External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday participated in the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting with South Africa’s Foreign Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and other leaders at Johannesburg.&nbsp

Swaraj stated that the BRICS countries have contributed to global growth in a world drifting towards uncertainty.

BRICS is a grouping of five countries-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and IBSA is a tripartite grouping of India, Brazil, South Africa.&nbsp

Swaraj, who is on a five-day visit to South Africa, reached Johannesburg on Sunday evening. Swaraj met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and discussed ways of strengthening bilateral ties between India and South Africa here on Sunday.

During the visit, Swaraj is expected to have meetings with the top leadership of South Africa and chair the IBSA Foreign Ministers Meeting, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on June 2 read.

During her visit, the EAM, on June 6, will visit the Phoenix Settlement, a South African Heritage site, a place where Mahatma Gandhi developed his philosophy of non-violence.

She would also participate in a series of events at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on June 6-7 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the "historic incident in the train compartment that became a catalyst for Gandhiji's Satyagraha movement."

Swaraj, who is on a five-day visit to South Africa, reached Johannesburg on Sunday evening

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday participated in the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting with South Africa’s Foreign Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and other leaders at Johannesburg. Swaraj stated that the BRICS countries have contributed to global growth in a world drifting towards uncertainty. BRICS is a grouping of five countries-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and IBSA is a tripartite grouping of India, Brazil, South Africa. Swaraj, who is on a five-day visit to South Africa, reached Johannesburg on Sunday evening. Swaraj met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and discussed ways of strengthening bilateral ties between India and South Africa here on Sunday. During the visit, Swaraj is expected to have meetings with the top leadership of South Africa and chair the IBSA Foreign Ministers Meeting, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on June 2 read. During her visit, the EAM, on June 6, will visit the Phoenix Settlement, a South African Heritage site, a place where Mahatma Gandhi developed his philosophy of non-violence. She would also participate in a series of events at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on June 6-7 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the "historic incident in the train compartment that became a catalyst for Gandhiji's Satyagraha movement."

BRICS countries have contributed to global growth in a world drifting towards uncertainty: Sushma Swaraj

By: Melissa Tandiwe Myambo*

Politicians and the media expend inordinate amounts of energy debating migration, often using nativist, populist and xenophobic rhetoric. This is despite the fact that, as of 2017, only three out of every 100 people – a mere 3.4 per cent of the world’s population – have left their home nations to migrate to a new country.

The message from people like US President Donald Trump and the UK’s "Brexiteers" is that migrants should be kept out at all costs to "save" their economies. Yet many scholars have argued that attracting and keeping migrants is essential to economic competitiveness in a globalising world. Some countries are responding positively to such arguments, embracing the benefits migrants can offer to their economies. Others – African countries among them – are far behind the curve.

Many developing countries are immigrant-sending countries which can have some negative effects. In 2017, 74 per cent of all immigrants were of working age. It makes sense that losing this vital demographic can damage a country's economy and that gaining these workers can help grow another’s.

This is borne out by history, too: in the 19th century, migrant-receiving countries like the US grew faster than migrant-sending countries like Italy and Ireland because these migrants added to their host country's workforce and left their home countries with fewer workers.

In my research on migration, I have found that countries like Vietnam, India and China are actively trying to recruit people from their diasporas – those living outside the region where they or their ancestors were born – to help build their economies.

My research focuses on frontier migration: the movement of people, technology, ideas and capital from a "developed" to a "developing" economy. Among them are increasing numbers of frontier return migrants who were born and raised in one country, leave it for some time but are now opting to return home.

Researchers used to assume that once people migrated to the West, they and their children would stay there. But this is increasingly not the case. Another category I focus on our frontier heritage migrants those raised in the diaspora who return to the land of their ethnic heritage.

Globalisation has spurred increasing numbers of all types of frontier migrants. One of the unexpected consequences is that developed countries might lose out as more and more frontier migrants set their sights on emerging market economies.

The US is losing out

The world’s most powerful country and its largest economy, the US, was until recently known as a country of immigrants.

Since 2017, the Trump administration has championed a number of measures to keep immigrants and refugees out: building a wall on the country’s southern border with Mexico, limiting refugees and even deleting the phrase, "nation of immigrants" from an official mission statement. But this shift didn’t begin with Trump: it started in earnest after the events of September&nbsp11, 2001.

Migration and tech researcher Vivek Wadhwa has warned for years that putting up barriers to immigration will reduce the US’s innovative, technological and economic edge. After all, many US businesses are started by immigrants, and just over half of the country’s one billion dollar startup companies had at least one immigrant founder.

Wadwha’s research among STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) graduate students who came to the US to study for advanced degrees revealed alarming shifts. Before 2001, most of these sorts of graduates would remain in the US after completing their degrees. After 2001, hostile immigration policies “pushed” them to become frontier return migrants, going home to countries like India and China.

The US was forced to change policy to counter the trend towards STEM students’ return migration.

India and China, meanwhile, have also realised the value of attracting their own diasporas back home, and drawing talent from elsewhere in the world. They’ve developed several new policies to make this easier.

For example, China recently changed its visa policy so that “overseas Chinese” can have multiple-entry visas valid for five years instead of just one. A number of other initiatives have also been introduced to entice skilled migrants to China.

Robin Li, the billionaire entrepreneur behind the internet company Baidu – often referred to as China’s Google – is one of those who’ve pointed out that the US’s loss could be his country’s gain, saying

this is a good time that China stand up and say, ‘Hey, come to us, we welcome immigrants…’

China and the US are in a battle over which nation will dominate the 21st-century technologically and immigration is at the heart of this battle.

However, it is not only technology migrants who add value to an economy. Workers with all different skill sets are necessary. For example, US agriculture largely relies on foreign workers and Japan, a highly industrialised country with an ageing population, will need to bring in more and more young foreign workers to survive.

Policy benefits for Africa?

African countries are not seizing the opportunity presented by the migration-economic nexus.

Only a handful of African countries – among them Liberia and Ethiopia – have actively worked to bring in more migrants.

I have found that people in general and people of African descent in particular, both in Africa and the West, are particularly interested in moving to South Africa to work. This is because South Africa has a well-developed infrastructure and offers what many migrants refer to as “lifestyle” – a good quality of life.

South Africa is trying to position itself as the gateway to the African continent and needs a strong economy to do so. The country would therefore benefit tremendously from a more migrant-welcoming policy.

Building a robust economy has always required migrant workers of all types. That’s not going to change any time soon. The country with the most open immigration policy will be best positioned to succeed in the global economy.

Melissa Tandiwe Myambo is a Research Associate, Centre for Indian Studies, University of the Witwatersrand

(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/countries-must-compete-for-migrant-workers-to-boost-their-economies-96231">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Countries like Vietnam, India and China are actively trying to recruit people from their diasporas – those living outside the region where they or their ancestors were born – to help build their economies

By: Melissa Tandiwe Myambo* Politicians and the media expend inordinate amounts of energy debating migration, often using nativist, populist and xenophobic rhetoric. This is despite the fact that, as of 2017, only three out of every 100 people – a mere 3.4 per cent of the world’s population – have left their home nations to migrate to a new country. The message from people like US President Donald Trump and the UK’s "Brexiteers" is that migrants should be kept out at all costs to "save" their economies. Yet many scholars have argued that attracting and keeping migrants is essential to economic competitiveness in a globalising world. Some countries are responding positively to such arguments, embracing the benefits migrants can offer to their economies. Others – African countries among them – are far behind the curve. Many developing countries are immigrant-sending countries which can have some negative effects. In 2017, 74 per cent of all immigrants were of working age. It makes sense that losing this vital demographic can damage a country's economy and that gaining these workers can help grow another’s. This is borne out by history, too: in the 19th century, migrant-receiving countries like the US grew faster than migrant-sending countries like Italy and Ireland because these migrants added to their host country's workforce and left their home countries with fewer workers. In my research on migration, I have found that countries like Vietnam, India and China are actively trying to recruit people from their diasporas – those living outside the region where they or their ancestors were born – to help build their economies. My research focuses on frontier migration: the movement of people, technology, ideas and capital from a "developed" to a "developing" economy. Among them are increasing numbers of frontier return migrants who were born and raised in one country, leave it for some time but are now opting to return home. Researchers used to assume that once people migrated to the West, they and their children would stay there. But this is increasingly not the case. Another category I focus on our frontier heritage migrants those raised in the diaspora who return to the land of their ethnic heritage. Globalisation has spurred increasing numbers of all types of frontier migrants. One of the unexpected consequences is that developed countries might lose out as more and more frontier migrants set their sights on emerging market economies. The US is losing out The world’s most powerful country and its largest economy, the US, was until recently known as a country of immigrants. Since 2017, the Trump administration has championed a number of measures to keep immigrants and refugees out: building a wall on the country’s southern border with Mexico, limiting refugees and even deleting the phrase, "nation of immigrants" from an official mission statement. But this shift didn’t begin with Trump: it started in earnest after the events of September&nbsp11, 2001. Migration and tech researcher Vivek Wadhwa has warned for years that putting up barriers to immigration will reduce the US’s innovative, technological and economic edge. After all, many US businesses are started by immigrants, and just over half of the country’s one billion dollar startup companies had at least one immigrant founder. Wadwha’s research among STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) graduate students who came to the US to study for advanced degrees revealed alarming shifts. Before 2001, most of these sorts of graduates would remain in the US after completing their degrees. After 2001, hostile immigration policies “pushed” them to become frontier return migrants, going home to countries like India and China. The US was forced to change policy to counter the trend towards STEM students’ return migration. India and China, meanwhile, have also realised the value of attracting their own diasporas back home, and drawing talent from elsewhere in the world. They’ve developed several new policies to make this easier. For example, China recently changed its visa policy so that “overseas Chinese” can have multiple-entry visas valid for five years instead of just one. A number of other initiatives have also been introduced to entice skilled migrants to China. Robin Li, the billionaire entrepreneur behind the internet company Baidu – often referred to as China’s Google – is one of those who’ve pointed out that the US’s loss could be his country’s gain, saying this is a good time that China stand up and say, ‘Hey, come to us, we welcome immigrants…’ China and the US are in a battle over which nation will dominate the 21st-century technologically and immigration is at the heart of this battle. However, it is not only technology migrants who add value to an economy. Workers with all different skill sets are necessary. For example, US agriculture largely relies on foreign workers and Japan, a highly industrialised country with an ageing population, will need to bring in more and more young foreign workers to survive. Policy benefits for Africa? African countries are not seizing the opportunity presented by the migration-economic nexus. Only a handful of African countries – among them Liberia and Ethiopia – have actively worked to bring in more migrants. I have found that people in general and people of African descent in particular, both in Africa and the West, are particularly interested in moving to South Africa to work. This is because South Africa has a well-developed infrastructure and offers what many migrants refer to as “lifestyle” – a good quality of life. South Africa is trying to position itself as the gateway to the African continent and needs a strong economy to do so. The country would therefore benefit tremendously from a more migrant-welcoming policy. Building a robust economy has always required migrant workers of all types. That’s not going to change any time soon. The country with the most open immigration policy will be best positioned to succeed in the global economy. Melissa Tandiwe Myambo is a Research Associate, Centre for Indian Studies, University of the Witwatersrand (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Countries must compete for migrant workers to boost their economies

As Indian Prime Minister gets ready <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-wuhan-modi-xi-to-have-heart-to-heart-discussions-chinese-vp-xuanyou-132965">to meet Chinese President Xi at Wuhan</a>, the city is all set to host the two world leaders.

The meeting dubbed as&nbsp;"informal" is being seen as a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-wuhan-the-venue-for-informal-modi-xi-meet-132911">significant turn in India-China relations </a>after the 73-day standoff&nbsp;over Doklam last year.

"It is quite possible that they might talk about their views of how each of their countries is going to develop in the coming 15 or 20 years," Gautam Bambawale, Indian ambassador to China, said.

The last time PM Modi had met President Xi was in China's eastern city of Xiamen for the BRICS summit. This time the two leaders will&nbsp;engage in "candid dialogue" over pressing issues, however, no official statement or MoU will be signed by either country over the next two days during the summit.

The Indian ambassador conceded that there would be "no set agenda for their talks", although the two leaders might take a boat ride or walk in the park at Wuhan.&nbsp;

"They might talk about the current world situation and in what directions the world is progressing. They might talk about how India views China and how China views India," the Indian ambassador said.

The ambassador added that the Modi and Xi will meet in an informal, friendly setting as they discuss various issues. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"When two leaders of big countries meet, then they don’t talk about specific micro issues,"&nbsp;Bambawale said, adding,"India, China will be&nbsp;setting a new trend with the informal meeting."

