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<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=china&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">China</a> is in damage control mode now after it spoilt India’s party and not supported it for the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=NSG&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">NSG bid</a>. 
 
Chinese Home (Public Security) Minister Guo Shengkun is coming to India for Confidence Building Measure and will meet his Indian counterpart <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajnath+singh&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajnath Singh</a>. 
 
Both the sides will explore counter-terror cooperation against the growth and spread of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=islamic+state&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Islamic State</a>. 
 
The Chinese minister’s visit is viewed as an effort to soothe India’s wounds after China blocked its entry into the coveted Nuclear Supplier's Group. 
 Meanwhile, India and China will discuss global terror including the region in the backdrop of penetration of <keyword id="304620" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Islamic-State">Islamic State</keyword> in restive Xinjiang province of China, people familiar with the developments told ET. 
 
However, ET reported Singh will indulge in some plain speaking and urge Guo for ale Beijing's policy of opposing Delhi's move for a UN ban on Maulana Masood Azhar, JeM Chief and Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba -- both based in Pakistan, an all weather ally of Beijing. 
 
Earlier this year China once again vetoed India's move in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UN+Security+Council&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">UN Security Council</a> to ban Azhar. China was the only country that opposed notwithstanding support from rest 14 members of the council. 
 
They are also going to launch India-China "High Level Mechanism" for cooperation on internal security, according to government sources. 
Singh and Guo could also discuss issues like poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment that also fuel terror and share perspectives on de-radicalization measures. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Chinese minister to visit India for Confidence Building Measure, soothe NSG wounds

