Vol. : XXXX No. 22 ISSN 0254-7996 Fortnightly Publication of South Asian Press Clippings Selections From Regional Press Coverage Dailies: • November 16 – 30, 2020 Journals: • Up to first week of December, 2020 CONTENTS I. Foreign Affairs 1 II. Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs 33 I - FOREIGN AFFAIRS Subject Newspapers/Periodicals Date Page INDIA India-US Relations 1. Biden and new diplomacy: India will need to The Indian Express, 1 recalibrate its strategy to shifting global New Delhi 18-11-2020 realities By Yoginder K. Alagh 2. India, US are committed to rule of law unlike The Hindustan Times, 1 China, say US Senators New Delhi 19-11-2020 By Shivani Kumar 3. During call with PM Modi, Biden spoke of The Indian Express, 2 ‘strengthening democracy in US, abroad’ New Delhi 19-11-2020 By Shubhajit Roy India-China Relations 4. India will react fiercely if provoked, says Modi The Pioneer, 3 PNS New Delhi 16-11-2020 5. Where India and China differ in the Indian The Hindustan Times, 4 Ocean region New Delhi 30-11-2020 By Urmi Tat 6. India refuses to support China’s Belt and Road The Hindustan Times, 4 project at SCO meet New Delhi 30-11-2020 HT Correspondent India-Pakistan Relations 7. Fresh military crisis in Kashmir can help The Indian Express, 5 Pakistan test Biden’s South Asia policies New Delhi 17-11-2020 By C. Raja Mohan 8. Pak’s million mutinies, ghosts and Doval’s The Hindustan Times, 6 doctrine of ‘defensive offence’ New Delhi 25-11-2020 By Shishir Gupta India and South Asia Policy 9. Chanakya: India’s new template for the The Hindustan Times, 7 neighbourhood New Delhi 23-11-2020 - Chanakya India and EU 10. India, EU condemn use of proxies for cross- The Hindustan Times, 9 border terrorism New Delhi 20-11-2020 HT Correspondent India and G20 11. Multilateralism need of the hour for sustainable The Hindustan Times, 9 recovery in post Covid-19 world: PM Modi New Delhi 23-11-2020 By Shivani Kumar India and RCEP 12. Jaishankar defends decision to not sign RCEP The Indian Express, 10 By Shubhajit Roy New Delhi 17-11-2020 India and BRICS 13. Brics calls for equitable distribution of The Hindustan Times, 11 coronavirus vaccine New Delhi 19-11-2020 HT Correspondent India and ASEAN 14. East Asia Summit signals India will pursue The Indian Express, 11 bilateral pacts with ASEAN countries New Delhi 20-11-2020 By Gurjit Singh AFGHANISTAN Pak-Afghan Relations 15. Afghanistan, Pakistan Sign Customs Outlook Afghanistan, 12 Assistance Agreement Kabul 18-11-2020 - 1TV News 16. Imran Khan’s “Historic” Visit to Kabul! Afghanistan Times, 12 By Kazim Ali Gulzari Kabul 21-11-2020 17. Afghanistan, Pakistan officials discuss Afghanistan Times, 14 strengthening bilateral Kabul 27-11-2020 - AT News Peace Talks 18. Pompeo meets Afghan, Taliban negotiators, Afghanistan Times, 14 hopes ‘successful peace talks’ Kabul 22-11-2020 19. Erdogan Meets Abdullah, Vows Support to Afghanistan Times, 14 Afghan Peace Kabul 22-11-2020 - Tolo News 20. Saudi Arabia Renews Support to Afghan Peace Outlook Afghanistan, 15 Process Kabul 29-11-2020 - Pajhwok BANGLADESH Bangladesh-US Relations 21. Bangladesh’s expectations from the Biden The Daily Star, 15 government Dhaka 16-11-2020 By Fahmida Khatun Bangladesh-India Relations 22. India wants more Feni River water, Teesta The Bangladesh Observer, 16 water sharing not on agenda Dhaka 13-11-2020 By Shahnaj Begum 23. BD-India to work together in data privacy The Bangladesh Observer, 17 framework Dhaka 25-11-2020 By Staff Correspondent Bangladesh-Japan Relations 24. Japan offers technical help The Daily Star, 18 By Shamsuddoza Sajen Dhaka 16-11-2020 Bangladesh-Dominica Relations 25. BD establishes diplomatic ties with Dominica The Bangladesh Observer, 18 By Diplomatic Correspondent Dhaka 26-11-2020 Bangladesh and OIC 26. Dhaka wants OIC's continued support till The Bangladesh Observer, 18 Rohingyas are repatriated Dhaka 29-11-2020 - Observer Online Des NEPAL Nepal-India Relations 27. Nepal-India Agree to Strengthen Cooperation Spotlight, 19 in Railway Sector Kathmandu 20-11-2020 - New Spotlight Online 28. Nepal-India High-level Exchange Spotlight, 20 By Keshab Poudel Kathmandu 26-11-2020 29. Foreign secretaries of Nepal and India Spotlight, 22 discussed and reviewed various aspects of the Kathmandu 27-11-2020 bilateral ties By New Spotlight Online Nepal-China Relations 30. Not to be left behind, China also sending top The Kathmandu Post, 22 official to Nepal after visits from India Kathmandu 20-11-2020 By Anil Giri 31. Chinese state councilor and defense minster Spotlight, 23 general Wei Fenghe agrees to continue support Kathmandu 29-11-2020 to Nepal Army New Spotlight Online 32. Chinese stopover militarily significant and The Kathmandu Post, 24 politically symbolic Kathmandu 30-11-2020 By Anil Giri PAKISTAN Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations 33. Kabul urged to look beyond settled issue of The News, 25 Durand Line