The meeting dubbed as an "informal" is being seen as a significant turn in India-China relations

As Indian Prime Minister gets ready to meet Chinese President Xi at Wuhan, the city is all set to host the two world leaders. The meeting dubbed as "informal" is being seen as a significant turn in India-China relations after the 73-day standoff over Doklam last year. "It is quite possible that they might talk about their views of how each of their countries is going to develop in the coming 15 or 20 years," Gautam Bambawale, Indian ambassador to China, said. The last time PM Modi had met President Xi was in China's eastern city of Xiamen for the BRICS summit. This time the two leaders will engage in "candid dialogue" over pressing issues, however, no official statement or MoU will be signed by either country over the next two days during the summit. The Indian ambassador conceded that there would be "no set agenda for their talks", although the two leaders might take a boat ride or walk in the park at Wuhan. "They might talk about the current world situation and in what directions the world is progressing. They might talk about how India views China and how China views India," the Indian ambassador said. The ambassador added that the Modi and Xi will meet in an informal, friendly setting as they discuss various issues. "When two leaders of big countries meet, then they don’t talk about specific micro issues," Bambawale said, adding,"India, China will be setting a new trend with the informal meeting."

India, China setting new trend with informal meeting: Gautam Bambawale, Indian ambassador to China

Not many relationships in international politics make headlines like China-India relations often do. The chronicle of the transient year 2017 suggests that China-India relations continued to struggle to thrive, even though this relationship commanded plenty of promises and pledges. Best remembered as the &ldquo;year of Doklam&rdquo;, 2017 witnessed Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping pledging a &ldquo;forward-looking constructive&rdquo; bilateral relationship.

&nbsp;

During the September Xiamen BRICS summit, both the leaders tried to overcome the setback that the relationship has faced in recent times. How will this envisioned &ldquo;constructive&rdquo; China-India relationship that aims to have a &ldquo;forward-looking&rdquo; spirit unfold in 2018?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Fundamentally speaking, a &ldquo;forward-looking constructive&rdquo; relationship would imply that the two countries manage to handle their differences, including the age-old boundary dispute while fostering an engaging economic partnership that will enhance their bilateral and global relationship.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The official media transcript after the Xiamen BRICS summit stated that the established intergovernmental mechanisms between China and India are supposed to play a stronger role to this effect. Their common pledge to scrutinise neoliberal ideas, uphold the structure of a multipolar world order, and reform the global order in favour of the developing world are all indicators of a constructive forward-looking relationship.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The pledge to have a &ldquo;forward-looking&rdquo; and &ldquo;constructive&rdquo; relationship is, however, not entirely a new proposition. Both sides have used similar phrasing in the past to offer a &ldquo;political&rdquo; guidance to their relationship, which is often marred by a range of conflicts &ndash; boundary to geopolitics. Indeed, the proposition to have a &ldquo;constructive&rdquo; relationship is part and parcel of their &ldquo;developmental partnership&rdquo;, which was officially instituted during President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s visit to India in September 2014.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The core essence of this &ldquo;developmental partnership&rdquo; was to guide China-India relations through a stronger economic engagement. The economic engagement has been nurtured under a number of bilateral mechanisms, such as the Joint Economic Group (JEG), Strategic Economic Dialogue and Financial Dialogue to name just a few. These have acted as stabilisers, preventing the relationship from going on a conflict path.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Consequently, bilateral trade, seen often as a &lsquo;stable variable&rsquo; in China-India relations, witnessed a steady rise over the last one decade amidst the rising border tensions and mutual mistrust. From a meagre US$10 billion in 2004, the bilateral trade has expanded to reach around $71 billion by 2017.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

in the recent past, however, a subtle change is noticed in the pattern of relationship. Bilateral trade and institutional dialogue have become extraneous to a stable bilateral relationship.&nbsp; In fact, bilateral trade has been constant around $70 billion for last few years without showing much improvement. The trade imbalance between the two sides is expanding, much to China&rsquo;s favour, creating an increasing discord among the Indian business community.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Additionally, the institutional mechanisms look obsolete to address the rising differences between the two countries. Even frequent leadership meetings have offered little to push ahead their envisioned &ldquo;developmental partnership&rdquo;. For example, before their meeting at the Xiamen BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met during the SCO summit in Astana and the G-20 summit in Hamburg in 2017. These meetings, however, could not generate necessary maturity on both sides so as not to engage in an episode like the Doklam stand-off.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Besides, India&rsquo;s decision not to participate in China&rsquo;s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) meeting held in Beijing in May 2017 spiralled their geopolitical differences into the international limelight. The two and a half months&rsquo; long Doklam stand-off damaged further the residual goodwill that their relationship had accomplished over the years, making 2017 the defining year for China-India relations.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This changing treatise in China-India relations sufficiently indicates that the relationship would be thorny in 2018 and ahead. The official longing might be to carve out an &ldquo;upward trajectory&rdquo; in China-India relations, but fostering such a relationship in the current practical circumstances would be difficult to foresee. Three specific developments explain why China-India relations might continue to struggle to thrive even though there might be a temporary improvement in their overall relationship.

&nbsp;

First, foreign policy passages in both China and India are witnessing constant changes which might point to a more &ldquo;state-centric&rdquo; non-accommodative approach towards each other. After the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China aims to push ahead it&rsquo;s national security ambitions, in terms of exploiting resource opportunities, expand the country&rsquo;s power base, and exhibit China&rsquo;s leadership both in Asia and beyond.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Xi Jinping sees the next few years as a &ldquo;period of strategic opportunities&rdquo; for China and India as a &lsquo;limited Asian power&rsquo; only.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On the other hand, New Delhi&rsquo;s foreign policy, under an &ldquo;India first&rdquo; approach,&nbsp; seeks to engage more with big powers while having a focus on Asia and Asian neighbours. Currently, India&rsquo;s prime targets are resource exploration and increasing India&rsquo;s outreach in Asia. This would bring the Chinese and Indian foreign policy into a point of contestation than engagement.

&nbsp;

Second, even though the scope and potential of greater China-India economic engagement are bigger today, still the differing approaches in the promotion of a &ldquo;developmental partnership&rdquo; would be the main barrier between them. China wants to pursue a more purposeful international economic engagement which will facilitate Chinese economic growth. The induction of the BRI into the revised CPC Constitution at the 19th National Congress points to that. This might create friction in the Sino-Indian relations since India is yet to endorse China&rsquo;s BRI.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The usual China-India &ldquo;sister-city&rdquo; and &ldquo;sister-province&rdquo; level engagements have been one of the most promising aspects of their bilateral relationship over the last one decade. But from Beijing&rsquo;s perspective, the &ldquo;sister-city&rdquo; and &ldquo;sister-province&rdquo; level engagements are today seen as an integral part of China&rsquo;s BRI scheme, which India may see as antithetical to its national interest. Besides, it is not clear how China would like to address India&rsquo;s economic concerns on the rising trade imbalance and would situate it in the overall relationship framework.

&nbsp;

Third, China-India differences in the Asia-Pacific region is another new complicated chapter that would not be supportive of their bilateral relations. Beijing seems to be keen on following an intensive maritime strategy not only to protect its interests but also to expedite overseas maritime presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Many democratic countries, including the United States, Japan and India are not in favour of China&#39;s expansion in the IOR.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Beijing under Xi Jinping is emerging fast as a &ldquo;trading nation&rdquo; and the new focus is to expedite its maritime trading routes in the IOR. That would bring Indian maritime interests into contestation. India&rsquo;s S-A-G-A-R (Security and Growth for All Region) initiative under Prime Minister Narendra Modi equally emphasises on the maritime economy and marine resources which would emerge as a matter of contest between the Chinese and Indian interests in the IOR.

&nbsp;

China aims to configure a bipolar world, sharing the &quot;major&quot; power platform with the United States. China wants to shun the existing &ldquo;status quo&rdquo;&nbsp; and emerge as a &ldquo;revisionist&rdquo; power. This would significantly influence China-India relations.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Contrasting bilateral perspectives come as a major impediment to a working relationship between India and China today. Just like 2017, the year 2018, therefore, might equally witness conflicting trends between India and China, overriding their cooperative trends.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

China wants to shun the existing ?status quo? and emerge as a ?revisionist? power which would significantly influence China-India relations.

Not many relationships in international politics make headlines like China-India relations often do. The chronicle of the transient year 2017 suggests that China-India relations continued to struggle to thrive, even though this relationship commanded plenty of promises and pledges. Best remembered as the “year of Doklam”, 2017 witnessed Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping pledging a “forward-looking constructive” bilateral relationship. During the September Xiamen BRICS summit, both the leaders tried to overcome the setback that the relationship has faced in recent times. How will this envisioned “constructive” China-India relationship that aims to have a “forward-looking” spirit unfold in 2018? Fundamentally speaking, a “forward-looking constructive” relationship would imply that the two countries manage to handle their differences, including the age-old boundary dispute while fostering an engaging economic partnership that will enhance their bilateral and global relationship. The official media transcript after the Xiamen BRICS summit stated that the established intergovernmental mechanisms between China and India are supposed to play a stronger role to this effect. Their common pledge to scrutinise neoliberal ideas, uphold the structure of a multipolar world order, and reform the global order in favour of the developing world are all indicators of a constructive forward-looking relationship. The pledge to have a “forward-looking” and “constructive” relationship is, however, not entirely a new proposition. Both sides have used similar phrasing in the past to offer a “political” guidance to their relationship, which is often marred by a range of conflicts – boundary to geopolitics. Indeed, the proposition to have a “constructive” relationship is part and parcel of their “developmental partnership”, which was officially instituted during President Xi Jinping’s visit to India in September 2014. The core essence of this “developmental partnership” was to guide China-India relations through a stronger economic engagement. The economic engagement has been nurtured under a number of bilateral mechanisms, such as the Joint Economic Group (JEG), Strategic Economic Dialogue and Financial Dialogue to name just a few. These have acted as stabilisers, preventing the relationship from going on a conflict path. Consequently, bilateral trade, seen often as a ‘stable variable’ in China-India relations, witnessed a steady rise over the last one decade amidst the rising border tensions and mutual mistrust. From a meagre US$10 billion in 2004, the bilateral trade has expanded to reach around $71 billion by 2017. in the recent past, however, a subtle change is noticed in the pattern of relationship. Bilateral trade and institutional dialogue have become extraneous to a stable bilateral relationship. In fact, bilateral trade has been constant around $70 billion for last few years without showing much improvement. The trade imbalance between the two sides is expanding, much to China’s favour, creating an increasing discord among the Indian business community. Additionally, the institutional mechanisms look obsolete to address the rising differences between the two countries. Even frequent leadership meetings have offered little to push ahead their envisioned “developmental partnership”. For example, before their meeting at the Xiamen BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met during the SCO summit in Astana and the G-20 summit in Hamburg in 2017. These meetings, however, could not generate necessary maturity on both sides so as not to engage in an episode like the Doklam stand-off. Besides, India’s decision not to participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) meeting held in Beijing in May 2017 spiralled their geopolitical differences into the international limelight. The two and a half months’ long Doklam stand-off damaged further the residual goodwill that their relationship had accomplished over the years, making 2017 the defining year for China-India relations. This changing treatise in China-India relations sufficiently indicates that the relationship would be thorny in 2018 and ahead. The official longing might be to carve out an “upward trajectory” in China-India relations, but fostering such a relationship in the current practical circumstances would be difficult to foresee. Three specific developments explain why China-India relations might continue to struggle to thrive even though there might be a temporary improvement in their overall relationship. First, foreign policy passages in both China and India are witnessing constant changes which might point to a more “state-centric” non-accommodative approach towards each other. After the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China aims to push ahead it’s national security ambitions, in terms of exploiting resource opportunities, expand the country’s power base, and exhibit China’s leadership both in Asia and beyond. Xi Jinping sees the next few years as a “period of strategic opportunities” for China and India as a ‘limited Asian power’ only. On the other hand, New Delhi’s foreign policy, under an “India first” approach, seeks to engage more with big powers while having a focus on Asia and Asian neighbours. Currently, India’s prime targets are resource exploration and increasing India’s outreach in Asia. This would bring the Chinese and Indian foreign policy into a point of contestation than engagement. Second, even though the scope and potential of greater China-India economic engagement are bigger today, still the differing approaches in the promotion of a “developmental partnership” would be the main barrier between them. China wants to pursue a more purposeful international economic engagement which will facilitate Chinese economic growth. The induction of the BRI into the revised CPC Constitution at the 19th National Congress points to that. This might create friction in the Sino-Indian relations since India is yet to endorse China’s BRI. The usual China-India “sister-city” and “sister-province” level engagements have been one of the most promising aspects of their bilateral relationship over the last one decade. But from Beijing’s perspective, the “sister-city” and “sister-province” level engagements are today seen as an integral part of China’s BRI scheme, which India may see as antithetical to its national interest. Besides, it is not clear how China would like to address India’s economic concerns on the rising trade imbalance and would situate it in the overall relationship framework. Third, China-India differences in the Asia-Pacific region is another new complicated chapter that would not be supportive of their bilateral relations. Beijing seems to be keen on following an intensive maritime strategy not only to protect its interests but also to expedite overseas maritime presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Many democratic countries, including the United States, Japan and India are not in favour of China's expansion in the IOR. Beijing under Xi Jinping is emerging fast as a “trading nation” and the new focus is to expedite its maritime trading routes in the IOR. That would bring Indian maritime interests into contestation. India’s S-A-G-A-R (Security and Growth for All Region) initiative under Prime Minister Narendra Modi equally emphasises on the maritime economy and marine resources which would emerge as a matter of contest between the Chinese and Indian interests in the IOR. China aims to configure a bipolar world, sharing the "major" power platform with the United States. China wants to shun the existing “status quo” and emerge as a “revisionist” power. This would significantly influence China-India relations. Contrasting bilateral perspectives come as a major impediment to a working relationship between India and China today. Just like 2017, the year 2018, therefore, might equally witness conflicting trends between India and China, overriding their cooperative trends. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: 'Year of Doklam' points to a conflicting China-India relation in 2018

At the BRICS summit in Russia two years ago, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping <a href="https://brics2017.org/English/Headlines/201701/t20170125_1402.html">invoked</a> physics when asking fellow leaders &ldquo;to boost the centripetal (unifying) force of BRICS nations through cooperation in innovation and production capacity to boost competitiveness.&rdquo;

That was the theory, but the economic reality of the once-feted Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa alliance is contradictory.

