Prime Minister Modi will address <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-to-address-plenary-session-of-india-asean-commemorative-summit-today-30707">the plenary session</a> of the India-ASEAN commemorative summit later today.

The focus of the summit will be counter-terrorism, security, trade and connectivity.

All 10 leaders of ASEAN countries will attend the Summit, which marks the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN ties.

Nine ASEAN leaders have already arrived in New Delhi and only Indonesian President Joko Widodo will come today.

In an unprecedented event, all the 10 ASEAN leaders will also be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade tomorrow.

President Ram Nath Kovind will host a banquet in honour of ASEAN leaders. It will be followed by a Leader&#39;s Retreat.

The Prime Minister, yesterday, held separate bilateral meetings with leaders of three ASEAN nations - Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines.

Prime Minister Modi met Myanmar&#39;s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

The Prime Minister will hold a total of nine bilateral meetings with leaders of ASEAN countries on the sidelines of the Summit.

Prime Minister Modi will address the plenary session of the India-ASEAN commemorative summit later today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha here earlier today. Prime Minister Modi will address the plenary session of the India-ASEAN commemorative summit later today. The focus of the summit will be counter-terrorism, security, trade and connectivity. All 10 leaders of ASEAN countries will attend the Summit, which marks the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN ties. Nine ASEAN leaders have already arrived in New Delhi and only Indonesian President Joko Widodo will come today. In an unprecedented event, all the 10 ASEAN leaders will also be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade tomorrow. President Ram Nath Kovind will host a banquet in honour of ASEAN leaders. It will be followed by a Leader's Retreat. The Prime Minister, yesterday, held separate bilateral meetings with leaders of three ASEAN nations - Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines. Prime Minister Modi met Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The Prime Minister will hold a total of nine bilateral meetings with leaders of ASEAN countries on the sidelines of the Summit.

PM Modi meets Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

The Philippines&nbsp;has shown interest&nbsp;in studying and implementing a digital identity system inspired by India&rsquo;s Aadhaar and the software stack built around it.

According to sources, the leader from the Philippines&nbsp;have sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details.

The Philippines interest towards Aadhaar has come amidst&nbsp;the apex&nbsp;court in India is hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act as a violation of the right to privacy.

According to a recently released investigative report a major data breach relating to Aadhaar came out where details were sold out for Rs 500.&nbsp;

President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte arrived in India Wednesday for the two day ASEAN Summit to be held on 25 and 26 January.&nbsp;

The summit will mark the 25 years of the Indo-ASEAN Summit.

The event will be attended by ten leaders of different South Asian countries who will also be the guest for Republic Day celebrations in Delhi.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to sources, the leader from the Philippines have sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details

The Philippines has shown interest in studying and implementing a digital identity system inspired by India’s Aadhaar and the software stack built around it. According to sources, the leader from the Philippines have sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details. The Philippines interest towards Aadhaar has come amidst the apex court in India is hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act as a violation of the right to privacy. According to a recently released investigative report a major data breach relating to Aadhaar came out where details were sold out for Rs 500. President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte arrived in India Wednesday for the two day ASEAN Summit to be held on 25 and 26 January. The summit will mark the 25 years of the Indo-ASEAN Summit. The event will be attended by ten leaders of different South Asian countries who will also be the guest for Republic Day celebrations in Delhi.

ASEAN Summit: Philippines shows interest in Aadhaar

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-aadhaar-to-trade-and-commerce-heres-what-pm-modi-discussed-with-asean-leaders-30752">From Aadhaar to trade and commerce: Here&#39;s what PM Modi discussed with ASEAN leaders</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries who have gathered in New Delhi to join him in the Republic Day celebrations. This will be the biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders at the Republic Day parade that showcases India&#39;s military might and cultural diversity.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/draw-lessons-to-avoid-another-doklam-chinese-military-to-india-30756">Draw lessons to avoid another Doklam: Chinese military to India</a>

The Chinese military on Thursday criticised Army Chief General Bipin Rawat&#39;s recent remarks that Doklam is a disputed territory, asserting that it is very much part of China, and India should draw lessons from the 73-day standoff to avoid similar incidents in the future. Reacting for the first time to General Rawat&#39;s comments, Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Defence, told a media briefing that Doklam is part of China.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-releases-amid-high-security-viewers-wonder-whats-the-fuss-about-30748">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-releases-amid-high-security-viewers-wonder-whats-the-fuss-about-30748"> releases amid high security; viewers wonder what&#39;s the fuss about</a>

Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat finally opened today amid tight security and palpable tension but audiences streamed into theatres across the country to watch the film that has the nation agog. Initial reports suggested good business for the film, which has been the focal point of protests by various Rajput groups, which allege that it distorts their history and defames their queen Padmavati.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/unites-states-presidents-and-history-of-sex-scandals-30762">Unites States presidents and history of sex scandals</a>

United States president Donald Trump has been accused of a number of sexual allegations in the recent past. But, Trump was perhaps not the only leader under this loop. In 1998, Bill Clinton was accused of having a continuous affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky from 1995 to 1997. However, two decades ago this week he declared that he &quot;did not have sexual relations with that woman,&quot; under oath.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-live-streamed-on-facebook-on-the-first-day-of-its-release-30768">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-live-streamed-on-facebook-on-the-first-day-of-its-release-30768"> live streamed on Facebook on the first day of its release</a>

Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s controversial Padmaavat released in theatres today amid tight security. While four states- Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh - have decided not to release the film in their states, heavy security could be seen in almost every cinema hall in cities where the film released. Most morning shows saw 40-60% occupancy and trade analysts have predicted that the long weekend ahead will see more footfall.&nbsp;

From Aadhaar to trade and commerce: Here's what PM Modi discussed with ASEAN leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries who have gathered in New Delhi to join him in the Republic Day celebrations. This will be the biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders at the Republic Day parade that showcases India's military might and cultural diversity. Draw lessons to avoid another Doklam: Chinese military to India The Chinese military on Thursday criticised Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's recent remarks that Doklam is a disputed territory, asserting that it is very much part of China, and India should draw lessons from the 73-day standoff to avoid similar incidents in the future. Reacting for the first time to General Rawat's comments, Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Defence, told a media briefing that Doklam is part of China. Padmaavat releases amid high security; viewers wonder what's the fuss about Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat finally opened today amid tight security and palpable tension but audiences streamed into theatres across the country to watch the film that has the nation agog. Initial reports suggested good business for the film, which has been the focal point of protests by various Rajput groups, which allege that it distorts their history and defames their queen Padmavati. Unites States presidents and history of sex scandals United States president Donald Trump has been accused of a number of sexual allegations in the recent past. But, Trump was perhaps not the only leader under this loop. In 1998, Bill Clinton was accused of having a continuous affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky from 1995 to 1997. However, two decades ago this week he declared that he "did not have sexual relations with that woman," under oath. Padmaavat live streamed on Facebook on the first day of its release Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial Padmaavat released in theatres today amid tight security. While four states- Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh - have decided not to release the film in their states, heavy security could be seen in almost every cinema hall in cities where the film released. Most morning shows saw 40-60% occupancy and trade analysts have predicted that the long weekend ahead will see more footfall.

WION Evening News Brief, January 25, 2018

All 10 ASEAN leaders conveyed to India their desire for it to play a more assertive role in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region while recognising the country&#39;s growing stature in ensuring regional peace and stability.

&quot;Yes,&quot; said Secretary East in the Ministry of External Affairs Preeti Saran when asked during a media briefing whether the leaders of the powerful ASEAN grouping favoured a more assertive role for India in the Indo-Pacific region where China has been ramping up its military presence.

On whether ASEAN wants India to play a more pro-active role in the Indo-Pacific in the wake of China&#39;s growing expansionism in the area, Saran said India-ASEAN relationship stands on its own. 
&quot;All the leaders conveyed their desire for a greater participation of India (in the Indo-Pacific region),&quot; she said.

The desire by the ASEAN countries for a greater role by India in the Indo-Pacific region assumes significance in the wake of rising tensions between China and a number of countries of the grouping over the South China Sea dispute.

Leaders of all 10 ASEAN member countries were here to participate at a summit meeting to mark 25 years of India- ASEAN ties and to attend India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations.

Indo-Pacific broadly refers to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions, which also include the disputed South China Sea where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei question China&#39;s claims over almost the entire waterway.

The US has also been pitching for greater Indo-US cooperation in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.

Saran said all the ASEAN leaders appreciated India&#39;s positive role in the Indo-Pacific region.

A number of pressing issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to tackle threat of terrorism figured during the summit meeting as well as in bilateral talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with the ASEAN leaders.

Referring to the challenge of terrorism, Saran said that ASEAN leaders emphasised on the need for concerted global efforts to contain the menace.

&quot;Terrorism does not know any boundaries. You know what is cross border terrorism, you cannot be selective in tackling terrorism.... They (ASEAN leaders) recognised the need for the menace to be fought collectively,&quot; said Saran.

She said India will host a conference on ways to counter radicalisation.

Referring to the deliberations at the Plenary session at the summit, Saran said Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered India&#39;s digital expertise and expressed readiness to set up digital villages in some of the countries as part of a pilot project.

He also said that India will host an ASEAN-India start up festival this year.

She said next year will be celebrated as the year of India-ASEAN tourism by both the sides.

India also offered 1,000 scholarships in IIT for PhD students from ASEAN countries.

Saran and several other officials of the MEA also talked about the meticulous planning that went into hosting the ASEAN leaders including choosing fabric for pillow covers and arranging for various recepies considering the food habits of the leaders.

They also talked about how External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was involved in minute details for successful hosting of leaders.

The leaders lauded India’s growth story as it was “one of fastest growing economies” and the Modi government has undertaken “amazing reforms”, said the official

All 10 ASEAN leaders conveyed to India their desire for it to play a more assertive role in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region while recognising the country's growing stature in ensuring regional peace and stability. "Yes," said Secretary East in the Ministry of External Affairs Preeti Saran when asked during a media briefing whether the leaders of the powerful ASEAN grouping favoured a more assertive role for India in the Indo-Pacific region where China has been ramping up its military presence. On whether ASEAN wants India to play a more pro-active role in the Indo-Pacific in the wake of China's growing expansionism in the area, Saran said India-ASEAN relationship stands on its own. "All the leaders conveyed their desire for a greater participation of India (in the Indo-Pacific region)," she said. The desire by the ASEAN countries for a greater role by India in the Indo-Pacific region assumes significance in the wake of rising tensions between China and a number of countries of the grouping over the South China Sea dispute. Leaders of all 10 ASEAN member countries were here to participate at a summit meeting to mark 25 years of India- ASEAN ties and to attend India's Republic Day celebrations. Indo-Pacific broadly refers to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions, which also include the disputed South China Sea where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei question China's claims over almost the entire waterway. The US has also been pitching for greater Indo-US cooperation in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. Saran said all the ASEAN leaders appreciated India's positive role in the Indo-Pacific region. A number of pressing issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to tackle threat of terrorism figured during the summit meeting as well as in bilateral talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with the ASEAN leaders. Referring to the challenge of terrorism, Saran said that ASEAN leaders emphasised on the need for concerted global efforts to contain the menace. "Terrorism does not know any boundaries. You know what is cross border terrorism, you cannot be selective in tackling terrorism.... They (ASEAN leaders) recognised the need for the menace to be fought collectively," said Saran. She said India will host a conference on ways to counter radicalisation. Referring to the deliberations at the Plenary session at the summit, Saran said Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered India's digital expertise and expressed readiness to set up digital villages in some of the countries as part of a pilot project. He also said that India will host an ASEAN-India start up festival this year. She said next year will be celebrated as the year of India-ASEAN tourism by both the sides. India also offered 1,000 scholarships in IIT for PhD students from ASEAN countries. Saran and several other officials of the MEA also talked about the meticulous planning that went into hosting the ASEAN leaders including choosing fabric for pillow covers and arranging for various recepies considering the food habits of the leaders. They also talked about how External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was involved in minute details for successful hosting of leaders.

ASEAN leaders want India to be more assertive in Indo-Pacific region

The national capital is gearing up for the 69th Republic Day which is all set to be celebrated in grandeur at India Gate, like each year, with the highlight of the day being the parade.&nbsp;

This year, the Republic Day celebrations will have 10 top leaders of ASEAN countries as chief guests -&nbsp;Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/republic-day-parade-reharsal-pti-650_650x400_71516593623-20180125111508.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Marching contingent of the India Navy during the Republic Day parade rehearsal at Rajpath. (PTI)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

For the first time, the parade will showcase over 700 participants across the guest countries along with participants from the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy.&nbsp;

In another first, a newly-formed all-woman bikers contingent of the Border Security Force (BSF) will make its debut on Rajpath. The 27-member BSF women &#39;daredevils&#39; squad, named &#39;Seema Bhavani&#39;, will showcase their stunts and acrobatics on their 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles.

