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US, China conclude two days of military talks in Washington
The United States and China wrapped up two days of military talks in Washington on Tuesday, the Pentagon said, the latest engagement since the two countries agreed to resume military-to-military ties. Washington and Beijing are at loggerheads over everything from the future of democratically ruled Taiwan to territorial claims in the South China Sea. Ties are still recovering after the U.S. downed an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February. U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed late last year to resume military ties, severed by Beijing after a visit in August 2022 by then-House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. The 17th round of the talks saw Michael Chase, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, meet China's Major General Song Yanchao, deputy director of the central military commission office for international military co-operation, the Pentagon said. "The two sides discussed U.S.-PRC defense relations, and Chase highlighted the importance of maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication in order to prevent competition from veering into conflict," the statement added, using an acronym for the People's Republic of China. Pentagon officials say communication between the two militaries is key to preventing a miscalculation from spiraling into conflict. The top U.S. military officer, General Charles Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff held a virtual meeting last month with his Chinese counterpart, General Liu Zhenli. China is willing to develop healthy and stable military-to-military relations with the U.S. "on the basis of equality and respect", its defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, citing the meeting. It urged the U.S. to cut military deployment and "provocative actions" in the South China Sea, as well halt support for such actions by "certain countries", but did not identify them. It asked the U.S. to abide by the one-China principle and...
PAKISTAN’S VIOLENCE-RELATED FATALITIES MARK A RECORD 6-YEAR HIGH, 56% SURGE IN VIOLENCE RECORDED IN 2023: CRSS ANNUAL SECURITY REPORT
In 2023, Pakistan witnessed 1524 violence-related fatalities and 1463 injuries from as many as 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations. This includes nearly 1000 fatalities among civilians and security forces personnel. The overall fatalities including those of outlaws mark a record 6-year high, exceeding the 2018 level and highest since 2017. Moreover, the country saw a surge in violence for the third consecutive year with an uptick recorded each year beginning from 2021. KP and Balochistan provinces were the primary centers of violence, accounting for over 90% of all fatalities and 84% of attacks (including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations) recorded during this period. Punjab and Sindh were relatively peaceful as together, both these provinces suffered only 8% of all fatalities in 2023. The year 2023 also recorded an alarming surge in violence by about 56% - an unprecedented escalation in the last ten years, with the overall number of fatalities increasing from 980 in 2022 to 1524 in 2023. This includes a staggering 57% uptick recorded in Balochistan and 55% in KP. Punjab saw a 96% rise in violence though the number of fatalities was very low, followed by Sindh where the fatalities increased by 26%.Nearly 65% of all violence-related fatalities recorded in 2023 resulted from terrorism, while the remaining 35% from the security forces operations against the outlaws. The country suffered as many as 586 terror attacks this year, with only 17% of them claimed by the banned terror outfits such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Daish (Islamic State Khorasan) and others. The security forces conducted as many as 197 operations against outlaws leaving 537-545 of them dead. The number of terrorist and insurgent attacks surpassed security operations against outlaws by almost three times, resulting in a higher number of casualties among both civilians and security personnel compared to the casualties among...
Middle East Conflict Evolving Geopolitical Dynamics
Background The Israel-Hamas conflict not only imposes greater adversity on Palestinians but also casts ominous shadows and carries far-reaching implications for the entire region and beyond, both in the present and the future. According to the World Bank’s recent Commodity Markets Outlook report, continued escalation in hostilities, depending on the duration and scale, could lead to unprecedented challenges in the world’s commodity markets, potentially causing a global oil crisis. While the West consistently offers unwavering support to Israel, providing both financial and military aid, it vehemently opposes Russia for alleged indiscriminate civilian killings in Ukraine. A similarly striking paradox emerges as the Western world refrains from expressing significant opposition to India's annexation of Kashmir. As the world witnesses the duplicity and partiality of the key decision-makers in such conflicts, the underlying and anticipated geopolitical landscape is characterized by contradictions that not only affect the immediate affectees in the conflicts but also reverberate globally, further complicating the fiscal and political quagmire. This becomes relevant and viable in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict too. Hence, its visibly horrendous damages and the projected aftermath call for an impartial and intersectional discourse centered on exploring pragmatic and sustainable solutions to peace.