Instead of, centripetal strengthening, the world is witnessing much more powerful centrifugal dividing forces, including overproduction, over-indebtedness and deglobalisation of capital. These elements have been spinning out of control even before the <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/01/06/will-washingtons-new-pro-moscow-anti-beijing-gang-drive-a-wedge-through-the-brics-in-2017/">chaotic era</a> of US President Donald Trump began.

Over production is mostly found in the coal, steel, non-ferrous metals, cement and chemicals industries. It&rsquo;s largely driven by China where over-capacity is more than 30 per cent, according to a new International Monetary Fund <a href="http://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2017/08/15/pr17326-china-imf-executive-board-concludes-2017-article-iv-consultation">report</a> that also raised worries about the country&rsquo;s vast debt.

Over borrowing by companies, states and households represents a global crisis in the making. The Institute of International Finance has just reported that <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-29/global-debt-hits-new-record-high-217-trillion-327-gdp">world debt</a> is now USD$217 trillion (327 per cent of world GDP), up from USD$149 billion (276 per cent) in 2007.

Deglobalisation is simply the reversal - mostly since 2008 - of prior rapid growth in cross-border trade, investment and finance. Should that be viewed as a bad thing? Rather than fear globalisation&rsquo;s unravelling, leading scholar-activists including <a href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/D/bo20861161.html">Samir Amin</a> in Africa, the late <a href="https://archive.monthlyreview.org/index.php/mr/article/view/MR-023-09-1972-02_2/0">Ruy Mauro Marini</a> in Latin America, <a href="http://fpif.org/the_virtues_of_deglobalization/">Walden Bello</a> in Asia and the 20th century&rsquo;s most important economist, <a href="https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/interwar/keynes.htm">John Maynard Keynes</a>, have all advocated national economic sovereignty. If pursued cleverly, deglobalisation could be the basis for restoring links between once vibrant sectors subsequently destroyed by imports.

&nbsp;

<figure class="align-right "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/183648/width237/file-20170828-1572-16a5ulb.jpg" />
<figcaption>
BRICS 2017 China logo
</figcaption>
</figure>

Could BRICS leaders evolve in this direction? Their <a href="https://www.brics2017.org/English/">summit</a> next week will be distracted by geopolitical tensions. Although a welcome <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/there-wont-be-a-war-at-doklam-as-india-and-china-agree-to-disengage/articleshow/60255485.cms">deal</a> on Monday prevents the feared Sino-Indian border war, a much more durable geo-economic battle is unfolding in the <a href="https://borderless-hk.com/2017/08/16/an-introduction-to-the-china-pakistan-economic-corridor/">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor</a>, which in May left Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-did-india-boycott-chinas-road-summit/article18516163.ece">boycotting</a> China&rsquo;s Belt and Road mega-conference three months ago.

Beijing&rsquo;s BRICS <a href="https://brics2017.org/English/China2017/Logo/">logo</a> designers, perhaps being unconsciously subversive, have illustrated how the once overlapping, interlocking BRICS are now being wedged apart as paper thin subjects of centrifugal forces. For Africa, fewer illusions in these economies would be welcome, given how <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01436597.2013.775783">exploitative</a> the BRICS and their firms have become against societies, democratic movements and environments.

A counter-summit challenge the BRICS

This argument is made by the <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2107923/hong-kong-activist-joshua-wong-cant-help-laugh-after">Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum</a>, initiated by the city&rsquo;s progressive labour, intellectual and faith leaders to question the BRICS. Their meeting this weekend follows in the counter summit traditions of the 2013 <a href="http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,68,3,2853">BRICS-from-below</a> in Durban, the 2014 <a href="http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,68,3,3253">Dialogue on Development</a> in Fortaleza, and the 2016 Goa <a href="https://peoplesbrics.org/2016/10/24/goa-declaration-of-the-peoples-forum-on-brics/">People&rsquo;s Forum on BRICS</a>.

According to the Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum:

Instead of offering an alternative, the BRICS actually offer a continuation of neo-liberalism. On top of BRICS, there is also China&rsquo;s new mega project, the Belt and Road initiative whose main purpose is to export China&rsquo;s surplus capital.

These surpluses are vast, as witnessed in China&rsquo;s foreign reserves which recently topped USD$4 trillion, though then fell 20 per cent due to bouts of capital flight and two stock market crashes in 2015-16.

Deglobalisation

Global trade, finance and investment were meant to be the motors for the advancement of BRICS. But according to the <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS?end=2016&amp;locations=CN-BR-ZA-IN-RU-1W&amp;start=1999&amp;view=chart">World Bank</a>, global trade peaked at 61 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008 but retreated to 58 per cent in 2015.

During the 1990s each BRICS country raised its trade to GDP ratio by at least 10 points. But trade has receded in importance in <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS?contextual=default&amp;locations=CN+WORLD-BR-RU-IN-CN-ZA">each of the BRICS</a>. Russia peaked first at a 69 per cent trade/GDP ratio in 1999 and then fell steadily to 45 per cent&nbsp;today. Brazil rose to 30 per cent in 2004 and fell to 25 per cent. China soared to 66 per cent in 2006 and has since plummeted to 36 per cent. South Africa&rsquo;s 2008 ratio was 73 per cent but is now back to 60 per cent and India peaked last, in 2012 with 56 per cent, and is now at 40 per cent.

On top of this, the ratio of world financial assets that are held overseas compared to GDP <a href="https://ahtribune.com/world/africa/1706-patrick-bond.html">fell</a> from 58 per cent in 2008 to 38 per cent in 2016, even as overall financial assets increased in line with soaring debt.

Finally, another deglobalisation symptom is the <a href="https://ahtribune.com/world/africa/1706-patrick-bond.html">halving</a> of relative global foreign direct investment: from 3.7 per cent of world GDP in 2008 to 1.7 per cent in 2016.

Leading financiers now talk of an imminent world <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-22/wall-street-banks-warn-winter-is-coming-as-business-cycle-peaks">recession</a>, given over priced stock markets and corporate debt. This is not just due to wild New York share speculation, as also occurred in the crashes of 1987, 2000 and 2008. Three BRICS stock markets are also <a href="http://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2017/07/07/world-economic-outlook-update-july-2017?cid=em-COM-123-35653">bubbling</a>: South Africa&rsquo;s stock market is 90 per cent higher than in 2010, India&rsquo;s market is up 70 per cent and Russia has risen by 50 per cent.

Centrifugal realities crowd out centripetal fantasies

These dangerous centrifugal forces cannot be easily regulated or reversed. The only recent relief came from the Chinese state&rsquo;s massive urban construction investments (albeit leaving scores of <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2015/10/china-is-still-building-ghost-cities/">near-empty cities</a>) and the Indian <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/industries/in-india-services-sector-ges-2017-noexp.pdf">service sector boom</a>. But since 2015 the other three BRICS have suffered recessions as the crash in commodity prices hit home.

As the Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum statement explained:

China has now evolved into a global engine promoting a neoliberal agenda from free trade agreements to corporate led integration across borders.

The BRICS had promised to challenge an unfair global economic system. But in December 2015 their main multilateral reform strategies failed:

<ul>
	<li>
	the <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/25/climate-terror-from-paris-could-endure-for-generations/">Paris Climate Accord</a> was nonbinding, unambitious and outlaws climate-debt lawsuits by victims of Western and BRICS emissions;
	</li>
	<li>
	the <a href="https://archive.monthlyreview.org/index.php/mr/article/view/MR-023-09-1972-02_2/0">World Trade Organisation</a> phased out any semblance of food sovereignty; and
	</li>
	<li>
	<a href="https://mg.co.za/article/2017-03-31-00-brics-joins-the-reigning-world-order">IMF voting shares</a> were shifted to favour BRICS at the expense of poorer countries.
	</li>
</ul>

Adds the Hong Kong People&rsquo;s Forum: &ldquo;The 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos was one site where Xi clearly took the lead in promoting world corporate power, as Trump leads the US-UK retreat into crony-capitalist protectionism.&rdquo;

South African President Jacob Zuma <a href="https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-06-30-jacob-zumas-speech-to-the-anc--now-with-little-yellow-post-its/">pronounced</a> last month at his party&rsquo;s policy Congress, &ldquo;The ANC is part of the global anti-imperialist movement. We are historically connected with the countries of the South and therefore South-South cooperation such as BRICS is primary for our movement.&rdquo;

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/83115/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />If centrifugal economic forces now pressuring the bloc to overwhelm Xi&rsquo;s desired centripetal capitalism, then we can expect yet more talk-left walk-right politics, as the BRICS <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01436597.2013.775783">sub-imperialists</a> desperately try to pretend they&rsquo;re anti-imperialists.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/brics-is-being-battered-by-global-crises-why-this-might-not-be-a-bad-thing-83115">original article</a>.

Global trade and financial investment were meant to be the motors for the advancement of BRICS but deglobalisation and geo-political tension are seriously challenging BRICS' goals.