The government&#39;s research institute ICAR will, for the first time, participate in the Republic Day parade with its tableau showcasing integrated farming as key for doubling farmers&#39; income.

As part of the celebrations, a scintillating flypast and air display by various aircraft will be the hallmark of the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A total of 795 Police personnel have been awarded Medals on the occasion of the Republic Day this year. &nbsp;Police Medals for Gallantry (PMG) have been awarded to 107 personnel, President&#39;s Police Medals for Distinguished Service to 75 personnel and Police Medal for Meritorious Service to 613 personnel.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pti1_8_2018_000018b-20180125111429.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
ITBP soldiers march during rehearsals ahead of the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Additionally, eighteen children, including seven girls have been selected for the National Bravery Awards 2017. Three of the bravehearts are being awarded posthumously. They would participate in the Republic Day Parade 2018 at the Rajpath, where they would be one of the main attractions of the event.

Also, as part of the Republic Day celebrations, the Government of India is organising &lsquo;Bharat Parv&rsquo; event at the Red Fort in Delhi, starting from 26 January to 31 January 2018.&nbsp;

The objective of the event will be to &ldquo;generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The event will be open to all and entry will be free. However, visitors will have to carry identity for security check. The government has designated the Ministry of Tourism as the nodal Ministry for the event.&nbsp;

Some of the highlights of the event are Display of Republic Day Parade Tableaux, performances by Armed Forces Bands, a multi-cuisine food court, craft mela, cultural performances from different regions of the country and photo exhibition by the directorate of advertising and visual publicity.

The national capital has been brought under a ground-to-air security cover in view of the Republic Day celebrations and the visit of 10 ASEAN leaders for a high-profile summit here, a senior police official said.

Thousands of armed personnel have been keeping a tight vigil for Republic Day in Delhi and in border areas of the city to ensure a smooth passage of the celebrations tomorrow.

The entire central and New Delhi region will have nearly 50,000 security personnel drawn from the Delhi Police and the central security forces. Several security layers have been put in place and Delhi Police personnel along with paramilitary and NSG commandos have been deployed.

 
&nbsp;

The parade has 10 chief guests this year -- the leaders of all 10 ASEAN nations

The national capital is gearing up for the 69th Republic Day which is all set to be celebrated in grandeur at India Gate, like each year, with the highlight of the day being the parade. This year, the Republic Day celebrations will have 10 top leaders of ASEAN countries as chief guests - Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei. Marching contingent of the India Navy during the Republic Day parade rehearsal at Rajpath. (PTI) × For the first time, the parade will showcase over 700 participants across the guest countries along with participants from the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy. In another first, a newly-formed all-woman bikers contingent of the Border Security Force (BSF) will make its debut on Rajpath. The 27-member BSF women 'daredevils' squad, named 'Seema Bhavani', will showcase their stunts and acrobatics on their 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles. The government's research institute ICAR will, for the first time, participate in the Republic Day parade with its tableau showcasing integrated farming as key for doubling farmers' income. As part of the celebrations, a scintillating flypast and air display by various aircraft will be the hallmark of the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath. A total of 795 Police personnel have been awarded Medals on the occasion of the Republic Day this year. Police Medals for Gallantry (PMG) have been awarded to 107 personnel, President's Police Medals for Distinguished Service to 75 personnel and Police Medal for Meritorious Service to 613 personnel. ITBP soldiers march during rehearsals ahead of the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI) × Additionally, eighteen children, including seven girls have been selected for the National Bravery Awards 2017. Three of the bravehearts are being awarded posthumously. They would participate in the Republic Day Parade 2018 at the Rajpath, where they would be one of the main attractions of the event. Also, as part of the Republic Day celebrations, the Government of India is organising ‘Bharat Parv’ event at the Red Fort in Delhi, starting from 26 January to 31 January 2018. The objective of the event will be to “generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the general public.” The event will be open to all and entry will be free. However, visitors will have to carry identity for security check. The government has designated the Ministry of Tourism as the nodal Ministry for the event. Some of the highlights of the event are Display of Republic Day Parade Tableaux, performances by Armed Forces Bands, a multi-cuisine food court, craft mela, cultural performances from different regions of the country and photo exhibition by the directorate of advertising and visual publicity. The national capital has been brought under a ground-to-air security cover in view of the Republic Day celebrations and the visit of 10 ASEAN leaders for a high-profile summit here, a senior police official said. Thousands of armed personnel have been keeping a tight vigil for Republic Day in Delhi and in border areas of the city to ensure a smooth passage of the celebrations tomorrow. The entire central and New Delhi region will have nearly 50,000 security personnel drawn from the Delhi Police and the central security forces. Several security layers have been put in place and Delhi Police personnel along with paramilitary and NSG commandos have been deployed.

Republic Day parade 2018: Look out for what's new

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-to-address-plenary-session-of-india-asean-commemorative-summit-today-30707">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> is holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries who have gathered in New Delhi to join him in the Republic Day celebrations. This will be the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/south-asian-leaders-arrive-in-india-for-indo-asean-summit-30685">biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders</a> at the Republic Day parade that showcases India&#39;s military might and cultural diversity.

Under its &#39;Act East&#39; policy, New Delhi is pushing to boost its relationship via connectivity, commerce and culture with this regional bloc.

In talks with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, PM Modi discussed trade and investment, defence and security, education, and people-to-people cooperation.

&quot;An agreement to facilitate investment was signed,&quot; External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Twitter.

India-Philippines bilateral trade stood at nearly $2 billion in 2016-17. In 2016-17, India&#39;s exports amounted to $1.487 billion and imports totaled $494 million.

The Philippines also showed interest in studying and implementing a digital identity system <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asean-summit-philippines-shows-interest-in-aadhaar-30741">inspired by India&rsquo;s Aadhaar</a> and the software stack built around it. According to sources, the Philippines has sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details.

Modi visited the Philippines in November last year to attend the ASEAN-India Summit. It was the first prime ministerial visit from India to that southeast Asian nation in 36 years since the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981. During that visit, the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement, including in the area of off-shore patrol vehicles. The Filipino defence minister is expected to visit India soon for further talks.

Modi and Duterte agreed to encourage their private sectors to collaborate as part of India&#39;s &#39;Act East&#39; policy and the Philippines&#39;s Build-Build-Build programme.

Prior to his meeting with Duterte, Modi held bilateral meetings with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. &quot;The two leaders had a productive discussion on intensifying bilateral cooperation, including follow up on key decisions taken during Prime Minister&#39;s visit to Myanmar in September 2017,&quot; External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the exodus of Rohingya refugees from the Rakhine state in Myanmar to Bangladesh since August last year.

Modi also met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. After the meeting, India and Vietnam signed agreements in the areas of information and broadcasting, and space cooperation.

According to Kumar, Modi and Phuc &quot;discussed cooperation in trade and investment, defence, maritime and other areas&quot;.

During Modi&#39;s visit to Vietnam in September 2016, the India-Vietnam relationship was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which Hanoi only has with Moscow and Beijing. India also plans to share the BrahMos missile system with Vietnam.

India and the Southeast Asia nations have stressed the need for freedom of navigation and open seas and India already has strong naval ties with countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

But several Southeast Asian countries locked in territorial disputes with China have sought even greater Indian engagement in the region, experts say.

&quot;China&#39;s distinctly hegemonic moves in the last few years in the South China Sea and its growing assertiveness have made ASEAN look towards India as a partner for equilibrium,&quot; said Arvind Gupta, former Indian deputy national security adviser who now heads the influential Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi with close ties to the ruling government.

The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Under its 'Act East' policy, New Delhi is pushing to boost its relationship via connectivity, commerce and culture with this regional bloc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries who have gathered in New Delhi to join him in the Republic Day celebrations. This will be the biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders at the Republic Day parade that showcases India's military might and cultural diversity. Under its 'Act East' policy, New Delhi is pushing to boost its relationship via connectivity, commerce and culture with this regional bloc. In talks with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, PM Modi discussed trade and investment, defence and security, education, and people-to-people cooperation. "An agreement to facilitate investment was signed," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Twitter. India-Philippines bilateral trade stood at nearly $2 billion in 2016-17. In 2016-17, India's exports amounted to $1.487 billion and imports totaled $494 million. The Philippines also showed interest in studying and implementing a digital identity system inspired by India’s Aadhaar and the software stack built around it. According to sources, the Philippines has sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details. Modi visited the Philippines in November last year to attend the ASEAN-India Summit. It was the first prime ministerial visit from India to that southeast Asian nation in 36 years since the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981. During that visit, the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement, including in the area of off-shore patrol vehicles. The Filipino defence minister is expected to visit India soon for further talks. Modi and Duterte agreed to encourage their private sectors to collaborate as part of India's 'Act East' policy and the Philippines's Build-Build-Build programme. Prior to his meeting with Duterte, Modi held bilateral meetings with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. "The two leaders had a productive discussion on intensifying bilateral cooperation, including follow up on key decisions taken during Prime Minister's visit to Myanmar in September 2017," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the exodus of Rohingya refugees from the Rakhine state in Myanmar to Bangladesh since August last year. Modi also met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. After the meeting, India and Vietnam signed agreements in the areas of information and broadcasting, and space cooperation. According to Kumar, Modi and Phuc "discussed cooperation in trade and investment, defence, maritime and other areas". During Modi's visit to Vietnam in September 2016, the India-Vietnam relationship was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which Hanoi only has with Moscow and Beijing. India also plans to share the BrahMos missile system with Vietnam. India and the Southeast Asia nations have stressed the need for freedom of navigation and open seas and India already has strong naval ties with countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. But several Southeast Asian countries locked in territorial disputes with China have sought even greater Indian engagement in the region, experts say. "China's distinctly hegemonic moves in the last few years in the South China Sea and its growing assertiveness have made ASEAN look towards India as a partner for equilibrium," said Arvind Gupta, former Indian deputy national security adviser who now heads the influential Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi with close ties to the ruling government. The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

From Aadhaar to trade and commerce: Here's what PM Modi discussed with ASEAN leaders

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today that India with its software prowess as well as expertise in large digital projects and the ASEAN nations, which lead in hardware, should explore ways to &quot;supplement&quot; and &quot;complement&quot; each other.

 
He also said that India and ASEAN members are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement which may be firmed up by the year-end.

 
The 16-member RCEP comprises 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their 6 FTA partners - India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

 
RCEP is a mega trade pact among these countries and aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and intellectual property rights.

 
&quot;We are involved in the trade initiative of having an RCEP. We expect that to be concretised by this year-end,&quot; Prasad said while addressing the ASEAN-India Business and Investment Meet and Expo being held here. 
Showcasing a slew of digital initiatives undertaken by India, Prasad said that flagship programmes like biometric identifier Aadhaar and BharatNet, for broadband connectivity across 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, were transforming India and enabling digital inclusion of people.

 
Moreover, initiatives like Common Services Centres and BPO in smaller towns had taken the entrepreneurship and employment opportunities to the grassroots, he added.

 
He asserted that Indian IT companies did not displace jobs but rather created employment opportunities, infused investments and expanded capacities in markets where they are present.

 
&quot;Indian IT companies do not displace jobs but create jobs and they create capacities. That is their record in 200 cities across various countries, and that will be their record also in ASEAN countries in capacity building, local languages and hi-tech,&quot; he said.

 
India leads in software while many of the 10 ASEAN countries are known for their hardware prowess, Prasad said, adding that it is ready to share its experiences and expertise in the digital space with the grouping.

 
&quot;We have to see how can we supplement and complement each other...,&quot; he said.

 
Elaborating on the digital connectivity initiatives in the region, he said India is already connected digitally with the ASEAN region, with Singapore as a hub.

 
&quot;We have also proposed a hub through Myanmar extending up to Indonesia. We are also looking at extending digital connectivity to ASEAN through Bangladesh,&quot; Prasad said.

 
While the conventional trade must go on, he said, it is also important to recognise that technology and digitisation are transforming the nature of business and trade.

 
&quot;Technology has uncanny habit of creating opportunities and destroying barriers,&quot; Prasad said, adding that the understanding of services itself needs to be revisited in this context.

 
Additional Secretary in the commerce ministry, Anup Wadhawan said that services are increasingly getting embedded into goods and products.

 
The full scope of economic relationship potential between countries cannot be achieved without the encouraging services, he pointed out.

 
&quot;You cannot envisage, for instance, any meaningful goods trade without similar openness in services,&quot; Wadhawan said, adding that even exports of capital goods, heavy machinery involved a services element.

 
Stating that the role of temporary movement of professionals in service trade and was being confused with sensitive issues like immigration, Wadhawan emphasised the need to ensure that such &quot;misconceptions&quot; did not come in the way of services trade and facilitation.