BILATERAL CONNECTIVITY AND BUSINESSES FRIENDLY POLICIES MUST TO ENSURE ROBUST PAK-AFGHAN RELATIONS: PAK-AFGHAN TRIBAL LEADERS
Robust visa policies for the Pak-Afghan business community and “Business-Friendly” measures will pave the way for enhanced bilateral trade and smuggling prevention, eventually ensuring regional security and prosperity. These recommendations were highlighted by the participants of the 4th Pak-Afghan Tribal Stakeholders Conference, held in Peshawar, Pakistan, convened by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). According to the statement issued by the CRSS from Islamabad, Tribal leaders from Pakistan and Afghanistan discussed critical issues affecting the bilateral relations between the two neighboring nations. The meeting depicted a spirit of cooperation and dialogue and sought to enhance understanding and collaboration. A key theme of the meeting was economic cooperation, with discussions centering on trade and infrastructure development. Leaders explored opportunities to bolster economic ties, recognizing the potential for shared prosperity through collaborative projects and initiatives. Afghan participants urged for a more lenient visa policy for Afghan traders, proposing the establishment of a joint mechanism to boost the economy and address security-related issues. The need for streamlined visa procedures, including the initiation of E-Visas or on-arrival visas, was emphasized, while Pakistani delegates advocated for Special Border Passing cards for border communities. Deep concerns were voiced over the declining trade between both countries, with participants discussing restrictions imposed by the Pakistani government on trade. The meeting called for the removal of all trade restrictions, infrastructure development on both sides of the border to enhance connectivity, and the facilitation of smooth flow of goods and services. The implementation of streamlined customs procedures and the reduction of trade barriers were also highlighted, along with the initiation of bilateral trade agreements for mutual economic benefit. Both sides affirmed their...
Xi Jinping reiterates his stance on Taiwan ahead of upcoming elections!
Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to resolutely prevent anyone from splitting Taiwan from China in any way. His statement comes just two weeks before Taiwans presidential elections. On 26th December 2023, President Xi Jinping reinforced his longstanding stance in bringing Taiwan under Chinas rule and vowed to resolutely prevent anyone from “splitting Taiwan from China in any way.” (Xinhua News) His statement comes just two weeks before Taiwan elects a new leader in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on 13th January. Taiwan has operated as a self-governing island since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, with its own government, currency, and military. Despite strong objections by the Taipei government, China has viewed Taiwan as its own territory. Xi stated, “The complete reunification of our motherland is an overall trend, a righteous cause, and the common aspiration of the people. Our motherland must be reunified, and it will surely be reunified.” Moreover, there has been increased tension with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, who is fostering Taiwan's informal ties with the United States. Taiwan has emerged as one of the thorniest issues in US-China relations especially since the then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (in 2022) was hosted by Tsai during a visit to the island. This resulted in China strongly reacting and surrounding the island for days with extensive military exercises and cutting off high-level military communication with the US armed forces. Recently during a meeting in San Francisco last month, Xi also told US President Joe Biden that China’s “reunification” with Taiwan is “unstoppable,” according to China’s Foreign Ministry. China has stated that the Taiwan election is an internal Chinese affair but that the island's people face a choice between war and peace and any attempt by Taiwan seeking independence means war. To escalate things further, the frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president Lai Ching-te from the...