Last week, the Chinese government released data which showed that new home prices fell at their fastest rate in over seven years, while property sales measured by floor area fell for a 15th straight month in October. Based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics of <keyword id="1334" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword>, for the year-to-date period till October, investment in real estate development fell 8.8 per cent compared with the same period in the previous year, commercial floor space sold dropped 22.3 per cent, while revenue from commercial buildings sold plummeted 26.1 per cent. In <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, the property price index has been growing steadily in the past few years. The All India House Price Index (HPI) published by the <keyword id="6354335" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="Orion">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) grew at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent for the quarter which ended in June (Q1: 2022-23), expanding 1.8 per cent compared with the previous quarter. Although China is now taking measures to revive its property sector, real estate investment firms like Singapore's CapitaLand Investment (CLI) which has a third of its assets in China are looking to diversify their portfolio. Vietnam and India were cited by CLI as possible destinations for future investments. With the property sector accounting for about a quarter of China's USD17 trillion economy, concerned Chinese authorities have been introducing measures over the past months to inject confidence back into collapsing sector. Earlier in November, in the most comprehensive rescue package for the sector, since it was hit by a debt crisis last year, regulators unveiled 16 supportive measures mainly aimed at boosting liquidity for developers. Key measures include allowing banks to extend maturing loans to developers, supporting property sales by reducing the size of down payments and cutting mortgage rates, boosting other funding channels such as bond issues, and ensuring the delivery of pre-sold homes to buyers. Some analysts say that the support measures are the strongest signal yet that the two-year clampdown on the property sector is over. Chief China economist at UBS, Tao Wang, told CNN that the package of measures is a "turning point" for China's property sector. Along with other policies announced earlier this year, she estimates that it could inject more than 1 trillion yuan (USD 142 billion) into real estate. The Chinese government began trying to rein in excessive borrowing by developers to control soaring house prices in August 2020. This move unsettled the property market as the nation's second-largest developer, Evergrande, defaulted on its debt. As the property sector crashed, several major companies sought protection from their creditors. The cash crunch meant that work on many pre-sold housing projects across the country was delayed or suspended. The Chinese property sector was hit hard as developers lurched from crisis to crisis and halted the construction of apartments as they ran out of money. Property prices and transactions decline. Besides the mounting debt among developers, China's strict COVID policies amid rising coronavirus cases impacted manufacturing and consumer spending. The crisis took a turn for the worse in the middle of this year when angry home buyers refused to pay mortgages on unfinished homes, sparking fears of contagion, and causing financial markets to be spooked. Since then, authorities have tried to defuse the crisis by urging banks to increase loan support for developers so that they can complete projects. Regulators have also cut interest rates in a bid to restore buyer confidence. Based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, average new home prices in China's 70 major cities dropped by 1.6 per cent year-on-year in October 2022, after a 1.5 per cent decline a month earlier. It was the sixth straight month of decrease in new home prices, the steepest pace in the sequence, and the fastest fall since August 2015. Sales by the 100 biggest real estate developers shrank 26.5 per cent from a year ago in October, according to a private survey by China Index Academy, a real estate research firm. So far this year, their sales have tumbled by 43 per cent. While welcoming the government's property support measures, analysts remained cautious about the impact it would have on buyer confidence. "The property market has yet to show signs of recovery," said Nomura analysts in a research report last week, adding that the latest measures may have "little direct impact" on stimulating home purchases, adding that the zero-COVID strategy will weigh on the sector. Although it is felt that measures are supportive of the property market, bankers and analysts say they only address the property market's supply problems, with the demand recovery still a key concern. Many people are still reluctant to upgrade their homes or buy new ones due to economic uncertainty and falling employment. Despite the current doom and gloom, one company that is confident in the long-term future of the Chinese property market is Singapore's CapitaLand Investment (CLI). It has about a third of its overall property portfolio, which are mostly non-residential commercial real estate, in China at the moment. In an interview with Nikkei Asia, CLI said it plans to diversify its portfolio and is looking out for investment opportunities in Vietnam and India. The aim is to build resilience in areas like supply chain and energy amid shocks to globalisation seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. CLI whose largest shareholder is Singapore state-owned investor Temasek Holdings is one of Asia's largest real estate investment managers with USD 90 billion worth of property assets and USD 63 billion in funds under management "We would love to do more in Vietnam, we are already very active in India," said Chief Financial Officer Andrew Lim to Nikkei. "What recent events have told us is that it's probably dangerous to put all your eggs in one basket... in an era when globalisation is increasingly being put to the test. Lim thinks that Vietnam in the post-COVID era will emerge as an important destination for capital, especially regarding manufacturing. Whereas India has tremendous solar resources. "These are markets if you are looking for energy redundancy, energy resilience, renewable energy sources, suddenly it becomes important from that perspective." (ANI) SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indian-markets-open-in-the-red-tracking-covid-19-concerns-in-asian-markets-tata-steel-tata-motors-zomato-and-others-in-focus/articleshow/95649915.cms">Indian markets open in the red tracking Covid-19 concerns in China – Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Zomato and others in focus</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/the-world-waited-far-too-long-for-this-says-india-after-cop27-ends-with-historic-compensation-fund/articleshow/95649834.cms">The world waited far too long for this, says India after COP27 ends with historic compensation fund</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/markets-reward-psbs-push-up-their-market-caps/articleshow/95639716.cms">Markets reward PSBs, push up their market caps</a>

As the property market continues to slump in China, are property investors turning to India?

By K J M Varma Beijing, Jun 24 () China and India on Wednesday agreed to "strictly abide" by the important consensus reached by their leaders and a series of agreements, further strengthen the confidence-building measures in the military field and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas, the Chinese foreign ministry said. The senior diplomats of the two countries held "candid and in-depth" talks through video conference to explore ways to ease the tension along the Line of Actual Control in the eastern Ladakh region after the armies of the two countries clashed on June 15. The talks were held between Director General Hong Liang of the Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Naveen Srivastava. "The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the recent china-India border situation and expressed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the foreign ministers of the two countries during their phone call on June 17," a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said here. The two sides will actively cooperate with the militaries of the two countries to implement the outcomes of the two rounds of military-level talks on June 6 and June 22. The two sides agreed to strengthen communication and coordination through military and diplomatic channels and peacefully resolve relevant issues in border areas through bilateral dialogue and consultation, it said. "The two sides agreed to strictly abide by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and a series of agreements signed by the two sides, further strengthen confidence-building measures in the military field and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas," the statement said. The Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs between China and India was also attended by representatives from the foreign affairs, defence, immigration and other departments of the two countries. The talks took place two days after Chinese and Indian armies arrived at a "mutual consensus" to "disengage" from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh. On June 15, the violent clashes in Galwan Valley left 20 Indian Army personnel dead, significantly escalating the already volatile situation in the region. Though Beijing has not revealed its casualty figure, the official media editorials have said that China too suffered casualties. The Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in the standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh. A sizable number of Chinese Army personnel even transgressed into the Indian side of the de-facto border in several areas including Pangong Tso. The Indian Army has been fiercely objecting to the transgressions, and demanded their immediate withdrawal for restoration of peace and tranquillity in the area. Both sides held a series of talks in the last few days to resolve the border row. KJV AKJ ZH ZH