 
&quot;There is an impression created that services lead to job displacement. In fact, Indian companies are creating jobs and making investments. In the ASEAN region, Indian companies have created over 200,000 jobs, and 70 per cent of the jobs created by Indian companies in ASEAN, are local jobs,&quot; he added.

Prasad also said that India and ASEAN members are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement which may be firmed up by the year-end.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today that India with its software prowess as well as expertise in large digital projects and the ASEAN nations, which lead in hardware, should explore ways to "supplement" and "complement" each other. He also said that India and ASEAN members are negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement which may be firmed up by the year-end. The 16-member RCEP comprises 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their 6 FTA partners - India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. RCEP is a mega trade pact among these countries and aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and intellectual property rights. "We are involved in the trade initiative of having an RCEP. We expect that to be concretised by this year-end," Prasad said while addressing the ASEAN-India Business and Investment Meet and Expo being held here. Showcasing a slew of digital initiatives undertaken by India, Prasad said that flagship programmes like biometric identifier Aadhaar and BharatNet, for broadband connectivity across 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, were transforming India and enabling digital inclusion of people. Moreover, initiatives like Common Services Centres and BPO in smaller towns had taken the entrepreneurship and employment opportunities to the grassroots, he added. He asserted that Indian IT companies did not displace jobs but rather created employment opportunities, infused investments and expanded capacities in markets where they are present. "Indian IT companies do not displace jobs but create jobs and they create capacities. That is their record in 200 cities across various countries, and that will be their record also in ASEAN countries in capacity building, local languages and hi-tech," he said. India leads in software while many of the 10 ASEAN countries are known for their hardware prowess, Prasad said, adding that it is ready to share its experiences and expertise in the digital space with the grouping. "We have to see how can we supplement and complement each other...," he said. Elaborating on the digital connectivity initiatives in the region, he said India is already connected digitally with the ASEAN region, with Singapore as a hub. "We have also proposed a hub through Myanmar extending up to Indonesia. We are also looking at extending digital connectivity to ASEAN through Bangladesh," Prasad said. While the conventional trade must go on, he said, it is also important to recognise that technology and digitisation are transforming the nature of business and trade. "Technology has uncanny habit of creating opportunities and destroying barriers," Prasad said, adding that the understanding of services itself needs to be revisited in this context. Additional Secretary in the commerce ministry, Anup Wadhawan said that services are increasingly getting embedded into goods and products. The full scope of economic relationship potential between countries cannot be achieved without the encouraging services, he pointed out. "You cannot envisage, for instance, any meaningful goods trade without similar openness in services," Wadhawan said, adding that even exports of capital goods, heavy machinery involved a services element. Stating that the role of temporary movement of professionals in service trade and was being confused with sensitive issues like immigration, Wadhawan emphasised the need to ensure that such "misconceptions" did not come in the way of services trade and facilitation. "There is an impression created that services lead to job displacement. In fact, Indian companies are creating jobs and making investments. In the ASEAN region, Indian companies have created over 200,000 jobs, and 70 per cent of the jobs created by Indian companies in ASEAN, are local jobs," he added.

'Indian IT companies do not displace jobs but create jobs,' says Ravi Shankar Prasad at ASEAN meet

An op-ed written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been published in 27 newspapers across the ASEAN countries.&nbsp;

All 10 heads of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries were chief guests at the Republic Day parade this year. The presence of the 10 heads of state -- who are also here to attend the India-Asean commemorative summit -- is meant to symbolise India&#39;s progression from its Look East policy to &quot;acting east&quot;.&nbsp;

Modi&#39;s op-ed is headlined &quot;Asean-India: Shared values and a common destiny&quot;, and is meant to mark the commemorative summit.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
27 newspapers in 10 languages in 10 ASEAN countries! Op-Ed by PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> on the historic occasion of 69th Republic Day &amp; Asean-India Commemorative Summit. Exceptional gesture of friendship nurtured by shared culture &amp; civilizational linkages! List at <a href="https://t.co/gzhB5n1lIf">https://t.co/gzhB5n1lIf</a> <a href="https://t.co/A4rpI0caZS">pic.twitter.com/A4rpI0caZS</a>
&mdash; Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/956764713609605120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;This is no ordinary event. It is a historic milestone in a remarkable journey that has brought India and ASEAN in a deepening partnership of great promise for their 1.9 billion people, about one-fourth of the human kind,&quot; the op-ed says.&nbsp;

&quot;At 70, India exudes the spirit, enterprise and energy of its young population. As the fastest growing major economy in the world, India has become the new frontier of global opportunities of stability of the global economy. With every passing day, it is easier and smoother to do business in India. I hope that ASEAN nations, as our neighbours and friends, will be an integral part of New India&#39;s transformation,&quot; it adds. &nbsp;

Modi ends by saying, &quot;Indians have always looked East to see the nurturing sunrise and the light of opportunities. Now, as before, the East, or the Indo Pacific Region, will be indispensable to India&rsquo;s future and our common destiny. ASEAN-India partnership will play a defining role in both. And, in Delhi, ASEAN and India renewed their pledge for the journey ahead.&quot;

The op-ed has been published, among others, in Singapore&#39;s Strait Times, Indonesia&#39;s Jakarta Post, Cambodia&#39;s Phnom Penh Post, in the Vietnam News, and in Singapore&#39;s Tamil Murasu.

An op-ed by the prime minister, in which he makes the wish, has been published in 27 newspapers across the 10 ASEAN countries

An op-ed written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been published in 27 newspapers across the ASEAN countries. All 10 heads of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries were chief guests at the Republic Day parade this year. The presence of the 10 heads of state -- who are also here to attend the India-Asean commemorative summit -- is meant to symbolise India's progression from its Look East policy to "acting east". Modi's op-ed is headlined "Asean-India: Shared values and a common destiny", and is meant to mark the commemorative summit. 27 newspapers in 10 languages in 10 ASEAN countries! Op-Ed by PM @narendramodi on the historic occasion of 69th Republic Day & Asean-India Commemorative Summit. Exceptional gesture of friendship nurtured by shared culture & civilizational linkages! List at https://t.co/gzhB5n1lIf pic.twitter.com/A4rpI0caZS — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 26, 2018 × "This is no ordinary event. It is a historic milestone in a remarkable journey that has brought India and ASEAN in a deepening partnership of great promise for their 1.9 billion people, about one-fourth of the human kind," the op-ed says. "At 70, India exudes the spirit, enterprise and energy of its young population. As the fastest growing major economy in the world, India has become the new frontier of global opportunities of stability of the global economy. With every passing day, it is easier and smoother to do business in India. I hope that ASEAN nations, as our neighbours and friends, will be an integral part of New India's transformation," it adds. Modi ends by saying, "Indians have always looked East to see the nurturing sunrise and the light of opportunities. Now, as before, the East, or the Indo Pacific Region, will be indispensable to India’s future and our common destiny. ASEAN-India partnership will play a defining role in both. And, in Delhi, ASEAN and India renewed their pledge for the journey ahead." The op-ed has been published, among others, in Singapore's Strait Times, Indonesia's Jakarta Post, Cambodia's Phnom Penh Post, in the Vietnam News, and in Singapore's Tamil Murasu.

I hope ASEAN will be integral part of New India's transformation: PM Modi

The national capital has been brought under a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/terror-threat-looms-as-asean-leaders-to-attend-republic-day-parade-30634" target="_blank">ground-to-air security cover </a>in view of the Republic Day celebrations and the visit of 10 ASEAN leaders for a high-profile summit here, a senior police official said today.

Thousands of armed personnel have been keeping a tight vigil for Republic Day in Delhi and in border areas of the city to ensure a smooth passage of the celebrations tomorrow.

Additional security personnel will be deployed on high- rises with anti-aircraft guns, the official said.

CCTV cameras have been installed and control rooms have been set up to monitor the feed from the cameras. Police officials were maintaining a tight vigil at strategic points.

All market places have been put on alert and Delhi Police teams were carrying out security audits. The police has deployed dog squads in key market areas.

Leaves of police personnel have been cancelled, the official said.

The entire central and New Delhi region will have nearly 50,000 security personnel drawn from the Delhi Police and the central security forces. Several security layers have been put in place and Delhi Police personnel along with paramilitary and NSG commandos have been deployed.

The visiting ASEAN leaders, after attending an ASEAN summit here today, will be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade tomorrow.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a multilateral body, comprising Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The visiting ASEAN leaders, after attending an ASEAN summit here today, will be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade tomorrow

The national capital has been brought under a ground-to-air security cover in view of the Republic Day celebrations and the visit of 10 ASEAN leaders for a high-profile summit here, a senior police official said today. Thousands of armed personnel have been keeping a tight vigil for Republic Day in Delhi and in border areas of the city to ensure a smooth passage of the celebrations tomorrow. Additional security personnel will be deployed on high- rises with anti-aircraft guns, the official said. CCTV cameras have been installed and control rooms have been set up to monitor the feed from the cameras. Police officials were maintaining a tight vigil at strategic points. All market places have been put on alert and Delhi Police teams were carrying out security audits. The police has deployed dog squads in key market areas. Leaves of police personnel have been cancelled, the official said. The entire central and New Delhi region will have nearly 50,000 security personnel drawn from the Delhi Police and the central security forces. Several security layers have been put in place and Delhi Police personnel along with paramilitary and NSG commandos have been deployed. The visiting ASEAN leaders, after attending an ASEAN summit here today, will be the chief guests at the Republic Day parade tomorrow. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a multilateral body, comprising Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Ground-to-air security cover in Delhi ahead of Republic Day

The visit of all ten ASEAN leaders to New Delhi on 25-26 January, as guests of honour at India&rsquo;s Republic Day celebrations, marks a high for Indian diplomacy and for India-ASEAN partnership. In the past, we have invited at the most two Heads of State government as guests of honour: Alexei Kosygin &amp; Josip Tito in 1968 and Sirimavo Bandaranaike as well as Josip Tito in 1974.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and ASEAN nations, some of which are our immediate neighbours, have enjoyed robust trade, maritime, cultural and people-to-people exchanges over two millennia. The ties have been successfully and befittingly recrafted in modern times, especially since the unveiling of our &lsquo;Look East Policy&rsquo; in 1991 (since re-christened as ACT East Policy). &nbsp;

&nbsp;

It may, therefore, sound incredulous that India, riding high on Non-Aligned Movement, had declined ASEAN&rsquo;s membership-invitation in the late sixties, believing that the latter was an American inspired anti-Communist grouping. Prof. Sumit Ganguly in his book &lsquo;India Since 1980&rsquo; observes, &quot;&hellip;Indian leadership had spurned the overtures of the founders of ASEAN when it was formed. &hellip;they felt that is was composed exclusively of states that had close ties with the US, was simply another anti-Communist and anti-Soviet bastion in Asia, and that India could ill-afford to become a member of any such organization&rsquo;. How the sands of time shift!

&nbsp;

Both sides, over the last twenty-five years, have invested considerably in building closer relations, which were elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2012. The ties essentially rest on three pillars (or 3 Cs) &ndash; Commerce, Connectivity and Culture.&nbsp;

India and ASEAN nations together encompass a population of 1.8 billion and a GDP of US$ 4.5 trillion. The potential, thus, is enormous. The sides operationalised a &lsquo;Free Trade Area in Goods&rsquo; in January 2010 and concluded a &#39;Free Trade Area in Services and Investment&rsquo; in September 2014.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The fact, however, remains that the &#39;Free Trade Area in Goods&#39; is not ambitious enough. It covers merely 90% of product lines and has just about managed to pluck the low-hanging fruit. The FTA in Services and Investment has yet to be operationalised, as Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia have still to ratify it. As a result, bilateral trade is stagnating around $70 billion after attaining a high of $ 80 billion in 2011-12. The best way forward, therefore, is to qualitatively review and upgrade the FTA in Goods.

&nbsp;

A Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement is also under discussion among ASEAN plus six of its partner nations which include India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. While we are participating in the negotiations, we do have serious difficulties, first and foremost about opening our doors further to Chinese imports. As it is, we have an over $50 billion trade deficit with China. RCEP could result in an avalanche of Chinese goods in the Indian market, adversely impacting the Indian manufacturing industry, especially in the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) sector.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Connectivity lies at the heart of any relationship and it is particularly important for India&rsquo;s north-eastern region, which has a land border with Myanmar. India has initiated a number of surface and air connectivity projects with ASEAN. In 2002, we proposed the India &ndash; Myanmar - Thailand trilateral highway project. It has made progress in fits and starts, missed several deadlines but has yet to be completed. The fate of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, announced by India in 2008, has been quite similar. It is in India&rsquo;s interest to resist the temptation of unveiling new initiatives and concentrate instead on the expeditious conclusion of projects in the pipeline.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and ASEAN are doing much better on the cultural front and on enhancing people-to-people, especially youth exchanges.&nbsp;

A final word about the China factor. There is a mistaken notion in some quarters that ASEAN views India as a counterweight or alternative to China. This perception is completely far-fetched.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

True, both ASEAN nations and India are concerned about Chinese muscle-flexing. True, we both stand for freedom of navigation on the high seas and are averse to threat or use of force in dispute settlement. And, therefore, both sides are increasingly consulting each other, building on synergies and staking out common positions where feasible. That said, India herself seeks a cordial and cooperative relationship with China, with which she shares a 4000 km long difficult border. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and ASEAN are natural partners. We have similar aspirations and challenges. A closer relationship is of mutual interest. Both sides need to stay the course and reinvigorate efforts to narrow the gulf between ambition and action.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

India and ASEAN are natural partners. We have similar aspirations and challenges. A closer relationship is of mutual interest.

