Amid increasing tension between the United States and China over the arms sale to Taiwan and US president Barack Obama's upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama, the US appeared to be adopting a conciliatory approach saying that it has many areas of common interest with the communist country.
Some of the world's biggest polluters, the US, China, European Union and India, have reiterated their previous pledges of cutting emissions by 2020 that were widely regarded as weak, especially the 17 per cent reduction of carbon emissions from 2020 levels proposed by the US.
It was the second straight week of gains for the benchmarks.
A stronger dollar makes oil more expensive because it raises the cost for imports for most of the world's countries
Pence accused the Chinese government of orchestrating an aggressive military, economic and political campaign to expand its influence inside the US and across the world.
The nation has the fifth largest defence budget in the world, at $52.5 billion in 2017 ($51.1 billion in 2016), overtaking the UK whose defence budget fell from $52.5 billion in 2016 to $50.7 billion in 2017.
Amid concerns in India over the reference to the Indo-Pak ties in a US-China joint statement, the Obama Administration on Wednesday said its relationship with China is not at the "expense of" India and that nothing much should be read into the document.
A release from White House said Obama held in-depth, productive and candid discussions on the US-China relations and other issues of mutual interest.
Pakistan on Friday said it has briefed the envoys of the P5 -- the US, China, Russia, the UK and France -- over "unprovoked firing" by India on the LoC and asked the countries to play their role in ensuring the maintenance of peace and security in the region.
India and the United States have "not signed" the End User Monitoring Agreement, said Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon on Tuesday
'China's deep involvement in the stability and economic and political success of Pakistan actually produces some elements of congruence with India's core interest in a stable and productive relationship with Pakistan.' 'It is not far-fetched for us to pursue that congruence and with ingenuity work out with China a formula that also satisfies our formal position on PoK,' argues Ambassador Kishan S Rana.
Citing assaults from hackers on its computer systems and China's attempts to 'limit free speech on the Web', Google in a statement said on Tuesday it would stop cooperating with Chinese Internet censorship and consider shutting down its operations in China.
Investors should consider debt mutual funds, banks fixed deposits or high-rated corporate debt instruments.
On gold buying occasions such as Akshaya Tritiya, Chiraj Mehta points out, investors are often confronted with the question: Should I make just a token purchase, or should I buy more towards building my allocation in the yellow metal?
For Indian CEOs, the US, China and the UK are important markets.
'Clearly, the warming of ties can be a 'win-win' for India and China,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'If Islamic extremists regain power in Afghanistan, Pakistan will lead them to Kashmir as a fighting arena again. India needs to fortify Kashmir and prepare against these Islamic extremists before they come again.'
India needs to consider whether the Donald Trump administration can actually deliver, observes former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
There is a sense of relief in Beijing that Modi will be at the helm of affairs in Delhi at a critical juncture in the geopolitics of the region, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Muted global trend after a report that US President Donald Trump was preparing to impose more tariffs on China hurt trading sentiments.
Ahead of the G-20 summit in Osaka this week, Xi has reasserted China's role as a global player, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will make his first state visit to the United States in September, China said on Wednesday, hours after President Barack Obama spoke to him and called for "swift work" to narrow down differences on cyber theft, pace of reform and currency issues.
'There is an understanding between the people of two countries that violence is not going to solve the Kashmir issue. A final understanding will take time,' says former national security adviser Brajesh Mishra.
International crude oil prices have fallen over 33 per cent from their recent record highs and are projected to fall further towards $90 per barrel with the second hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico not causing as much loss of production as was initially estimated.
India has moved beyond the traditional trappings of non-alignment
Modi said India will continue its support to ASEAN for a rules-based security architecture for the region.
'The biggest challenge Swaraj and Sitharaman will face is how far they can take their counterparts Pompeo and Mattis seriously.' 'One just doesn't know how long they will even keep their jobs.' 'They are basically salesmen peddling American wares.' 'Actually, there is nothing like 'American policies' in the Trump era,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The country must get its act on global alliances right in order to feed its fuel-hungry economy, points out Subhomoy Bhattacharjee.
In her remarks at the US-China Relations Conference in Washington on Tuesday, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said: "I urge China to pull back from the brink and unambiguously commit to the market access and flexibilities put on the table by the chairs -- just as Indian Prime Minister Singh has indicated his country will".
The three-month deadline for the finance ministry to take a decision on the recommendations of the commerce ministry has ended this week.
Referring to its immediate neighbourhood in its 'report card', the government said it had been able to engage Pakistan in a 'meaningful and constructive dialogue that has the potential to bring peace and prosperity to our region as a whole'.
Chinese observers believe the Sino-US relationship will be impacted by issues in North Korea, Japan, India, Ukraine and Iran and that conflicts with these 'third parties' will without exception ultimately become conflicts between China and the US, points out former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade.
'The meeting marks the first tentative step in the effort to understand whether the two largest Asian nations can co-exist peacefully while realising their aspirations.' 'Caution and watchful wariness will dominate the effort of both sides,' says Jayadeva Ranade, former RA&W officer and China expert.
Billed as the most comprehensive dialogue between the world's two largest economies, it will be attended by top officials from both sides, including US Secretary of State John Kerry.
'This novel format of diplomacy -- the informal summit -- will not only facilitate bilateral communication and reduce miscalculations at the very top level of the two governments, but possibly open the space for China and India to speak in one voice on various issues of mutual concern,' note Feng Renjie and Ding Kun Lei
The hubs will feed Europe, US and the Gulf.
'What matters is that India's perspective on global issues -- climate change, intellectual property, free trade, trade routes being kept free, digital technology -- are listened to with respect,' says Ambassador B S Prakash.
'Modi is the only chance we have in creating an Indian dream like we have the American Dream out here,' one ohe judges for the 'Code for India' hackathon in California tells Ritu Jha/Rediff.com