Islamabad 17-11-2020 By Staff Correspondent Pak-US Relations 34. US hails Pak role in Afghan peace efforts The News, 26 By Staff Correspondent Islamabad 20-11-2020 Pakistan-China Relations 35. China backs Pakistan after Modi`s tirade Dawn, 27 By Baqir Sajjad Syed Islamabad 21-11-2020 Pakistan-Thailand Relations 36. Thai envoy stresses need to boost trade with Dawn, 27 Pakistan Islamabad 17-11-2020 By Saleem Shahid Pakistan-India Relations 37. Time to counter India’s regional designs The Nation, 29 By Senator Rehman Malik Islamabad 26-11-2020 38. Dossier on India’s terrorism shared with UN Dawn, By Anwar Iqbal Islamabad 26-11-2020 39. Pakistan shares proofs of Indian terror with P5 The Nation, 29 envoys Islamabad 17-11-2020 By Shafqat Ali Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations 40. PM in Kabul Dawn, 30 Editorial Islamabad 21-11-2020 Pakistan-Japan Relations 41. Pakistan’s role for Afghan peace critical: The News, 31 Japanese envoy Islamabad 26-11-2020 By Staff Correspondent Pakistan and CARs 42. CAR regionalism and Pakistan The News, 31 By Prof Shabir Ahmad Khan Islamabad 16-11-2020 1 THE INDIAN EXPRESS, NEW DELHI 18-11-2020 rights agencies will have more clout. Vice President-elect Biden and new diplomacy: India will need Kamala Harris has already commented on Kashmir, in to recalibrate its strateGy to sHiftinG Global election debates. These, of course, are relative statements, since the American structure is one of checks and realities balances. YoGinder K. AlaGH A crucial area of Indian interests will be global trade The Biden presidency is very sensitive to minority rights negotiations. The Biden presidency is likely to be as as constitutionally proclaimed and the US official human aggressive on this as the Trump regime. It will also pursue rights agencies will have more clout. Vice President-elect the US objective of strengthening multilateral accords and Kamala Harris has already commented on Kashmir, in WTO rules with much greater technical clout and election debates. diplomatic pressure. Our government had already given up It is interesting that Indian media and commentators have the food security and livelihood clauses as preconditions concentrated on the bilateral trade, technology and for discussing “other issues”, basically tariff reduction. financial resonance of the expected actions of the Biden Murasoli Maran, who was then India’s commerce presidency. Its political, environmental and global minister, had at Doha, stuck to this position. Suresh Prabhu institutional implications have been ignored. These have took this position at the WTO ministerial in Argentina profound consequences for the country, though the two- (2017) but later gave up the stand, agreeing to discuss tariff minute byte communications world has no patience for it. reduction, much to the disappointment of the G-77. The Those who know better probably prefer to remain quiet for present situation calls for adept handling, since there is the current “Khan Market gang” knows the propensity of rising unemployment and excess capacity. The pandemic the establishment to shoot the postman. has only made matters worse. Instead of saying The Center for American Progress (CAP), headed at the mechanically that the “next quarter will be better”, we executive level by an American of Indian origin, Neera need a serious turnaround plan, with local and global Tanden, and founded by John Podesta, who was adviser to angles worked out. the US delegation at the Paris climate change talks in the Canadian political scientist Andy Cooper, who visited us Obama presidency, before President Donald Trump on my invitation, mentioned that international relations in withdrew from the negotiations, had done a lot of work on the world of modern communication are Bismarckian. how to proceed on global and national issues when the This is the world of Bono and his global message. We must consequences can be visualised but not quantified. One of recognise that a world dominated by Biden, Trudeau Jr and the arguments that the Trump administration had made Macron is different from the “strongman’s” world of was data of a quantified kind is not available on global Trump, Roy Harper and Hollande. warming. During one such exercise in Washington organised by CAP, I was invited to lead a possible Indian HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI 19-11-2020 reaction. CAP then followed it up in India using TERI’s India, US are committed to rule of law good offices. The restrictions that we have removed on projects in unlike China, say US Senators mining in forests or on land use in the natural forests of Shivani Kumar Kashmir will become the target of discussion the world US Senator Mark Warner said that China follows the over. Official circles in Delhi are correctly emphasising policy of authoritarian capitalism as it allows “ferocious India’s progressive stand at the Paris negotiations.