The visit of all ten ASEAN leaders to New Delhi on 25-26 January, as guests of honour at India’s Republic Day celebrations, marks a high for Indian diplomacy and for India-ASEAN partnership. In the past, we have invited at the most two Heads of State government as guests of honour: Alexei Kosygin & Josip Tito in 1968 and Sirimavo Bandaranaike as well as Josip Tito in 1974. India and ASEAN nations, some of which are our immediate neighbours, have enjoyed robust trade, maritime, cultural and people-to-people exchanges over two millennia. The ties have been successfully and befittingly recrafted in modern times, especially since the unveiling of our ‘Look East Policy’ in 1991 (since re-christened as ACT East Policy). It may, therefore, sound incredulous that India, riding high on Non-Aligned Movement, had declined ASEAN’s membership-invitation in the late sixties, believing that the latter was an American inspired anti-Communist grouping. Prof. Sumit Ganguly in his book ‘India Since 1980’ observes, "…Indian leadership had spurned the overtures of the founders of ASEAN when it was formed. …they felt that is was composed exclusively of states that had close ties with the US, was simply another anti-Communist and anti-Soviet bastion in Asia, and that India could ill-afford to become a member of any such organization’. How the sands of time shift! Both sides, over the last twenty-five years, have invested considerably in building closer relations, which were elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2012. The ties essentially rest on three pillars (or 3 Cs) – Commerce, Connectivity and Culture. India and ASEAN nations together encompass a population of 1.8 billion and a GDP of US$ 4.5 trillion. The potential, thus, is enormous. The sides operationalised a ‘Free Trade Area in Goods’ in January 2010 and concluded a 'Free Trade Area in Services and Investment’ in September 2014. The fact, however, remains that the 'Free Trade Area in Goods' is not ambitious enough. It covers merely 90% of product lines and has just about managed to pluck the low-hanging fruit. The FTA in Services and Investment has yet to be operationalised, as Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia have still to ratify it. As a result, bilateral trade is stagnating around $70 billion after attaining a high of $ 80 billion in 2011-12. The best way forward, therefore, is to qualitatively review and upgrade the FTA in Goods. A Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement is also under discussion among ASEAN plus six of its partner nations which include India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. While we are participating in the negotiations, we do have serious difficulties, first and foremost about opening our doors further to Chinese imports. As it is, we have an over $50 billion trade deficit with China. RCEP could result in an avalanche of Chinese goods in the Indian market, adversely impacting the Indian manufacturing industry, especially in the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) sector. Connectivity lies at the heart of any relationship and it is particularly important for India’s north-eastern region, which has a land border with Myanmar. India has initiated a number of surface and air connectivity projects with ASEAN. In 2002, we proposed the India – Myanmar - Thailand trilateral highway project. It has made progress in fits and starts, missed several deadlines but has yet to be completed. The fate of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, announced by India in 2008, has been quite similar. It is in India’s interest to resist the temptation of unveiling new initiatives and concentrate instead on the expeditious conclusion of projects in the pipeline. India and ASEAN are doing much better on the cultural front and on enhancing people-to-people, especially youth exchanges. A final word about the China factor. There is a mistaken notion in some quarters that ASEAN views India as a counterweight or alternative to China. This perception is completely far-fetched. True, both ASEAN nations and India are concerned about Chinese muscle-flexing. True, we both stand for freedom of navigation on the high seas and are averse to threat or use of force in dispute settlement. And, therefore, both sides are increasingly consulting each other, building on synergies and staking out common positions where feasible. That said, India herself seeks a cordial and cooperative relationship with China, with which she shares a 4000 km long difficult border. India and ASEAN are natural partners. We have similar aspirations and challenges. A closer relationship is of mutual interest. Both sides need to stay the course and reinvigorate efforts to narrow the gulf between ambition and action. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: 25 years of India-ASEAN partnership calls for a reality check

Ahead of the India-ASEAN Summit leaders of the various Southeast Asian countries arrived in India on Wednesday.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Myanmar&#39;s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi,&nbsp;Singaporean Premier Lee Hsien Loong,&nbsp;Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah,&nbsp;Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha,&nbsp;Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak along with his wife and President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte were the leaders to arrive in India Wednesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The two-day Summit is organised to mark the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN relations.

The event will start with a leaders&#39; retreat on January&nbsp;25&nbsp;involving their &quot;free and frank&quot; discussion.

The theme of the retreat session is &#39;maritime cooperation and security&#39;.

Following the retreat, a plenary session will be held on the same day.

To be held at the backdrop of increasing Chinese economic and military presence in the region,&nbsp;the meet is expected to boost&nbsp;India- ASEAN cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism, security and connectivity.

India can utilise the meet as an opportunity to&nbsp;present itself as a powerful ally to these countries in the strategic areas of trade and connectivity.

The leaders from the South East Asian countries will also be guest to India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations on Friday.&nbsp;

This will be the first time when ten leaders from different countries will witness the Republic Day celebration as guest.&nbsp;

ASEAN constitutes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Myanmar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Myanmar</a> State Counsellor <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AungSanSuuKyi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AungSanSuuKyi</a> arrives in Delhi for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASEANIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ASEANIndia</a> meet <a href="https://t.co/QP9adTZsJo">pic.twitter.com/QP9adTZsJo</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956136826720346112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
President of India Ramnath Kovind meets Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc. <a href="https://t.co/Vwu0yc6Vfu">pic.twitter.com/Vwu0yc6Vfu</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956140260638928897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Delhi: Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah arrive for ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to be held on January 25 &amp; 26. <a href="https://t.co/NawHitEyeT">pic.twitter.com/NawHitEyeT</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956146599717085184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Delhi: Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha arrive for ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to be held on January 25 &amp; 26. <a href="https://t.co/vFDy3ov4Wy">pic.twitter.com/vFDy3ov4Wy</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956158321798426624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The two leaders are holding a bilateral meeting. <a href="https://t.co/JZfmflCMfX">pic.twitter.com/JZfmflCMfX</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956168490343264256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/EfnUCDxxKJ">pic.twitter.com/EfnUCDxxKJ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956177237971165191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Delhi: Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor arrive for ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit. The Summit will be held on January 25 &amp; 26. <a href="https://t.co/FpUzZre6MP">pic.twitter.com/FpUzZre6MP</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956179646017499137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
MoUs exchanged between India and Vietnam in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/8rD6iBGIXT">pic.twitter.com/8rD6iBGIXT</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956187923124125697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other dignitaries after the exchange of MoUs between the two countries in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/MIT4HippRy">pic.twitter.com/MIT4HippRy</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956188699141828609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte <a href="https://t.co/HubY3OAffK">pic.twitter.com/HubY3OAffK</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956192958688083968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)

The two-day Summit is organised to mark the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN relations

Ahead of the India-ASEAN Summit leaders of the various Southeast Asian countries arrived in India on Wednesday. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Singaporean Premier Lee Hsien Loong, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak along with his wife and President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte were the leaders to arrive in India Wednesday. The two-day Summit is organised to mark the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN relations. The event will start with a leaders' retreat on January 25 involving their "free and frank" discussion. The theme of the retreat session is 'maritime cooperation and security'. Following the retreat, a plenary session will be held on the same day. To be held at the backdrop of increasing Chinese economic and military presence in the region, the meet is expected to boost India- ASEAN cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism, security and connectivity. India can utilise the meet as an opportunity to present itself as a powerful ally to these countries in the strategic areas of trade and connectivity. The leaders from the South East Asian countries will also be guest to India's Republic Day celebrations on Friday. This will be the first time when ten leaders from different countries will witness the Republic Day celebration as guest. ASEAN constitutes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. #Myanmar State Counsellor #AungSanSuuKyi arrives in Delhi for #ASEANIndia meet pic.twitter.com/QP9adTZsJo — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × President of India Ramnath Kovind meets Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc. pic.twitter.com/Vwu0yc6Vfu — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × Delhi: Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah arrive for ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to be held on January 25 & 26. pic.twitter.com/NawHitEyeT — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × Delhi: Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha arrive for ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to be held on January 25 & 26. pic.twitter.com/vFDy3ov4Wy — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × #Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The two leaders are holding a bilateral meeting. pic.twitter.com/JZfmflCMfX — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/EfnUCDxxKJ — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × Delhi: Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor arrive for ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit. The Summit will be held on January 25 & 26. pic.twitter.com/FpUzZre6MP — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × MoUs exchanged between India and Vietnam in #Delhi pic.twitter.com/8rD6iBGIXT — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other dignitaries after the exchange of MoUs between the two countries in #Delhi pic.twitter.com/MIT4HippRy — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × #Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte pic.twitter.com/HubY3OAffK — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × (With inputs from PTI, ANI)

South Asian leaders arrive in India for Indo-ASEAN Summit

India&#39;s improved relations with Israel could actually benefit Palestine, experts said here, underlining that the Palestinian leadership sees an opportunity in Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s visit in reviving the peace process with Israel.

Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine, is reaching Ramallah amid heightened tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

India has consistently voted in favour of resolutions supporting the Palestinian cause at international forums, an issue that has bothered strategic partner Israel.

Ahmad Majdalani, a Palestine Liberation Organisation Executive Committee member, said improved relations between Israel and India could help the Palestinians.

&quot;The growing ties between them could be positive, because now India has more leverage with Israel and can pressure it in our favour,&quot; Majdalani was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post. 
In discussions with several officials in Ramallah, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, it appears that the Palestinian leadership sees in the Indian prime minister&#39;s visit an opportunity to seek his assistance in pushing forward the deadlocked peace process.

&quot;India today enjoys wider acceptance in the global community. The recent participation of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) leaders in its Republic Day function is a clear demonstration of its enhanced status. Its membership in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and visibility at several leading international forums, clearly shows that it is today a global player&quot;, an official said.

Another official pointed at the &quot;moral standing&quot; India enjoys in the international community which can be put to good use.

The hype around India&#39;s strategic ties with Israel and the bonhomie around Modi&#39;s visit to Israel and its prime minister&#39;s visit to India also does not seem to perturb the Palestinians.

&quot;Well even Jordan and Egypt have full diplomatic relations with Israel so why can&#39;t India have,&quot; said Ayman, a university student.

His friends seem to back the same contention displaying a great degree of acquaintance of international politics. Some appreciated India&#39;s support for the Palestinians at the UN despite all the publicity around the personal chemistry between Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu.

When asked about India&#39;s growing engagement with Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas himself emphaticlally asserted that &quot;any state has the right to establish relations with other countries&quot;.

The Indian prime minister would be skipping Israel during his tour of the Middle East in a clear message that New Delhi is de-hyphenating its ties with Israel and Palestine.

Modi had visited Israel last year in July in a standalone visit that had led to many analysts questioning the future of the Indo-Palestine ties.

The question that arises out of Abbas&#39; effort is if Israel would accept a multilateral forum of the sort being promoted by him to seek negotiated peace. Israel has made it clear that it will only work under a US-led peace process.

India has also consistently voted in favour of the Palestinians at all international forums and Netanyahu clearly expressed his &quot;disappointment&quot; at New Delhi&#39;s recent vote at the UN General Assembly where 128 nations rejected US&#39; unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

As Modi embarks on the three-hour hectic trip to Palestine today, he kickstarts his engagement by laying a wreath at the Mausoleum of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The Israeli press has highlighted the event with some reports expressing disappointment over the gesture. Many Israelis see Arafat responsible for th killing of several innocent civilians and stoking violence in the region.

Modi will be accompanied by his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah during the ceremony.

The Mausoleum of Yasser Arafat was unveiled on November 10, 2007 and is located adjacent to the Palestinian Presidential compound, also known as Muqata&#39;a here.

After paying homage to Arafat, the prime minister will take a short tour accompanied by Hamdallah of the Yasser Arafat Museum located adjacent to the Mausoleum.

He will spend some 20 minutes touring the 15-month-old Yasser Arafat Museum, which chronicles the life of the former Palestinian leader.

According to Muhammad Halayka, the director of the Arafat Museum, Modi will be the first Prime Minister to visit the site.

Modi will then be received by President Abbas before the ceremonial welcome at the Muqata&#39;a.

