This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - June 11th, 2019

As leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet for the 19th summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek on Thursday many issues such as regional security architecture, counter-terror and trade would take centre stage. While India's presence in the group has been lauded by many members of the eight-country&nbsp;strong group, SCO Chair for this year, Kyrgyzstan told WION that New Delhi's experience can help other members in countering aforementioned&nbsp;issues.

Ambassador Asein Isaev, Kyrgyz's envoy to New Delhi said, "The main objective of the organisation is peaceful development of the region. We need Indian experience in all spheres --&nbsp;democratic development, security possibilities, cultural development; also we hope, India will share the experience with other members of SCO."

Meanwhile, Uzbek envoy to India Farhod Arziev said New Delhi has an important role to play in the international grouping&nbsp;that covers three-fifths of the Eurasian continent and nearly half of the human population.&nbsp;

He said, "We have supported full membership of India to SCO, and we believe it has been a big contribution to further expansion and development of the organisation as an international institution with India being one of the fastest growing countries. It has many things to offer for the development of SCO."

PM Modi will meet many world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov who was invited for the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi in May on the sidelines of the summit.&nbsp;

This will be PM Modi's first meeting with Chinese President since the listing of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the United Nations.&nbsp;

India has also made it clear no meeting between PM Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled.&nbsp;

Raveesh Kumar, MEA's spokesperson in response to WION's question at the first weekly presser of the new government had said, "To the best of my knowledge no meeting has been planned between PM Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan at the SCO Summit in Bishkek."

Speculation is rife&nbsp;that both leaders may meet, especially with the visit of Pakistan Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood to India on Eid.&nbsp;

Indian foreign ministry has clarified on the visit, &nbsp;saying it was a "personal visit and there was no meeting scheduled" between Pakistan Foreign Secretary and an Indian official.&nbsp;

Watch: SCO to pitch for a new trading system

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This will be the first multilateral meet in Modi's second term as Prime Minister of the country.

India became a full member of the group in 2017 at the 17th summit of SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan.&nbsp;

As leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet for the 19th summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek on Thursday many issues such as regional security architecture, counter-terror and trade would take centre stage.

As leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet for the 19th summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek on Thursday many issues such as regional security architecture, counter-terror and trade would take centre stage. While India's presence in the group has been lauded by many members of the eight-country strong group, SCO Chair for this year, Kyrgyzstan told WION that New Delhi's experience can help other members in countering aforementioned issues. Ambassador Asein Isaev, Kyrgyz's envoy to New Delhi said, "The main objective of the organisation is peaceful development of the region. We need Indian experience in all spheres -- democratic development, security possibilities, cultural development; also we hope, India will share the experience with other members of SCO." Meanwhile, Uzbek envoy to India Farhod Arziev said New Delhi has an important role to play in the international grouping that covers three-fifths of the Eurasian continent and nearly half of the human population. He said, "We have supported full membership of India to SCO, and we believe it has been a big contribution to further expansion and development of the organisation as an international institution with India being one of the fastest growing countries. It has many things to offer for the development of SCO." PM Modi will meet many world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov who was invited for the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi in May on the sidelines of the summit. This will be PM Modi's first meeting with Chinese President since the listing of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the United Nations. India has also made it clear no meeting between PM Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled. Raveesh Kumar, MEA's spokesperson in response to WION's question at the first weekly presser of the new government had said, "To the best of my knowledge no meeting has been planned between PM Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan at the SCO Summit in Bishkek." Speculation is rife that both leaders may meet, especially with the visit of Pakistan Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood to India on Eid. Indian foreign ministry has clarified on the visit, saying it was a "personal visit and there was no meeting scheduled" between Pakistan Foreign Secretary and an Indian official. Watch: SCO to pitch for a new trading system × This will be the first multilateral meet in Modi's second term as Prime Minister of the country. India became a full member of the group in 2017 at the 17th summit of SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Ahead of SCO summit, member countries say India has important role to play

President Donald Trump warned Monday he will slap huge new tariffs on China if his counterpart <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/china-exports-grow-despite-us-tariffs-but-import-slump-most-in-nearly-three-years-225842">Xi Jinping </a>doesn't show up for a planned face-to-face meeting later this month and insisted the Chinese economy will never overtake the United States.

Trump delivered his hardline message ahead of the G20 summit on June 28-29 in Osaka, Japan, which could mark a turning point in the trade dispute between the world's two biggest economies.

Asked if a failure by Xi to come to the summit would lead to tariffs kicking in on a further $300 billion in Chinese imports, Trump told CNBC television,&nbsp;"Yes it would."

Trump said the meeting was "scheduled" and that he expects Xi to attend.

"I would be surprised if he didn't go," Trump said. "I think he's going, I haven't heard that he's not."

However, as US-Chinese tensions mount, a spokesman for Xi's government said last month that he had "no information at present" on Trump-Xi talks.

Trump has been trying to strongarm China into fundamental change on trade policies that the president argues have for decades put the United States at an unfair disadvantage.

The two sides seemed to be close to striking a bargain until talks stalled last month. Washington says that Beijing walked away at the last minute, while the Chinese side has signalled it is prepared for a long fight against unreasonable demands.

Trump has already imposed 25 per cent duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports. China has responded with punitive tariffs on $60 billion in US goods.

Last month he threatened to slap tariffs on a further $300 billion of goods -- virtually everything American companies import from China -- if no breakthrough is achieved.

The US Trade Representative office has launched the process to impose the huge new duties, with a hearing scheduled for June 17 -- but Trump has said he has yet to decide whether he will ultimately impose the levies.

'They'll never catch us'

Trump has made tariffs a pillar of his foreign policy, arguing that US economic power puts him in a win-win situation when he threatens rivals like China and even close allies, such as Canada, the European Union and Mexico.

The United States says that China cheats in bilateral trade by forcing US importers to give up intellectual property, subsidizing its own companies, and running a huge trade surplus with Washington.

Trump told CNBC that by ratcheting up tariffs, he can ultimately force manufacturers to leave China.

"Those companies are going to move into other locations and there won't be a tariff," he said.

In a game of tit-for-tat, Trump added, China will lose simply because they have far fewer US imports they can target. "We have the big, big advantage," he said.

"China's going to make a deal because they're going to have to make a deal."

Trump's tariff rattling has spooked global markets and also run into pushback from many in Congress.

But in his lengthy CNBC interview, Trump said he is doing what previous presidents avoided because they "either didn't understand it or they were bored by it or they weren't smart enough."

His overall aim, the Republican said, is to ensure that China never overtakes the United States as the world's top economy.&nbsp;

"Had a Democrat gotten in..., China would have caught us," he said. Now "they'll never catch us."

President Donald Trump warned Monday he will slap huge new tariffs on China if his counterpart Xi Jinping doesn't show up for a planned face-to-face meeting later this month and insisted the Chinese economy will never overtake the United States.

President Donald Trump warned Monday he will slap huge new tariffs on China if his counterpart Xi Jinping doesn't show up for a planned face-to-face meeting later this month and insisted the Chinese economy will never overtake the United States. Trump delivered his hardline message ahead of the G20 summit on June 28-29 in Osaka, Japan, which could mark a turning point in the trade dispute between the world's two biggest economies. Asked if a failure by Xi to come to the summit would lead to tariffs kicking in on a further $300 billion in Chinese imports, Trump told CNBC television, "Yes it would." Trump said the meeting was "scheduled" and that he expects Xi to attend. "I would be surprised if he didn't go," Trump said. "I think he's going, I haven't heard that he's not." However, as US-Chinese tensions mount, a spokesman for Xi's government said last month that he had "no information at present" on Trump-Xi talks. Trump has been trying to strongarm China into fundamental change on trade policies that the president argues have for decades put the United States at an unfair disadvantage. The two sides seemed to be close to striking a bargain until talks stalled last month. Washington says that Beijing walked away at the last minute, while the Chinese side has signalled it is prepared for a long fight against unreasonable demands. Trump has already imposed 25 per cent duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports. China has responded with punitive tariffs on $60 billion in US goods. Last month he threatened to slap tariffs on a further $300 billion of goods -- virtually everything American companies import from China -- if no breakthrough is achieved. The US Trade Representative office has launched the process to impose the huge new duties, with a hearing scheduled for June 17 -- but Trump has said he has yet to decide whether he will ultimately impose the levies. 'They'll never catch us' Trump has made tariffs a pillar of his foreign policy, arguing that US economic power puts him in a win-win situation when he threatens rivals like China and even close allies, such as Canada, the European Union and Mexico. The United States says that China cheats in bilateral trade by forcing US importers to give up intellectual property, subsidizing its own companies, and running a huge trade surplus with Washington. Trump told CNBC that by ratcheting up tariffs, he can ultimately force manufacturers to leave China. "Those companies are going to move into other locations and there won't be a tariff," he said. In a game of tit-for-tat, Trump added, China will lose simply because they have far fewer US imports they can target. "We have the big, big advantage," he said. "China's going to make a deal because they're going to have to make a deal." Trump's tariff rattling has spooked global markets and also run into pushback from many in Congress. But in his lengthy CNBC interview, Trump said he is doing what previous presidents avoided because they "either didn't understand it or they were bored by it or they weren't smart enough." His overall aim, the Republican said, is to ensure that China never overtakes the United States as the world's top economy. "Had a Democrat gotten in..., China would have caught us," he said. Now "they'll never catch us."

