Tag: South&Central Asia

Chinese Foreign Minister Tells Pakistan It Must Overcome Political Instability

Media Library

Islamabad, Pakistan —  Expressing concern about Pakistan’s increasing instability, the visiting Chinese foreign minister told the host nation to overcome political differences to pave the way for economic progress. China’s foreign minister, Qin Gang, was in Pakistan on Saturday for the fourth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue held in Islamabad. It was Qin’s maiden visit to the country since becoming Beijing’s top diplomat. “We sincerely hope the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so it can focus on growing…

Regional Talks Expected to Highlight China’s Interests in Pakistan, Afghanistan

Media Library

washington —  Senior officials from China, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban will hold two days of talks starting Friday in Islamabad, where observers expect to learn more about Beijing’s priorities in the region. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will meet with Pakistani officials. The international community has ostracized the Taliban over hard-line policies targeting Afghan women and others. Not only has Beijing encouraged the international community to continue to talk to the Taliban, but it also has said it supports encouraging the Taliban…

Pakistan’s Army Chief Visits China to Deepen Ties

Chin@Strategy

Islamabad, Pakistan —  Pakistan’s Chief of the Army, General Asim Munir, is in China on a four-day official visit where he is holding meetings with the leadership of the People’s Liberation Army to discuss military cooperation between the two countries. Munir met with Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, where the Chinese official described the relationship between the two countries as consistent. “No matter how the international situation changes, China always gives Pakistan priority in its neighborhood diplomacy,” Zhang said, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.…

India Accuses China of Violating Border Agreements

Chin@Strategy

New Delhi —  India’s defense minister accused China on Thursday of eroding the “entire basis” of ties between the countries by violating bilateral agreements, a reference to a nearly 3-year-old standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and “had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations,” India’s Defense Ministry said. Singh told Li that “development of relations between India and China…

India to Surpass China as Most Populous Country by Month’s End

Chin@Strategy

India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country by the end of this month, the United Nations said Monday. By the end of April, India’s population is expected to reach 1.425 billion, which means it will match and then surpass mainland China’s population, the U.N.’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) said. “China’s population reached its peak size of 1.426 billion in 2022 and has started to fall. Projections indicate that the size of the Chinese population could drop below 1 billion before the end of the…

China’s Influence in Central Asia Spreads as US Lags

Chin@Strategy

WASHINGTON —  As China strengthens its relations with Central Asian countries, U.S. influence has fallen behind, according to some observers. U.S. foreign policy in Central Asia has been shaped by strong Russian influence in the region, but China’s growing presence in Central Asia has caused Washington to refocus its strategy through a lens of competition with Beijing. Experts speaking at a recent webinar sponsored by the Caspian Policy Center said the U.S. should not make competing with China the sole focus of its Central Asia strategy. China and five Central…

Chinese Engineer Arrested in Pakistan for Alleged Blasphemy

Chin@Strategy

Islamabad —  Authorities in northwestern Pakistan confirmed Sunday they had arrested a Chinese engineer for allegedly insulting Islam, ending overnight angry protests that called for legal action against the foreigner. Police identified the detainee as “Mr. Tian,” head of heavy transport at the China Gezhouba Group Company constructing the Dasu hydropower project about 350 kilometers north of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad The trouble erupted Saturday when the Chinese supervisor tried to push his local driving staff while they were collectively offering afternoon prayers at the worksite to speed up the pace…

US State Department Unveils 2022 Annual Human Rights Report

Chin@Strategy

State Department —  Russia’s armed forces have committed “numerous war crimes and other atrocities” since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, said a U.S. Department of State report that documents human rights practices around the world. “There were credible reports of summary execution, torture, rape, indiscriminate attacks, and attacks deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure by Russia’s forces in Ukraine, all of which constitute war crimes,” the State Department said in its 2022 annual human rights report, released Monday. The annual report also underscored cases…

G20 Finance Ministers Fail to Bridge Differences Over Ukraine

Chin@Strategy

new delhi —  The finance ministers of the Group of 20 countries wrapped up a two-day meeting Saturday in India without issuing a joint statement after China and Russia objected to references that other members wanted to make on Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine. With no consensus, India, which holds the G-20 presidency this year, said in what is called a “chair’s summary” that “most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy.” Stating that…

China, Iran Call on Afghanistan to End Restrictions on Women

Chin@Strategy

beijing —  China and Iran have urged mutual neighbor Afghanistan to end restrictions on women’s work and education. The call came in a joint statement Thursday issued at the close of a visit to Beijing by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, during which the two sides affirmed close economic and political ties and their rejection of Western standards of human rights and democracy. Since taking over Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have banned women and girls from universities and schools after the sixth grade and forced out those in elected…