BIMSTEC

Growing Salience of BIMSTEC : Reconnecting the Bay of Bengal Civilisation Through Trade and Connectivity

If the twentieth century was shaped by the Atlantic and the early twenty-first century witnessed the rise of the Pacific, the coming decades may well belong to the Bay of Bengal. The foundations of that future will not be built solely through trade agreements or infrastructure projects. They will emerge from a shared commitment to connectivity, cooperation and civilisational understanding.

West Bengal's Economic Transformation: A Blueprint for Growth

West Bengal has the resources, talent, culture, and strategic location necessary to become one of India’s most prosperous states. By combining efficient governance, investment-friendly policies, infrastructure development, education, innovation, trade expansion, tourism growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion, the state can achieve rapid economic transformation and substantially raise incomes, employment, and overall quality of life.

India’s Balance-of-Payments Challenge: Need for Structural Transformation in Uncertain Times

India possesses immense talent, entrepreneurial capacity, and a large domestic market, yet it still lacks sufficient depth in high-end manufacturing, research and development, semiconductor ecosystems, advanced engineering, and globally dominant product companies.

What Trade Patterns Reveal About South Asia’s Economic Future

One of the most striking features of South Asian trade is how little the region trades internally. Intra-regional trade within South Asia remains among the lowest in the world relative to geographic proximity. Political tensions — especially between India and Pakistan — have prevented the emergence of a deeply integrated regional production system comparable to ASEAN or the European Union.  This is a major missed opportunity.

More on Geoeconomics, Trade and Development

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'Pakistan-China true friends and good brothers'

China reiterated its gratitude and appreciation over the enormous support and assistance offered by Pakistan in the wake of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Chinese President Xi likely to visit Pakistan soon

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Pakistan either in May or June to further expand strategic partnership and trade ties between the two neighbouring countries, according to informed sources.

Bangladesh trade body urges banks to be flexible as coronavirus outbreak hits imports

Bangladesh's apex trade body has urged banks to exercise more flexibility in the wake of coronavirus outbreak in China that has hit the supply chain of imported raw materials and products for local businesses.

Air India suspends China, Hong Kong operations till June

India's national passenger carrier Air India has extended the suspension period for its Delhi-Shanghai and Delhi-Hong Kong services till June 30, owing to the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Chinese workers resume work in Sri Lanka after quarantine

Chinese workers in Sri Lanka, who were subjected to a 14-day quarantine amidst fears of the novel coronavirus, have resumed work this week, a media report said on Friday

Pakistan stands behind China: PM Imran

Pakistan firmly stands behind China in its efforts to eliminate the coronavirus, said country's Prime Minister Imran Khan in a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping according to a statement issued by the prime minister's office.

Families of Pakistanis stranded in China reject government briefing

The families of Pakistani citizens who have not been evacuated from China amid the coronavirus outbreak have rejected a government briefing, while calling for their return, it was reported on Thursday.

China opposes Indian Home Minister's visit to Arunachal

Even as it is bogged down by the coronavirus epidemic, China on Thursday reopened a hostile front with India as Beijing "firmly opposed" Indian Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh on its statehood day and warned India against "complicating" the border issue.

IAF flight to China delayed due to technical reasons

Indian Air Force's largest plane C-17 Globemaster's scheduled flight on Thursday to coronavirus affected city Wuhan in China to evacuate Indians stranded there has been delayed due to technical reasons

China to help fight locusts as major crops face danger

A team of experts from China is set to visit Pakistan to deliberate on the aerial management of locust swarms in the country. A senior official of the food security ministry told Dawn that the Chinese technical experts’ delegation will arrive in Islamabad on Sunday to start the evaluation of the locust situation

Situation critical in China, say Indian students

"How's the Josh," Lieutenant Colonel Manjunath asked the students camped in India Army quarantine base in Manesarand their reply was: "High Sir". It resonated across 10 barracks they were kept in after returning from China's Wuhan, the ground zero of coronavirus.

Chinese envoy advises against evacuation of 171 Bangladeshis from virus-hit Hubei

Chinese Ambassador in Bangladesh Li Jiming has advised against evacuating 171 Bangladeshi nationals from the locked-down cities in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of a deadly coronavirus, bdnews24 reported

China urges Bangladesh not to ditch it

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming urged Bangladeshi businesses not to switch over its supply chain to any other countries as an alternative to China in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

175 Nepalis airlifted from Wuhan arrive in Kathmandu

175 Nepalis who were stranded in Hubei Province of China after the outbreak of COVID-19 arrived in Kathmandu on a chartered Nepal Airlines plane.