Will slap huge new tariffs on China if president Xi doesn't show up: Trump ahead of G20 meet

Counter-terrorism, Afghanistan and ties with central Asian countries will be the top focus of India at the Shanghai cooperation organisation&nbsp; (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan between June 13 and 14. PM Modi will be in Bishkek for the summit, which will be his first international multilateral engagement in his second term.

Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West), MEA, while briefing the media on PM's participation at the summit said,"if you look at the record of previous SCO interactions..terrorism does figure in the deliberations...on contact group of Afghanistan countries of the region are challenged by the situation there and have deep interest in stability of Afghanistan as well"

On central Asia, he said, "The way we approach SCO is that it provides as a framework where we can engage with the central Asian countries in particular. We have robust relations with each one of them."&nbsp;

This is Modi's first bilateral visit to&nbsp;Kyrgyzstan&nbsp;and Modi will be meeting his Kyrgyz counterpart. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov as SCO chair was invited for the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi in May.

Modi will also hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This will be his first meeting with Chinese leadership after the listing of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the United Nations.&nbsp;

Sharma said,"We have excellent relations with Russia and China"

MEA meanwhile clarified that there will be no formal bilateral meet between PM Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Both leaders will be face to face for the first time in their present capacity.&nbsp;

India became full member of SCO in 2017 and this is the second head of states/government meet in which New Delhi is participating. Prime Minister Modi had also attended the last meet in Qingdao , China in June 2018.

SCO represents approximately 42 per cent of the world's population, 22 per cent of world's land area and 20 per cent of global GDP and has 8 members--India, Pakistan, Russia, China and four central asian countries -- Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Counter-terrorism, Afghanistan and ties with central Asian countries will be the top focus of India at the Shanghai cooperation organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan between June 13 and 14.

Counter-terrorism, Afghanistan and ties with central Asian countries will be the top focus of India at the Shanghai cooperation organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan between June 13 and 14. PM Modi will be in Bishkek for the summit, which will be his first international multilateral engagement in his second term. Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West), MEA, while briefing the media on PM's participation at the summit said,"if you look at the record of previous SCO interactions..terrorism does figure in the deliberations...on contact group of Afghanistan countries of the region are challenged by the situation there and have deep interest in stability of Afghanistan as well" On central Asia, he said, "The way we approach SCO is that it provides as a framework where we can engage with the central Asian countries in particular. We have robust relations with each one of them." This is Modi's first bilateral visit to Kyrgyzstan and Modi will be meeting his Kyrgyz counterpart. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov as SCO chair was invited for the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi in May. Modi will also hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This will be his first meeting with Chinese leadership after the listing of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the United Nations. Sharma said,"We have excellent relations with Russia and China" MEA meanwhile clarified that there will be no formal bilateral meet between PM Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Both leaders will be face to face for the first time in their present capacity. India became full member of SCO in 2017 and this is the second head of states/government meet in which New Delhi is participating. Prime Minister Modi had also attended the last meet in Qingdao , China in June 2018. SCO represents approximately 42 per cent of the world's population, 22 per cent of world's land area and 20 per cent of global GDP and has 8 members--India, Pakistan, Russia, China and four central asian countries -- Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

PM Modi's first multilateral engagement to coincide with SCO Summit

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping as "good friends", China on Monday hoped that the two leaders would discuss their respective trade frictions with the US and reach a consensus on opposing trade protectionism during their "very important" <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-narendra-modi-to-meet-chinese-president-xi-jinping-on-sidelines-of-sco-summit-225651">meeting this week on the sidelines of the SCO summit</a> in Bishkek.&nbsp;

This year's summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be held in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on June 13-14 where Modi and Xi are scheduled to meet and discuss bilateral and international issues.

The meeting assumes significance as this is the first meeting between the two leaders after Modi-led BJP's massive victory in the recent elections in India.&nbsp; 
Xi had congratulated Modi on his re-election through a letter on May 23.

"Once again we congratulate Prime Minister Modi. President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are good friends. They had a very successful informal summit at Wuhan last year," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui told a media briefing here answering a question on the Modi-Xi meeting.

He said the Wuhan summit has provided strategic guidance for the development of India-China ties, paving the way for stable growth of China-India relations in the long run.

The April 27-28 Wuhan summit between Modi and Xi was largely credited to have turned around the bilateral relations soured by the 73-day Doklam standoff in 2017, triggered by Chinese troops' attempt to build a road close to the Indian border in an area also claimed by Bhutan.&nbsp;

After the Wuhan summit, both the countries stepped up efforts to improve relations in different spheres including the military-to-military ties. When asked about the meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the SCO summit, Zhang said, "While the details for the meeting are under discussion, I believe every bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi is very important. From the Chinese side, we will make good perpetrations for the success of the bilateral meeting."

He also said the China-US trade war and the "spectre" of emerging trade frictions between the US and India could become an important part of the discussions between the two leaders.

"Whether they will talk about trade frictions between China and the US and the spectre of trade frictions between the US and India, such things are not surprising. I believe this could become an important topic in his bilateral meetings with the related leaders," he said.

The two countries have been in an escalating conflict over trade for the past year. The scope of the battle has expanded in recent months as Washington has tightened trade restrictions on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.

Hopes for an imminent trade deal were shattered in May after the Trump administration more than doubled tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese imports and threatened additional duties.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion. He is also insisting on China to workout verifiable measures for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), technology transfer and more access to American goods to the Chinese markets.&nbsp;

Chinese officials hope that India, which is also facing trade frictions with the US especially over the termination of its designation as a 'beneficiary developing country' under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), would join the fight against Trump's protectionist policies.&nbsp;

"Trade protectionism and unilateralism are very much on the rise. How to respond to the bullying practices of the US, its practice of trade protectionism this is an important question not only to China but also has a direct bearing on the recovery of the global economy," Zhang said.

"So I would say it will be helpful if the two leaders could exchange views and we hope their communication will lead to extensive consensus on upholding justice and opposing trade protectionism," he said.

"I hope with their cooperation, the two countries will not only enhance bilateral trade but also play an important role in promoting global economy," he said.&nbsp;

Xi will exchange views with his foreign counterparts on bilateral and international issues as well, he said.&nbsp;

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping as "good friends", China on Monday hoped that the two leaders would discuss their respective trade frictions with the US and reach a consensus on opposing trade protectionism during their "very important" meeting this week on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping as "good friends", China on Monday hoped that the two leaders would discuss their respective trade frictions with the US and reach a consensus on opposing trade protectionism during their "very important" meeting this week on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. This year's summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be held in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on June 13-14 where Modi and Xi are scheduled to meet and discuss bilateral and international issues. The meeting assumes significance as this is the first meeting between the two leaders after Modi-led BJP's massive victory in the recent elections in India. Xi had congratulated Modi on his re-election through a letter on May 23. "Once again we congratulate Prime Minister Modi. President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are good friends. They had a very successful informal summit at Wuhan last year," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui told a media briefing here answering a question on the Modi-Xi meeting. He said the Wuhan summit has provided strategic guidance for the development of India-China ties, paving the way for stable growth of China-India relations in the long run. The April 27-28 Wuhan summit between Modi and Xi was largely credited to have turned around the bilateral relations soured by the 73-day Doklam standoff in 2017, triggered by Chinese troops' attempt to build a road close to the Indian border in an area also claimed by Bhutan. After the Wuhan summit, both the countries stepped up efforts to improve relations in different spheres including the military-to-military ties. When asked about the meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the SCO summit, Zhang said, "While the details for the meeting are under discussion, I believe every bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi is very important. From the Chinese side, we will make good perpetrations for the success of the bilateral meeting." He also said the China-US trade war and the "spectre" of emerging trade frictions between the US and India could become an important part of the discussions between the two leaders. "Whether they will talk about trade frictions between China and the US and the spectre of trade frictions between the US and India, such things are not surprising. I believe this could become an important topic in his bilateral meetings with the related leaders," he said. The two countries have been in an escalating conflict over trade for the past year. The scope of the battle has expanded in recent months as Washington has tightened trade restrictions on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. Hopes for an imminent trade deal were shattered in May after the Trump administration more than doubled tariffs on USD 200 billion of Chinese imports and threatened additional duties. US President Donald Trump is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion. He is also insisting on China to workout verifiable measures for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), technology transfer and more access to American goods to the Chinese markets. Chinese officials hope that India, which is also facing trade frictions with the US especially over the termination of its designation as a 'beneficiary developing country' under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), would join the fight against Trump's protectionist policies. "Trade protectionism and unilateralism are very much on the rise. How to respond to the bullying practices of the US, its practice of trade protectionism this is an important question not only to China but also has a direct bearing on the recovery of the global economy," Zhang said. "So I would say it will be helpful if the two leaders could exchange views and we hope their communication will lead to extensive consensus on upholding justice and opposing trade protectionism," he said. "I hope with their cooperation, the two countries will not only enhance bilateral trade but also play an important role in promoting global economy," he said. Xi will exchange views with his foreign counterparts on bilateral and international issues as well, he said.

On sidelines of SCO summit, Xi and Modi may discuss US trade protectionism in Bishkek: China

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - June 10th, 2019

The Moscow Zoo's panda pavilion opened to the public Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin unveiled it one day ago.