The two leaders will then have discussions, sign bilateral agreements, hold a joint press conference and share lunch before Modi leaves for Amman in a chopper following a farewell ceremony.

Modi will then leave for the UAE later in the day for a two-day visit.

Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine, is reaching Ramallah amid heightened tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel

India's improved relations with Israel could actually benefit Palestine, experts said here, underlining that the Palestinian leadership sees an opportunity in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in reviving the peace process with Israel. Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine, is reaching Ramallah amid heightened tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. India has consistently voted in favour of resolutions supporting the Palestinian cause at international forums, an issue that has bothered strategic partner Israel. Ahmad Majdalani, a Palestine Liberation Organisation Executive Committee member, said improved relations between Israel and India could help the Palestinians. "The growing ties between them could be positive, because now India has more leverage with Israel and can pressure it in our favour," Majdalani was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post. In discussions with several officials in Ramallah, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, it appears that the Palestinian leadership sees in the Indian prime minister's visit an opportunity to seek his assistance in pushing forward the deadlocked peace process. "India today enjoys wider acceptance in the global community. The recent participation of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) leaders in its Republic Day function is a clear demonstration of its enhanced status. Its membership in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and visibility at several leading international forums, clearly shows that it is today a global player", an official said. Another official pointed at the "moral standing" India enjoys in the international community which can be put to good use. The hype around India's strategic ties with Israel and the bonhomie around Modi's visit to Israel and its prime minister's visit to India also does not seem to perturb the Palestinians. "Well even Jordan and Egypt have full diplomatic relations with Israel so why can't India have," said Ayman, a university student. His friends seem to back the same contention displaying a great degree of acquaintance of international politics. Some appreciated India's support for the Palestinians at the UN despite all the publicity around the personal chemistry between Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu. When asked about India's growing engagement with Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas himself emphaticlally asserted that "any state has the right to establish relations with other countries". The Indian prime minister would be skipping Israel during his tour of the Middle East in a clear message that New Delhi is de-hyphenating its ties with Israel and Palestine. Modi had visited Israel last year in July in a standalone visit that had led to many analysts questioning the future of the Indo-Palestine ties. The question that arises out of Abbas' effort is if Israel would accept a multilateral forum of the sort being promoted by him to seek negotiated peace. Israel has made it clear that it will only work under a US-led peace process. India has also consistently voted in favour of the Palestinians at all international forums and Netanyahu clearly expressed his "disappointment" at New Delhi's recent vote at the UN General Assembly where 128 nations rejected US' unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. As Modi embarks on the three-hour hectic trip to Palestine today, he kickstarts his engagement by laying a wreath at the Mausoleum of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The Israeli press has highlighted the event with some reports expressing disappointment over the gesture. Many Israelis see Arafat responsible for th killing of several innocent civilians and stoking violence in the region. Modi will be accompanied by his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah during the ceremony. The Mausoleum of Yasser Arafat was unveiled on November 10, 2007 and is located adjacent to the Palestinian Presidential compound, also known as Muqata'a here. After paying homage to Arafat, the prime minister will take a short tour accompanied by Hamdallah of the Yasser Arafat Museum located adjacent to the Mausoleum. He will spend some 20 minutes touring the 15-month-old Yasser Arafat Museum, which chronicles the life of the former Palestinian leader. According to Muhammad Halayka, the director of the Arafat Museum, Modi will be the first Prime Minister to visit the site. Modi will then be received by President Abbas before the ceremonial welcome at the Muqata'a. The two leaders will then have discussions, sign bilateral agreements, hold a joint press conference and share lunch before Modi leaves for Amman in a chopper following a farewell ceremony. Modi will then leave for the UAE later in the day for a two-day visit.

India's improved ties with Israel could benefit Palestine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the&nbsp;inaugural session of the Advantage Assam-Global Investors&#39;&nbsp;Summit in Guwahati.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> PM Modi addresses the inaugural session of Advantage Assam-Global Investors Summit in Guwahati <a href="https://t.co/mjh3hQZnxT">https://t.co/mjh3hQZnxT</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/959692997699883011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The prime minister said that India&#39;s growth story would be expedited once the Northeast developed.

&quot;India&#39;s growth story will pick up more speed when people living in Northeast region will see fast development in a balanced manner,&quot; the prime minister said at the summit which aims at positioning the state as India&#39;s expressway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

&quot;We created the Act East Policy and the Northeast is at the heart of it,&quot; PM Modi said&nbsp;

The prime minister&nbsp;said the tagline of the of the summit, &#39;Advantage Assam: India&rsquo;s Expressway to ASEAN&rsquo;, was very appropriate and gave a big message.

&quot;Advantage Assam: India&rsquo;s Expressway to ASEAN&rsquo; is not just a statement but it is a comprehensive vision,&quot; PM Modi said.

PM Modi praised Assam for ranking first among the Northeast states in the Ease of Doing Business report.

&quot;Assam is ranked first among the Northeastern States in the Ease of Doing Business report. With the present leadership of the state government, Assam is going to further improve its current position to emerge as one of the most sought-after states for investment,&quot; the prime minister said.

PM Modi said his government was restructuring the National Bamboo mission with an amount of Rs 1300 crore. 
 
&quot;We are restructuring the &#39;National Bamboo mission&#39;&nbsp;with the amount of Rs 1300 crore. This will benefit people of Northeast, especially the farmers of this region,&quot; he said.

PM Modi also said the working style of the government had been changed.

&quot;We have changed the working style of govt. We want all programmes to be completed ahead of target,&quot; he said.

The prime minister also spoke about the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme announced in the budget, stating that it would benefit 45-50 crore people. He added that the scheme had enhanced possibilities of setting up hospitals in tier 2 and 3 cities.

&quot;Government in the budget announced Ayushman Bharat Yojana, This is one of its kind, the biggest programme in the World. Someone who has lived in poverty, who had endured pains of poverty and moved forward, that person always realises that the biggest concern of poor is the treatment of diseases,&quot; PM Modi said.

He also spoke about how the development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector was a priority for the government which had given a &quot;big relief&quot; to the MSMEs in this year&#39;s budget.

&quot;Development of the MSME sector is a priority for us. In this year&#39;s budget we are giving big relief to MSMEs by reducing the rate of income tax to 25% on companies reporting a turnover of up to Rs 250 crore.

Also in attendance was the Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
PM Narendra Modi with Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay at Advantage Assam - Global Investors Summit 2018 in Guwahati. <a href="https://t.co/LhWr8v4Bbx">pic.twitter.com/LhWr8v4Bbx</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/959705676695171074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The two-day summit, organised by the Assam Government, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), will showcase Assam&#39;s manufacturing opportunities and geostrategic advantages to foreign and domestic investors.

The focus sectors identified by the state include agriculture and food processing, organic farming, bamboo, handloom, textile and handicrafts, inland water transport, riverfront development and logistics.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from&nbsp;agencies) 
&nbsp;

PM Modi said that India's growth story would be expedited once the North East developed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the Advantage Assam-Global Investors' Summit in Guwahati. #WATCH PM Modi addresses the inaugural session of Advantage Assam-Global Investors Summit in Guwahati https://t.co/mjh3hQZnxT — ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2018 × The prime minister said that India's growth story would be expedited once the Northeast developed. "India's growth story will pick up more speed when people living in Northeast region will see fast development in a balanced manner," the prime minister said at the summit which aims at positioning the state as India's expressway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. "We created the Act East Policy and the Northeast is at the heart of it," PM Modi said The prime minister said the tagline of the of the summit, 'Advantage Assam: India’s Expressway to ASEAN’, was very appropriate and gave a big message. "Advantage Assam: India’s Expressway to ASEAN’ is not just a statement but it is a comprehensive vision," PM Modi said. PM Modi praised Assam for ranking first among the Northeast states in the Ease of Doing Business report. "Assam is ranked first among the Northeastern States in the Ease of Doing Business report. With the present leadership of the state government, Assam is going to further improve its current position to emerge as one of the most sought-after states for investment," the prime minister said. PM Modi said his government was restructuring the National Bamboo mission with an amount of Rs 1300 crore. "We are restructuring the 'National Bamboo mission' with the amount of Rs 1300 crore. This will benefit people of Northeast, especially the farmers of this region," he said. PM Modi also said the working style of the government had been changed. "We have changed the working style of govt. We want all programmes to be completed ahead of target," he said. The prime minister also spoke about the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme announced in the budget, stating that it would benefit 45-50 crore people. He added that the scheme had enhanced possibilities of setting up hospitals in tier 2 and 3 cities. "Government in the budget announced Ayushman Bharat Yojana, This is one of its kind, the biggest programme in the World. Someone who has lived in poverty, who had endured pains of poverty and moved forward, that person always realises that the biggest concern of poor is the treatment of diseases," PM Modi said. He also spoke about how the development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector was a priority for the government which had given a "big relief" to the MSMEs in this year's budget. "Development of the MSME sector is a priority for us. In this year's budget we are giving big relief to MSMEs by reducing the rate of income tax to 25% on companies reporting a turnover of up to Rs 250 crore. Also in attendance was the Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay. PM Narendra Modi with Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay at Advantage Assam - Global Investors Summit 2018 in Guwahati. pic.twitter.com/LhWr8v4Bbx — ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2018 × The two-day summit, organised by the Assam Government, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), will showcase Assam's manufacturing opportunities and geostrategic advantages to foreign and domestic investors. The focus sectors identified by the state include agriculture and food processing, organic farming, bamboo, handloom, textile and handicrafts, inland water transport, riverfront development and logistics. (With inputs from agencies)

Northeast at heart of Act East policy: PM Modi in Assam

China&#39;s right-leaning daily <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-harbours-sense-of-superiority-with-south-asian-countries-china-daily-29644">newspaper Global Times said today</a> that the country has increasingly become an &quot;influential driver of India&#39;s foreign policy decisions&quot;.

&quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-considers-obor-potential-hazard-new-delhis-clout-will-weaken-china-daily-28317">China&#39;s influence became</a> more palpable,&quot; the newspaper said, adding,&quot;This remains especially true of India&#39;s policy initiatives vis-a-vis the Asia-Pacific region.&quot;

The state-run daily said official expositions and press briefings denying China being the trigger &quot;only betray India&#39;s persistent vacillations&quot;, asserting that, &quot;China&#39;s $12 trillion economy and its $450 billion annual trade with ASEAN speaks volumes about leverages of India&#39;s $2.6 trillion economy and $70 billion trade with ASEAN.&quot;

The newspaper said both India and ASEAN see China as an important trade partner, therefore are &quot;conscious of not pushing the envelope on Beijing&#39;s core concerns too far.&quot;

&quot;Both India and ASEAN have become aware, even complacent, to these growing asymmetries and accepted Beijing&#39;s lead in several initiatives,&quot; the newspaper said.

&quot;Together India and ASEAN seek to balance, not confront, rising China,&quot; it said, pointing out that while India stayed away from China&#39;s OBOR initiative it is engaging with ASEAN for &quot;parallel connectivity projects&quot;.

&quot;The Delhi Declaration commits them(ASEAN) to work for faster implementation of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and to take it to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam,&quot; it said.

The newspaper said India is seeking to project its &quot;multicultural and leading epic Ramayana&quot; as its &quot;umbilical cord&quot; with Southeast Asian nations and trying to revive cultural links with ASEAN nations in which Buddhism is popular.

&quot;India is also conscious of China&#39;s decade-long lead in promoting World Buddhist Forum. So it seeks to revive cultural links with ASEAN nations in which Buddhism is popular,&quot; the newspaper reported.

China's Daily Times said the Delhi Declaration commits ASEAN to work for faster implementation of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and to take it to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

China's right-leaning daily newspaper Global Times said today that the country has increasingly become an "influential driver of India's foreign policy decisions". "China's influence became more palpable," the newspaper said, adding,"This remains especially true of India's policy initiatives vis-a-vis the Asia-Pacific region." The state-run daily said official expositions and press briefings denying China being the trigger "only betray India's persistent vacillations", asserting that, "China's $12 trillion economy and its $450 billion annual trade with ASEAN speaks volumes about leverages of India's $2.6 trillion economy and $70 billion trade with ASEAN." The newspaper said both India and ASEAN see China as an important trade partner, therefore are "conscious of not pushing the envelope on Beijing's core concerns too far." "Both India and ASEAN have become aware, even complacent, to these growing asymmetries and accepted Beijing's lead in several initiatives," the newspaper said. "Together India and ASEAN seek to balance, not confront, rising China," it said, pointing out that while India stayed away from China's OBOR initiative it is engaging with ASEAN for "parallel connectivity projects". "The Delhi Declaration commits them(ASEAN) to work for faster implementation of India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and to take it to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam," it said. The newspaper said India is seeking to project its "multicultural and leading epic Ramayana" as its "umbilical cord" with Southeast Asian nations and trying to revive cultural links with ASEAN nations in which Buddhism is popular. "India is also conscious of China's decade-long lead in promoting World Buddhist Forum. So it seeks to revive cultural links with ASEAN nations in which Buddhism is popular," the newspaper reported.

