INDIA CHINA Connect

Hong Kong topped the Asian Cities Internationality Index with 74.6 points, widening its lead over Singapore to 2 points. The city excels in business, economy, innovation, and talent attraction, though tech investment and cultural interaction need improvement. Experts highlight safety, finance, and cultural venues as key factors bolstering Hong Kong's appeal.

PM Modi urges Indians to limit unnecessary gold purchases and foreign travel to conserve foreign exchange and boost local consumption. With gold imports and oil dependence straining external finances, despite 7.8% GDP growth in June, the government seeks to enhance self-reliance and economic resilience through increased domestic spending.

A new language resources hall at Hunan Museum, Changsha, lets visitors explore Chinese linguistic diversity. It features a voice-recognition booth for dialect identification and materials from 1,800 survey sites. Showcasing major dialects, over 100 minority languages, and oral traditions, the exhibition aims to preserve linguistic heritage while addressing debates over Mandarin promotion.

Indians are projected to be Washington, DC's top-spending international visitors in 2026 and 2027, with spending reaching $342.7 million in 2025. Indian travelers spent $1,857 per person, surpassing the international average. However, visa delays and limited direct flights pose challenges. Destination DC aims to enhance outreach in Indian travel markets to boost tourism further.

India is strategically focusing on OSAT, assembly, testing, analog chips, and microcontrollers amidst rising global chip demand, which AI processors are impacting. Geopolitical tensions and energy shortages are reshaping semiconductor supply chains. By avoiding direct competition in advanced logic manufacturing, India's long-term success hinges on developing resilient and reliable supply-chain capabilities.

India-China relations are cautiously improving after tensions since Galwan. Reviving the Strategic Economic Dialogue may enhance cooperation in trade, technology, and infrastructure. Addressing concerns over trade practices, investment rules, and border stability is crucial. Chinese inputs could bolster India's export-led manufacturing. A stable relationship reset could benefit the broader Global South.

Twenty years ago, BRICS was a bond salesman's acronym. This week it becomes something else: a grouping of eleven members and ten partners — twenty-one countries in all — that has already overtaken the G7 on the measure that matters most to the developing world. Adjusted for purchasing power, BRICS+ now accounts for roughly 41 per cent of global output against the G7's 28 per cent, a crossover that occurred in 2018 and has widened every year since.