Moscow Zoo's panda pavilion opens after unveiling by Xi, Putin

India will hold bilateral meetings with Russia and China on the sidelines of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/on-sidelines-of-sco-summit-xi-and-modi-may-discuss-us-trade-protectionism-in-bishkek-china-225844">Shanghai Cooperation Organisation</a> (SCO) summit at Bishkek this week, the Ministry of External Affairs stated during a press briefing on Monday.

The bilaterals will take place when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek to attend the meeting of Council of Heads of State (CHS) of SCO from June 13 to 14.&nbsp;

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Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West), MEA: There will be a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Putin, and between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. <a href="https://t.co/t2GXfIwD3B">pic.twitter.com/t2GXfIwD3B</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1138035362591170560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The MEA also revealed that India would be holding a meeting with host nation Kyrgyzstan on June 14

''There will be a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Putin, and between PM Modi and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-narendra-modi-to-meet-chinese-president-xi-jinping-on-sidelines-of-sco-summit-225651">Chinese President</a> Xi Jinping on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,'' said Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).&nbsp;

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Responding to a question regarding a probable India-Pakistan meeting, or even a bilateral between India and Iran, the Secretary (West), Gitesh Sarma, said that there is limited time available due to which "requests for other bilaterals will be processed as we go along."However, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar firmly outlined that no meeting between India and Pakistan is being organised."

Questions regarding the agenda during the India-China bilateral were also put forth to the officials. While both the representatives abstained from revealing any part of the agenda, they said that "the current global scenario is uppermost in minds," in response to a question on the ongoing trade dispute between China and the United States being discussed during the bilateral.

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Raveesh Kumar, MEA: There is no meeting which is being organised between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan at SCO Summit. There is nothing more that we can add at this stage. <a href="https://t.co/xEwugFauhJ">pic.twitter.com/xEwugFauhJ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1138039412715970560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The SCO summit was described as a "friendly gathering," by Kumar who added that the meeting reflects consensus as the documents are previously negotiated.

"The leaders participating in the Summit are expected to focus their discussions on the global security situation, multilateral economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and also on topical issues of international and regional importance," an MEA statement outlined.

(With inputs from ANI)

India will hold bilateral meetings with Russia and China on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek this week, the Ministry of External Affairs stated during a press briefing on Monday.

India will hold bilateral meetings with Russia and China on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek this week, the Ministry of External Affairs stated during a press briefing on Monday. The bilaterals will take place when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek to attend the meeting of Council of Heads of State (CHS) of SCO from June 13 to 14. Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West), MEA: There will be a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Putin, and between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. pic.twitter.com/t2GXfIwD3B — ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2019 × The MEA also revealed that India would be holding a meeting with host nation Kyrgyzstan on June 14 ''There will be a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Putin, and between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,'' said Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). × Responding to a question regarding a probable India-Pakistan meeting, or even a bilateral between India and Iran, the Secretary (West), Gitesh Sarma, said that there is limited time available due to which "requests for other bilaterals will be processed as we go along."However, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar firmly outlined that no meeting between India and Pakistan is being organised." Questions regarding the agenda during the India-China bilateral were also put forth to the officials. While both the representatives abstained from revealing any part of the agenda, they said that "the current global scenario is uppermost in minds," in response to a question on the ongoing trade dispute between China and the United States being discussed during the bilateral. Raveesh Kumar, MEA: There is no meeting which is being organised between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan at SCO Summit. There is nothing more that we can add at this stage. pic.twitter.com/xEwugFauhJ — ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2019 × The SCO summit was described as a "friendly gathering," by Kumar who added that the meeting reflects consensus as the documents are previously negotiated. "The leaders participating in the Summit are expected to focus their discussions on the global security situation, multilateral economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and also on topical issues of international and regional importance," an MEA statement outlined. (With inputs from ANI)

PM Modi to hold bilateral talks with Putin, Xi on SCO Summit sidelines 

A highly anticipated late June meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping has some parallels with their Buenos Aires summit last December that postponed a tariff hike, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday.

Mnuchin told Reuters in an interview that the US-China trade dispute was at a similar point in December 2018, when Trump and Xi met on the sidelines of a G20 summit, with a US tariff increase about to kick in on hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese goods.

As this year's June 28-29 G20 summit in Osaka, Japan approaches, Trump is preparing to launch 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all Chinese imports so far untouched by the two countries' tariff war, a $300 billion list of consumer goods including cell phones, computers and clothing.

"As it relates to the higher tariffs, if you just recall where we were in Buenos Aires, they were going to go up," Mnuchin said. "They were scheduled to go up, and as a result of that meeting, the president agreed not to raise them while we were negotiating," Mnuchin said.

Asked whether he thought a similar outcome would result from the meeting in Osaka - Trump agreeing to forestall the tariffs while negotiations resume - Mnuchin said, "That's the president's decision."

Trump said on Thursday in France that he will decide whether to proceed with the tariffs after the meeting with Xi.

The Buenos Aires summit paved the way for five months of talks aimed at ending a festering trade war between the world's two largest economies.

But these talks broke down in early May, and no face-to-face meetings have been held since May 10, the day that Trump sharply increased tariffs on a $200 billion list of Chinese goods to 25 per cent - the increase that he delayed after the Buenos Aires meeting.

Since then, acrimonious rhetoric and trade threats between Beijing and Washington have steadily increased, especially after the United States imposed severe sanctions against Huawei Technologies Co, China's premier telecommunications equipment firm.

Mnuchin told Reuters that the Huawei sanctions were "completely separate" from the US-China trade dispute.

China central banker meeting

Earlier, Mnuchin said at a news briefing that the Osaka meeting, yet to be confirmed by the Chinese side, was where the "main progress" could be made towards reviving talks to end the US-China trade conflict.

Mnuchin downplayed expectations for a meeting expected on Sunday with People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang on the sidelines of a G20 finance leaders meeting in Fukuoka, Japan.

The US Treasury chief said that while he would discuss trade issues with Yi, "this is not a negotiating meeting."

The Trump administration was comfortable with any outcome from the negotiations, Mnuchin said, adding that more tariffs would encourage companies to move their operations out of China.

"If we can get the right agreement, that's great. If we can't get the right agreement, we will proceed with tariffs," Mnuchin said.

Mnuchin said the United States and China were about 90 per cent of the way toward reaching "an historic agreement" before China backtracked on certain commitments. He said that if China wants to resume the negotiations on the basis of the texts prior to an early May breakdown of talks, the US side is ready to engage.

Mnuchin said that the United States wants free, fair and balanced trade with China, in part to close a gaping US trade deficit with China.

"If we can't have that, the end result will be that my expectation is that many companies will move their production out of China to other locations," due to tariffs, Mnuchin said.

Mnuchin also said that the Treasury was watching China's currency markets closely for signs of intervention, saying that the markets may have become accustomed to central bank support for the yuan.

If that support is suddenly withdrawn, "the market could view that as a desire to have the currency weaken," he said, declining to comment when asked whether he thought China was deliberately trying to weaken its currency.

A highly anticipated late June meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping has some parallels with their Buenos Aires summit last December that postponed a tariff hike, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday.

A highly anticipated late June meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping has some parallels with their Buenos Aires summit last December that postponed a tariff hike, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday. Mnuchin told Reuters in an interview that the US-China trade dispute was at a similar point in December 2018, when Trump and Xi met on the sidelines of a G20 summit, with a US tariff increase about to kick in on hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese goods. As this year's June 28-29 G20 summit in Osaka, Japan approaches, Trump is preparing to launch 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all Chinese imports so far untouched by the two countries' tariff war, a $300 billion list of consumer goods including cell phones, computers and clothing. "As it relates to the higher tariffs, if you just recall where we were in Buenos Aires, they were going to go up," Mnuchin said. "They were scheduled to go up, and as a result of that meeting, the president agreed not to raise them while we were negotiating," Mnuchin said. Asked whether he thought a similar outcome would result from the meeting in Osaka - Trump agreeing to forestall the tariffs while negotiations resume - Mnuchin said, "That's the president's decision." Trump said on Thursday in France that he will decide whether to proceed with the tariffs after the meeting with Xi. The Buenos Aires summit paved the way for five months of talks aimed at ending a festering trade war between the world's two largest economies. But these talks broke down in early May, and no face-to-face meetings have been held since May 10, the day that Trump sharply increased tariffs on a $200 billion list of Chinese goods to 25 per cent - the increase that he delayed after the Buenos Aires meeting. Since then, acrimonious rhetoric and trade threats between Beijing and Washington have steadily increased, especially after the United States imposed severe sanctions against Huawei Technologies Co, China's premier telecommunications equipment firm. Mnuchin told Reuters that the Huawei sanctions were "completely separate" from the US-China trade dispute. China central banker meeting Earlier, Mnuchin said at a news briefing that the Osaka meeting, yet to be confirmed by the Chinese side, was where the "main progress" could be made towards reviving talks to end the US-China trade conflict. Mnuchin downplayed expectations for a meeting expected on Sunday with People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang on the sidelines of a G20 finance leaders meeting in Fukuoka, Japan. The US Treasury chief said that while he would discuss trade issues with Yi, "this is not a negotiating meeting." The Trump administration was comfortable with any outcome from the negotiations, Mnuchin said, adding that more tariffs would encourage companies to move their operations out of China. "If we can get the right agreement, that's great. If we can't get the right agreement, we will proceed with tariffs," Mnuchin said. Mnuchin said the United States and China were about 90 per cent of the way toward reaching "an historic agreement" before China backtracked on certain commitments. He said that if China wants to resume the negotiations on the basis of the texts prior to an early May breakdown of talks, the US side is ready to engage. Mnuchin said that the United States wants free, fair and balanced trade with China, in part to close a gaping US trade deficit with China. "If we can't have that, the end result will be that my expectation is that many companies will move their production out of China to other locations," due to tariffs, Mnuchin said. Mnuchin also said that the Treasury was watching China's currency markets closely for signs of intervention, saying that the markets may have become accustomed to central bank support for the yuan. If that support is suddenly withdrawn, "the market could view that as a desire to have the currency weaken," he said, declining to comment when asked whether he thought China was deliberately trying to weaken its currency.