At the BRICS summit in Russia two years ago, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping invoked physics when asking fellow leaders “to boost the centripetal (unifying) force of BRICS nations through cooperation in innovation and production capacity to boost competitiveness.” That was the theory, but the economic reality of the once-feted Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa alliance is contradictory. Instead of, centripetal strengthening, the world is witnessing much more powerful centrifugal dividing forces, including overproduction, over-indebtedness and deglobalisation of capital. These elements have been spinning out of control even before the chaotic era of US President Donald Trump began. Over production is mostly found in the coal, steel, non-ferrous metals, cement and chemicals industries. It’s largely driven by China where over-capacity is more than 30 per cent, according to a new International Monetary Fund report that also raised worries about the country’s vast debt. Over borrowing by companies, states and households represents a global crisis in the making. The Institute of International Finance has just reported that world debt is now USD$217 trillion (327 per cent of world GDP), up from USD$149 billion (276 per cent) in 2007. Deglobalisation is simply the reversal - mostly since 2008 - of prior rapid growth in cross-border trade, investment and finance. Should that be viewed as a bad thing? Rather than fear globalisation’s unravelling, leading scholar-activists including Samir Amin in Africa, the late Ruy Mauro Marini in Latin America, Walden Bello in Asia and the 20th century’s most important economist, John Maynard Keynes, have all advocated national economic sovereignty. If pursued cleverly, deglobalisation could be the basis for restoring links between once vibrant sectors subsequently destroyed by imports. BRICS 2017 China logo Could BRICS leaders evolve in this direction? Their summit next week will be distracted by geopolitical tensions. Although a welcome deal on Monday prevents the feared Sino-Indian border war, a much more durable geo-economic battle is unfolding in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which in May left Prime Minister Narendra Modi boycotting China’s Belt and Road mega-conference three months ago. Beijing’s BRICS logo designers, perhaps being unconsciously subversive, have illustrated how the once overlapping, interlocking BRICS are now being wedged apart as paper thin subjects of centrifugal forces. For Africa, fewer illusions in these economies would be welcome, given how exploitative the BRICS and their firms have become against societies, democratic movements and environments. A counter-summit challenge the BRICS This argument is made by the Hong Kong People’s Forum, initiated by the city’s progressive labour, intellectual and faith leaders to question the BRICS. Their meeting this weekend follows in the counter summit traditions of the 2013 BRICS-from-below in Durban, the 2014 Dialogue on Development in Fortaleza, and the 2016 Goa People’s Forum on BRICS. According to the Hong Kong People’s Forum: Instead of offering an alternative, the BRICS actually offer a continuation of neo-liberalism. On top of BRICS, there is also China’s new mega project, the Belt and Road initiative whose main purpose is to export China’s surplus capital. These surpluses are vast, as witnessed in China’s foreign reserves which recently topped USD$4 trillion, though then fell 20 per cent due to bouts of capital flight and two stock market crashes in 2015-16. Deglobalisation Global trade, finance and investment were meant to be the motors for the advancement of BRICS. But according to the World Bank, global trade peaked at 61 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008 but retreated to 58 per cent in 2015. During the 1990s each BRICS country raised its trade to GDP ratio by at least 10 points. But trade has receded in importance in each of the BRICS. Russia peaked first at a 69 per cent trade/GDP ratio in 1999 and then fell steadily to 45 per cent today. Brazil rose to 30 per cent in 2004 and fell to 25 per cent. China soared to 66 per cent in 2006 and has since plummeted to 36 per cent. South Africa’s 2008 ratio was 73 per cent but is now back to 60 per cent and India peaked last, in 2012 with 56 per cent, and is now at 40 per cent. On top of this, the ratio of world financial assets that are held overseas compared to GDP fell from 58 per cent in 2008 to 38 per cent in 2016, even as overall financial assets increased in line with soaring debt. Finally, another deglobalisation symptom is the halving of relative global foreign direct investment: from 3.7 per cent of world GDP in 2008 to 1.7 per cent in 2016. Leading financiers now talk of an imminent world recession, given over priced stock markets and corporate debt. This is not just due to wild New York share speculation, as also occurred in the crashes of 1987, 2000 and 2008. Three BRICS stock markets are also bubbling: South Africa’s stock market is 90 per cent higher than in 2010, India’s market is up 70 per cent and Russia has risen by 50 per cent. Centrifugal realities crowd out centripetal fantasies These dangerous centrifugal forces cannot be easily regulated or reversed. The only recent relief came from the Chinese state’s massive urban construction investments (albeit leaving scores of near-empty cities) and the Indian service sector boom. But since 2015 the other three BRICS have suffered recessions as the crash in commodity prices hit home. As the Hong Kong People’s Forum statement explained: China has now evolved into a global engine promoting a neoliberal agenda from free trade agreements to corporate led integration across borders. The BRICS had promised to challenge an unfair global economic system. But in December 2015 their main multilateral reform strategies failed: the Paris Climate Accord was nonbinding, unambitious and outlaws climate-debt lawsuits by victims of Western and BRICS emissions; the World Trade Organisation phased out any semblance of food sovereignty; and IMF voting shares were shifted to favour BRICS at the expense of poorer countries. Adds the Hong Kong People’s Forum: “The 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos was one site where Xi clearly took the lead in promoting world corporate power, as Trump leads the US-UK retreat into crony-capitalist protectionism.” South African President Jacob Zuma pronounced last month at his party’s policy Congress, “The ANC is part of the global anti-imperialist movement. We are historically connected with the countries of the South and therefore South-South cooperation such as BRICS is primary for our movement.” If centrifugal economic forces now pressuring the bloc to overwhelm Xi’s desired centripetal capitalism, then we can expect yet more talk-left walk-right politics, as the BRICS sub-imperialists desperately try to pretend they’re anti-imperialists. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Battered by global crises, will BRICS be a success?

In a joint address with Pakistan&#39;s foreign minister Khwaja Asif, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has reiterated Beijing&#39;s continuing support for Pakistan&#39;s fight against terrorism.

Yi asserted that China recognises Pakistan&#39;s efforts in countering terrorism.

He said that China will continue to support the development process in Pakistan.

Khwaja Asif thanked China for its support and affirmed Pakistan&#39;s support for China&#39;s ambitious &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sino-india-relations-heads-for-freezer-over-cpec-dispute-11472" target="_blank">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor</a>&quot; project.

The statement by the Chinese foreign minister comes days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China&#39;s President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brics-leaders-declaration-signed-at-the-summit-in-xiamen-china-19854" target="_blank">Xiamen declaration expressed concern</a> over violence in the region caused by groups like Taliban, ISIS and also terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

The mention of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in the joint declaration signed off by China was considered a diplomatic triumph for India.

Chinese and Pakistani foreign minister addressed a joint press conference

In a joint address with Pakistan's foreign minister Khwaja Asif, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has reiterated Beijing's continuing support for Pakistan's fight against terrorism. Yi asserted that China recognises Pakistan's efforts in countering terrorism. He said that China will continue to support the development process in Pakistan. Khwaja Asif thanked China for its support and affirmed Pakistan's support for China's ambitious "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" project. The statement by the Chinese foreign minister comes days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen. The Xiamen declaration expressed concern over violence in the region caused by groups like Taliban, ISIS and also terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The mention of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in the joint declaration signed off by China was considered a diplomatic triumph for India.

China vows support for Pakistan's efforts in war against terrorism

The Xiamen Declaration was signed by the five BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa -- leaders

READ: Full text of the Xiamen Declaration

The disengagement of both Chinese and Indian troops in Doklam has fortunately led to a less tense atmosphere for the ninth BRICS Summit. China as the host would naturally like to make it a big success.

Evolution

BRIC&nbsp;has come a long way from Jim O&rsquo;Neill&rsquo;s (of Goldman Sachs) 2001 concept of four attractive investment destinations comprising of Brazil, Russia, India and China. It expanded into BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa. The agenda has also steadily expanded and there is a growing awareness about its relevance. The group brought a unique and alternative narrative for global growth and development.

In the beginning, the group was confusing for many people, since it did not fit in with any of the recognised foundations for forming such groups. It was not based on region, ideology, language, religion or commodities. The common factor for the group was the success that these five countries had made out of the process globalisation and the rapid economic growth that they registered. The raison d&rsquo;etre of the group was the growth potential of these emerging markets.

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Initially, BRICS countries concentrated on three main pillars &ndash; reform of the Global Financial Institutions (IMF and World Bank), intra-BRICS cooperation in various sectors and addressing Global Governance Issues. In all three, there has been considerable progress. At the Seoul G-20 Summit in 2010, a decision was taken to change the share quotas and voting powers in the IMF and World Bank. It was a modest success but the US Congress has stalled further progress on the issue.

Intra-BRICS cooperation in sectors, such as health, education, urbanisation, inclusive growth, gender issues and the environment have been making steady gains, though these do not make headline news. Here, the idea is to learn from each other&rsquo;s experiences and follow best practices.

On Global Governance, the group has been demanding an equitable sharing of global leadership commensurate with the economic and political influence of BRICS. The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 clearly reiterated the need for a new approach to Global Economic and Political Governance with the inclusion of new emerging economies.&nbsp;

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<h5>The most impressive achievement of BRICS, of course, is the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA) in a very short time.</h5>
</blockquote>
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The most impressive achievement of BRICS, of course, is the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA) in a very short time. These come about because of the inability of the World Bank and the IMF to evolve with changing circumstances. This development proved that BRICS could indeed establish global institutions wherever needed.

What are the expectations from the Xiamen Summit?&nbsp;

Even though there are no big-ticket items like the NDB on the cards, some pending ideas like the establishment of a BRICS Credit Rating Agency and BRICS standardisation and benchmarking would be pursued. There are also new initiatives on cyber security and sustainable development goals.&nbsp;

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<h5>BRICS should step in to take the leadership role in promoting globalisation, free trade and multilateralism.</h5>
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The international scenario today is truly at a crossroads. This provides a unique opportunity for BRICS to step into global leadership roles. The US and the Western countries have retreated from promoting their pet themes of globalisation and free trade. These are issues of critical importance to BRICS because their economic success has been predicated on these principles. With the West taking a back seat on these questions, BRICS should step in to take the leadership role in promoting globalisation, free trade and multilateralism.

The question is does BRICS have the bandwidth to do it? If not, it will have to find it because it is an excellent opportunity for BRICS to play a role in Global Governance. Of course, it will not be easy because there is a divergence in BRICS on many of these issues. The original convergence that the five countries had on Global Governance does not appear to be strengthening. Nonetheless, BRICS should not miss this opportunity of taking over a leadership role in these three critical areas.&nbsp;

BRICS also suffers from structural and procedural issues. Summits every year hosted by different countries lead to a proliferation of agenda items with each host trying to outdo the predecessor. There is hardly any follow-up on many of these items. The time has come for BRICS to prioritise a select number of critical areas and work towards achieving concrete goals.

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<h5>China has invited leaders of Thailand, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Mexico and Guinea (African Union Chair) to the Xiamen Summit.</h5>
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BRICS Plus is not a good idea

The question of deepening vs broadening BRICS has been debated many times. The consensus, so far, has been to deepen cooperation between the five before broadening the group. Of course, since the Summit in Durban (South Africa), there has been outreach activities as part of South-South Cooperation (AU countries in Durban, Latin American leaders in Fortaleza, SCO members in Ufa and BIMSTEC members in Goa). China has been keen to take it to a higher level with a &ldquo;BRICS plus&rdquo; concept. So long as it is within the outreach approach, it would work well. Any attempt to increase the membership could be counter-productive.

China has invited leaders of Thailand, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Mexico and Guinea (African Union Chair) to the Xiamen Summit. As an outreach activity, there is no harm so long as there is no formal induction into the group. It appears that China has since given up the idea of BRICS Plus due to objections from other members. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a remark to this effect on August 30.

Another aspect that India will have to look out for in the Xiamen Final Declaration is a reference to China&rsquo;s pet project of One Belt-One Road (OBOR) or the Belt-Road Initiative (BRI). India has held the view that this is a unilateral project of China without any multilateral consultations. Further, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of the project impinges on India&rsquo;s sovereignty. Therefore, India has to make sure that there is no reference to this initiative in the Final Declaration.

For BRICS to play an important role in Global Governance, it should step in to take the leadership role in promoting globalisation, free trade and multilateralism.

The disengagement of both Chinese and Indian troops in Doklam has fortunately led to a less tense atmosphere for the ninth BRICS Summit. China as the host would naturally like to make it a big success. Evolution BRIC has come a long way from Jim O’Neill’s (of Goldman Sachs) 2001 concept of four attractive investment destinations comprising of Brazil, Russia, India and China. It expanded into BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa. The agenda has also steadily expanded and there is a growing awareness about its relevance. The group brought a unique and alternative narrative for global growth and development. In the beginning, the group was confusing for many people, since it did not fit in with any of the recognised foundations for forming such groups. It was not based on region, ideology, language, religion or commodities. The common factor for the group was the success that these five countries had made out of the process globalisation and the rapid economic growth that they registered. The raison d’etre of the group was the growth potential of these emerging markets. Intra BRICS cooperation in sectors like health, education, urbanisation, inclusive growth, gender issues and the environment has been making steady gains, though these do not make headline news. × Initially, BRICS countries concentrated on three main pillars – reform of the Global Financial Institutions (IMF and World Bank), intra-BRICS cooperation in various sectors and addressing Global Governance Issues. In all three, there has been considerable progress. At the Seoul G-20 Summit in 2010, a decision was taken to change the share quotas and voting powers in the IMF and World Bank. It was a modest success but the US Congress has stalled further progress on the issue. Intra-BRICS cooperation in sectors, such as health, education, urbanisation, inclusive growth, gender issues and the environment have been making steady gains, though these do not make headline news. Here, the idea is to learn from each other’s experiences and follow best practices. On Global Governance, the group has been demanding an equitable sharing of global leadership commensurate with the economic and political influence of BRICS. The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 clearly reiterated the need for a new approach to Global Economic and Political Governance with the inclusion of new emerging economies. The most impressive achievement of BRICS, of course, is the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA) in a very short time. × The most impressive achievement of BRICS, of course, is the establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA) in a very short time. These come about because of the inability of the World Bank and the IMF to evolve with changing circumstances. This development proved that BRICS could indeed establish global institutions wherever needed. What are the expectations from the Xiamen Summit? Even though there are no big-ticket items like the NDB on the cards, some pending ideas like the establishment of a BRICS Credit Rating Agency and BRICS standardisation and benchmarking would be pursued. There are also new initiatives on cyber security and sustainable development goals. BRICS should step in to take the leadership role in promoting globalisation, free trade and multilateralism. × The international scenario today is truly at a crossroads. This provides a unique opportunity for BRICS to step into global leadership roles. The US and the Western countries have retreated from promoting their pet themes of globalisation and free trade. These are issues of critical importance to BRICS because their economic success has been predicated on these principles. With the West taking a back seat on these questions, BRICS should step in to take the leadership role in promoting globalisation, free trade and multilateralism. The question is does BRICS have the bandwidth to do it? If not, it will have to find it because it is an excellent opportunity for BRICS to play a role in Global Governance. Of course, it will not be easy because there is a divergence in BRICS on many of these issues. The original convergence that the five countries had on Global Governance does not appear to be strengthening. Nonetheless, BRICS should not miss this opportunity of taking over a leadership role in these three critical areas. BRICS also suffers from structural and procedural issues. Summits every year hosted by different countries lead to a proliferation of agenda items with each host trying to outdo the predecessor. There is hardly any follow-up on many of these items. The time has come for BRICS to prioritise a select number of critical areas and work towards achieving concrete goals. China has invited leaders of Thailand, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Mexico and Guinea (African Union Chair) to the Xiamen Summit. × BRICS Plus is not a good idea The question of deepening vs broadening BRICS has been debated many times. The consensus, so far, has been to deepen cooperation between the five before broadening the group. Of course, since the Summit in Durban (South Africa), there has been outreach activities as part of South-South Cooperation (AU countries in Durban, Latin American leaders in Fortaleza, SCO members in Ufa and BIMSTEC members in Goa). China has been keen to take it to a higher level with a “BRICS plus” concept. So long as it is within the outreach approach, it would work well. Any attempt to increase the membership could be counter-productive. China has invited leaders of Thailand, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Mexico and Guinea (African Union Chair) to the Xiamen Summit. As an outreach activity, there is no harm so long as there is no formal induction into the group. It appears that China has since given up the idea of BRICS Plus due to objections from other members. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a remark to this effect on August 30. Another aspect that India will have to look out for in the Xiamen Final Declaration is a reference to China’s pet project of One Belt-One Road (OBOR) or the Belt-Road Initiative (BRI). India has held the view that this is a unilateral project of China without any multilateral consultations. Further, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of the project impinges on India’s sovereignty. Therefore, India has to make sure that there is no reference to this initiative in the Final Declaration.

