1. PM Modi concluded one-day visit, offers 12-point plan: India-ASEAN connectivity a viable alternative to China’s BRI
2. G20: Leaders agree to grant permanent membership to African Union: Report
3. ‘We consider requests…’: United Nations responds to ‘India vs Bharat’ name change row
4. Scoop: U.S., Saudi, India, UAE hope to ink railway deal to connect Middle East at G20
5. UK won’t change immigration policy to secure India trade deal: Report

What Else

6. India to seize properties of terrorists living in Pak-occupied Kashmir
7. India keen on having Quad leaders as Chief Guests for 2024 Republic Day parade
8. Foxconn chief eyes India to outrun China in a game the dragon dominated
9. Pakistan: Army top brass resolves to assist govt in curbing illegal activities hampering economic growth
10. Pakistan: Torkham crossing stays shut for second day
11. In a first for a Russian foreign minister, Lavrov travels to Bangladesh
12. China-Australia relations: Canberra ‘should not set preconditions’ for Albanese’s China visit
13. Onshore yuan hits 2007 dollar low amid China slowdown fears: Report

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PM Modi concluded one-day visit, offers 12-point plan: India-ASEAN connectivity a viable alternative to China’s BRI 

• PM Modi unveiled an ambitious multi-modal connectivity initiative at the just-concluded 20^th ASEAN-India Summit in Indonesia.
• The initiative aims to link Southeast Asia, India, West Asia and Europe, which experts suggest could be an alternative to China’s One Belt, One Road program.
• Connectivity has emerged as a pivotal area of cooperation between India and ASEAN.
• 12-point plan: India’s 12-point proposal for strengthening India-ASEAN cooperation was presented during the summit by PM Modi in Jakarta during the Summit.

• Establishing multi-modal connectivity and economic corridor that links South-East Asia-India-West Asia-Europe
• Offer to share India’s Digital Public Infrastructure Stack with ASEAN partners
• ASEAN-India fund for Digital Future focusing on cooperation in digital transformation and financial connectivity
• Renewal of support to the Economic and Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to act as a knowledge partner for enhancing engagement.
• Call for collectively raising issues being faced by Global South in multilateral fora
• An invitation to ASEAN countries to join the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine being established by WHO in India
• Call for working together on Mission LiFE
• Offer to share India’s experience in providing affordable and quality medicines to people through Jan-Aushadhi Kendras
• A call for a collective fight against terrorism, terror financing and cyber-disinformation
• Invitation to ASEAN countries to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
• Call for cooperation in disaster management
• Call for enhanced cooperation on maritime safety, security, and domain awareness (here)

• East Asia Summit Leaders issue a 7-page joint statement on “Maintaining and Promoting the Region as an Epi-centrum of Growth”.
• Significant in many ways since East Asia has Russia, China, India, US as members.
• India to open embassy in Timor-Leste, announces PM Modi at ASEAN-India summit: PM Modi on Thu announced a decision to open an Indian embassy in Timor-Leste while co-chairing the annual ASEAN-India summit in this Indonesian capital. (here)
• India extends 10 ITEC training slots and 10 GCSS Scholarships every year; ambulance was funded by MEA for US$ 70,620; India Assisted Bamboo Project; Trained diplomats at Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service

G20: Leaders agree to grant permanent membership to African Union: Report

• G20 member states have agreed to grant permanent membership to the African Union.
• This move would give the AU the same status as the EU from its current designation of “invited international organization.”
• In June, PM Modi wrote to the G20 member states proposing the AU be given full, permanent membership of the bloc at the upcoming summit.
• The G20 leaders are expected to announce the decision during the summit.
• This time, the G20 summit in New Delhi also invited 9 non-member states, including B’desh, S’pore, Spain, [not coming due to COVID], and Nigeria, besides the UN, WHO, WB, and IMF
• The Bloomberg report said that countries like Germany, Brazil, and Canada also expressed their support for AU’s membership to the G20. (here)
• PM Modi to hold more than 15 bilateral meetings with world leaders on the Sidelines of Delhi G20 summit: Sources

‘We consider requests…’: United Nations responds to ‘India vs Bharat’ name change row