US Treasury's Mnuchin says Trump-Xi meeting has parallels to Buenos Aires summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit this week at Bishkek where he would also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first meeting between the two leaders after the BJP's massive victory in the general elections.

Xi will pay state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan from June 12 to 16, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang announced here on Sunday.

The SCO summit is due to be held on June 13-14 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The SCO is a China-led eight-member economic and security bloc with India and Pakistan being admitted to the grouping in 2017.

From June 12 to 14, President Xi will pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and attend SCO summit, Lu said in a statement.

Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri said last week that the two leaders would meet on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

Recalling last year's successful first-ever informal summit between Xi and Modi at Wuhan which was widely regarded a milestone in the bilateral ties, Misri said, "it is worth mentioning that last year, our leaders met four times on the sidelines of different multi-lateral meetings."

They are again meeting in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, he said.

The April 27-28 Wuhan summit between Modi and Xi was largely credited to have turned around the bilateral relations soured by the 73-day Doklam standoff, triggered by Chinese troops attempts to build a road close to the Indian border in an area also claimed by Bhutan in 2017.

After the Wuhan summit, both the countries stepped up efforts to improve relations on different spheres including the military-to-military ties.

In December last year, Prime Minister Modi met President Xi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina and discussed joint efforts to further enhance mutual trust and friendship between the two giant neighbours.

Last month, Xi extended his "heartfelt congratulations" to Prime Minister Modi for winning the general elections, in a rare gesture of greeting a foreign leader well before the official announcement of the results.

After the SCO summit, President Xi will travel to Tajikistan.

From June 14 to 16, the president will attend the fifth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan, Lu added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit this week at Bishkek where he would also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first meeting between the two leaders after the BJP's massive victory in the general elections.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit this week at Bishkek where he would also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first meeting between the two leaders after the BJP's massive victory in the general elections. Xi will pay state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan from June 12 to 16, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang announced here on Sunday. The SCO summit is due to be held on June 13-14 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The SCO is a China-led eight-member economic and security bloc with India and Pakistan being admitted to the grouping in 2017. From June 12 to 14, President Xi will pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and attend SCO summit, Lu said in a statement. Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri said last week that the two leaders would meet on the sidelines of the SCO summit. Recalling last year's successful first-ever informal summit between Xi and Modi at Wuhan which was widely regarded a milestone in the bilateral ties, Misri said, "it is worth mentioning that last year, our leaders met four times on the sidelines of different multi-lateral meetings." They are again meeting in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, he said. The April 27-28 Wuhan summit between Modi and Xi was largely credited to have turned around the bilateral relations soured by the 73-day Doklam standoff, triggered by Chinese troops attempts to build a road close to the Indian border in an area also claimed by Bhutan in 2017. After the Wuhan summit, both the countries stepped up efforts to improve relations on different spheres including the military-to-military ties. In December last year, Prime Minister Modi met President Xi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina and discussed joint efforts to further enhance mutual trust and friendship between the two giant neighbours. Last month, Xi extended his "heartfelt congratulations" to Prime Minister Modi for winning the general elections, in a rare gesture of greeting a foreign leader well before the official announcement of the results. After the SCO summit, President Xi will travel to Tajikistan. From June 14 to 16, the president will attend the fifth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan, Lu added.

PM Narendra Modi to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on sidelines of SCO summit

US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday he would discuss trade issues with People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang, but the main progress in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-us-tensions-very-negative-influence-on-global-economy-australia-pm-scott-morrison-225234">US-China trade dispute</a> would take place later this month at a meeting between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-criticises-nasa-moon-mission-after-promoting-it-earlier-225364">President Donald Trump</a> and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mnuchin told reporters on the sidelines of the G20 finance leaders meeting in Japan that the Trump-Xi meeting was the "next important meeting" in the trade dispute.

The Treasury chief likened the meeting, unconfirmed by China, to a Trump-Xi meeting last December in Buenos Aires, which paved the way for five months of negotiations to try to resolve the issue.

Watch: US-China Trade War - Advantage For India?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-china-trade-war-advantage-for-india-223999/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Mnuchin said he did not have specific goals for his discussions on Sunday with Yi, a key member of China's trade negotiating team. He said the two finance leaders would discuss economic and finance issues as part of their normal G20 interactions and also discuss trade issues, but no announcement was expected.

"This is not a negotiating meeting," Mnuchin said.

Mnuchin said the United States and China were about 90 percent of the way toward reaching "an historic agreement" before China backtracked on certain commitments. He said that if China wants to resume the negotiations on the basis of the texts prior to an early May breakdown of talks, the US&nbsp;side is ready to engage.

"If we can get the right agreement, that's great. If we can't get the right agreement, we will proceed with tariffs," Mnuchin said.

The Trump administration is taking steps to impose 25% tariffs on the remaining $300 billion worth of Chinese imports so far untouched by the trade war between the world's two largest economies. These tariffs could be ready for activation around the end of June, when the Osaka G20 summit take place.

Mnuchin said that the United States wants free, fair and balanced trade with China, in part to close a gaping US&nbsp;trade deficit with China.

"If we can't have that, the end result will be that my expectation is that many companies will move their production out of China to other locations," due to tariffs, Mnuchin said.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday he would discuss trade issues with People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang, but the main progress in the US-China trade dispute would take place later this month at a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday he would discuss trade issues with People's Bank of China Governor Yi Gang, but the main progress in the US-China trade dispute would take place later this month at a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mnuchin told reporters on the sidelines of the G20 finance leaders meeting in Japan that the Trump-Xi meeting was the "next important meeting" in the trade dispute. The Treasury chief likened the meeting, unconfirmed by China, to a Trump-Xi meeting last December in Buenos Aires, which paved the way for five months of negotiations to try to resolve the issue. Watch: US-China Trade War - Advantage For India? Mnuchin said he did not have specific goals for his discussions on Sunday with Yi, a key member of China's trade negotiating team. He said the two finance leaders would discuss economic and finance issues as part of their normal G20 interactions and also discuss trade issues, but no announcement was expected. "This is not a negotiating meeting," Mnuchin said. Mnuchin said the United States and China were about 90 percent of the way toward reaching "an historic agreement" before China backtracked on certain commitments. He said that if China wants to resume the negotiations on the basis of the texts prior to an early May breakdown of talks, the US side is ready to engage. "If we can get the right agreement, that's great. If we can't get the right agreement, we will proceed with tariffs," Mnuchin said. The Trump administration is taking steps to impose 25% tariffs on the remaining $300 billion worth of Chinese imports so far untouched by the trade war between the world's two largest economies. These tariffs could be ready for activation around the end of June, when the Osaka G20 summit take place. Mnuchin said that the United States wants free, fair and balanced trade with China, in part to close a gaping US trade deficit with China. "If we can't have that, the end result will be that my expectation is that many companies will move their production out of China to other locations," due to tariffs, Mnuchin said.

Main progress on US-China trade to be at Trump-Xi summit: US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin

China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin hit back at US global economic dominance on Friday as they took the stage together at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-and-china-show-united-front-at-economic-forum-225258">Russia's showcase business forum</a>.

With China embroiled in a trade war with Washington and Russia under Western sanctions, Xi and Putin <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-says-us-push-for-dominance-is-a-recipe-for-trade-and-real-wars-225280">lashed out at "inequalities" in the global economic system</a> and vowed to pursue closer ties between their countries.

Putin, speaking in front of political and business leaders at the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, accused Washington of seeking to "extend its jurisdiction to the whole world".

Denouncing the "rhetoric of trade wars and sanctions", Putin called for rethinking the role of the US dollar in global trade and slammed US pressure against Chinese tech giant Huawei.&nbsp;

"They are attempting not just to squeeze but to unceremoniously push (Huawei) out of the global market," Putin said.

Xi said steps needed to be taken to "overcome inequalities" in the global economic system, adding: "The aspirations of nations toward a better life cannot be stopped."

Pointing to Russia as a key partner, he said China was looking to build "beneficial cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect" with friendly countries.

"China is ready to share technological inventions with all partners, in particular, 5G technology," Xi said.&nbsp;

Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a three-day visit with Putin and described the Russian leader as his "best friend" during a cosy meeting at the Kremlin.

The trip comes five years after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula led to a serious rift with the West and a move towards Russia's neighbour to the east.

China meanwhile is locked in a trade war with the United States that has seen Washington impose sweeping duties and move to blacklist companies like Huawei.&nbsp;

Moscow and Beijing's economic ties have grown in recent years, though they remain heavily weighted in favour of China, which dwarfs Russia in economic and demographic terms.

Dozens of deals signed

Xi's visit has seen the signing of dozens of commercial contracts in e-commerce, telecoms, gas and other areas.

