Tag: South&Central Asia

Maldives’ New President Officially Requests India Withdraw Military Personnel

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COLOMBO, SRI LANKA —  Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu officially requested that India withdraw its military personnel from the archipelago Saturday, a day after being sworn in. The president’s office said in a statement that Muizzu made the request when he met Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister for earth sciences, who was in the Maldives for the presidential inauguration. “The president noted that at the presidential election held in September, the Maldivian people had given him a strong mandate to make the request to India and expressed hope that India will honor…

Pakistani PM Denies Arms Sales to Ukraine

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Islamabad —  Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister has said his country did not sell weapons for use by Ukraine in its war with Russia, calling reports of such sales a “confusion.” In an exclusive interview with VOA, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said Pakistan did not sell arms to the U.S. for Ukraine. “We will investigate if it [Pakistan arms] has ended up somewhere else. But, as far as Pakistan is concerned our arms were not at all destined for either Ukraine or any other place for that matter,” Kakar said. A recent investigative…

President Muizzu: Maldives Will Have No Foreign Military Presence

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MALE, MALDIVES —  Maldives will use diplomacy to ensure there is no foreign military presence on its soil, its new president said on Friday, reaffirming his support for the departure of a small Indian force from the islands where India and China vie for influence. Mohamed Muizzu was speaking at his inauguration after winning a presidential election in September, beating incumbent Ibrahim Solih in a second-round runoff. Solih had followed an “India first” policy, but Muizzu in his election campaign promised to remove a small Indian military presence of about…

China Holds Naval Drills With Pakistan in Arabian Sea

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Islamabad —  Pakistan is hosting a weeklong naval exercise with China in the Arabian Sea that officials said Monday would further enhance their “joint operational capabilities in dealing with maritime security threats and safeguarding peace.” The two neighboring countries began the drills Saturday at a naval base in Karachi in the waters and airspace of the northern Arabian Sea and will conclude them on November 17. China’s defense ministry said Monday the two navies would also conduct joint anti-submarine warfare, noting that “China and Pakistan will conduct their first joint…

Countries in Crisis Top Recipients of Chinese Funds

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Islamabad —  Russia, Venezuela and Pakistan are the top three recipients of Chinese development funding in the past two decades, but the crisis-riddled countries may be losing attraction for Beijing. China is moving to protect its global investments under the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a study released this week by AidData, a research lab at the U.S. university, William and Mary. The research shows that China gave $1.34 trillion dollars in grants and loans for more than 20,000 projects to 165 low-income and middle-income countries between 2000 and…

Countries in Crisis Top Recipients of Chinese Aid

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Islamabad —  Russia, Venezuela and Pakistan are the top three recipients of Chinese development funding in the past two decades, but the crisis-riddled countries may be losing attraction for Beijing. China is moving to protect its global investments under the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a study released this week by AidData, a research lab at the U.S. university, William and Mary. The research shows that China gave $1.34 trillion dollars in grants and loans for more than 20,000 projects to 165 low-income and middle-income countries between 2000 and…

China, Pakistan Sign BRI-Funded Railway Project Deal

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Islamabad —  China and Pakistan agreed Wednesday to boost cooperation under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, signing a key deal to construct a multibillion-dollar railway project in the South Asian nation. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his Pakistani counterpart, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, held bilateral talks Wednesday on the sidelines of the Beijing-hosted Belt and Road Forum before witnessing the signing of several memorandums of understanding and agreements under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC. “The two leaders discussed bilateral collaboration in the context of the CPEC and prospects of further deepening…

Taliban Attendance at Beijing Forum Signals China’s Policy of Engagement

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Washington —  This week, China’s Belt and Road forum in Beijing was not only a chance for Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold meetings with world leaders, it also was a rare opportunity for the Taliban, which has yet to be recognized by any country. The Taliban’s attendance at the meeting, which marks the 10th anniversary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative or BRI, was the highest-profile multilateral meeting the group has attended since its takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Experts say the Taliban’s invitation BRI forum signals the continuation…

Central Asians Balance Benefits, Risks of China’s BRI

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TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN —  Although weary of Beijing’s political ambitions and concerned about over-reliance on China, some Central Asians tell VOA they also see the benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, launched in 2013 as China’s global infrastructure endeavor. Since its launch, China has funded at least 112 projects in Central Asia. Many of the projects were aimed at boosting transportation and connectivity such as the Qamchiq mountain highway. “This mountain pass is where I make my living,” said Uzbek taxi driver Majid. The highway connects Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s…