What can the Xiamen BRICS Summit get for India and others?

China today remained non-committal on the issue of stopping road construction in Dokalam, a day after Indian and Chinese troops ended the 73-day standoff that was triggered by China&#39;s move to build a road in the border area.

&quot;In order to meet the needs of defending the borders, improving the living conditions, China has long engaged in infrastructure development including the road construction,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

India and China yesterday ended their<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-downplays-disengagement-of-troops-from-doklam-warns-india-to-draw-lesson-19600"> standoff in Doklam by withdrawing their troops from the area</a>, just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s visit to China to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit.

When asked if China will continue with building the road in the area, Hua said, &quot;we will take into consideration all relevant factors, including the weather, to make relevant construction plan in accordance with the situation on the ground.&quot;

Hua reiterated that Chinese border troops &quot;will continue to station and patrol the Doklam area. We will continue to exercise our sovereignty with historical conventions.&quot;

She also parried a question whether China is in consultation with Bhutan, which has protested the Chinese troops&#39; road building in Doklam.

&quot;So far we have resolved the issue of illegal trespass of the Indian troops,&quot; she said.

When asked whether China halted the work on a road in Doklam to end the standoff so that the BRICS summit could be held, Hua said, &quot;Peaceful resolution of the issue through the diplomatic channels serves the common interests of all relevant parties.&quot;

&quot;It shows the sincerity and responsible attitude of China as a major country,&quot; Hua added.

Welcoming the end of the standoff, senior Chinese scholars said major lesson out of border tensions is that China and India should be sensitive towards each other&#39;s&nbsp;concerns to avert future conflicts.

&quot;I am very glad to hear that finally the two governments demonstrated their maturity and far reaching and farsighted decision to peacefully end the conflict,&quot; Hu Shisheng, Director of the official China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told PTI.

Hu said China and India should be sensitive to each other&#39;s concerns.

Rong Ying, Vice President and Senior Research Fellow of the China Institute of the International Relations, which is affiliated to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the resolution of Dokalam standoff showed maturity and resilience of India-China bilateral relations.

&quot;This is by far the most the serious incident between the two countries on the boundary. Ten weeks of very serious and grave situation. So the fact that both sides through the diplomatic means solved it in a peaceful (way), I think it should be definitely welcomed,&quot; said Rong, who served as a diplomat in the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

India and China yesterday ended their standoff in Doklam by withdrawing their troops from the area

China today remained non-committal on the issue of stopping road construction in Dokalam, a day after Indian and Chinese troops ended the 73-day standoff that was triggered by China's move to build a road in the border area. "In order to meet the needs of defending the borders, improving the living conditions, China has long engaged in infrastructure development including the road construction," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. India and China yesterday ended their standoff in Doklam by withdrawing their troops from the area, just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit. When asked if China will continue with building the road in the area, Hua said, "we will take into consideration all relevant factors, including the weather, to make relevant construction plan in accordance with the situation on the ground." Hua reiterated that Chinese border troops "will continue to station and patrol the Doklam area. We will continue to exercise our sovereignty with historical conventions." She also parried a question whether China is in consultation with Bhutan, which has protested the Chinese troops' road building in Doklam. "So far we have resolved the issue of illegal trespass of the Indian troops," she said. When asked whether China halted the work on a road in Doklam to end the standoff so that the BRICS summit could be held, Hua said, "Peaceful resolution of the issue through the diplomatic channels serves the common interests of all relevant parties." "It shows the sincerity and responsible attitude of China as a major country," Hua added. Welcoming the end of the standoff, senior Chinese scholars said major lesson out of border tensions is that China and India should be sensitive towards each other's concerns to avert future conflicts. "I am very glad to hear that finally the two governments demonstrated their maturity and far reaching and farsighted decision to peacefully end the conflict," Hu Shisheng, Director of the official China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told PTI. Hu said China and India should be sensitive to each other's concerns. Rong Ying, Vice President and Senior Research Fellow of the China Institute of the International Relations, which is affiliated to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the resolution of Dokalam standoff showed maturity and resilience of India-China bilateral relations. "This is by far the most the serious incident between the two countries on the boundary. Ten weeks of very serious and grave situation. So the fact that both sides through the diplomatic means solved it in a peaceful (way), I think it should be definitely welcomed," said Rong, who served as a diplomat in the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

China non-committal on halting road construction in Doklam

China is taking an increasingly tough line on a border row with India amid a rising crescendo of nationalism in the state media and President Xi Jinping looks set for an awkward encounter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a multilateral summit next month.

Diplomats say Beijing would like to resolve the border issue before a summit of the BRICS nations, that also groups Brazil, Russia, and South Africa, in the Chinese city of Xiamen in early September, and ensure nothing dampens what China wants to be a show of cooperation and friendship among developing countries.

But that could be tough. On Wednesday, China ramped up the rhetoric, accusing India of &quot;concocting&quot; excuses over the entry of the South Asian nation&#39;s military into Chinese territory.

&quot;China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests,&quot; the Foreign Ministry said.

The two sides&#39; troops are confronting each other close to a valley near the tri-junction of Bhutan, China, and India that separates India from its close ally, Bhutan, and gives China access to the so-called Chicken&#39;s Neck, a thin strip of land connecting India and its remote northeastern regions.

Responding, India reiterated an earlier line that work by a Chinese road crew in the sensitive frontier area would have changed the status quo and urging &quot;utmost restraint&quot; by all sides.

&quot;India considers that peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas is an important pre-requisite for smooth development of our bilateral relations with China,&quot; New Delhi&#39;s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday evening.

Most previous standoffs, such as one in 2014 just ahead of a rare trip to India for Xi, were resolved with both sides withdrawing their forces. There has been no shooting since a brief border war in 1962.

Talks are happening behind the scenes, but with little apparent progress. Meantime, Chinese and India media have been taking a strident approach, with a Chinese state-run newspaper last week saying China could use force.

An Indian magazine&#39;s front cover last month showing a map of China shorn of Tibet and self-ruled Taiwan also ignited public anger on Chinese social media with thousands of angry posts.

&quot;The problem is the media on both sides are whipping things up. This makes it hard for China or India to back down,&quot; said a Beijing-based source who is familiar with the discussions between the two sides.

The Indian government has asked political parties to refrain from politicising the issue and allow diplomacy to work.&nbsp;

&quot;Show what we are made of&quot;

China&#39;s defence ministry last week also warned India not to harbour any illusions about the Chinese military&#39;s ability to defend its territory.

A source with ties to the military, who spoke recently to a senior Chinese officer involved in the stand off, said China has no appetite for conflict with India but could not be seen to be weak.

&quot;Nobody wants to fight about this, but if India keeps making trouble then we&#39;ll have to show them what we&#39;re made of,&quot; the source said, citing the conversation with the senior officer.

China has repeatedly called on India to withdraw its forces.

An Indian government source closely tracking the standoff said there was no change in the ground situation in Doklam, with the two sides remaining in a standoff.

Indian military expert Nitin Gokhale said India was prepared for a long haul.

&quot;The decision is to stay resolute on the ground and reasonable in diplomacy,&quot; Gokhale said.

China has been briefing foreign diplomats on the stand off, saying it wants a resolution but that its patience won&#39;t last for ever.

&quot;There&#39;s no easy solution,&quot; said an Asian diplomat, who attended a briefing, referring to both sides&#39; insistence that they are on the right.

For the time being, China looks ready to keep things calm, said another Asian diplomat, familiar with China&#39;s thinking on the issue.

&quot;China really wants to resolve this ahead of the BRICS summit. It doesn&#39;t want anything to affect the atmosphere,&quot; the diplomat said. &quot;The gloves could come off after the summit though.&quot;

China and India have long been suspicious of each other, a legacy of the 1962 border war, India&#39;s playing host to exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and China&#39;s close relations with India&#39;s regional rival Pakistan.India has privately raised objections to Chinese firm Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group&#39;s proposed $1.3 billion takeovers of Indian drugmaker Gland Pharma, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Ajit Doval, India&#39;s national security adviser, visited Beijing last week for a BRICS security meeting and had bilateral talks with his Chinese opposite number, top diplomat Yang Jiechi, who outranks the foreign minister.

A Chinese government statement on that meeting did not mention the border issue.

China and India are already suspicious of each other because of China&#39;s massive investments in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, including Chinese-invested ports in both countries, India fears could one day become Chinese military bases, another senior Asian diplomatic source said.

&quot;Nobody wants to get caught in the middle of this,&quot; the diplomat said, pointing to the prospect for the border tensions worsening and becoming a wider Asian security issue dragging in other countries.

BRICS meeting will be held in the Chinese city of Xiamen in early September

China is taking an increasingly tough line on a border row with India amid a rising crescendo of nationalism in the state media and President Xi Jinping looks set for an awkward encounter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a multilateral summit next month. Diplomats say Beijing would like to resolve the border issue before a summit of the BRICS nations, that also groups Brazil, Russia, and South Africa, in the Chinese city of Xiamen in early September, and ensure nothing dampens what China wants to be a show of cooperation and friendship among developing countries. But that could be tough. On Wednesday, China ramped up the rhetoric, accusing India of "concocting" excuses over the entry of the South Asian nation's military into Chinese territory. "China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests," the Foreign Ministry said. The two sides' troops are confronting each other close to a valley near the tri-junction of Bhutan, China, and India that separates India from its close ally, Bhutan, and gives China access to the so-called Chicken's Neck, a thin strip of land connecting India and its remote northeastern regions. Responding, India reiterated an earlier line that work by a Chinese road crew in the sensitive frontier area would have changed the status quo and urging "utmost restraint" by all sides. "India considers that peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas is an important pre-requisite for smooth development of our bilateral relations with China," New Delhi's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday evening. Most previous standoffs, such as one in 2014 just ahead of a rare trip to India for Xi, were resolved with both sides withdrawing their forces. There has been no shooting since a brief border war in 1962. Talks are happening behind the scenes, but with little apparent progress. Meantime, Chinese and India media have been taking a strident approach, with a Chinese state-run newspaper last week saying China could use force. An Indian magazine's front cover last month showing a map of China shorn of Tibet and self-ruled Taiwan also ignited public anger on Chinese social media with thousands of angry posts. "The problem is the media on both sides are whipping things up. This makes it hard for China or India to back down," said a Beijing-based source who is familiar with the discussions between the two sides. The Indian government has asked political parties to refrain from politicising the issue and allow diplomacy to work. "Show what we are made of" China's defence ministry last week also warned India not to harbour any illusions about the Chinese military's ability to defend its territory. A source with ties to the military, who spoke recently to a senior Chinese officer involved in the stand off, said China has no appetite for conflict with India but could not be seen to be weak. "Nobody wants to fight about this, but if India keeps making trouble then we'll have to show them what we're made of," the source said, citing the conversation with the senior officer. China has repeatedly called on India to withdraw its forces. An Indian government source closely tracking the standoff said there was no change in the ground situation in Doklam, with the two sides remaining in a standoff. Indian military expert Nitin Gokhale said India was prepared for a long haul. "The decision is to stay resolute on the ground and reasonable in diplomacy," Gokhale said. China has been briefing foreign diplomats on the stand off, saying it wants a resolution but that its patience won't last for ever. "There's no easy solution," said an Asian diplomat, who attended a briefing, referring to both sides' insistence that they are on the right. For the time being, China looks ready to keep things calm, said another Asian diplomat, familiar with China's thinking on the issue. "China really wants to resolve this ahead of the BRICS summit. It doesn't want anything to affect the atmosphere," the diplomat said. "The gloves could come off after the summit though." China and India have long been suspicious of each other, a legacy of the 1962 border war, India's playing host to exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and China's close relations with India's regional rival Pakistan.India has privately raised objections to Chinese firm Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group's proposed $1.3 billion takeovers of Indian drugmaker Gland Pharma, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. Ajit Doval, India's national security adviser, visited Beijing last week for a BRICS security meeting and had bilateral talks with his Chinese opposite number, top diplomat Yang Jiechi, who outranks the foreign minister. A Chinese government statement on that meeting did not mention the border issue. China and India are already suspicious of each other because of China's massive investments in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, including Chinese-invested ports in both countries, India fears could one day become Chinese military bases, another senior Asian diplomatic source said. "Nobody wants to get caught in the middle of this," the diplomat said, pointing to the prospect for the border tensions worsening and becoming a wider Asian security issue dragging in other countries.