Other deals have been signed at the forum, including one on Friday between Russian and Chinese shipping companies to work together to develop Arctic sea routes.&nbsp;

While this is the Chinese leader's first appearance at the economic forum, where he heads a 1,000-strong delegation, he and Putin have met regularly in recent years.&nbsp;

Ahead of Xi's visit, Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov described China as "Russia's most important economic partner".&nbsp;

The partnership is yielding increasing trade, which grew by 25 per cent in 2018 to hit a record $108 billion, he said.

But despite political tensions and repeated rounds of sanctions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, the European Union remains by far the biggest foreign investor in Russia -- well ahead of China and the US.

"China is taking time to ramp up investments in Russia," said Charles Robertson, chief economist at Renaissance Capital. "It wants to feel secure about the long term, it doesn't want to rush into it."

He predicted China would make big investments over the next three to five years, possibly even sooner, as Russia plays an important role in projects along Beijing's New Silk Road.&nbsp;

Worry over investor arrest

The first day of the forum on Thursday saw Putin make a pitch for increased foreign investment as Russia looks to revive an economy hit by Western sanctions over Ukraine and the drop in oil prices.&nbsp;

After emerging from recession in 2017, the Russian economy ticked up by only 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year.&nbsp;

Putin, whose approval ratings have dropped to record lows, has vowed to boost growth through a series of "national projects" -- ranging from healthcare to infrastructure -- that will cost Russia $388 billion.

But foreign investors, already wary of Russia' volatile business climate, were further spooked by the arrest on fraud charges in February of US businessman Michael Calvey, the founder of one of the oldest private equity firms focusing on Russia.&nbsp;

He denies the charges, saying the arrest was the result of a shareholder dispute.

In a statement through his lawyers on Friday, Calvey regretted that he had been unable to attend this year's forum.&nbsp;

"He expressed regret that it will apparently not be possible for him to attend SPIEF for reasons that are beyond his control," the statement said, with Calvey also thanking the business community "for its remarkable solidarity and support".&nbsp;

China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin hit back at US global economic dominance on Friday as they took the stage together at Russia's showcase business forum.

China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin hit back at US global economic dominance on Friday as they took the stage together at Russia's showcase business forum. With China embroiled in a trade war with Washington and Russia under Western sanctions, Xi and Putin lashed out at "inequalities" in the global economic system and vowed to pursue closer ties between their countries. Putin, speaking in front of political and business leaders at the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, accused Washington of seeking to "extend its jurisdiction to the whole world". Denouncing the "rhetoric of trade wars and sanctions", Putin called for rethinking the role of the US dollar in global trade and slammed US pressure against Chinese tech giant Huawei. "They are attempting not just to squeeze but to unceremoniously push (Huawei) out of the global market," Putin said. Xi said steps needed to be taken to "overcome inequalities" in the global economic system, adding: "The aspirations of nations toward a better life cannot be stopped." Pointing to Russia as a key partner, he said China was looking to build "beneficial cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect" with friendly countries. "China is ready to share technological inventions with all partners, in particular, 5G technology," Xi said. Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a three-day visit with Putin and described the Russian leader as his "best friend" during a cosy meeting at the Kremlin. The trip comes five years after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula led to a serious rift with the West and a move towards Russia's neighbour to the east. China meanwhile is locked in a trade war with the United States that has seen Washington impose sweeping duties and move to blacklist companies like Huawei. Moscow and Beijing's economic ties have grown in recent years, though they remain heavily weighted in favour of China, which dwarfs Russia in economic and demographic terms. Dozens of deals signed Xi's visit has seen the signing of dozens of commercial contracts in e-commerce, telecoms, gas and other areas. Other deals have been signed at the forum, including one on Friday between Russian and Chinese shipping companies to work together to develop Arctic sea routes. While this is the Chinese leader's first appearance at the economic forum, where he heads a 1,000-strong delegation, he and Putin have met regularly in recent years. Ahead of Xi's visit, Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov described China as "Russia's most important economic partner". The partnership is yielding increasing trade, which grew by 25 per cent in 2018 to hit a record $108 billion, he said. But despite political tensions and repeated rounds of sanctions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, the European Union remains by far the biggest foreign investor in Russia -- well ahead of China and the US. "China is taking time to ramp up investments in Russia," said Charles Robertson, chief economist at Renaissance Capital. "It wants to feel secure about the long term, it doesn't want to rush into it." He predicted China would make big investments over the next three to five years, possibly even sooner, as Russia plays an important role in projects along Beijing's New Silk Road. Worry over investor arrest The first day of the forum on Thursday saw Putin make a pitch for increased foreign investment as Russia looks to revive an economy hit by Western sanctions over Ukraine and the drop in oil prices. After emerging from recession in 2017, the Russian economy ticked up by only 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year. Putin, whose approval ratings have dropped to record lows, has vowed to boost growth through a series of "national projects" -- ranging from healthcare to infrastructure -- that will cost Russia $388 billion. But foreign investors, already wary of Russia' volatile business climate, were further spooked by the arrest on fraud charges in February of US businessman Michael Calvey, the founder of one of the oldest private equity firms focusing on Russia. He denies the charges, saying the arrest was the result of a shareholder dispute. In a statement through his lawyers on Friday, Calvey regretted that he had been unable to attend this year's forum. "He expressed regret that it will apparently not be possible for him to attend SPIEF for reasons that are beyond his control," the statement said, with Calvey also thanking the business community "for its remarkable solidarity and support".

Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping hit back at US dominance at Russia economic forum

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - June 07th, 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that US efforts to foist its dominance on other countries was a recipe for trade and real wars.

Speaking at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin complained about what he called unfair competition and protectionism.

The US approach fostered a battle without rules where everyone was pitted against one another, he added.

The Russian President&nbsp;denounced "unceremonious attempts at pushing Huawei from the international market."

"In some circles this is even being called the first technological war of the dawning digital era," Putin said.

Despite international concerns that it could present a security risk, Huawei on Wednesday signed an agreement with Russian telecoms company MTS to develop a 5G network in the country, on the sidelines of a meeting between Putin and Xi in Moscow.

The Chinese telecom giant has been in turmoil since May, when US President Donald Trump's administration banned US companies from selling high-tech equipment to Huawei over suspicions it is spying for Beijing.

Several companies have already distanced themselves from Huawei, including Google, whose Android system equips the vast majority of smartphones in the world.

Huawei's reported potential involvement in Britain's 5G network has proved politically sensitive and Theresa May's government insisted no decision has been made on the issue.

Putin said that the United States was trying to enforce its legal power across the world.

Putin also said 'role of dollar' should be revisited in global trade.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that US efforts to foist its dominance on other countries was a recipe for trade and real wars. Speaking at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin complained about what he called unfair competition and protectionism.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that US efforts to foist its dominance on other countries was a recipe for trade and real wars. Speaking at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin complained about what he called unfair competition and protectionism. The US approach fostered a battle without rules where everyone was pitted against one another, he added. The Russian President denounced "unceremonious attempts at pushing Huawei from the international market." "In some circles this is even being called the first technological war of the dawning digital era," Putin said. Despite international concerns that it could present a security risk, Huawei on Wednesday signed an agreement with Russian telecoms company MTS to develop a 5G network in the country, on the sidelines of a meeting between Putin and Xi in Moscow. The Chinese telecom giant has been in turmoil since May, when US President Donald Trump's administration banned US companies from selling high-tech equipment to Huawei over suspicions it is spying for Beijing. Several companies have already distanced themselves from Huawei, including Google, whose Android system equips the vast majority of smartphones in the world. Huawei's reported potential involvement in Britain's 5G network has proved politically sensitive and Theresa May's government insisted no decision has been made on the issue. Putin said that the United States was trying to enforce its legal power across the world. Putin also said 'role of dollar' should be revisited in global trade. (With inputs from agencies)

Putin says US push for dominance is recipe for trade and real wars; slams attempts to 'push' Huawei from global markets

Chinese President Xi Jinping appears Friday as a guest of honour at Russia's showcase economic forum, as the two neighbours present a united front in the face of shared troubles with the US.

Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a three-day visit with Vladimir Putin and described the Russian leader as his "best friend" during a cosy meeting at the Kremlin.

To end the trip, Xi and his host will appear at a plenary session of the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, which Moscow hopes will woo foreign investors despite an uncertain business climate.

Xi is set to present China's ideas on sustainable development and multilateral cooperation, Beijing said ahead of his appearance.&nbsp;

The 2019 forum "will illustrate very clearly just how bi-polar the world has become," said Chris Weafer, a senior partner at the Macro Advisory consulting firm.

"In the same week that President Trump will be having tea with the Queen in London, President Putin will be hosting President Xi in Saint Petersburg."&nbsp;

The trip comes five years after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula led to a serious rift with the West and a move towards Russia's neighbour to the east.

China meanwhile is locked in a trade war with the United States that has seen Washington impose sweeping duties and move to blacklist companies like tech giant Huawei.&nbsp;

Moscow and Beijing's economic ties have grown in recent years, though they remain heavily weighted in favour of China, which dwarfs Russia in economic and demographic terms.

Dozens of deals signed

Xi's visit has already seen the signing of dozens of commercial contracts in e-commerce, telecoms, gas and other areas.

Other deals have been signed at the forum, including one on Friday between Russian and Chinese shipping companies to work together to develop Arctic sea routes.&nbsp;

While this is the Chinese leader's first appearance at the economic forum, where he heads a 1,000-strong delegation, he and Putin have met regularly in recent years.&nbsp;

Ahead of Xi's visit, Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov described China as "Russia's most important economic partner".&nbsp;

The partnership is yielding increasing trade, which grew by 25 per cent in 2018 to hit a record $108 billion, he said.