China, India agree to 'strictly abide' by important consensus reached by their leaders: Statement

India and <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> have agreed on a five-point plan for resolving the prolonged border face-off in eastern Ladakh that included abiding by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the frontier, maintaining peace and tranquility and avoiding any action that could escalate matters. The two countries agreed to the plan during talks between <keyword id="5263" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="External-Affairs-Minister">External Affairs Minister</keyword> S <keyword id="236448" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaishankar">Jaishankar</keyword> and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet. The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in eastern Ladakh since early May. The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) issued a joint press statement early on Friday featuring five points which were agreed by both the sides at the "frank and constructive" discussions by the two ministers. "The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," it said. The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. This assessment was a clear reference to decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their two informal summits in 2018 and 2019. "The two ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters," the joint statement said. At the talks, Jaishankar and Wang agreed that as the situation eases on the border, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas. The joint statement said the two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative(SR) mechanism on the India-China boundary question. "They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) should also continue at its meetings," it added.

India-China are now betting on a 5-point plan to resolve border row

Warning Beijing against advancing its untenable unilateral interpretation, India on Tuesday said that it has never accepted the 1959 definition of the <keyword id="49399" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Line-of-Actual-Control">Line of Actual Control</keyword> (LAC) with China. In response to queries on a recent media report quoting a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement regarding China's position on the LAC, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava, said, "India has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control (LAC). This position has been consistent and well known, including to the Chinese side." Under various bilateral agreements, including the 1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the LAC, the 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in the military field, the 2005 Protocol on Implementation of CBMs, the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, both India and China have committed to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC. In fact, the two sides had engaged in an exercise to clarify and confirm the LAC up to 2003, but this process could not proceed further as the Chinese side did not show willingness to pursue it, Srivastava said. "Therefore, the insistence now of the Chinese side that there is only one LAC is contrary to the solemn commitments made by China in these agreements," he said. The Indian side, Srivastava said, has always respected and abided by the LAC. As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated in the Parliament recently, "It is the Chinese side, which by its attempts to transgress the LAC in various parts of the Western Sector, has tried to unilaterally alter the status quo." The spokesperson said that in the last few months, the Chinese side has repeatedly affirmed that the current situation in the border areas should be resolved in accordance with the agreements signed between the two countries. In the agreement reached between the External Affairs Minister and his Chinese counterpart on September 10, the Chinese side had reiterated its commitment to abide by all the existing agreements. Srivastava said that India expects "the Chinese side will sincerely and faithfully abide by all the agreements and understandings in their entirety and refrain from advancing an untenable unilateral interpretation of the LAC." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-10-richest-tech-billionaires-in-india-in-hurrun-richest-list/slidelist/78380931.cms">India’s richest tech billionaires in 2020</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/new-names-added-to-richest-indians-list-hurun/slidelist/78384070.cms">The newest entrants on Hurun Rich List 2020 — Over 70% of the new faces are self-made billionaires</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/google-doodle-celebrates-zohra-sehgal-everyones-favourite-dadi-an-indian-royal-and-doctor-who-star/articleshow/78377815.cms">Google Doodle celebrates Zohra Sehgal — Everyone's favourite dadi, an Indian royal and Doctor Who star</a>