India seeking to revive cultural links with ASEAN through Buddhism, Ramayana: China daily

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday inaugurated the 5th Round Table of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Network of Think Tanks in Indonesia.

Speaking at the inauguration Swaraj said, &quot;The 5th Round Table meeting taking place at a very important juncture as in less than three weeks from now, India will host the ASEAN-India commemorative summit to mark the 25 years of India-ASEAN relations.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Taking ASEAN-India relationship in the commemorative year! EAM <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> met with Mr. Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General, ASEAN and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ActEastPolicy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ActEastPolicy</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CRDqfe3zcF">pic.twitter.com/CRDqfe3zcF</a>
&mdash; Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/949462475870691328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Therefore, the discussions are timely and opportunely. It will provide useful inputs to our leaders, when they will meet on 25th January in New Delhi for the summit,&quot; she added.

Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation.

&quot;I look forward to new India where both India and ASEAN can work together to bring development and prosperity to the region,&quot; she said.

The External Affairs Minister said it will be an honour and prestige for India to host all 10 ASEAN leaders as the guest of honours for the Republic Day.

&quot;Their presence in New Delhi on this day will place India-ASEAN relations at centre stage,&quot; she said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I urge the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation &amp; suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational &amp; cultural co-operation. I look forward to new India where both India &amp; ASEAN can work together to bring development &amp; prosperity to the region: Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://t.co/EXAuEitJL7">pic.twitter.com/EXAuEitJL7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949492307828486144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Earlier today, Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, met with the ASEAN Sectary General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi in Jakarta.

Later in the day, she will address the Indian community in the capital city.

Earlier on Friday, India and Indonesia condemned all forms of terrorism at the 5th Joint Commission meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

&quot;We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approach to deal with this group of menace and called upon all the countries to stop providing state sponsorship to terrorism and prevent their territories to stop being used for establishing terrorist safe havens,&quot; Swaraj said.

The two leaders also reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links in the meeting.

Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday inaugurated the 5th Round Table of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Network of Think Tanks in Indonesia. Speaking at the inauguration Swaraj said, "The 5th Round Table meeting taking place at a very important juncture as in less than three weeks from now, India will host the ASEAN-India commemorative summit to mark the 25 years of India-ASEAN relations." Taking ASEAN-India relationship in the commemorative year! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met with Mr. Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General, ASEAN and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia. #ActEastPolicy. pic.twitter.com/CRDqfe3zcF — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 6, 2018 × "Therefore, the discussions are timely and opportunely. It will provide useful inputs to our leaders, when they will meet on 25th January in New Delhi for the summit," she added. Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation. "I look forward to new India where both India and ASEAN can work together to bring development and prosperity to the region," she said. The External Affairs Minister said it will be an honour and prestige for India to host all 10 ASEAN leaders as the guest of honours for the Republic Day. "Their presence in New Delhi on this day will place India-ASEAN relations at centre stage," she said. I urge the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation & suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational & cultural co-operation. I look forward to new India where both India & ASEAN can work together to bring development & prosperity to the region: Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta pic.twitter.com/EXAuEitJL7 — ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2018 × Earlier today, Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, met with the ASEAN Sectary General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi in Jakarta. Later in the day, she will address the Indian community in the capital city. Earlier on Friday, India and Indonesia condemned all forms of terrorism at the 5th Joint Commission meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries. "We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approach to deal with this group of menace and called upon all the countries to stop providing state sponsorship to terrorism and prevent their territories to stop being used for establishing terrorist safe havens," Swaraj said. The two leaders also reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links in the meeting.

Sushma Swaraj urges ASEAN Think Tanks to enhance maritime cooperation

President Donald Trump&rsquo;s &nbsp;first official trip to Asia covering Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines concluded on a note that sent mixed messages to his allies and partners. During the trip, he participated in several meetings including the APEC, ASEAN &ndash; US summit and the East Asia Summit.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>In his summit meeting with the ASEAN countries, there was a great expectation that he would make a categorical commitment to his allies and partners against China&rsquo;s constructing and militarising artificial islands in the disputed region.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=In his summit meeting with the ASEAN countries, there was a great expectation that he would make a categorical commitment to his allies and partners against China?s constructing and militarising artificial islands in the disputed region." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Carefully avoiding to touch on controversial issues, like Senkaku Islands and the&nbsp;South China Sea, Trump reiterated American preference for bilateralism and made a public declaration on his &lsquo;America first&rsquo; policies as against globalisation. His first so-called vision statement on Asia did not adequately reassure the Asian allies and partners on Washington&rsquo;s commitment to the security of the region. It fell far short of their expectations.

For instance, in his summit meeting with the ASEAN countries, there was a great expectation that he would make a categorical commitment to his allies and partners against China&rsquo;s constructing and militarising artificial islands in the disputed region. As widely reported in the media, in his summit meeting with the ASEAN countries, there was no specific reference either to the UN arbitral court&rsquo;s verdict or to China&rsquo;s illegal construction of artificial islands. During his visit to Vietnam, Trump&rsquo;s offer to &ldquo;mediate&rdquo; in the South China Sea dispute deeply disappointed the Vietnamese hosts.

The ASEAN-China summit held in Manila also witnessed a similar scene. China is reported to have dominated the discussions which were centered on the drawing up of a code of conduct in the disputed waters. Though there was a provisional agreement to start the negotiations sometime during early 2018, participants could not come to an agreement on whether to make the code of conduct binding legally as claimed by countries like Vietnam.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>China&rsquo;s increasing economic clout due to its bulging trade and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sharply divided the ASEAN and brought about a basic change in the attitudes of countries like the Philippines.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=China?s increasing economic clout due to its bulging trade and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sharply divided the ASEAN and brought about a basic change in the attitudes of countries like the Philippines." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

On the other hand, the Philippines and Malaysia were inclined to pursue a more pro-China stance. China&rsquo;s increasing economic clout due to its bulging trade and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sharply divided the ASEAN and brought about a basic change in the attitudes of countries like the Philippines. The Philippines, the present ASEAN chair, took a soft position on the South China Sea issue and thereby weakened the ASEAN cause. President Rodrigo Duterte showed great inclination to build &ldquo;friendship&rdquo; with China and &ldquo;toned down&rdquo; the South China Sea issue.

It is against this backdrop, one has to examine the meeting that took place between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the top two Chinese leaders in quick succession. The meeting between Abe and Chinese President Xi Jing pin on the sidelines of the APEC conference surprisingly generated a great deal of hope for better relations between the two.

Similar such meetings on the sidelines of international gatherings in the past were marked by a lack of warmth on the part of President Xi. But this time, the bilateral dynamics had somewhat changed. Both Abe and Xi had emerged stronger politically in their respective countries - the former having won the lower house election with a massive majority and the latter having emerged more powerful following the 19th Party Congress. When Xi expressed a desire to make &ldquo; a new start&rdquo; in the bilateral relations, it came as a pleasant surprise to Abe.

Abe&rsquo;s next meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Manila on 13 November, within a couple of days after the Abe-Xi meeting, reinforced the optimism for improved relations. Li told Abe that both countries &ldquo;must work together to make the momentum of improvement of bilateral relations into something solid.&rdquo; Both Li and Abe agreed to make arrangements for holding a trilateral summit with South Korean President in Tokyo soon. Since the advent of Abe as prime minister, neither Li nor Xi has made an official visit to Japan. In 2018 both countries are set to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bilateral peace treaty, and Abe would look forward to Xi &lsquo;s visit to Japan on the occasion.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Trump&#39;s insistence that Tokyo purchases &ldquo;massive amounts of military equipment&rdquo; from the US to reduce its trade surplus dismayed the Japanese leaders.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Trump's insistence that Tokyo purchases ?massive amounts of military equipment? from the US to reduce its trade surplus dismayed the Japanese leaders." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

As many analysts point out, the unpredictable style of President Trump has also created some new space for possible cooperation between Japan and China. The need to keep North Korea under control is a strong binding factor between the US, China and Japan. In his talks with Abe, Trump did not seriously discuss Japan&rsquo;s post-election constitutional and defence policies. His insistence that Tokyo purchases &ldquo;massive amounts of military equipment&rdquo; from the US to reduce its trade surplus dismayed the Japanese leaders.

From the Japanese side, it was pointed out that Japan was already spending a great deal on purchasing US weapons and equipment. But what disappointed Tokyo most was that at a time when Abe is trying to create a favourable climate for constitutional amendments, it was hardly the time for Trump even to appear to be forcing huge military expenditures on Japan.

Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;toned down&rdquo; stance on the South China Sea issue, his emphasis on &ldquo;America first&rdquo; policy and his soft attitude towards China have made many Japanese leaders suspect that the US is retreating from Asia. They are also worried that given the warmth that Trump showed to Xi during his visit, both the US and China could develop a stronger rapport to the exclusion of Japan. From the Chinese viewpoint, if the US retreats, it would be an advantage for Beijing to exert its influence with Japan as less of the hostile power.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Japanese leaders are worried because of the warmth that Trump showed to Xi during his visit. It is suspected that US and China could develop a stronger bond that may harm Japan

President Donald Trump’s first official trip to Asia covering Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines concluded on a note that sent mixed messages to his allies and partners. During the trip, he participated in several meetings including the APEC, ASEAN – US summit and the East Asia Summit. In his summit meeting with the ASEAN countries, there was a great expectation that he would make a categorical commitment to his allies and partners against China’s constructing and militarising artificial islands in the disputed region. × Carefully avoiding to touch on controversial issues, like Senkaku Islands and the South China Sea, Trump reiterated American preference for bilateralism and made a public declaration on his ‘America first’ policies as against globalisation. His first so-called vision statement on Asia did not adequately reassure the Asian allies and partners on Washington’s commitment to the security of the region. It fell far short of their expectations. For instance, in his summit meeting with the ASEAN countries, there was a great expectation that he would make a categorical commitment to his allies and partners against China’s constructing and militarising artificial islands in the disputed region. As widely reported in the media, in his summit meeting with the ASEAN countries, there was no specific reference either to the UN arbitral court’s verdict or to China’s illegal construction of artificial islands. During his visit to Vietnam, Trump’s offer to “mediate” in the South China Sea dispute deeply disappointed the Vietnamese hosts. The ASEAN-China summit held in Manila also witnessed a similar scene. China is reported to have dominated the discussions which were centered on the drawing up of a code of conduct in the disputed waters. Though there was a provisional agreement to start the negotiations sometime during early 2018, participants could not come to an agreement on whether to make the code of conduct binding legally as claimed by countries like Vietnam. China’s increasing economic clout due to its bulging trade and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sharply divided the ASEAN and brought about a basic change in the attitudes of countries like the Philippines. × On the other hand, the Philippines and Malaysia were inclined to pursue a more pro-China stance. China’s increasing economic clout due to its bulging trade and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has sharply divided the ASEAN and brought about a basic change in the attitudes of countries like the Philippines. The Philippines, the present ASEAN chair, took a soft position on the South China Sea issue and thereby weakened the ASEAN cause. President Rodrigo Duterte showed great inclination to build “friendship” with China and “toned down” the South China Sea issue. It is against this backdrop, one has to examine the meeting that took place between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the top two Chinese leaders in quick succession. The meeting between Abe and Chinese President Xi Jing pin on the sidelines of the APEC conference surprisingly generated a great deal of hope for better relations between the two. Similar such meetings on the sidelines of international gatherings in the past were marked by a lack of warmth on the part of President Xi. But this time, the bilateral dynamics had somewhat changed. Both Abe and Xi had emerged stronger politically in their respective countries - the former having won the lower house election with a massive majority and the latter having emerged more powerful following the 19th Party Congress. When Xi expressed a desire to make “ a new start” in the bilateral relations, it came as a pleasant surprise to Abe. Abe’s next meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Manila on 13 November, within a couple of days after the Abe-Xi meeting, reinforced the optimism for improved relations. Li told Abe that both countries “must work together to make the momentum of improvement of bilateral relations into something solid.” Both Li and Abe agreed to make arrangements for holding a trilateral summit with South Korean President in Tokyo soon. Since the advent of Abe as prime minister, neither Li nor Xi has made an official visit to Japan. In 2018 both countries are set to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bilateral peace treaty, and Abe would look forward to Xi ‘s visit to Japan on the occasion. Trump's insistence that Tokyo purchases “massive amounts of military equipment” from the US to reduce its trade surplus dismayed the Japanese leaders. × As many analysts point out, the unpredictable style of President Trump has also created some new space for possible cooperation between Japan and China. The need to keep North Korea under control is a strong binding factor between the US, China and Japan. In his talks with Abe, Trump did not seriously discuss Japan’s post-election constitutional and defence policies. His insistence that Tokyo purchases “massive amounts of military equipment” from the US to reduce its trade surplus dismayed the Japanese leaders. From the Japanese side, it was pointed out that Japan was already spending a great deal on purchasing US weapons and equipment. But what disappointed Tokyo most was that at a time when Abe is trying to create a favourable climate for constitutional amendments, it was hardly the time for Trump even to appear to be forcing huge military expenditures on Japan. Trump’s “toned down” stance on the South China Sea issue, his emphasis on “America first” policy and his soft attitude towards China have made many Japanese leaders suspect that the US is retreating from Asia. They are also worried that given the warmth that Trump showed to Xi during his visit, both the US and China could develop a stronger rapport to the exclusion of Japan. From the Chinese viewpoint, if the US retreats, it would be an advantage for Beijing to exert its influence with Japan as less of the hostile power. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Is the US retreating from Asia, giving way to China?