• Amid the ongoing debate on the change of name from India to Bharat, the UN has chimed that the UN considered requests from countries to change their names when it receives a proposal from them.
• Notably, before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN-India Summit, PM Modi held a meeting with all his ministers and asked to stay away from commenting on the name. (here)

Scoop: U.S., Saudi, India, UAE hope to ink railway deal to connect Middle East at G20

• President Biden and the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE hope to announce a major joint infrastructure deal on Sat that will connect Gulf and Arab countries via a network of railways.
• It will also connect to India through shipping lanes from ports in the region,
• The project is one of the key initiatives the WH is pushing in the Middle East (a key part of China’s BRI) China’s influence in the region is growing.
• The joint railway project is expected to be one of the key deliverables Biden wants to present during the G20 Summit in New Dehli this weekend.
• It comes as the Biden admin seeks to complete its diplomatic push for a mega-deal with KSA that could include a normalization agreement between the kingdom and Israel before the 2024 campaign consumes Biden’s agenda.
• No one is involved in commenting on it.
• The WH said in an earlier statement previewing Biden’s trip that the president will participate on Sat in a “Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment event.”
• A U.S. official involved in the talks said the work on the announcement is still ongoing and it is not final yet.
• The project is expected to connect Arab countries in the Levant and the Gulf via a network of railways that will also connect to India through seaports in the Gulf
• An announcement will likely increase the chances of a possible brief bilateral meeting between Biden and Saudi Crown Prince MBS on the sidelines of the G20.
• The idea for the new initiative came up during talks that were held over the last 18 months in another forum called I2U2. (here)

UK won’t change immigration policy to secure India trade deal: Report

• Britain has no plans to change its approach to reducing net migration to secure FTA with India, the spokesperson for PM Rishi Sunak said on Thu.
• There is growing optimism that a free trade deal between the countries could be concluded this year, as both sides agree on the broad contours of the pact.
• Sunak, who heads to India for a G20 summit this weekend, told his ministers that negotiations were progressing but that he would only agree on an approach that worked for the whole of Britain.
• In Jun, trade minister Kemi Badenoch said Britain would discuss temporary business visas as part of trade talks but not broader immigration commitments or access to Britain’s labor market for Indian workers. (here)

India to seize properties of terrorists living in Pak-occupied Kashmir

• Terrorists from J&K who have taken shelter in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will soon see their properties seized by the authorities.
• The J&K administration has already initiated the process of declaring them “proclaimed offenders” and attaching their properties.
• Action already started: The action had already been initiated in the Doda district, where at least 16 people have already been declared proclaimed offenders
• Notably, properties of those accused of sheltering terrorists here in free Kashmir are also being attached, but not of those who were forced or threatened to shelter terrorists.
• According to police, a list has already been prepared featuring over 4,200 such terrorists living in PoK since 1990
• Over the past three decades, over 23,000 terrorists have been neutralized by security forces. (here)

India keen on having Quad leaders as Chief Guests for 2024 Republic Day parade

• India is discussing the possibility of inviting leaders of the Quad grouping, comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S., to the R Day parade on Jan 26
• The possibility of President Biden being the Chief Guest for the parade, with the Quad summit held a day prior, on Jan 25, is also being looked into
• However given that Jan 26 is observed as Australia Day, it would be extremely difficult for their Prime Minister to be in India on that day.
• Welcoming the idea, it would be extremely difficult for some of the leaders given their pressing commitments in their respective countries during that time. (here)

Foxconn chief eyes India to outrun China in a game the dragon dominated

• India is poised to emerge as the ‘new manufacturing center in the world’, with the supplier ecosystem likely to develop faster than the time it took to come up in China, said Foxconn chairman Young Liu.
• Liu recently met PM Modi in Gujarat at Semicon India 2023.
• Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Wed, Liu said that Foxconn will expand its operations in India as business grows on higher consumer purchases.
• Foxconn is exploring opportunities to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) in India and Tamil Nadu is one of the states it is considering to set up a plant.
• Liu said that if there are not many changes in India, the country will “become a new manufacturing center” for the world.
• Liu has said that the company will invest billions of dollars and expand beyond its 30 factories, which collectively have a turnover of around $10 billion. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Army top brass resolves to assist govt in curbing illegal activities hampering economic growth