India warns China that it has never accepted 1959 definition of LAC

Kathmandu, Jun 20 () Nepal on Saturday said it was confident that both its "friendly neighbours" India and China will resolve their border stand-off at the Line of Actual Control through peaceful means, keeping in mind the stability of the region and world peace. The Himalayan nation, sandwiched between the two Asian giants, said it has always stood firmly for regional and world peace and expressed confidence that the differences between India and China will be resolved in the "spirit of good neighbourliness". "Nepal maintains that disputes between the countries should be resolved through peaceful means," the foreign ministry said in a statement, two days after the Nepal government completed the process of redrawing the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura in a move that could severely jolt bilateral relations with New Delhi. The foreign ministry statement noted that Nepal has always stood firmly for regional and world peace. "In the context of recent developments in the Galwan Valley area between our friendly neighbours India and China, Nepal is confident that both the neighbouring countries will resolve, in the spirit of good neighbourliness, their mutual differences through peaceful means in favour of bilateral, regional and world peace and stability," it said. Nepal's statement comes in the backdrop of clashes that have taken place between the forces of two countries in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel, were killed in the clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff between the two countries. MRJ AKJ MRJ

Nepal confident India, China will resolve differences through peaceful means

This sprawling, seven story government building was recently built in the village of Yungai. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/detail_2013_10/24/30605271_0.shtml">Via Ifeng</a></div></div>
Nice right?
The problem is, the building begins to look a little ostentatious when you consider that Yungai, an impoverished village on the outskirts of the city of Changsha in the central province of Hunan with just 3,683 residents, only has five government officials.
In total, eight people will use the building.
What's worse, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10402088/Chinese-village-builds-seven-floor-government-office.html">according to the Telegraph</a>, is that the building cost a reported 15 million yuan (around $2.4 million). One public official also told a Chinese news source that <a href="http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/detail_2013_10/24/30605271_0.shtml">the construction was financed with</a> "all debts, no payments."
The construction of such an extravagent public building on it's own would probably be infuriating to the average Chinese citizen, but worse still is that it <a href="http://www.chinasmack.com/2011/pictures/government-office-buildings-throughout-china-awe-inspiring.html">seems to be part of a trend</a> - things got so bad that earlier this summer, Beijing implemented a <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2013-07/24/c_132567708.htm">five year ban on new government buildings</a>.

This Enormous Chinese Government Building Was Built For Just 8 People

Reiterating his vision to help <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> join the digital bandwagon, Alphabet and Google CEO <keyword id="164502" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sundar-pichai" source="Orion">Sundar Pichai</keyword> has said the ongoing investments are a reflection of the company's confidence in the future of the country and its digital economy. The company, which announced a $10 billion Google for <keyword id="9566294" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india-digitisation-fund" source="Orion">India Digitisation Fund</keyword> last year, has already invested $4.5 billion for a 7.73 per cent stake in the top telecom network <keyword id="9161648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-jio-platforms" source="Orion">Reliance Jio Platforms</keyword>, along with recently investing up to $1 billion in Bharti Airtel. "It is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India, its digital economy, our desire to build products there, which we think will help us globally," <keyword id="1604185" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pichai" source="Orion">Pichai</keyword> said during the company's earnings call late on Tuesday. On the company's payment strategy, Pichai said it is thinking deeper about emerging markets like India as it "lines up with our mission of building a more equitable Internet for everyone". Pichai is also bullish on YouTube's future in the country. "When I look at YouTube in India, some of the commerce ideas we talked about earlier, you may see as the first stride in India first because we can get quicker feedback, a very dynamic, youthful population," he noted. "So we'll do it there (in India) and then roll it out globally. We are constantly looking for opportunities like that," Pichai added. YouTube Shorts continues to drive significant engagement for the company globally including in India. "We just hit 5 trillion all-time views and have over 15 billion views each day globally. This is helping our creator community reach newer and bigger audiences," Pichai added. "In 2022, we'll stay focused on evolving our knowledge and information products, including Search, Maps and YouTube, to be even more helpful," he added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-ce-2-lite-5g-with-5000mah-battery-snapdragon-695-and-an-affordable-price-tag-to-launch-in-india/articleshow/89291372.cms">OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G with 5,000mAh battery, Snapdragon 695 and an affordable price tag to launch in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/more-employees-are-leaving-tech-mahindra-than-tcs-and-wipro/articleshow/89291721.cms">More employees are leaving Tech Mahindra than TCS and Wipro</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/here-are-the-main-areas-where-technology-took-a-big-role-in-the-union-budget-2022/slidelist/89279470.cms">All things tech in Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech</a>