At a panel Friday on Russia-China business ties, Russian tycoon Viktor Vekselberg, a target of US sanctions, called for the two countries to carry out more trade in their national currencies, bypassing the US dollar.&nbsp;

But despite political tensions and repeated rounds of sanctions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, the European Union remains by far the biggest foreign investor in Russia -- well ahead of China and the US.

"China is taking time to ramp up investments in Russia," said Charles Robertson, chief economist at Renaissance Capital. "It wants to feel secure about the long term, it doesn't want to rush into it."

He predicted China would make big investments over the next three to five years, possibly even sooner, as Russia plays an important role in projects along Beijing's New Silk Road.&nbsp;

Worry over investor arrest

The first day of the forum on Thursday saw Putin make a pitch for increased foreign investment as Russia looks to revive an economy hit by Western sanctions over Ukraine and the drop in oil prices.&nbsp;

After emerging from recession in 2017, the Russian economy ticked up by only 0.5 percent in the first quarter of this year.&nbsp;

Putin, whose approval ratings have dropped to record lows, has vowed to boost growth through a series of "national projects" -- ranging from healthcare to infrastructure -- that will cost Russia $388 billion.

But foreign investors, already wary of Russia' volatile business climate, were further spooked by the arrest on fraud charges in February of US businessman Michael Calvey, the founder of one of the oldest private equity firms focusing on Russia.&nbsp;

He denies the charges, saying the arrest was the result of a shareholder dispute.

Speculation swirled at the forum over whether Calvey, who is under house arrest, would attend. On Friday his lawyer said authorities had not yet replied to a request from the businessman to travel to Saint Petersburg.

Chinese President Xi Jinping appears Friday as a guest of honour at Russia's showcase economic forum, as the two neighbours present a united front in the face of shared troubles with the US.

Chinese President Xi Jinping appears Friday as a guest of honour at Russia's showcase economic forum, as the two neighbours present a united front in the face of shared troubles with the US. Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a three-day visit with Vladimir Putin and described the Russian leader as his "best friend" during a cosy meeting at the Kremlin. To end the trip, Xi and his host will appear at a plenary session of the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, which Moscow hopes will woo foreign investors despite an uncertain business climate. Xi is set to present China's ideas on sustainable development and multilateral cooperation, Beijing said ahead of his appearance. The 2019 forum "will illustrate very clearly just how bi-polar the world has become," said Chris Weafer, a senior partner at the Macro Advisory consulting firm. "In the same week that President Trump will be having tea with the Queen in London, President Putin will be hosting President Xi in Saint Petersburg." The trip comes five years after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula led to a serious rift with the West and a move towards Russia's neighbour to the east. China meanwhile is locked in a trade war with the United States that has seen Washington impose sweeping duties and move to blacklist companies like tech giant Huawei. Moscow and Beijing's economic ties have grown in recent years, though they remain heavily weighted in favour of China, which dwarfs Russia in economic and demographic terms. Dozens of deals signed Xi's visit has already seen the signing of dozens of commercial contracts in e-commerce, telecoms, gas and other areas. Other deals have been signed at the forum, including one on Friday between Russian and Chinese shipping companies to work together to develop Arctic sea routes. While this is the Chinese leader's first appearance at the economic forum, where he heads a 1,000-strong delegation, he and Putin have met regularly in recent years. Ahead of Xi's visit, Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov described China as "Russia's most important economic partner". The partnership is yielding increasing trade, which grew by 25 per cent in 2018 to hit a record $108 billion, he said. At a panel Friday on Russia-China business ties, Russian tycoon Viktor Vekselberg, a target of US sanctions, called for the two countries to carry out more trade in their national currencies, bypassing the US dollar. But despite political tensions and repeated rounds of sanctions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, the European Union remains by far the biggest foreign investor in Russia -- well ahead of China and the US. "China is taking time to ramp up investments in Russia," said Charles Robertson, chief economist at Renaissance Capital. "It wants to feel secure about the long term, it doesn't want to rush into it." He predicted China would make big investments over the next three to five years, possibly even sooner, as Russia plays an important role in projects along Beijing's New Silk Road. Worry over investor arrest The first day of the forum on Thursday saw Putin make a pitch for increased foreign investment as Russia looks to revive an economy hit by Western sanctions over Ukraine and the drop in oil prices. After emerging from recession in 2017, the Russian economy ticked up by only 0.5 percent in the first quarter of this year. Putin, whose approval ratings have dropped to record lows, has vowed to boost growth through a series of "national projects" -- ranging from healthcare to infrastructure -- that will cost Russia $388 billion. But foreign investors, already wary of Russia' volatile business climate, were further spooked by the arrest on fraud charges in February of US businessman Michael Calvey, the founder of one of the oldest private equity firms focusing on Russia. He denies the charges, saying the arrest was the result of a shareholder dispute. Speculation swirled at the forum over whether Calvey, who is under house arrest, would attend. On Friday his lawyer said authorities had not yet replied to a request from the businessman to travel to Saint Petersburg.

Russia and China show united front at economic forum

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - June 06th, 2019

China and Russia agreed on Wednesday to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. The decision was made at a meeting between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin

China, Russia agree to upgrade relations for new era

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-gifts-putin-chinas-friendship-medal-143236">Chinese President Xi Jinping presented</a> two&nbsp;pandas to Moscow's zoo at a ceremony with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, in a gesture the Russian president described as a sign of deepening trust and respect between the two powers.

Xi unveiled the&nbsp;pandas - Ru Yi and Ding Ding - after talks with Putin whom he called his "best friend" at the start of a three-day visit that will see him attend Russia's flagship economic forum in St Petersburg later this week.

The&nbsp;pandas, who could be seen chomping bamboo as Xi and Putin arrived, will be living in a specially built enclosure. Beijing has loaned them to Moscow for 15 years as part of a joint research project.

Xi's visit to Russia comes with Moscow's ties with the West at post-Cold War lows and with Beijing's relations with the United States strained over a trade war. Both powers are eager to show they are strengthening ties.

The leaders promised to deepen military-technical cooperation at talks in Moscow, while Russian and Chinese businesses signed an array of deals.

"Over the past six years, we have met almost 30 times ... Putin is my best friend and a good colleague," Xi said in comments published on the Kremlin's website.

Standing alongside Xi after the talks, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-xi-in-russia-to-boost-cooperation-amid-us-tensions-224674">Putin</a> thanked China for entrusting the&nbsp;pandas to Moscow.

"This is a gesture of particular respect and trust in Russia. When we talk about&nbsp;pandas, we always end up with a smile on our faces. We accept this gift with great respect and gratitude," Putin said.

"These animals are a national symbol for China, and we greatly value this gesture of friendship," he said.

The&nbsp;pandas were given to Russia at the end of April after Putin visited Beijing but were only unveiled to the public on Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented two pandas to Moscow's zoo at a ceremony with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, in a gesture the Russian president described as a sign of deepening trust and respect between the two powers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented two pandas to Moscow's zoo at a ceremony with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, in a gesture the Russian president described as a sign of deepening trust and respect between the two powers. Xi unveiled the pandas - Ru Yi and Ding Ding - after talks with Putin whom he called his "best friend" at the start of a three-day visit that will see him attend Russia's flagship economic forum in St Petersburg later this week. The pandas, who could be seen chomping bamboo as Xi and Putin arrived, will be living in a specially built enclosure. Beijing has loaned them to Moscow for 15 years as part of a joint research project. Xi's visit to Russia comes with Moscow's ties with the West at post-Cold War lows and with Beijing's relations with the United States strained over a trade war. Both powers are eager to show they are strengthening ties. The leaders promised to deepen military-technical cooperation at talks in Moscow, while Russian and Chinese businesses signed an array of deals. "Over the past six years, we have met almost 30 times ... Putin is my best friend and a good colleague," Xi said in comments published on the Kremlin's website. Standing alongside Xi after the talks, Putin thanked China for entrusting the pandas to Moscow. "This is a gesture of particular respect and trust in Russia. When we talk about pandas, we always end up with a smile on our faces. We accept this gift with great respect and gratitude," Putin said. "These animals are a national symbol for China, and we greatly value this gesture of friendship," he said. The pandas were given to Russia at the end of April after Putin visited Beijing but were only unveiled to the public on Wednesday.

China's panda diplomacy puts a smile on best friend Putin's face

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin praised their countries' ties during a meeting in the Kremlin on Wednesday, as Beijing and Moscow seek to shore up cooperation amid tensions with the US.&nbsp;

Putin said the visit was a "key event" in relations between the two neighbours.

"Our relationship will be better and better," said Xi, who was received with full honours when he arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport in the afternoon.

The trip comes five years after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula led to a serious rift with its Western partners and subsequent turn toward its neighbour to the east.

"In recent years, thanks to your direct participation, the relationship between Russia and China has reached an unprecedentedly high level," the Russian president said.

Following the talks and a visit to the Bolshoi Theatre late Wednesday, Xi is set to travel to Russia's former imperial capital Saint Petersburg.&nbsp;

There he will attend an economic forum hosted by Putin on Thursday and Friday.

China and Russia "have strong political mutual trust, and support each other firmly on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns," Xi said during an interview with Russian media ahead of the visit.