• The military’s top brass resolved on Thu to “wholeheartedly” assist the govt in curbing all illegal activities that hamper economic growth, stability, and investor confidence.
• The resolve was expressed during the 259^th Corps Commanders’ Conference at the GHQ Rawalpindi, where the military leadership’s “full support” for ongoing efforts for socioeconomic growth.
• It comes within week after Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir assured the business community on Sun of fostering transparency in dollar exchange and interbank rates.
• He also highlighted the pivotal role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), emphasizing its potential to attract substantial investments of up to $100 billion from countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and others.
• To bolster economic decision-making, he revealed the formation of task forces focused on economic matters and different sectors.
• Pledge to defend country’s sovereignty: Besides, pledging support for economic growth, the army leadership also resolved to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity (here)

Torkham crossing stays shut for second day

• The Torkham border crossing remained closed for a 2^nd day on Thu after clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan border forces, leading to a build-up of trucks laden with goods.
• The border crossing — the main transit point for travelers and goods between two — had shut on Wed after a gun battle erupted between border forces.
• Security forces were not allowing anyone to go beyond the Michni checkpoint, which overlooks the border crossing from a high point near the Landi Kotal bazaar.
• They said border forces had also vacated all offices and residential quarters near the border crossing late on Wed evening.
• Transporters were also asked to halt their movement towards the border until further orders.
• Meanwhile, border guards had refused to allow the bodies of an Afghan woman and a child to be taken to Afghanistan due to the border closure, officials said (here)

In a first for a Russian foreign minister, Lavrov travels to Bangladesh

• Russian FM Sergey Lavrov arrives in B’desh on Thu, the nation’s 1^st-ever visit that is expected to focus on paying Moscow for the construction of a nuclear plant despite Western sanctions.
• Reports suggest that Moscow may want to step up ties with Dhaka, which Moscow recently defended against Western criticism over concerns about human rights and free and fair elections.
• “Bangladesh will urge Lavrov to take measures to stop the war in Ukraine. …But at the U.N., we will not name Russia in condemnation resolutions on Ukraine,” the head of the Parliamentary foreign committee said.
• On the world stage, Dhaka has refrained from explicitly siding with Moscow and President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.
• PM Sheikh Hasina, however, has repeatedly voiced concerns about the impact of the Western sanctions against Russia on developing economies. (here)

China-Australia relations: Canberra ‘should not set preconditions’ for Albanese’s China visit

• As China and Australia resumed high-level talks on Thu for the first time in 3 years, Australia’s PM was further greasing the wheels of diplomacy thousands of km away.
• At a regional summit in Indonesia, Anthony Albanese met Premier Li Qiang and he reiterated intentions to visit China this year, as the two sides aim to normalize trade relations that have been strained for more than 3 years.
• But the details, many of which extend beyond the economic sphere, are still being ironed out before Albanese’s long-awaited China trip – 4 months after Beijing’s invite.
• While nothing is confirmed, Albanese could potentially visit China after a trip to the US in Oct and around the time of China’s IIE in Nov – an occasion when Beijing’s policymakers will try to highlight the attractiveness of China’s big market (here)

Onshore yuan hits 2007 dollar low amid China slowdown fears: Report

• On Thu, the Beijing-controlled onshore yuan plunged to its lowest level against the dollar since 2007 as concerns over an impending economic slowdown were renewed by falling Chinese exports.
• After briefly reaching 7.3284 yuan, the lowest level since December 2007, the onshore yuan lost 0.13% to 7.3279 yuan to the US dollar at around 09:25 GMT.
• The offshore yuan, which is traded more freely than domestic currency outside of mainland China, decreased 0.19% to 7.3350 to the dollar.
• China’s exports and imports fell once more in Aug, adding to the pressure on the govt to adopt more stimulus measures for the world’s second-largest economy.
• Additionally, China’s exports, which have historically been a major driver of its economic growth, fell by 8.8%. (here)