Sundar Pichai reiterates his confidence in India, says Google will build more products in India for the world

By Lalit K Jha Washington, Apr 23 () Facebook's USD 5.7 billion investment in Reliance Jio in the midst of coronavirus pandemic is a reflection of the faith that foreign companies have in Indian economy's potential and future growth, a top US-based India-centric business advocacy group has said. In an interview to , US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) president Mukesh Aghi said the COVID-19 crisis has offered India the best opportunity to attract foreign investment and replace China as the world's manufacturing hub."I strongly feel that once the COVID-19 crisis ends, India will have the best opportunity to attract hundreds of these (foreign) companies into the country," Aghi told . It will not only create jobs but also bring in investments and keep the Indian economy's momentum going. The multi-billion-dollar investment announced by Facebook in an Indian company in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic shows that India is still a very attractive market on the digital commerce side, he said."The partnership between Facebook and Jio is a win-win value proposition for not only for both companies but also for citizens and consumers in India. It also reflects the faith of foreign companies in the potential of India's economy and future growth," Aghi said. It is important that "India builds confidence" among foreign companies by assuring them of providing a "level playing field" as well as "transparency and stability" in policy making, Aghi said. According to Aghi, India has brought in reforms in its corporate tax structure but it must look at its labour laws and land reform as well. The momentum has to keep moving in the right direction to build the confidence of foreign investors, he asserted. Because of the bitter experience that the US companies are having in China during this pandemic, wherein they cannot move their goods because of the many restrictions imposed by Beijing on them, the sentiment among these companies is: "We have to look beyond China and very fast," he said. Observing that tensions between China and the rest of the world are going to rise in future due to the COVID-19 crisis, Aghi referred to the USD 2 billion package announced by Japan for its companies to move their manufacturing base away from China."You will see more and more of that happening," he said. The COVID-19 crisis has shown that India can take up the role of global economic leader as it is taking care of its citizens while also helping its friends and people across the globe, he said. "It has shown that in time of need, India as a friend can step up. So, from a global leadership perspective, I think the stature of India has gone up," Aghi said. He further said that USISPF has estimated that for India to become a USD 5 trillion economy, it needs roughly USD 100 billion-dollar investment on an annual basis. At the moment, not only US companies but other companies too are looking for an alternative to China, he said."And If India plays its cards right, a lot of that (companies) can move into India," he said. LKJ RHL