India-China standoff casts shadow on upcoming BRICS summit

Emerging markets face newer challenges in the form of inward looking policies of protectionism and increased geopolitical tension, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today as he pegged India&#39;s GDP growth at 7.7 per cent in 2018.

Speaking at the second annual meeting of the New Development Bank (NDB) here, Jaitley said global growth is moving upwards and is expected to improve further in 2017-18.

&quot;Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2017 and at the rate of 7.7 per cent in 2018,&quot; he said.

Jaitley said emerging market economies (EMEs) face newer challenges in the form of inward looking policies of protectionism of some economies, global financial condition, policies of the United States and increased geopolitical tension.

He said India has sought USD 2 billion loans for various projects from the NDB, which is set up by the emerging nations India, China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa.

&quot;India has huge unmet infrastructure funding needs..&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;.USD 646 billion is required in next 5 years (for financing infrastructure),&quot; Jaitley said.

He said growth in emerging and developing countries is picking up and news from economies of BRICS countries is &quot;encouraging&quot;.

&quot;I hope that NDB will emerge as a development bank and help in funding of emerging economies,&quot; Jaitley added.

(PTI)

Jaitley was speaking at the second annual meeting of the New Development Bank (NDB)

Emerging markets face newer challenges in the form of inward looking policies of protectionism and increased geopolitical tension, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today as he pegged India's GDP growth at 7.7 per cent in 2018. Speaking at the second annual meeting of the New Development Bank (NDB) here, Jaitley said global growth is moving upwards and is expected to improve further in 2017-18. "Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2017 and at the rate of 7.7 per cent in 2018," he said. Jaitley said emerging market economies (EMEs) face newer challenges in the form of inward looking policies of protectionism of some economies, global financial condition, policies of the United States and increased geopolitical tension. He said India has sought USD 2 billion loans for various projects from the NDB, which is set up by the emerging nations India, China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa. "India has huge unmet infrastructure funding needs.. .USD 646 billion is required in next 5 years (for financing infrastructure)," Jaitley said. He said growth in emerging and developing countries is picking up and news from economies of BRICS countries is "encouraging". "I hope that NDB will emerge as a development bank and help in funding of emerging economies," Jaitley added. (PTI)

India's economy to grow at 7.2% in 2017: Arun Jaitley

Top diplomat Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan joins BRICS nations in condemning terrorism

A day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an indirect reference to Pakistan and made the 'mothership of terrorism' remark at BRICS Summit 2016, a top diplomat from Pakistan today lashed out saying that India has no right to point fingers. Sartaj Aziz, the foreign affairs adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said that India has no moral ground to talk about counter-terrorism efforts, Indian news agency ANI reported. In a statement released by Pakistan's foreign ministry, Aziz said: "Modi is misleading his BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) colleagues." Aziz alleged that the Indian leadership was desperately trying to hide what he termed as "brutalities" in Kashmir. "The UN and OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) have rejected Indian attempts to equate Kashmiris' movement for self-determination with terrorism," Aziz was quoted as saying by ANI. He also said the UN has repeatedly stressed that people fighting for their self-determination cannot be categorised as terrorists by the occupying state. Aziz said that Pakistan joins all the members of BRICS and BIMSTEC in condemning terrorism and reaffirms its full commitment in fighting the menace of terrorism without discrimination. He alleged that Pakistan is a victim of "Indian interference and subversive activities, which are aimed at destabilising the country". Indian Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the BRICS Summit on Sunday, launched an indirect attack at Pakistan saying, "Tragically, the mother-ship of terrorism is a country in India's neighbourhood." "Terrorism has become its favourite child and the child in turn. has come to define the essential character and nature of its parents. The time for condemning the state-sponsored terrorism is long gone," he said. The two South Asian neighbours have been engaged in war of words over the past few weeks in the wake of ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley, September 18 Uri attack that killed 19 soldiers and ensuing surgical strikes by Indian Army in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Both the countries have also been accusing each other of ceasefire violations. While a senior Indian Army official was quoted as saying in media reports on Sunday that there have been more than 25 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since September 29 surgical strikes, Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakria said today that there India has committed more than 90 ceasefire violations in 2016. #LoCViolationsbyIndia India again resorts 2unprovoked firing at LoC; during 2016 India violated ceasefire more than 90 times.This #must stop — M. Nafees Zakaria (@ForeignOfficePk) October 17, 2016 × (WION with inputs from agencies)

Indian PM misleading BRICS colleagues: Pakistan on 'mothership of terrorism' remark

&nbsp;

The New Development Bank (NDB), set up by the BRICS, will ramp up lending to 2.5 billion Dollars next year, NDB president KV Kamath told Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The BRICS nations--Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa created the NDB in 2014 with a starting capital of $100 billion, the international news agency reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On the sidelines of the&nbsp;BRICS summit in western state of Goa, Kamath said,&nbsp;&quot;The second year is scaling up, concentrating on people, getting all the skillsets in.&quot;

&nbsp;

&quot;The fact is that these countries, collectively, have for the last few years contributed to more than 50 per cent of incremental economic wealth that has been generated globally,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t see that changing,&quot;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The NDB is located in Shanghai, has plans to expand its staff to 300 by the next years and has approved loans amounting to $900 million for green projects in each BRICS state.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

NDB president K V Kamath said BRICS nations have contributed to 50% increase in economic wealth globally and he does not see that changing

The New Development Bank (NDB), set up by the BRICS, will ramp up lending to 2.5 billion Dollars next year, NDB president KV Kamath told Reuters. The BRICS nations--Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa created the NDB in 2014 with a starting capital of $100 billion, the international news agency reported. On the sidelines of the BRICS summit in western state of Goa, Kamath said, "The second year is scaling up, concentrating on people, getting all the skillsets in." "The fact is that these countries, collectively, have for the last few years contributed to more than 50 per cent of incremental economic wealth that has been generated globally," he added. "I don't see that changing," The NDB is located in Shanghai, has plans to expand its staff to 300 by the next years and has approved loans amounting to $900 million for green projects in each BRICS state. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

BRICS development bank to lend $2.5 billion by 2017

Speaking at the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that geographical barriers and borders no longer limit the threat that terrorism, radicalisation and transnational crimes present to our societies.&nbsp;

Modi said all nations in South Asia and BIMSTEC, the seven-member bloc consisting of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal, barring one are motivated to pursue a path of peace and development.&nbsp;

In the indirect attack on Pakistan, Modi said, &quot;unfortunately, this country in India&#39;s neighbourhood embraces and radiates the darkness of terrorism. Terrorism has become its favourite child and the child, in turn, has come to define the essential character and nature of its parents. The time for condemning the state-sponsored terrorism is long gone.&quot; He stressed that all member states and the world community must stand up and take bold actions against terrorism and those who nurture it.

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PM:To those who nurture philosophy of terror &amp; seek to dehumanize mankind,we must send clear msg-mend ways or b isolated in civilized world <a href="https://t.co/SDNsR9qt2f">pic.twitter.com/SDNsR9qt2f</a>
&mdash; Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/787654731606794241">October 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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BIMSTEC nations supported Modi&#39;s views of the need for a joint effort to combat the global menance of terrorism. Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said peace is an important element for economic prosperity in the region. He assured the nation&#39;s committment to fight terrorism. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina too emphasised, &quot;we all must&nbsp;join hands to deal with violent extremism and terrorism&quot;.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Modi made another indirect reference to Pakistan&nbsp;while addressing the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) nations saying that the &quot;terror module around the world is linked to this mothership (Pakistan)&quot;, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

Stressing that BRICS nations must speak in one voice against this threat, Modi said that the &quot;direct threat to our economy is terror&quot;. &nbsp;&quot;This country (Pak) shelters not just terrorists but nurtures mindset which proclaims that terror is justified for political gains. &nbsp;It is a mindset that we strongly condemn and against which we as BRICS need to stand and act together,&quot; &nbsp;he was quoted as saying by PTI.&nbsp;

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The growing arc of terrorism today threatens Middle East, West Asia, Europe and South Asia: PM Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRICSSummit?src=hash">#BRICSSummit</a> in Goa <a href="https://t.co/FbceuOhQhU">pic.twitter.com/FbceuOhQhU</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/787535171989872641">October 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Modi urged security and counter-terrorism cooperation among BRICS nations, saying we need &quot;a comprehensive approach to tackling terror&quot; and &quot;safeguard the lives of our citizens&quot;. Cautioning against a selective approach to terrorists, individuals and organisations, Modi warned that the terror network around the world has &quot;only grown more lethal&quot; and such a&nbsp;such a strategy &quot;will not only be futile but also counter-productive&quot;. The Prime Minister underscored the need for close coordination on tracking sources of terror financing, their weapons supply, training and political support and systematically cutting off the ties.&nbsp;

Indian news agency ANI also reported about the developments of the restricted meeting of the leaders in western Indian state of Goa&nbsp;in a series of tweets.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRICS?src=hash">#BRICS</a> leaders restricted meeting underway in Goa, PM Modi says BRICS nations have been a voice for peace, reform,reason &amp; purposeful action <a href="https://t.co/Yg1RRLEhvn">pic.twitter.com/Yg1RRLEhvn</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/787532600982155264">October 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Salcete: Welcome ceremony of BRICS leaders in Goa <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRICSSummit?src=hash">#BRICSSummit</a> <a href="https://t.co/ANG3PmEO1C">pic.twitter.com/ANG3PmEO1C</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/787530975328645120">October 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Putting the global economy back on track was another focus point of the deliberations,&nbsp;PM Modi said, &quot;I think through a&nbsp;common vision and collective action we will create and sustain deeper bonds among BRICS nations.&quot; Exhorting the BRICS Business Council to work with member countries for strengthening mutual trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it will help to generate greater business awareness, promote innovation and remove bottlenecks to intra-BRICS commerce. At the end of the summit, the leaders adopted the Goa declaration that lays a comprehensive vision for cooperation within BRICS and on several international issues.

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a clear reference to Pakistan, Indian PM Narendra Modi said terrorism has become the favourite child of one South Asian nation

Speaking at the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that geographical barriers and borders no longer limit the threat that terrorism, radicalisation and transnational crimes present to our societies. Modi said all nations in South Asia and BIMSTEC, the seven-member bloc consisting of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal, barring one are motivated to pursue a path of peace and development. In the indirect attack on Pakistan, Modi said, "unfortunately, this country in India's neighbourhood embraces and radiates the darkness of terrorism. Terrorism has become its favourite child and the child, in turn, has come to define the essential character and nature of its parents. The time for condemning the state-sponsored terrorism is long gone." He stressed that all member states and the world community must stand up and take bold actions against terrorism and those who nurture it. PM:To those who nurture philosophy of terror & seek to dehumanize mankind,we must send clear msg-mend ways or b isolated in civilized world pic.twitter.com/SDNsR9qt2f — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) October 16, 2016 × BIMSTEC nations supported Modi's views of the need for a joint effort to combat the global menance of terrorism. Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said peace is an important element for economic prosperity in the region. He assured the nation's committment to fight terrorism. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina too emphasised, "we all must join hands to deal with violent extremism and terrorism". Earlier in the day, Modi made another indirect reference to Pakistan while addressing the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) nations saying that the "terror module around the world is linked to this mothership (Pakistan)", Indian news agency PTI reported. Stressing that BRICS nations must speak in one voice against this threat, Modi said that the "direct threat to our economy is terror". "This country (Pak) shelters not just terrorists but nurtures mindset which proclaims that terror is justified for political gains. It is a mindset that we strongly condemn and against which we as BRICS need to stand and act together," he was quoted as saying by PTI. The growing arc of terrorism today threatens Middle East, West Asia, Europe and South Asia: PM Modi #BRICSSummit in Goa pic.twitter.com/FbceuOhQhU — ANI (@ANI_news) October 16, 2016 × Modi urged security and counter-terrorism cooperation among BRICS nations, saying we need "a comprehensive approach to tackling terror" and "safeguard the lives of our citizens". Cautioning against a selective approach to terrorists, individuals and organisations, Modi warned that the terror network around the world has "only grown more lethal" and such a such a strategy "will not only be futile but also counter-productive". The Prime Minister underscored the need for close coordination on tracking sources of terror financing, their weapons supply, training and political support and systematically cutting off the ties. Indian news agency ANI also reported about the developments of the restricted meeting of the leaders in western Indian state of Goa in a series of tweets. #BRICS leaders restricted meeting underway in Goa, PM Modi says BRICS nations have been a voice for peace, reform,reason & purposeful action pic.twitter.com/Yg1RRLEhvn — ANI (@ANI_news) October 16, 2016 × Salcete: Welcome ceremony of BRICS leaders in Goa #BRICSSummit pic.twitter.com/ANG3PmEO1C — ANI (@ANI_news) October 16, 2016 × Putting the global economy back on track was another focus point of the deliberations, PM Modi said, "I think through a common vision and collective action we will create and sustain deeper bonds among BRICS nations." Exhorting the BRICS Business Council to work with member countries for strengthening mutual trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it will help to generate greater business awareness, promote innovation and remove bottlenecks to intra-BRICS commerce. At the end of the summit, the leaders adopted the Goa declaration that lays a comprehensive vision for cooperation within BRICS and on several international issues. (WION with inputs from agencies)

BIMSTEC nations vow to combat global terror threat, India points to 'mother ship' Pakistan

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Bangladesh on Friday where he&rsquo;ll meet President Abdul Hamid and hold talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

It will be the first visit by a Chinese head of state to Bangladesh in 30 years since President Li Xiannian&rsquo;s visit in March 1986, South China Morning Post reported.