PM Narendra Modi<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/if-21st-century-is-asias-century-then-its-our-duty-to-make-it-indias-century-modi-24115"> met a series of world leaders in Manila</a> on Tuesday morning on the second day of the ASEAN summit in Manila.

PM Modi kicked off the day meeting with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, later he held a bilateral meeting with &nbsp;Vietnam PM Nguy?n Xu&acirc;n Ph&uacute;c.

The Indian PM then met with Japan PM Shinzo Abe who had recently visited India. In a back-to-back meeting, he then met Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah.

Modi then met New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern who was recently elected to office.

PM Modi had held bilateral meeting with US President Trump on Monday. During the meeting, PM Modi had thanked Trump who described him as a &quot;friend&quot;.

Modi told Trump that &quot;relationship between India and the US is not only of mutual interest. It goes beyond that.&quot;&nbsp;

Later, addressing the Indian community in Manila on Tuesday, the Indian prime minister had said &#39;&#39;if the 21st century is considered to be Asia&#39;s century, then it becomes our duty to make it India&#39;s century an I say it is possible&#39;&#39;.

PM Modi kicked off the day meeting with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull

PM Narendra Modi met a series of world leaders in Manila on Tuesday morning on the second day of the ASEAN summit in Manila. PM Modi kicked off the day meeting with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, later he held a bilateral meeting with Vietnam PM Nguy?n Xuân Phúc. The Indian PM then met with Japan PM Shinzo Abe who had recently visited India. In a back-to-back meeting, he then met Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah. Modi then met New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern who was recently elected to office. PM Modi had held bilateral meeting with US President Trump on Monday. During the meeting, PM Modi had thanked Trump who described him as a "friend". Modi told Trump that "relationship between India and the US is not only of mutual interest. It goes beyond that." Later, addressing the Indian community in Manila on Tuesday, the Indian prime minister had said ''if the 21st century is considered to be Asia's century, then it becomes our duty to make it India's century an I say it is possible''.

ASEAN summit: Modi meets several world leaders

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for intensifying regional cooperation to effectively deal with terrorism and pitched for a rules-based security architecture for the resource-rich region, seen as a veiled reference to China&#39;s expansionist posturing in the Indo- Pacific.

In an address at the ASEAN-India summit here, Modi identified terrorism and extremism as the major challenges facing the region and said the time has come for the countries of the region to join hands to collectively deal with it.

&quot;We have individually strived very hard to fight terrorism and violent extremism. It is time that we jointly address this challenge by intensifying cooperation in this crucial area,&quot; he said.

The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

In a clear reference to the South China Sea (SCS) dispute which has cast a shadow over the summit talks, Modi said India will continue its support to the ASEAN for establishing a rules-based security architecture in the region.

&quot;India assures the ASEAN of its steady support towards achieving a rules-based regional security architecture that best attests to the region&#39;s interests and its peaceful development,&quot; he said.

China&#39;s aggressive military build up in the SCS was one of the focus areas of the deliberations at the ASEAN summit. China claims sovereignty over all of the SCS, a huge source of hydrocarbons.

However, several ASEAN member countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei have counter claims.

India has been supporting freedom of navigation and access to resources in the SCS in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The ASEAN has been pushing for a legally binding code of conduct for all stakeholders in the SCS but Beijing has been opposing such a framework asserting that it will resolve the dispute with respective countries under the bilateral mechanism.

Prime Minister Modi also talked about shared values and common destiny between India and ASEAN, adding 1.25 billion people in India were eagerly waiting to receive leaders of the ASEAN at the Republic Day celebrations in January next year.

He said India is also holding a commemorative summit with ASEAN on January 25 next year. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing.

The ASEAN region along with India together comprises a combined population of 1.85 billion people, which is one-fourth of the global population and their combined GDP has been estimated at over USD 3.8 trillion.

Investment from ASEAN to India has been over USD 70 billion in the last 17 years accounting for more than 17 percent of India&#39;s total FDI. India&#39;s investment in ASEAN during the same period has been more than USD 40 billion.

Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei are the members of the ASEAN.

Prime Minister Modi also participated at a meeting of leaders of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The RCEP, comprising 10-member ASEAN bloc and six other countries -- India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, is engaged in negotiations for a free trade pact.

'India assures the ASEAN of its steady support towards achieving a rules-based regional security architecture that best attests to the region's interests and its peaceful development,' Modi said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for intensifying regional cooperation to effectively deal with terrorism and pitched for a rules-based security architecture for the resource-rich region, seen as a veiled reference to China's expansionist posturing in the Indo- Pacific. In an address at the ASEAN-India summit here, Modi identified terrorism and extremism as the major challenges facing the region and said the time has come for the countries of the region to join hands to collectively deal with it. "We have individually strived very hard to fight terrorism and violent extremism. It is time that we jointly address this challenge by intensifying cooperation in this crucial area," he said. The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners. In a clear reference to the South China Sea (SCS) dispute which has cast a shadow over the summit talks, Modi said India will continue its support to the ASEAN for establishing a rules-based security architecture in the region. "India assures the ASEAN of its steady support towards achieving a rules-based regional security architecture that best attests to the region's interests and its peaceful development," he said. China's aggressive military build up in the SCS was one of the focus areas of the deliberations at the ASEAN summit. China claims sovereignty over all of the SCS, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei have counter claims. India has been supporting freedom of navigation and access to resources in the SCS in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ASEAN has been pushing for a legally binding code of conduct for all stakeholders in the SCS but Beijing has been opposing such a framework asserting that it will resolve the dispute with respective countries under the bilateral mechanism. Prime Minister Modi also talked about shared values and common destiny between India and ASEAN, adding 1.25 billion people in India were eagerly waiting to receive leaders of the ASEAN at the Republic Day celebrations in January next year. He said India is also holding a commemorative summit with ASEAN on January 25 next year. The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing. The ASEAN region along with India together comprises a combined population of 1.85 billion people, which is one-fourth of the global population and their combined GDP has been estimated at over USD 3.8 trillion. Investment from ASEAN to India has been over USD 70 billion in the last 17 years accounting for more than 17 percent of India's total FDI. India's investment in ASEAN during the same period has been more than USD 40 billion. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei are the members of the ASEAN. Prime Minister Modi also participated at a meeting of leaders of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP, comprising 10-member ASEAN bloc and six other countries -- India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, is engaged in negotiations for a free trade pact.

India supports rules-based security architecture: Modi at ASEAN

Anti-Trump protesters took <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/asean-summit-begins-in-manila-amid-tensions-in-north-korea-south-china-sea-issue-24062">to the streets in Manila as the ASEAN summit began</a> on Monday in the Philippine capital.

Riot police had to use water<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/durterte-says-nobody-can-afford-war-over-south-china-sea-24048"> cannon to keep thousands of protesters </a>under control with placards of &quot;Trump Go Home&quot; and &quot;Ban Trump #1 terrorist&quot; on the streets in Manila, AFP reported.

Police said there were nearly 2,000 people at the rallies, AFP said.

&quot;They hit us with wooden sticks. One of my colleagues was hit in the face by a rock,&quot; police officer Ramon Dumagat told AFP.

US President Donald Trump landed in the Philippines on Sunday ahead of the ASEAN summit which began on today amid tensions in North Korea and the South China Sea.

In Vietnam earlier on Sunday, Trump said he was prepared to mediate in the dispute over the South China Sea, where four Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan contest China&#39;s sweeping claims to the busy waterway.

However, President Duterte said the &quot;thorny issue was better left untouched&quot;.

&quot;We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues,&quot; Duterte said at a pre-summit business conference in Manila.

&quot;The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation,&quot; the president added.

Police said there were nearly 2,000 people at the rallies

Anti-Trump protesters took to the streets in Manila as the ASEAN summit began on Monday in the Philippine capital. Riot police had to use water cannon to keep thousands of protesters under control with placards of "Trump Go Home" and "Ban Trump #1 terrorist" on the streets in Manila, AFP reported. Police said there were nearly 2,000 people at the rallies, AFP said. "They hit us with wooden sticks. One of my colleagues was hit in the face by a rock," police officer Ramon Dumagat told AFP. US President Donald Trump landed in the Philippines on Sunday ahead of the ASEAN summit which began on today amid tensions in North Korea and the South China Sea. In Vietnam earlier on Sunday, Trump said he was prepared to mediate in the dispute over the South China Sea, where four Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan contest China's sweeping claims to the busy waterway. However, President Duterte said the "thorny issue was better left untouched". "We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues," Duterte said at a pre-summit business conference in Manila. "The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation," the president added.

Anti-Trump protests in Manila during ASEAN summit

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-smog-69-trains-delayed-22-recheduled-eight-cancelled-24069">Delhi smog: Schools reopen, several trains delayed</a>

The smog in Delhi led to at least 69 trains being delayed and 22 rescheduled with eight trains cancelled on Monday morning. 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/earthquake-hits-iran-iraq-border-area-at-least-65-dead-24060">Earthquake in Iran-Iraq border: Death toll climbs to 140 in Iran</a>

The death toll in the earthquake which hit the Iran-Iraq border area climbed to 129 in Iran, state media said.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/asean-summit-begins-in-manila-amid-tensions-in-north-korea-south-china-sea-issue-24062">ASEAN summit begins in Manila amid tensions in North Korea, South China Sea issue</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other world leaders arrived in Manila on Monday for the opening ceremony of the two-day ASEAN summit with several thorny issues on the table to be solved.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/softbank-acquires-stake-in-uber-invests-10-billion-24065">Softbank to acquire stake in Uber, invest $10 billion</a>

Global transportation technology company, Uber, confirmed a deal on Sunday in which the Japanese company conglomerate Softbank will buy a stake in it.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-pradesh-death-toll-rises-to-16-in-krishna-river-boat-capsize-24064">Andhra Pradesh: Death toll rises to 17 in Krishna river boat capsize</a>

At least 17 bodies of people have been recovered after a boat capsized in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.&nbsp;

The death toll in the earthquake which hit the Iran-Iraq border area climbed to 129 in Iran

Delhi smog: Schools reopen, several trains delayed The smog in Delhi led to at least 69 trains being delayed and 22 rescheduled with eight trains cancelled on Monday morning. Earthquake in Iran-Iraq border: Death toll climbs to 140 in Iran The death toll in the earthquake which hit the Iran-Iraq border area climbed to 129 in Iran, state media said. ASEAN summit begins in Manila amid tensions in North Korea, South China Sea issue Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other world leaders arrived in Manila on Monday for the opening ceremony of the two-day ASEAN summit with several thorny issues on the table to be solved. Softbank to acquire stake in Uber, invest $10 billion Global transportation technology company, Uber, confirmed a deal on Sunday in which the Japanese company conglomerate Softbank will buy a stake in it. Andhra Pradesh: Death toll rises to 17 in Krishna river boat capsize At least 17 bodies of people have been recovered after a boat capsized in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

WION Morning news brief, November 13, 2017

Prime Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/thorny-south-china-sea-issue-may-dominate-asean-summit-24051">Narendra Modi along with other world leaders arrived in Manila </a>on Monday for the opening ceremony of the two-day ASEAN summit with several thorny issues on the table to be solved.

On Sunday, several world leaders including US President Donald Trump had attended a gala dinner in the Philippines&#39; capital even as tensions continued to simmer over North Korea and China&#39;s ambition in the South China Sea.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the venue for opening ceremony of 31st <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASEANSummit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ASEANSummit</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Manila?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Manila</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Philippines?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Philippines</a> <a href="https://t.co/P02tneuTj4">pic.twitter.com/P02tneuTj4</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929879967353024512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was quick to bring up the thorny issues, saying: &quot;We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues.&quot;

&quot;The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation,&quot; the Philippine president said.