COVID-19 crisis has given India best chance to attract foreign companies: USISPF

Indians are proud to belong to the world’s biggest <keyword id="6354914" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Democracy">democracy</keyword>, but do we enjoy extensive freedom online? Not to a great extent, going by the annual <keyword id="169089" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Web-Index">Web Index</keyword> ranking, where countries are tested against a series of parameters that measure how the World Wide Web empowers people and contributes to <keyword id="518920" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="socio-economic-development">socio-economic development</keyword>. This year, <keyword id="23050" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sweden">Sweden</keyword> takes the top spot out of the 81 countries in the list while <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> has been ranked 56th with an Index score of 32.4, ahead of neighbours China (ranked 57th with a score of 31.1) and Pakistan (77th with 10.4). The bottom two countries are Ethiopia and Yemen. 
 Incidentally, China has the <keyword id="1951187" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Largest-Internet-user-base">largest Internet user base</keyword> in the world – a little over 300 million. The US comes 2nd with an estimated 207 million users while India has the <keyword id="1951188" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Third-largest-Internet-population">third-largest Internet population</keyword> of around 200 million and counting. As per the I-Cube 2013 report, the number of <keyword id="414255" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="internet-users-in-India">Internet users in India</keyword> is expected to rise 18.53% to reach 243 million by June 2014. 
 The Web Index is a composite measure that sums up in a single (average) number the extent of ‘freedom’ and ‘utility’ of the Web in various countries. The ranking was started in 2012 by the <keyword id="1947701" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="World-Wide-Web-Foundation">World Wide Web Foundation</keyword>, an organisation set up by the <keyword id="1537311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Web-inventor">Web inventor</keyword> Sir <keyword id="251605" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tim-Berners-Lee">Tim Berners-Lee</keyword> in 2009. 
 The indexing has got bigger this year and 20 more countries have been added, bringing the total number to 81. Several criteria have been taken into account and scores have been given for universal access, education &amp; awareness, access &amp; affordability, <keyword id="1951195" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Communications-infrastructure">communications infrastructure</keyword>, <keyword id="1951196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Relevant-content">relevant content</keyword>, <keyword id="1951197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Web-use">Web use</keyword>, <keyword id="1746818" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Content-Creation">content creation</keyword>, freedom &amp; openness, <keyword id="1951189" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Freedom-of-the-Web">freedom of the Web</keyword>, impact &amp; empowerment, <keyword id="1951201" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Political-impact">political impact</keyword>, social &amp; <keyword id="506859" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Environmental-Impact">environmental impact</keyword> and <keyword id="589977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="economic-impact">economic impact</keyword>. 
 Sweden has bagged the top spot for the second consecutive year (94.4 in universal access, 90.1 in relevant content, 86.1 in freedom &amp; openness and 92.2 in impact &amp; empowerment), followed by <keyword id="6356961" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Norway">Norway</keyword>, the UK, the US and <keyword id="22501" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="New-Zealand">New Zealand</keyword>. <keyword id="49968" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Denmark">Denmark</keyword>, <keyword id="6374076" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Finland">Finland</keyword>, <keyword id="55091" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Iceland">Iceland</keyword>, <keyword id="6354785" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="France">France</keyword> and the <keyword id="105814" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Republic-of-Korea">Republic of Korea</keyword> occupy the next five slots. It is not surprising that the US has got the lowest score under ‘freedom,’ following the <keyword id="6423563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Snowden">Snowden</keyword> debacle. The country has also dropped two places from last year’s list. 
 Ranked at 30th, <keyword id="3746" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mexico">Mexico</keyword> is the best emerging market country while the <keyword id="3750" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Philippines">Philippines</keyword> is the highest-ranked developing nation at the 38th spot. But except for <keyword id="10331" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Morocco">Morocco</keyword> (ranked 54th in the Index), none of the developing nations achieved the 50% connectivity target of the UN World Summit on the Information Society. In <keyword id="12925" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Africa">Africa</keyword>, fewer than 20% people are using the Internet. 
 
As for category leaders, Iceland ranks highest in access, the UK tops in relevant content, Norway leads in terms of freedom &amp; openness and the US comes first for impact &amp; empowerment. 
 
How is India faring? If you are wondering why India has not made it to the ‘Top 10’, here is a score breakdown for greater insight. The country has got 28.6 for access, 22.6 for relevant content, 49.5 for freedom &amp; openness and 31.2 for impact &amp; empowerment. While scores in the first two categories are bound to improve with deeper Internet penetration and <keyword id="1951206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Scaling-up">scaling up</keyword> of services across the country, impact &amp; empowerment can only happen when the burgeoning user base can actually leverage the numerous benefits of the Internet. 
 “This may happen in the near future as the Internet/Web-based industries are gearing up fast, sensing a really huge opportunity here,” observes a US and India-based <keyword id="6357097" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="venture-capital">venture capital</keyword> firm. 
 But what may worry one most is the score under freedom &amp; openness – 49.5 compared to Sweden’s 86.1 and Norway’s ‘perfect’ 100. According to a <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> report published earlier this year, India made an average of 13 requests a day to Google for <keyword id="1951212" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Access-to-personal-details">access to personal details</keyword> of <keyword id="177767" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Web-users">Web users</keyword> during 2012. This was only second to the US, which made 45 requests a day on an average – the highest for any country. The US made a total of 16,407 requests to Google during 2012, followed by 4,750 from India, 3,239 from France, 3,083 from <keyword id="87" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Germany">Germany</keyword>, 2,883 from the UK and 2,777 from Brazil. 
 