Putin's foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, earlier said Xi and Putin would sign a new declaration on their "global partnership and strategic cooperation, which are entering a new era".

The Chinese delegation brought two pandas as gifts, bound for the Moscow Zoo. "The animal is a symbol of China and the gesture is very important to our partners," Ushakov said. 
T 
he partnership is yielding increasing trade, which has increased by 25 per cent in 2018 to hit a record $108 billion (96 billion euros), he added, calling China "Russia's most important economic partner".

Russia's 'pivot' paying off&nbsp;

Russia may have had unrealistic expectations from its pivot to the east following Western sanctions over Ukraine, said Alexander Gabuev, who heads the Asia programme at the Carnegie Moscow Center.

Nevertheless, China's share in Russian foreign trade has nearly doubled since then, he added.

"The pivot really is happening," he said.

"Despite all the difficulties, China became a significant creditor and rather significant investor" in Russia at a time when many other investors preferred to pack their bags.

Cooperation with China is seen by Moscow as "the lesser of two evils" to stimulate economic growth, Gabuev said -- the alternative being deep internal reforms and reconciliation with the West.

Politically, the two countries seem consistently aligned and often vote in unison as permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Presidential advisor Ushakov said "the positions of Russia and China are very close or coincide completely on most international issues," including the North Korean nuclear programme, the Venezuelan crisis and the Iran nuclear deal.

All these issues would be discussed during the leaders' meeting, he added.&nbsp;

The countries would also discuss their relationship with the "great Western powers, including the United States", he said.

Moscow's relations with Washington have been at a post-Cold War low for some time, and Beijing is locked in a trade war with the US.

After Washington criticised its rights record, Beijing issued a travel warning to Chinese nationals Tuesday about crime and police harassment in the United States.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin praised their countries' ties during a meeting in the Kremlin on Wednesday, as Beijing and Moscow seek to shore up cooperation amid tensions with the US.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin praised their countries' ties during a meeting in the Kremlin on Wednesday, as Beijing and Moscow seek to shore up cooperation amid tensions with the US. Putin said the visit was a "key event" in relations between the two neighbours. "Our relationship will be better and better," said Xi, who was received with full honours when he arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport in the afternoon. The trip comes five years after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula led to a serious rift with its Western partners and subsequent turn toward its neighbour to the east. "In recent years, thanks to your direct participation, the relationship between Russia and China has reached an unprecedentedly high level," the Russian president said. Following the talks and a visit to the Bolshoi Theatre late Wednesday, Xi is set to travel to Russia's former imperial capital Saint Petersburg. There he will attend an economic forum hosted by Putin on Thursday and Friday. China and Russia "have strong political mutual trust, and support each other firmly on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns," Xi said during an interview with Russian media ahead of the visit. Putin's foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, earlier said Xi and Putin would sign a new declaration on their "global partnership and strategic cooperation, which are entering a new era". The Chinese delegation brought two pandas as gifts, bound for the Moscow Zoo. "The animal is a symbol of China and the gesture is very important to our partners," Ushakov said. T he partnership is yielding increasing trade, which has increased by 25 per cent in 2018 to hit a record $108 billion (96 billion euros), he added, calling China "Russia's most important economic partner". Russia's 'pivot' paying off Russia may have had unrealistic expectations from its pivot to the east following Western sanctions over Ukraine, said Alexander Gabuev, who heads the Asia programme at the Carnegie Moscow Center. Nevertheless, China's share in Russian foreign trade has nearly doubled since then, he added. "The pivot really is happening," he said. "Despite all the difficulties, China became a significant creditor and rather significant investor" in Russia at a time when many other investors preferred to pack their bags. Cooperation with China is seen by Moscow as "the lesser of two evils" to stimulate economic growth, Gabuev said -- the alternative being deep internal reforms and reconciliation with the West. Politically, the two countries seem consistently aligned and often vote in unison as permanent members of the UN Security Council. Presidential advisor Ushakov said "the positions of Russia and China are very close or coincide completely on most international issues," including the North Korean nuclear programme, the Venezuelan crisis and the Iran nuclear deal. All these issues would be discussed during the leaders' meeting, he added. The countries would also discuss their relationship with the "great Western powers, including the United States", he said. Moscow's relations with Washington have been at a post-Cold War low for some time, and Beijing is locked in a trade war with the US. After Washington criticised its rights record, Beijing issued a travel warning to Chinese nationals Tuesday about crime and police harassment in the United States.

China's Xi in Russia to boost cooperation amid US tensions

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country's economy is stable, healthy and well placed to meet all <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-take-unprecedented-action-to-ensure-supply-of-rare-earths-critical-to-tech-military-us-224397">risks and challenges</a>, according to a transcript published by the Xinhua news agency.

Xi made the remarks to the TASS Russian News Agency and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper on Tuesday ahead of his state visit to Russia where he will attend a major Russian investor forum in St Petersburg. The transcript of that interview was published by Xinhua on Wednesday.

Xi did not mention <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rare-earths-the-latest-weapon-in-the-us-china-trade-war-222578">China`s trade war with the United States</a>, which escalated last month after Washington and Beijing slapped new tit-for-tat tariffs on each other.&nbsp;

"Looking into the future, China`s economy bears the supporting conditions for stable, healthy and sustainable growth," he said.

Xi noted China had ample room to manoeuvre in the macroeconomic policy space and that the country`s economy got off to a good start in 2019 as key indicators were kept in a reasonable range.

China`s economy grew at a steady 6.4 per cent pace in the first quarter, defying expectations for a further slowdown, as industrial production jumped sharply and consumer demand showed signs of improvement.

However, it reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales and industrial output for April, putting pressure on Beijing to roll out more stimulus as the trade war with the United States escalates.&nbsp;

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country's economy is stable, healthy and well placed to meet all risks and challenges, according to a transcript published by the Xinhua news agency.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country's economy is stable, healthy and well placed to meet all risks and challenges, according to a transcript published by the Xinhua news agency. Xi made the remarks to the TASS Russian News Agency and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper on Tuesday ahead of his state visit to Russia where he will attend a major Russian investor forum in St Petersburg. The transcript of that interview was published by Xinhua on Wednesday. Xi did not mention China`s trade war with the United States, which escalated last month after Washington and Beijing slapped new tit-for-tat tariffs on each other. "Looking into the future, China`s economy bears the supporting conditions for stable, healthy and sustainable growth," he said. Xi noted China had ample room to manoeuvre in the macroeconomic policy space and that the country`s economy got off to a good start in 2019 as key indicators were kept in a reasonable range. China`s economy grew at a steady 6.4 per cent pace in the first quarter, defying expectations for a further slowdown, as industrial production jumped sharply and consumer demand showed signs of improvement. However, it reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales and industrial output for April, putting pressure on Beijing to roll out more stimulus as the trade war with the United States escalates.

Xi Jinping says China's economy positioned to meet all challenges: Report

Chinese Defence Minister indicated through his speech that China is now ready to improve relationship with India. Whereas Xi Jinping & Indian PM Modi both are working well to improve these relations.

China: Ready to improve relationship with India

When&nbsp;Papua&nbsp;New&nbsp;Guinea's lawmakers started to shift their weight in their parliamentary seats in preparation for a tense vote on a&nbsp;new&nbsp;prime minister on Thursday, James Marape looked uninterested, his head lowered, fingers tapping his phone.

The former finance minister later explained he was preparing notes for a speech, should numbers fall his way.

They did, and the notes turned into a&nbsp;powerful series of addresses which signalled a desire to reset how the archipelago conducts business and diplomacy amid a strategic battle between China and the United States for influence in the&nbsp;Pacific.

"We are still struggling to economically free ourselves," Marape told reporters moments after he was sworn in.

"The nation needs to know that this is a break free ... and the emergence of a&nbsp;new&nbsp;group of like-minded&nbsp;leaders," he said referring to himself and his supporters.

Marape became prime minister after receiving 101 votes to eight in parliament, a day after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/papua-new-guinea-prime-minister-quits-after-weeks-of-turmoil-221729">former&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Peter O'Neill resigned</a> having lost the support of the house following almost eight years in&nbsp;power.

The&nbsp;new&nbsp;leader&nbsp;told the chamber he wanted to make his country the richest black Christian nation on earth, then headed to Royal Port Moresby golf club for his regular Thursday round, according to the club's pro, Nelson Gabriel.

DEBT OF GRATITUDE

Formerly administered by US-ally Australia, PNG has in recent years turned increasingly to China for financing as Beijing becomes a bigger&nbsp;player in the region, something Marape is being asked by colleagues to change.

"I would request that we take a long hard look at all Chinese arrangements," one MP who shifted from opposition to support Marape's&nbsp;leadership bid told Reuters, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the issue.

PNG is rich in mineral resources and is close to both US&nbsp;military bases on the island of Guam and to Australia.

China forged a particularly strong relationship with O'Neill, who was the first&nbsp;Pacific&nbsp;leader&nbsp;to sign up to China's Belt and Road infrastructure-building programme and who met President Xi Jinping more than a dozen times during his time in&nbsp;power, the former&nbsp;leader's spokesman told Reuters.

In dollar terms, PNG has the biggest debt to China among its neighbours, representing about one-quarter of its total external debt.

Foreign diplomats are now scrambling to understand the&nbsp;new&nbsp;leader, and there is a belief among some PNG lawmakers and western diplomats that China has the most to lose by the change in&nbsp;leadership.

