All eyes
are on the third edition of BRI Forum in China amid slump in Chinese economy
that has slowed down funding for projects. However, a considerable focus will
be on the presence of the Russian President at the Forum who is on a rare visit
abroad since the war. Delhi will be a keep close watch on the Forum that will
also witness presence of the Taliban. Meanwhile, Indonesian Presidential
hopeful and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto seems to gain grounds with every
passing day as the nomination day nears. In Indonesia’s neighbourhood, Indian
Foreign Minister is visiting Vietnam and Singapore to promote partnership in
the Indo-Pacific region. In Japan, the support rate for Prime Minister Fumio
Kishida’s Cabinet fell to 32.3%, the lowest level since he became prime
minister in October 2021. A U.S. strategic bomber B-52 is set to land in a
South Korean air base this week, the United States Forces Korea (USFK) said
Monday, in the latest show of force against North Korea’s missile and nuclear
threat.
South
China Morning Post | 10th October 2023
China has
redoubled its commitment to the Belt and Road Initiative and
says it is open to any project that can help developing countries. The
initiative, which was unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping a decade
ago, will continue to be Beijing’s “overarching plan and its top-level design”
for opening up and international cooperation, according to a white paper
released by the country’s State Council Information Office on Tuesday.
China’s Belt and Road Forum to
illuminate scope of Russia ties
Nikkei
Asia | 16th October 2023
Russian
President Vladimir Putin is due in China this week for a high-stakes visit that
should signal the strength and scope of the countries’ “no limits”
friendship. Putin will be attending China’s Belt and Road Forum, set for
Tuesday and Wednesday, as Beijing marks the 10th anniversary of its initiative
to build infrastructure stretching from Asia to Europe and Africa. The Russian
president is expected to push for new energy deals and an expansion of
infrastructure projects — two of the six official BRI economic corridors run
through Russia — while pitching investment opportunities in the void left by
Western companies.
China attempts to ‘mainstream’
Taliban via Belt & Road Forum
The
Economic Times | 16th October 2023
Taliban’s
participation in China’s Belt and Road Forum this week is an attempt at
“mainstreaming” the group in the presence of over 120 countries invited to the
Forum as the Taliban leadership will be attending a mega meet for the first
time since they stormed to power in August 2021. The move is also an attempt to
create a wedge with India and use the first mover advantage with the Taliban,
according to observers who track Taliban. Taliban officials and ministers
have at times travelled to regional meetings, but the Belt and Road Forum is the
first high-profile summits it has been invited to attend, according to one of
the above-mentioned observers. This, he felt, would help to mainstream Taliban,
a long-standing desire of the group.
Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto most
qualified to become president, brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo says
South
China Morning Post | 16th October 2023
Indonesian
tycoon Hashim Djojohadikusumo is his politician brother Prabowo Subianto’s most
loyal supporter – and he is not ashamed to make that known to the world. As the
nomination period for the country’s February presidential poll nears, Prabowo,
Indonesia’s defence minister and a former commander of its special forces, is
dominating surveys that put him as a front runner to succeed the nation’s
incumbent leader Joko Widodo. In a likely three-way race involving Prabowo,
former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, 54, and Anies Baswedan, 54, the
former Jakarta governor currently aligned with the opposition, whoever gets the
nod of approval from the highly popular Widodo is seen as very likely to be the
winner.
EAM Jaishankar meets Vietnam’s top
leadership, discusses cooperation in key sectors
The
Indian Express | 16th October 2023
External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Vietnam’s top leadership and
discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation in areas like trade, energy,
defence and maritime security while also sharing perspectives on the
Indo-Pacific, amidst China’s aggressive behaviour in the strategic region.
Jaishankar, who arrived here on a four-day official visit to Vietnam on Sunday,
called on Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and conveyed the greetings of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Kishida Cabinet’s support rate
falls to record low 32%
Japan
Times | 15th October 2023
The
support rate for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet fell to 32.3%, the
lowest level since he became prime minister in October 2021, a Kyodo News
survey showed Sunday. The figure declined from 39.8% in the previous poll in
September and was below 33.1% in November and December last year, while the
disapproval rating rose to a record high of 52.5% from 39.7% in September,
according to the two-day nationwide telephone survey. The survey conducted from
Saturday also showed that 58.6% of respondents expect the upcoming economic
package, planned to be compiled by the end of this month to mitigate the pain
of rising prices for everyday goods, will be ineffective.
(LEAD) U.S. strategic bomber B-52
to arrive in S. Korea this week
Yonhap |
16th October 2023
A U.S.
strategic bomber B-52 is set to land in a South Korean air base this week, the
United States Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday, in the latest show of force
against North Korea’s missile and nuclear threat. It would mark the first time
that the B-52 Stratofortress has landed at a South Korean air base although the
long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons flew over the Korean
Peninsula for joint drills between South Korea and the United States. The B-52
is one of the major U.S. strategic bombers along with the B-2 Spirit and B-1B
Lancer, which landed at Osan Air base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of
Seoul, in September 2016.