Interestingly, China has scored 5.3 for freedom &amp; openness while Pakistan’s score for freedom &amp; openness stands at 9.8. 
 Commenting on the trend, Sir Tim Berners-Lee said, “One of the most encouraging findings of this year’s Web Index is how the Web and <keyword id="6354632" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-media">social media</keyword> are increasingly spurring people to organise, take action and try to expose wrongdoing in every region of the world. But some <keyword id="6386287" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="governments">governments</keyword> are threatened by this, and a growing tide of <keyword id="6354565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="surveillance">surveillance</keyword> and <keyword id="6425075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Censorship">censorship</keyword> now threatens the future of democracy. Bold steps are needed now to protect our fundamental <keyword id="1850840" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="rights-to-privacy">rights to privacy</keyword> and <keyword id="1951220" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Freedom-of-opinion">freedom of opinion</keyword> and association online.” 
 
Key findings from Web Index 2013 
Targeted censorship of Web content by governments is widespread across the globe. Moderate to extensive blocking or filtering of politically sensitive content was reported in over 30% of Web Index countries during the past year. 
 
Legal limits on <keyword id="1951228" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Government-snooping">government snooping</keyword> online urgently need review. Around 94% of countries in the Web Index do not meet best practice standards for checks and balances on <keyword id="1951229" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Government-interception">government interception</keyword> of electronic communications. 
 
The Web and social media are leading to real-world change. 
In 80% of the countries studied, the Web and social media had played a role in public mobilisation in the past year, and in half of these cases, had been a major catalyst. 
 
Rich countries do not necessarily rank highly in the Web Index. 
The Philippines, with a per capita income of $4,410 per year, is more than 10 places ahead of Qatar, the world’s richest country, with an average income over 20 times greater than the Philippines. Saudi Arabia is overtaken by 10 of the sub-Saharan African countries. Switzerland, the world’s third wealthiest nation, is only one place ahead of Estonia. The study shows that once countries surpass a GDP threshold of $12,000 per capita, the link between wealth and Web Index rank weakens significantly. 
 
The rights and priorities of <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> are poorly served by the Web in the majority of countries researched. Locally relevant information on topics such as reproductive health, <keyword id="6360589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="domestic-violence">domestic violence</keyword> and inheritance remain largely absent from the Web in most countries. Only 56% of Web Index countries were assessed as allocating ‘significant’ resources to ICT training programmes targeting women and men equally. 
 
Image: Wikimedia Commons

When Measuring Internet Freedom, India Ranks Better Than China, Pakistan

The iconic British brands, which were bought over by <keyword id="42747" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Tata-Motors">Tata Motors</keyword> couple of years ago, revealed that they will <keyword id="47916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="invest">invest</keyword> 3.6 Billion Pounds in the next 15 months in countries like India, China and Brazil. This is good news for the Indian auto sector as some of the cars from camp JLR, like the <keyword id="333546" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jaguar-XJ">Jaguar XJ</keyword>, will be built here in India. 
 The company wants to expand aggressively and wants to increase their reach. The plan does seem positive as far as emerging markets are concerned. China is one of the biggest economies for the sales of <keyword id="42034" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jaguar">Jaguar</keyword> and <keyword id="44719" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Land-Rover">Land Rover</keyword> cars, and is contributing a lot as well. In China, JLR has joined hands with Cherry automobiles and is building a new production plant there. The plant will start operations in 2015. 
 
 JLR sold over 2,900 units in India last year and grew over 20%. The company is confident of its leadership (Tata) and is positive that they can learn good things on how to expand further under their guidance. 
in 2015.