"We are trying to get some face time with him," a senior British diplomatic source told Reuters.

"I suspect China is too and will be looking to pitch him with promises, but Marape has protectionist sentiments. Chinese loans often come with requirements to use Chinese labour and companies - if Marape isn't willing to accept those terms, it could be an opportunity for the West."

A senior US&nbsp;government source said Marape's family has connections with the United States because his eldest son is enrolled at a North American university.

"Marape has always been a supporter of Western principles such as democracy," the US&nbsp;source said.

"As finance minister, he warned about unsustainable debt levels. We are comforted and buoyed by these statements."

China's embassy in Port Moresby did not respond to requests for comment. Analysts say Marape's former job as finance minister will make him a familiar and friendly face to Chinese diplomats.

"We will engage with the Chinese government and its people (and) so long as it is fair and friendly to us and in our terms, we're happy with that," Marape told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.

SON OF A PREACHER

The 48-year-old son of a Seventh Day Adventist pastor, Marape hails from PNG's poor but gas-rich highlands.

He supported a 2009 landowner agreement that paved the way for Exxon's $19 billion PNG LNG project, according to local media reports at the time, but soon became a critic of the oil and gas giant after the anticipated tax-take came in lower than forecast.

On Thursday, he put some of the world's biggest resources companies including France's Total on notice over a perceived lack of wealth flowing from their projects back to communities.

Total's Chairman and CEO, Patrick Pouyanne, told journalists in Paris on Wednesday that O'Neill had defended the interest of his country during the negotiations.

While Marape has indicated he wants to diversify the country's interests and develop its tourism industry, he is not against resources development.

In his highlands electoral base, he has led disarmament initiatives to strip "gun-toting cowboys" of their weapons, who he has blamed for trying to interrupt gas operations.

Parliamentary colleagues are expecting him to shake things up.

"It is time for a transition, it is time for a&nbsp;new&nbsp;generation ... to move on and bring some of the change that our people have been crying for," Charles Abel, who served as O'Neill's deputy, told parliament after Marape's election.

When Papua New Guinea's lawmakers started to shift their weight in their parliamentary seats in preparation for a tense vote on a new prime minister on Thursday, James Marape looked uninterested, his head lowered, fingers tapping his phone.

When Papua New Guinea's lawmakers started to shift their weight in their parliamentary seats in preparation for a tense vote on a new prime minister on Thursday, James Marape looked uninterested, his head lowered, fingers tapping his phone. The former finance minister later explained he was preparing notes for a speech, should numbers fall his way. They did, and the notes turned into a powerful series of addresses which signalled a desire to reset how the archipelago conducts business and diplomacy amid a strategic battle between China and the United States for influence in the Pacific. "We are still struggling to economically free ourselves," Marape told reporters moments after he was sworn in. "The nation needs to know that this is a break free ... and the emergence of a new group of like-minded leaders," he said referring to himself and his supporters. Marape became prime minister after receiving 101 votes to eight in parliament, a day after former leader Peter O'Neill resigned having lost the support of the house following almost eight years in power. The new leader told the chamber he wanted to make his country the richest black Christian nation on earth, then headed to Royal Port Moresby golf club for his regular Thursday round, according to the club's pro, Nelson Gabriel. DEBT OF GRATITUDE Formerly administered by US-ally Australia, PNG has in recent years turned increasingly to China for financing as Beijing becomes a bigger player in the region, something Marape is being asked by colleagues to change. "I would request that we take a long hard look at all Chinese arrangements," one MP who shifted from opposition to support Marape's leadership bid told Reuters, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the issue. PNG is rich in mineral resources and is close to both US military bases on the island of Guam and to Australia. China forged a particularly strong relationship with O'Neill, who was the first Pacific leader to sign up to China's Belt and Road infrastructure-building programme and who met President Xi Jinping more than a dozen times during his time in power, the former leader's spokesman told Reuters. In dollar terms, PNG has the biggest debt to China among its neighbours, representing about one-quarter of its total external debt. Foreign diplomats are now scrambling to understand the new leader, and there is a belief among some PNG lawmakers and western diplomats that China has the most to lose by the change in leadership. "We are trying to get some face time with him," a senior British diplomatic source told Reuters. "I suspect China is too and will be looking to pitch him with promises, but Marape has protectionist sentiments. Chinese loans often come with requirements to use Chinese labour and companies - if Marape isn't willing to accept those terms, it could be an opportunity for the West." A senior US government source said Marape's family has connections with the United States because his eldest son is enrolled at a North American university. "Marape has always been a supporter of Western principles such as democracy," the US source said. "As finance minister, he warned about unsustainable debt levels. We are comforted and buoyed by these statements." China's embassy in Port Moresby did not respond to requests for comment. Analysts say Marape's former job as finance minister will make him a familiar and friendly face to Chinese diplomats. "We will engage with the Chinese government and its people (and) so long as it is fair and friendly to us and in our terms, we're happy with that," Marape told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television. SON OF A PREACHER The 48-year-old son of a Seventh Day Adventist pastor, Marape hails from PNG's poor but gas-rich highlands. He supported a 2009 landowner agreement that paved the way for Exxon's $19 billion PNG LNG project, according to local media reports at the time, but soon became a critic of the oil and gas giant after the anticipated tax-take came in lower than forecast. On Thursday, he put some of the world's biggest resources companies including France's Total on notice over a perceived lack of wealth flowing from their projects back to communities. Total's Chairman and CEO, Patrick Pouyanne, told journalists in Paris on Wednesday that O'Neill had defended the interest of his country during the negotiations. While Marape has indicated he wants to diversify the country's interests and develop its tourism industry, he is not against resources development. In his highlands electoral base, he has led disarmament initiatives to strip "gun-toting cowboys" of their weapons, who he has blamed for trying to interrupt gas operations. Parliamentary colleagues are expecting him to shake things up. "It is time for a transition, it is time for a new generation ... to move on and bring some of the change that our people have been crying for," Charles Abel, who served as O'Neill's deputy, told parliament after Marape's election.

New Papua New Guinea leader a wildcard in Pacific power play

China&nbsp;hopes&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;understands&nbsp;the&nbsp;consequences&nbsp;of&nbsp;siding&nbsp;with the United States and doing its bidding,&nbsp;China's foreign ministry said on Friday after US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence called for the release of two <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-formally-arrests-two-canadians-detained-for-months-on-national-security-grounds-219091">Canadians detained in&nbsp;China</a>.

Chinese authorities detained Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig in December, shortly after&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;arrested&nbsp;China-based Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's Chief Financial Officer, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-cfo-house-arrest-contrasts-with-canadians-detained-in-china-220064">Meng Wanzhou</a>, on a US warrant.

She faces extradition to the United States on charges she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company have denied the charges and&nbsp;China&nbsp;has called for her release.

Asked about Pence comments that US&nbsp;President Donald Trump would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the detained Canadians at a G20 meeting in Japan in June, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang implied&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;was to blame for its problems in&nbsp;China.

"We hope that the Canadian side will come to understand the full&nbsp;consequences&nbsp;of pulling chestnuts from the fire on behalf of the United States, and not inflict more harm on themselves," Geng told reporters, without elaborating.

Pence, who has taken a hard line on&nbsp;China, discussed the detained Canadians with<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pence-trudeau-to-discuss-huawei-and-china-trade-issues-in-ottawa-official-222633"> Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa</a> on Thursday, where they also talked about Huawei andChina&nbsp;trade issues.

Kovrig and Spavor were formally charged with espionage this month.&nbsp;China&nbsp;has also cut off imports of key Canadian commodities in an effort to press it.

Canada&nbsp;has called the arrests arbitrary.

During his visit, Pence thanked&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;for standing up for the rule of law in detaining Meng.

While&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;says&nbsp;China&nbsp;has made no specific link between the detentions of the two men and Meng's arrest, experts and former diplomats say they have no doubt it is&nbsp;using their cases to pressure&nbsp;Canada.

China hopes Canada understands the consequences of siding with the United States and doing its bidding, China's foreign ministry said on Friday after US Vice President Mike Pence called for the release of two Canadians detained in China.

China hopes Canada understands the consequences of siding with the United States and doing its bidding, China's foreign ministry said on Friday after US Vice President Mike Pence called for the release of two Canadians detained in China. Chinese authorities detained Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig in December, shortly after Canada arrested China-based Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, on a US warrant. She faces extradition to the United States on charges she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company have denied the charges and China has called for her release. Asked about Pence comments that US President Donald Trump would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the detained Canadians at a G20 meeting in Japan in June, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang implied Canada was to blame for its problems in China. "We hope that the Canadian side will come to understand the full consequences of pulling chestnuts from the fire on behalf of the United States, and not inflict more harm on themselves," Geng told reporters, without elaborating. Pence, who has taken a hard line on China, discussed the detained Canadians with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Thursday, where they also talked about Huawei andChina trade issues. Kovrig and Spavor were formally charged with espionage this month. China has also cut off imports of key Canadian commodities in an effort to press it. Canada has called the arrests arbitrary. During his visit, Pence thanked Canada for standing up for the rule of law in detaining Meng. While Canada says China has made no specific link between the detentions of the two men and Meng's arrest, experts and former diplomats say they have no doubt it is using their cases to pressure Canada.

Huawei case: We hope that Canada understands consequences of siding with US, says China

India proposes the next informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, India proposes that meeting be held on October 11 in Varanasi. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi invites Xi Jinping to Varanasi

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