Leaders of 10-members had attended the gala dinner including China, Russia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with US President Trump, also with President Duterte of Philippines.&nbsp;The Indian prime minister is also set to address at the ASEAN Bussiness and Investment summit and later attend a Community Reception.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with US President Trump, also with President Duterte of Philippines.?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other world leaders arrived in Manila on Monday for the opening ceremony of the two-day ASEAN summit with several thorny issues on the table to be solved. On Sunday, several world leaders including US President Donald Trump had attended a gala dinner in the Philippines' capital even as tensions continued to simmer over North Korea and China's ambition in the South China Sea. #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the venue for opening ceremony of 31st #ASEANSummit in #Manila #Philippines pic.twitter.com/P02tneuTj4 — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017 × Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was quick to bring up the thorny issues, saying: "We have to be friends, the other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues." "The South China Sea is better left untouched, nobody can afford to go to war. It can ill-afford a violent confrontation," the Philippine president said. Leaders of 10-members had attended the gala dinner including China, Russia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with US President Trump, also with President Duterte of Philippines. The Indian prime minister is also set to address at the ASEAN Bussiness and Investment summit and later attend a Community Reception.

ASEAN summit begins in Manila amid tensions in North Korea, South China Sea issue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump will hold bilateral talks here on Monday.

The two will hold the meeting on the sidelines of the 15th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) India summit and the 12th East Asia Summit in the Philippine capital.

The two leaders also met briefly on Sunday as they arrived for the event.

Later, PM Modi and Trump also posed for a family photograph with others leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, participating in the event.

Prime Minister Modi is on a three-day visit to Manila to attend the ASEAN India summit and East Asia Summit on November 14. Terror and Trade related issues will be on top of Modi&#39;s agenda during his visit.

Meanwhile, Philippines is the last leg of Trump&#39;s five-nation tour of Asia that also took him to Japan, China and South Korea.

During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will participate in special celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN.

The Prime Minister will also attend the ASEAN business and investment summit on November 13 and regional comprehensive economic partnership meeting on November 14 in Manila.

Prime Minister Modi will also meet the members of the Indian community at a reception to be hosted by the Indian envoy in Philippines.

He will also visit the international rice research institute and the Mahavir Philippines Foundation.

&nbsp;

The two will hold the meeting on the sidelines of the 15th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) India summit and the 12th East Asia Summit in the Philippine capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump will hold bilateral talks here on Monday. The two will hold the meeting on the sidelines of the 15th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) India summit and the 12th East Asia Summit in the Philippine capital. The two leaders also met briefly on Sunday as they arrived for the event. Later, PM Modi and Trump also posed for a family photograph with others leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, participating in the event. Prime Minister Modi is on a three-day visit to Manila to attend the ASEAN India summit and East Asia Summit on November 14. Terror and Trade related issues will be on top of Modi's agenda during his visit. Meanwhile, Philippines is the last leg of Trump's five-nation tour of Asia that also took him to Japan, China and South Korea. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will participate in special celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. The Prime Minister will also attend the ASEAN business and investment summit on November 13 and regional comprehensive economic partnership meeting on November 14 in Manila. Prime Minister Modi will also meet the members of the Indian community at a reception to be hosted by the Indian envoy in Philippines. He will also visit the international rice research institute and the Mahavir Philippines Foundation.

PM Modi, Trump to hold bilateral talks in Manila

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources told WION, will have a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the ASEAN summit which begins Monday in Manila.&nbsp;

The sources said Modi will be making a big pitch for investments at the&nbsp;Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.&nbsp;

They added that Modi may also have a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and that he could possibly also meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.&nbsp;

The sources said the official-level meeting of India, US, Japan, and Australia will be held on November 12.&nbsp;

On a lighter note, they said, Modi may also shake hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he and Premier Ki Keqiang will also be present at the summit.&nbsp;

Modi will be making a big pitch for investments at the?Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources told WION, will have a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the ASEAN summit which begins Monday in Manila. The sources said Modi will be making a big pitch for investments at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. They added that Modi may also have a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and that he could possibly also meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The sources said the official-level meeting of India, US, Japan, and Australia will be held on November 12. On a lighter note, they said, Modi may also shake hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he and Premier Ki Keqiang will also be present at the summit.

Modi to have bilateral meeting with Trump at ASEAN summit: Sources

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today held talks with her counterparts from Vietnam, Russia, Australia, Singapore and Myanmar on the sidelines of the 4th ASEAN Defence Ministers&#39; meeting held in the Philippines.

Sitharaman, who is on her first foreign visit since taking over as India&#39;s first woman defence minister last month, met Vietnam&#39;s defence minister Gen Ngo Xuan Lich, her Myanmar counterpart Lt General Sein Win and Australia&#39;s defence minister Marise Payne.

&quot;A real pleasure meeting India&#39;s Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today. Great discussion &amp; looking forward to working together #ASEAN2017,&quot; Payne tweeted after her meeting with Sitharaman.

The Minister also held talks with Russia&#39;s defence minister General Sergei Shoygu. Russia is one of the key defence partners of India.

Sitharaman also met with Singapore&#39;s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and held talks to deepen the bilateral ties in the defence sector.

&quot;#Firstmeeting with Indian DM @nsitharaman over #breakfast at Clark. It was a #meetingofminds &amp; #commitment to deepen #bilateral #defenceties,&quot; Ng tweeted.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis also attended the two- day event held in Clark, a northern Philippine city, during which North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions were one of the top agendas.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a grouping of ten Southeast Asian states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ADMM-Plus includes ASEAN&#39;s eight security partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.&nbsp;

Sitharaman is on her first foreign visit since taking over as India's first woman defence minister last month

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today held talks with her counterparts from Vietnam, Russia, Australia, Singapore and Myanmar on the sidelines of the 4th ASEAN Defence Ministers' meeting held in the Philippines. Sitharaman, who is on her first foreign visit since taking over as India's first woman defence minister last month, met Vietnam's defence minister Gen Ngo Xuan Lich, her Myanmar counterpart Lt General Sein Win and Australia's defence minister Marise Payne. "A real pleasure meeting India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today. Great discussion & looking forward to working together #ASEAN2017," Payne tweeted after her meeting with Sitharaman. The Minister also held talks with Russia's defence minister General Sergei Shoygu. Russia is one of the key defence partners of India. Sitharaman also met with Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and held talks to deepen the bilateral ties in the defence sector. "#Firstmeeting with Indian DM @nsitharaman over #breakfast at Clark. It was a #meetingofminds & #commitment to deepen #bilateral #defenceties," Ng tweeted. US Defence Secretary James Mattis also attended the two- day event held in Clark, a northern Philippine city, during which North Korea's nuclear ambitions were one of the top agendas. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a grouping of ten Southeast Asian states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ADMM-Plus includes ASEAN's eight security partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.

Watch: Defence minister Sitharaman holds talks with ASEAN counterparts in Philippines

Southeast Asian leaders took a softer stance on disputes in the South China Sea during a summit that ended on Saturday, avoiding tacit references to China&#39;s building and arming of its manmade islands, according to the chairman&#39;s statement.

A final statement of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was not made available until Sunday, dropped the references to &quot;land reclamation and militarization&quot; included in the text issued at last year&#39;s meeting in Laos and an earlier, unpublished version seen by Reuters on Saturday.

The outcome follows what two ASEAN diplomats said were efforts by Chinese foreign ministry and embassy officials in Manila to pressure ASEAN chair the Philippines to keep Beijing&#39;s contentious activities in the strategic waterway off ASEAN&#39;s official agenda.

It also indicates four ASEAN members who the diplomats said had wanted a firmer position had agreed to the more conciliatory tone in the statement.

China is not a member of ASEAN and was not attending the summit but is extremely sensitive about the content of its statements and considers it a barometer of the bloc&#39;s dissent over its artificial islands in disputed waters.

China&#39;s embassy in Manila could not be reached and its foreign ministry did not respond to request for comment on Saturday.

The ASEAN statement also noted &quot;the improving cooperation between ASEAN and China&quot;, and did not include references to &quot;tensions&quot; or &quot;escalation of activities&quot; seen in earlier drafts and in last year&#39;s text. It noted some leaders&#39; concerns about &quot;recent developments&quot;.

Beijing has reacted angrily to members expressing their concern about its rapid reclamation of reefs in the Spratly archipelago and its installation of missile systems on them.

According to some experts, China is now capable of deploying combat aircraft on several of its manmade features.

Pointless to pressure

The softened statement comes as the current ASEAN chairman, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, seeks to bury the hatchet with China after years of wrangling over its maritime assertiveness, including its four-year blockade of the Scarborough Shoal.

Beijing has quietly eased that, in response to Duterte&#39;s request to allow Filipinos to fish there again.

Duterte set the tone for the meeting on Thursday when he told reporters it would be pointless discussing China&#39;s maritime activities, because no one dared to pressure Beijing anyway.

An ASEAN diplomat on Sunday said the statement was a genuine representation of the atmosphere of the Manila meetings.

&quot;We respected the Philippines&#39; views and cooperated with the Philippines as this year&#39;s chair,&quot; the diplomat said.

&quot;It clearly reflected how the issue was discussed.&quot;

Duterte&#39;s foreign policy approach represents a stunning reversal of that of the previous administration, which had close ties with the United States and was seen by China as a nuisance.

The Philippines government in 2013 challenged Beijing by lodging a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013.

Two weeks into Duterte&#39;s presidency last year, the Hague court ruled in favour of the Philippines, angering China. But Duterte has made it clear he would not press Beijing to comply anytime soon, and is more interested in doing business than sparring.

The chairman&#39;s statement issued on Sunday made no mention to the arbitration case.

However, it did include in a section separate to the South China Sea chapter the need to show &quot;full respect for legal and diplomatic processes&quot; in resolving disputes.

Underlining Beijing&#39;s sensitivity about the arbitration case, the two diplomatic sources who spoke to Reuters on Saturday said Chinese embassy officials had lobbied behind the scenes for that sentence to be dropped, and saw it as a veiled reference to the ruling.

(Reuters)

China is not a member of ASEAN and was not attending the summit but is extremely sensitive about the content of its statements

Southeast Asian leaders took a softer stance on disputes in the South China Sea during a summit that ended on Saturday, avoiding tacit references to China's building and arming of its manmade islands, according to the chairman's statement. A final statement of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was not made available until Sunday, dropped the references to "land reclamation and militarization" included in the text issued at last year's meeting in Laos and an earlier, unpublished version seen by Reuters on Saturday. The outcome follows what two ASEAN diplomats said were efforts by Chinese foreign ministry and embassy officials in Manila to pressure ASEAN chair the Philippines to keep Beijing's contentious activities in the strategic waterway off ASEAN's official agenda. It also indicates four ASEAN members who the diplomats said had wanted a firmer position had agreed to the more conciliatory tone in the statement. China is not a member of ASEAN and was not attending the summit but is extremely sensitive about the content of its statements and considers it a barometer of the bloc's dissent over its artificial islands in disputed waters. China's embassy in Manila could not be reached and its foreign ministry did not respond to request for comment on Saturday. The ASEAN statement also noted "the improving cooperation between ASEAN and China", and did not include references to "tensions" or "escalation of activities" seen in earlier drafts and in last year's text. It noted some leaders' concerns about "recent developments". Beijing has reacted angrily to members expressing their concern about its rapid reclamation of reefs in the Spratly archipelago and its installation of missile systems on them. According to some experts, China is now capable of deploying combat aircraft on several of its manmade features. Pointless to pressure The softened statement comes as the current ASEAN chairman, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, seeks to bury the hatchet with China after years of wrangling over its maritime assertiveness, including its four-year blockade of the Scarborough Shoal. Beijing has quietly eased that, in response to Duterte's request to allow Filipinos to fish there again. Duterte set the tone for the meeting on Thursday when he told reporters it would be pointless discussing China's maritime activities, because no one dared to pressure Beijing anyway. An ASEAN diplomat on Sunday said the statement was a genuine representation of the atmosphere of the Manila meetings. "We respected the Philippines' views and cooperated with the Philippines as this year's chair," the diplomat said. "It clearly reflected how the issue was discussed." Duterte's foreign policy approach represents a stunning reversal of that of the previous administration, which had close ties with the United States and was seen by China as a nuisance. The Philippines government in 2013 challenged Beijing by lodging a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013. Two weeks into Duterte's presidency last year, the Hague court ruled in favour of the Philippines, angering China. But Duterte has made it clear he would not press Beijing to comply anytime soon, and is more interested in doing business than sparring. The chairman's statement issued on Sunday made no mention to the arbitration case. However, it did include in a section separate to the South China Sea chapter the need to show "full respect for legal and diplomatic processes" in resolving disputes. Underlining Beijing's sensitivity about the arbitration case, the two diplomatic sources who spoke to Reuters on Saturday said Chinese embassy officials had lobbied behind the scenes for that sentence to be dropped, and saw it as a veiled reference to the ruling. (Reuters)

ASEAN drops reference to China's 'land reclamation and militarization' in South China Sea

asean

Asean, News on Asean, stories on Asean, articles on Asean, Asean stories at Wion, Asean news, Asean latest news