Auto Expo 2014: Jaguar Land Rover To Invest 3.6 Billion
Pounds

India has changed the Rules of Engagement (RoE) across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after a barbaric attack was carried out by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops on Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, killing 20 Indian soldiers. In the violent clash that took place on the night of June 15, China took 10 <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> men, including officers, into custody and released them after three days. Sources said that Indian soldiers did not use weapons when the PLA troops attacked them. They were not allowed to do so as per the orders from their seniors and the confidence building measures pacts with China. As per the new Rules of Engagement, commanders deployed at LAC can give soldiers "complete freedom of action" to handle situations at the tactical level. The commanders can now use firearms and have full authority to respond to extraordinary situations using all resources at their disposal. Earlier, these were not part of the Rules of Engagements across the LAC. In a statement issued during an all-party meet on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that India would respond firmly to any attempt to transgress the LAC. "In fact, he specifically emphasised that in contrast to the past neglect of such challenges, Indian forces now decisively counter any violation of LAC (‘unhe rokte hain, unhe tokte hain')," a statement issued by the PMO stated. The words of Prime Minister -- "those who tried to transgress our land were taught a befitting lesson by our brave sons of soil" -- succinctly summed up the ethos and the values of the armed forces. Modi further emphasised, "I want to assure you that our armed forces will leave no stone unturned to protect our borders." Many people questioned why soldiers did not use firearms or why they went unarmed. To this, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that Indian Army troops, who were attacked and suffered fatal casualties on Monday night, were carrying weapons, however, they did not fire. He said, "All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving the post. Those in Galwan on June 15 did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 an2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs." Sources said Indian Army troopers were outnumbered by 1:5 ratio when they came under attack from the PLA soldiers at patrolling point 14 in along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. PLA troopers "savagely attacked" Indian Army personnel, according to sources in the government with knowledge of the details of the June 15 clash. "The numbers were stacked up against the Indian Army troopers. Yet, the Indian side decided to fight the PLA troopers. The Indian soldiers were outnumbered 1:5 by the Chinese troopers," the sources said. China is also said to have used thermal imaging drones to trace the Indian Army soldiers scattered on the treacherous terrain before brutally attacking them. "It was the deadliest attack carried on Indian Army personnel by the Chinese military personnel in our memory," the government sources said. "We were outnumbered," admitted an Indian Army officer, talking about the clash that reportedly went on for six to seven hours. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/indian-army-on-india-china-war-in-galwan-valley-soldiers-killed/articleshow/76402297.cms">‘Serious clashes’ between India and China⁠ in Galwan Valley — India says 'Chinese troops had planned this escalation'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-hits-back-at-china-over-galwan-valley-claims/articleshow/76483301.cms">India’s hits back at China over Galwan Valley claim calling it 'exaggerated and untenable'</a>

Government allows soldiers to use firearms across LAC in extraordinary situations

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>Beijing (AFP) - China and Russia will build one of the largest ports in northeast Asia on Russia's Sea of Japan coast, reports said, in a further sign of the powerhouses' growing alliance.
The seaport is expected to be able to handle some 60 million tonnes of cargo a year, China's state-run People's Daily Online reported late Wednesday -- comparable to Britain's busiest port Immingham or Le Havre in France, according to European Commission statistics.
The new facility will be located in far eastern Russia, just 18 kilometres (11 miles) away from the Chinese border. The region is also close to North Korea.
Chinese and Russian leaders inked a deal on the port at May's Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai, the report said.
The move represents the latest step by Beijing and Moscow to boost their energy and infrastructure ties.
Resource-hungry China is seeking to diversify its sources of energy amid booming domestic consumption, while Russia -- at odds with the West over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula -- is seeking to refocus its gas and oil exports towards Asia.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli attended the groundbreaking of a gas pipeline that will help Russia supply China under a huge energy deal.
After a decade of tough negotiations Chinese and Russian leaders inked a 30-year deal, $400-billion agreement in May that will eventually involve 38 billion cubic metres of gas annually.
"We are today starting the biggest construction project in the world," Putin said at the ceremony outside the Siberian city of Yakutsk.
Zhang said that he hoped the pipeline would be completed within four years.
"China is to devote consistent and unswerving effort to establishing a strategic partnership of energy cooperation with Russia as agreed upon by the heads of state of the two countries," he said, according to China's official Xinhua news agency.

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