Chinese assistant minister of foreign affairs, Kong Xuanyou , said at a press meet in Beijing that the trip will be a&nbsp;&ldquo;milestone&rdquo; in bilateral relations, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Xi is expected to sign cooperative agreements to implement the &lsquo;Belt and Road Initiative&rsquo; proposed by China, Kong said.

Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) development issues will also &nbsp;be signed during the visit.

But ahead of the visit, a report in the Global Times suggests that some in India see Xi&rsquo;s visit as a&nbsp;&quot;trip to snatch the South Asian country from the embrace of New Delhi&quot;.

The article titled &ldquo;India has nothing to fear from closer relationship between China and Bangladesh&rdquo; suggests that there are misconceptions in India that China feels the need to build closer ties with Bangladesh and that China will feel unhappy if Bangladesh builds close ties with India.

The report says such views are &ldquo;too simplistic and some Indians may &ldquo;mistakenly flatter themselves when they think China&#39;s Belt and Road initiative is aimed at balancing India&#39;s influence.&rdquo;

According to the report, the initiative will connect close to 4 billion people in 65 countries and &ldquo;it is&nbsp;not about marking Beijing&#39;s strategic circle on the subcontinent of South Asia, but instead represents an open-ended initiative that welcomes the participation of numerous other countries.&rdquo;

The talks are likely to help consolidate bilateral ties and boost economic cooperation between the two countries, Global Times reported.

The article stresses that Bangladesh&#39;s geographic location makes it an &ldquo;irreplaceable link connecting India and China&rdquo; . Efforts to boost Bangladesh&rsquo;s economy and improvement in the infrastructure can bring &ldquo;momentum for the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor. &ldquo; it says.

The article, however, adds that a close relationship between Bangladesh and China putting some pressure on New Delhi to rethink its strategy in the South Asian region and encouraging it to put a greater effort in improving ties with China is not a &ldquo;bad thing&rdquo;.

Xi will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in India&rsquo;s Goa later this week.

&nbsp;

(WION)

&nbsp;

An article in Global Times suggests some people in India think the visit to be a 'trip to snatch Bangladesh from the embrace of New Delhi'

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Bangladesh on Friday where he’ll meet President Abdul Hamid and hold talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It will be the first visit by a Chinese head of state to Bangladesh in 30 years since President Li Xiannian’s visit in March 1986, South China Morning Post reported. Chinese assistant minister of foreign affairs, Kong Xuanyou , said at a press meet in Beijing that the trip will be a “milestone” in bilateral relations, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. Xi is expected to sign cooperative agreements to implement the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ proposed by China, Kong said. Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) development issues will also be signed during the visit. But ahead of the visit, a report in the Global Times suggests that some in India see Xi’s visit as a "trip to snatch the South Asian country from the embrace of New Delhi". The article titled “India has nothing to fear from closer relationship between China and Bangladesh” suggests that there are misconceptions in India that China feels the need to build closer ties with Bangladesh and that China will feel unhappy if Bangladesh builds close ties with India. The report says such views are “too simplistic and some Indians may “mistakenly flatter themselves when they think China's Belt and Road initiative is aimed at balancing India's influence.” According to the report, the initiative will connect close to 4 billion people in 65 countries and “it is not about marking Beijing's strategic circle on the subcontinent of South Asia, but instead represents an open-ended initiative that welcomes the participation of numerous other countries.” The talks are likely to help consolidate bilateral ties and boost economic cooperation between the two countries, Global Times reported. The article stresses that Bangladesh's geographic location makes it an “irreplaceable link connecting India and China” . Efforts to boost Bangladesh’s economy and improvement in the infrastructure can bring “momentum for the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor. “ it says. The article, however, adds that a close relationship between Bangladesh and China putting some pressure on New Delhi to rethink its strategy in the South Asian region and encouraging it to put a greater effort in improving ties with China is not a “bad thing”. Xi will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in India’s Goa later this week. (WION)

Chinese President to visit Bangladesh ahead of BRICS summit, does India fear?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the western Indian state of Goa on Saturday for the 17th India-Russia annual summit that will be held on the margins of the BRICS &nbsp;(Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa)&nbsp;Summit 2016&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The two leaders are expected to sign a number of defence deals. The meeting will also see the foundation of unit-3 and unit-4 of the nuclear reactors being set up with Moscow&#39;s assistance in Kudankulam, a seaside town in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

&nbsp;

&#39;A vast menu&#39;&nbsp;

The strategic partnership between India and Russia dates back to October 2000. However, over time, the bilateral relations&nbsp;waned. While Russia turned to China, and most recently Pakistan where it conducted joint military exercises, India veered towards the United States. Along the way, the US and Israel supplanted Russia as a major defence supplier for India.

&nbsp;

The Modi-Putin bilateral talks, however, are likely to re-establish Moscow&#39;s pre-eminent status in India&#39;s defence and security calculus.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

If the ambitious agenda of the talks (&quot;a vast menu&quot; is how an Indian official who spoke to WION defines it) and the proposed outcomes (about 18 agreements&nbsp;likely to be signed in the areas such as defence and civil nuclear cooperation) are indicators, the Modi-Putin meet promises to be as &quot;special&quot; and &quot;privileged&quot; as the strategic partnership between India and Russia.

&nbsp;

GV Srinivas, joint secretary (Eurasia) in the Indian ministry of external affairs, told reporters in Goa today that &quot;unmatched mutual confidence&quot;, &quot;trust&quot; and &quot;goodwill&quot; cutting across party lines mark the India-Russia bilateral relations. Their &quot;broad geopolitical interests do not clash&quot;,&nbsp;rather, in some cases, &quot;the interests coincide&quot;, he said&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Pankaj Saran, India&#39;s ambassador to Russia, told reporters that terror will remain one of&nbsp;the talking points during the meet.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Also, the &quot;wide range&quot; of defence deals to be signed on Saturday are likely to be far-reaching in their scope and importance for India&#39;s defence and security interests. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

India, Saran said, can also be expected to iterate its anxieties to Russia on its fledgeling military ties with Pakistan. &quot;India is confident that Russia will reflect upon India&#39;s concerns,&quot; &nbsp;he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Among the defence pacts to be signed on Saturday&nbsp;will be&nbsp;the S-400 Triumph advanced anti-aircraft defence system. Some other agreements will be signed out of public view. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Several other regional and global issues such as the situation in Syria, Afghanistan and other countries are also likely to come up for discussion.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Saran highlighted&nbsp;that the &quot;policy position&quot; on Syria&nbsp;that Modi articulated when he visited Moscow in December last year for the annual India-Russia summit&nbsp;remains valid even today, in spite of the changes on the ground in Syria, and related developments at the United Nations.

&nbsp;

Modi to meet Jinping&nbsp;

The India-Russia talks will take place before the Indian Prime Minister sits down for a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping of China. The Sino-Indian relations have been fraught with mutual distrust and suspicion, in sharp contrast to the nature of ties between New Delhi and Moscow.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India&#39;s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which has been hanging fire for a long time now, has been opposed by China on the ground that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that Beijing wants a criteria-based exemption rather a country-specific waiver in favour of India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

China&#39;s reluctance to lift the technical hold on the proposed proscription of the terror&nbsp;group&nbsp;Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar by the United Nations 1267 committee is also expected to come up for discussion.

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The two leaders are to sign deals expected to have far-reaching results as far as India's defence interests are concerned

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the western Indian state of Goa on Saturday for the 17th India-Russia annual summit that will be held on the margins of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit 2016 The two leaders are expected to sign a number of defence deals. The meeting will also see the foundation of unit-3 and unit-4 of the nuclear reactors being set up with Moscow's assistance in Kudankulam, a seaside town in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. 'A vast menu' The strategic partnership between India and Russia dates back to October 2000. However, over time, the bilateral relations waned. While Russia turned to China, and most recently Pakistan where it conducted joint military exercises, India veered towards the United States. Along the way, the US and Israel supplanted Russia as a major defence supplier for India. The Modi-Putin bilateral talks, however, are likely to re-establish Moscow's pre-eminent status in India's defence and security calculus. If the ambitious agenda of the talks ("a vast menu" is how an Indian official who spoke to WION defines it) and the proposed outcomes (about 18 agreements likely to be signed in the areas such as defence and civil nuclear cooperation) are indicators, the Modi-Putin meet promises to be as "special" and "privileged" as the strategic partnership between India and Russia. GV Srinivas, joint secretary (Eurasia) in the Indian ministry of external affairs, told reporters in Goa today that "unmatched mutual confidence", "trust" and "goodwill" cutting across party lines mark the India-Russia bilateral relations. Their "broad geopolitical interests do not clash", rather, in some cases, "the interests coincide", he said Meanwhile, Pankaj Saran, India's ambassador to Russia, told reporters that terror will remain one of the talking points during the meet. Also, the "wide range" of defence deals to be signed on Saturday are likely to be far-reaching in their scope and importance for India's defence and security interests. India, Saran said, can also be expected to iterate its anxieties to Russia on its fledgeling military ties with Pakistan. "India is confident that Russia will reflect upon India's concerns," he added. Among the defence pacts to be signed on Saturday will be the S-400 Triumph advanced anti-aircraft defence system. Some other agreements will be signed out of public view. Several other regional and global issues such as the situation in Syria, Afghanistan and other countries are also likely to come up for discussion. Saran highlighted that the "policy position" on Syria that Modi articulated when he visited Moscow in December last year for the annual India-Russia summit remains valid even today, in spite of the changes on the ground in Syria, and related developments at the United Nations. Modi to meet Jinping The India-Russia talks will take place before the Indian Prime Minister sits down for a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping of China. The Sino-Indian relations have been fraught with mutual distrust and suspicion, in sharp contrast to the nature of ties between New Delhi and Moscow. India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which has been hanging fire for a long time now, has been opposed by China on the ground that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that Beijing wants a criteria-based exemption rather a country-specific waiver in favour of India. China's reluctance to lift the technical hold on the proposed proscription of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar by the United Nations 1267 committee is also expected to come up for discussion. (WION)

Modi-Putin bilateral will recalibrate Moscow's status in India's defence calculus

India is expected to continue&nbsp;its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan on the issue of terrorism originating from there when it hosts the leaders&nbsp;of&nbsp;BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries&nbsp;this Sunday in the western state of Goa.

Even preceding the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to raise these issues with Russia&#39;s Putin and China&#39;s Xi on Saturday, when a series of bilateral meetings are slated at the seaside venue.&nbsp;But across the summit table at a resort hotel, Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to have much interest in casting Beijing&#39;s alliance with Pakistan into doubt.

With the Summits taking place within weeks of the Uri terror strike by Pak-based terrorists, India will be forceful in its demand at BRICS Summit, which will also have a Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation&nbsp;(BIMSTEC) outreach meet, for intensified efforts to tackle terrorism, including action against countries providing safe havens to terrorists and arming them.

India has made strong references both at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)&nbsp;as well as the G-20 regarding Pakistan&#39;s continued support to cross-border terrorism.

&quot;We will be looking at the global economic and political situation, and obviously terrorism is a very important part of that,&quot; Amar Sinha, the Indian foreign ministry official responsible for the BRICS file, told a pre-summit briefing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without naming Pakistan at G-20, had said that &quot;one single nation in South Asia&quot; is spreading &quot;agents of terror&quot; in the region and it must be isolated. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the UNGA had said confessions of captured terrorists involved in terror strikes in India including in Uri &quot;is a living proof of Pakistan&#39;s complicity in cross-border terror&quot;.

New Delhi will also make all out efforts to revive&nbsp;BIMSTEC&nbsp;when the&nbsp;Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar (State Counsellor) attend the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet.

This also assumes significance given the collapse of recent South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation&nbsp;(SAARC) Summit after four countries apart from India pulled out of the meet to be hosted by Pakistan over the issue of cross-border terrorism, maintaining that environment was not conducive to hold such an event.

Indian officials have made it clear that India&#39;s effort would be to have strong language in the BRICS outcome document on terrorism including how to deal with countries that provide sanctuaries, safe havens and finances.&nbsp;

The final summit declaration is expected to repeat earlier condemnations of &quot;terrorism in all its forms&quot;, say diplomats and analysts, but avoid levelling blame over tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals.

&nbsp;

Not Just a &#39;Jolly Partner&#39;

Where Modi and Xi may see eye to eye, at least privately, is in a shared desire for Islamabad to restrain Islamist militants who, in Beijing&#39;s view, pose a threat to China&#39;s plans to build a $46 billion trade corridor that runs through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea.

&quot;Contrary to the public messaging in Islamabad, China is not the perpetual jolly partner when it comes to its relations with Pakistan,&quot; said Michael Kugelman, a senior program associate at the Wilson Center in Washington who focuses on South Asia.&nbsp;&quot;With China&#39;s investments and economic assets growing in Pakistan, it&#39;s only natural that it would worry. All militants, whether &#39;good&#39; or &#39;bad&#39; as characterised by Pakistan, threaten stability and by extension China&#39;s economic interests.&quot;

In addition to launching what it described as cross-border &quot;surgical strikes&quot; against suspected militants in Pakistan, in response to a September&nbsp;18 attack on an army base that killed 19 Indian soldiers, New Delhi has mounted a diplomatic offensive to isolate Islamabad.

Pakistan has denied any part in the attack on the Uri army base, near the de facto border that runs through the disputed territory of Kashmir. It also denies any &quot;surgical strikes&quot; took place, saying there was only border firing that is relatively common along the frontier.

Islamabad says India has exploited the incident to divert attention from its own security crackdown on protests sparked by the killing of a popular separatist militant leader.

More than 80 civilians have been killed and thousands wounded in India&#39;s part of Kashmir, and a widespread curfew has been imposed.

&nbsp;

Expressions of Support

After the Uri attack, India quickly won expressions of support from the West and from Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin will also hold a bilateral summit with Modi in Goa.&nbsp;China, for its part, has shown public restraint.&nbsp;Zhao Gancheng, director of South Asia studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, said that China and Pakistan were paying close attention to security threats to the trade corridor.

&quot;If Pakistan&#39;s security situation does not improve, it will obstruct some of these projects,&nbsp;especially infrastructure ones,&quot; said Zhao. &quot;In this sense, cooperation on counter-terrorism is very close.&quot;

India has already engineered the collapse of a South Asian regional summit to have been hosted by Pakistan, and the Goa gathering will also feature an outreach session to countries from the Bay of Bengal region that could emerge as an alternative focus of regional cooperation.

&nbsp;

Working Groups

BRICS leaders will support plans agreed to by their national security advisers to create three working groups to cooperate on cyber security, counter-terrorism and energy security, said Sinha, the Indian foreign ministry official.

But diplomats and analysts say that India&#39;s long-held ambition of joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a club of nuclear-trading nations, is unlikely to progress at Goa with China yet to soften its blocking stance.

And, despite concerns about militancy within Pakistan, China has rebuffed India&#39;s calls for the United Nations to designate Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed group that India blames for recent cross-border attacks, as a terrorist.

China recently extended a so-called &quot;hold&quot; on the designation by a further three months.

That reflects an evolving rivalry between the world&#39;s two most populous nations in which, under Modi, India is seeking to close huge economic and military gaps and is shifting away from traditional non-alignment and seeking a closer partnership with the United States.

At the same time, China is expanding its economic and strategic reach into the Indian Ocean region, with Xi visiting Bangladesh on Friday en route to Goa, where he is expected to sign loans worth $24 billion.

&quot;Overall, it will be an awkward summit,&quot; said Shashank Joshi, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

He added that, for India, &quot;diplomatic isolation of Pakistan will be the most important objective.&quot;

(Agencies)

We will be looking at the global economic and political situation and obviously terrorism is a very important part of that: Indian official

India is expected to continue its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan on the issue of terrorism originating from there when it hosts the leaders of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries this Sunday in the western state of Goa. Even preceding the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to raise these issues with Russia's Putin and China's Xi on Saturday, when a series of bilateral meetings are slated at the seaside venue. But across the summit table at a resort hotel, Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to have much interest in casting Beijing's alliance with Pakistan into doubt. With the Summits taking place within weeks of the Uri terror strike by Pak-based terrorists, India will be forceful in its demand at BRICS Summit, which will also have a Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) outreach meet, for intensified efforts to tackle terrorism, including action against countries providing safe havens to terrorists and arming them. India has made strong references both at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as well as the G-20 regarding Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorism. "We will be looking at the global economic and political situation, and obviously terrorism is a very important part of that," Amar Sinha, the Indian foreign ministry official responsible for the BRICS file, told a pre-summit briefing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without naming Pakistan at G-20, had said that "one single nation in South Asia" is spreading "agents of terror" in the region and it must be isolated. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the UNGA had said confessions of captured terrorists involved in terror strikes in India including in Uri "is a living proof of Pakistan's complicity in cross-border terror". New Delhi will also make all out efforts to revive BIMSTEC when the Prime Ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar (State Counsellor) attend the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet. This also assumes significance given the collapse of recent South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit after four countries apart from India pulled out of the meet to be hosted by Pakistan over the issue of cross-border terrorism, maintaining that environment was not conducive to hold such an event. Indian officials have made it clear that India's effort would be to have strong language in the BRICS outcome document on terrorism including how to deal with countries that provide sanctuaries, safe havens and finances. The final summit declaration is expected to repeat earlier condemnations of "terrorism in all its forms", say diplomats and analysts, but avoid levelling blame over tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. Not Just a 'Jolly Partner' Where Modi and Xi may see eye to eye, at least privately, is in a shared desire for Islamabad to restrain Islamist militants who, in Beijing's view, pose a threat to China's plans to build a $46 billion trade corridor that runs through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. "Contrary to the public messaging in Islamabad, China is not the perpetual jolly partner when it comes to its relations with Pakistan," said Michael Kugelman, a senior program associate at the Wilson Center in Washington who focuses on South Asia. "With China's investments and economic assets growing in Pakistan, it's only natural that it would worry. All militants, whether 'good' or 'bad' as characterised by Pakistan, threaten stability and by extension China's economic interests." In addition to launching what it described as cross-border "surgical strikes" against suspected militants in Pakistan, in response to a September 18 attack on an army base that killed 19 Indian soldiers, New Delhi has mounted a diplomatic offensive to isolate Islamabad. Pakistan has denied any part in the attack on the Uri army base, near the de facto border that runs through the disputed territory of Kashmir. It also denies any "surgical strikes" took place, saying there was only border firing that is relatively common along the frontier. Islamabad says India has exploited the incident to divert attention from its own security crackdown on protests sparked by the killing of a popular separatist militant leader. More than 80 civilians have been killed and thousands wounded in India's part of Kashmir, and a widespread curfew has been imposed. Expressions of Support After the Uri attack, India quickly won expressions of support from the West and from Russia, whose President Vladimir Putin will also hold a bilateral summit with Modi in Goa. China, for its part, has shown public restraint. Zhao Gancheng, director of South Asia studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, said that China and Pakistan were paying close attention to security threats to the trade corridor. "If Pakistan's security situation does not improve, it will obstruct some of these projects, especially infrastructure ones," said Zhao. "In this sense, cooperation on counter-terrorism is very close." India has already engineered the collapse of a South Asian regional summit to have been hosted by Pakistan, and the Goa gathering will also feature an outreach session to countries from the Bay of Bengal region that could emerge as an alternative focus of regional cooperation. Working Groups BRICS leaders will support plans agreed to by their national security advisers to create three working groups to cooperate on cyber security, counter-terrorism and energy security, said Sinha, the Indian foreign ministry official. But diplomats and analysts say that India's long-held ambition of joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a club of nuclear-trading nations, is unlikely to progress at Goa with China yet to soften its blocking stance. And, despite concerns about militancy within Pakistan, China has rebuffed India's calls for the United Nations to designate Maulana Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed group that India blames for recent cross-border attacks, as a terrorist. China recently extended a so-called "hold" on the designation by a further three months. That reflects an evolving rivalry between the world's two most populous nations in which, under Modi, India is seeking to close huge economic and military gaps and is shifting away from traditional non-alignment and seeking a closer partnership with the United States. At the same time, China is expanding its economic and strategic reach into the Indian Ocean region, with Xi visiting Bangladesh on Friday en route to Goa, where he is expected to sign loans worth $24 billion. "Overall, it will be an awkward summit," said Shashank Joshi, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. He added that, for India, "diplomatic isolation of Pakistan will be the most important objective." (Agencies)

South Asian tensions seen dominating BRICS summit in India

In their sixth meeting on Thursday, representatives from Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) responsible for security encouraged cooperation and sharing of information on counterterrorism issues within the group, Indian news agency ANI reported today.&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said: &quot;The higher representatives encouraged cooperation and exchange of best practices, expertise, information and knowledge on counterterrorism issues. In this context, they welcomed the first meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Counter Terrorism that was held a day before. They also agreed to expand BRICS counter-terrorism cooperation further to include measures for denying terrorists access to finance and terror hardware such as equipment, arms and ammunition.&quot; 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Stronger security linkages with BRICS nations. NSA Doval chairs meeting of NSAs in Delhi in runup to <a href="https://twitter.com/BRICS2016">@BRICS2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/aNQJvNnIo4">pic.twitter.com/aNQJvNnIo4</a>
&mdash; Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/776306393825423360">September 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
 
 
&#39;Acknowledging the positive contribution of the BRICS grouping on important global issues, they deliberated on security issues such as counterterrorism, cyber security and energy security. In the area of cyber security and information security they agreed to strengthen joint efforts on enhancing cyber security by sharing information on best practices, combating cyber crimes improving cooperation between technical and law enforcement agencies including joint cyber security R and D and capacity building,&#39; he added. 
 
The representatives also discussed and exchanged assessment of recent developments in west-Asia and north-African region.&nbsp; 
 
Swaroop said: &quot;BRICS representatives also agreed to explore regular energy dialogue between BRICS countries in order to discuss long term and medium term energy security issues while highlighting the need for resolution of standing disputes in west Asia, North Africa through dialogue peaceful means and in accordance with international law and the principals of the UN charter,&quot; he said. 
 
National security adviser Ajit Doval led the talks from India&#39;s side. 
 
Other representatives included General Sergio Westphalen Etchegoyen, Brazil minister of state, Nikolai P Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Mr. Yang Jiechi, state councilor, People&#39;s Republic of China, Mbangiseni David Mahlobo, minister of state security South Africa. 
 
(WION with inputs from ANI)

Representatives from Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa encouraged cooperation and sharing of information to combat terrorism

In their sixth meeting on Thursday, representatives from Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) responsible for security encouraged cooperation and sharing of information on counterterrorism issues within the group, Indian news agency ANI reported today. India's ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup said: "The higher representatives encouraged cooperation and exchange of best practices, expertise, information and knowledge on counterterrorism issues. In this context, they welcomed the first meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Counter Terrorism that was held a day before. They also agreed to expand BRICS counter-terrorism cooperation further to include measures for denying terrorists access to finance and terror hardware such as equipment, arms and ammunition." Stronger security linkages with BRICS nations. NSA Doval chairs meeting of NSAs in Delhi in runup to @BRICS2016 pic.twitter.com/aNQJvNnIo4 — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 15, 2016 'Acknowledging the positive contribution of the BRICS grouping on important global issues, they deliberated on security issues such as counterterrorism, cyber security and energy security. In the area of cyber security and information security they agreed to strengthen joint efforts on enhancing cyber security by sharing information on best practices, combating cyber crimes improving cooperation between technical and law enforcement agencies including joint cyber security R and D and capacity building,' he added. The representatives also discussed and exchanged assessment of recent developments in west-Asia and north-African region. Swaroop said: "BRICS representatives also agreed to explore regular energy dialogue between BRICS countries in order to discuss long term and medium term energy security issues while highlighting the need for resolution of standing disputes in west Asia, North Africa through dialogue peaceful means and in accordance with international law and the principals of the UN charter," he said. National security adviser Ajit Doval led the talks from India's side. Other representatives included General Sergio Westphalen Etchegoyen, Brazil minister of state, Nikolai P Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Mr. Yang Jiechi, state councilor, People's Republic of China, Mbangiseni David Mahlobo, minister of state security South Africa. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Counterterrorism issues take centre stage as BRICS nations meet

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