China will continue normal economic cooperation with Russia, oppose unilateral sanctions and ‘long-arm jurisdiction’: Foreign Ministry
Normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit should not be subject to interference or restrictions by any third party, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday. Mao made the remarks when asked whether Chinese oil and gas giants CNOOC and China National Petroleum Corp had left Russia's Arctic LNG-2 project, after Russian media reported that foreign shareholders in a project controlled by Russia's Novatek, suspended the participation due to the West's sanctions on Russia. Mao noted that sanctions and pressure haven't proven to be solutions, but had instead caused a negative spillover effect. China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law and no mandate from the UN Security Council, she said. "China and Russia will continue to engage in normal economic and trade cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit," she said. The Arctic LNG-2 project is a landmark project for China-Russia energy cooperation. According to the Xinhua News Agency, Chinese companies have participated in the Yamal liquefied natural gas project in Arctic Russia and the Arctic LNG-2 project, the two largest of the kind in Russia. China-Russia energy cooperation is the centerpiece of bilateral economic and trade ties in recent years. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on December 15 called for enhanced high-quality energy cooperation with Russia at the 20th meeting of the China-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee, Xinhua reported. Ding called on the two sides to consolidate energy trade and mutually beneficial cooperation, promote the construction and stable operation of oil and gas projects, and build nuclear energy projects with high standards and high quality. The two sides should actively expand new areas and directions of energy cooperation, deepen cooperation on renewable...
Top China and U.S. military leaders hold first meeting in more than a year
General Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff Department, spoke with his United States counterpart, General Charles Brown, Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The two nations' heads of state reached an important consensus on resuming communication and exchanges between the two militaries. General Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff Department, spoke with his United States counterpart, General Charles Brown, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, via a video link on Thursday, according to a news release from China's Ministry of National Defense. Liu said that during the San Francisco meeting, the two nations' heads of state reached an important consensus on resuming communication and exchanges between the two militaries. The armed forces of both sides should carry out exchanges and cooperation based on equality and respect and work together to help stabilize and improve bilateral relations. The Chinese general said that to develop sound, stable, and sustainable military-to-military relations, an important prerequisite is that the US side must have a correct understanding of China and should earnestly respect China's core interests and major concerns. He added that major efforts should be made to advance practical cooperation and enhance mutual understanding. Liu stressed that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, which brooks no external interference, and the Chinese military will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also said that the US side should respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, be cautious with words and deeds, and take concrete actions to safeguard regional peace and stability as well as the overall soundness of China-US relations. “Gen. Brown discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain...
China blasts the U.S. over its $300m Military Sale to Taiwan
China has expressed its disaffection to the deal and vowed to take countermeasures against relevant companies involved in arms sales transfer to the Chinese-claimed island. Such provocations by the U.S. administration only widen the distrust level between the two superpowers as it is apparent that neither the United States nor China would budge on the subject of Taiwan’s sovereignty. On December 15, 2023, the U.S. State Department approved a $300 million sale of military equipment to Taiwan to bolster the island’s defenses against any Chinese provocation. The sale was for follow-on life cycle support to maintain Taiwan’s Command, Control, Communications, and Computers, or C4 capabilities, according to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The assistance will increase Taiwan’s ability to “meet current and future threats by enhancing operational readiness” and sustain existing C4 capabilities that allow for the secure flow of tactical information, it added. (Reuters) As reported by Taiwan’s presidential office, the contract is the 12th arms transfer to Taipei by President Joe Biden’s administration, displaying the significance that the U.S. government places on the island’s military needs. In response to this, the Chinese Foreign Ministry (Dec 18, 2023) denounced and expressed their disaffection to the deal and vowed to take countermeasures against relevant enterprises/companies involved in arms sales transfer to the Chinese-claimed island. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated, “The Taiwan question is a matter of China’s internal affairs and allows no external interference,” Wang told reporters. “No matter how many weapons the U.S. provides to the Taiwan region, it will neither stop the historical process of China’s reunification nor shake the firm will of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added. Furthermore, he stated that by announcing another arms sale to China’s Taiwan region,...
FIVE Chinese Principles of Peaceful Co-existence
The Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence by China have been accepted and adopted by the overwhelming majority of developing countries, and have an increasing impact worldwide. China will always be steadfast in its pursuit of peaceful development. China supports other nations, especially emerging nations, and strongly maintains its interests in security, prosperity, and sovereignty. The Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence are mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. These ideas were first put forward by then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai on 31 December 1953 when he met an Indian Government Delegation. In June 1954, Premier Zhou visited India and Burma (now Myanmar). The joint Statement of the Prime Ministers of China and India issued on 28 June and the Joint Statement of the Prime Ministers of China and Burma issued on 29 June both affirmed that the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence as guiding principles in their bilateral relations and then the Five Principles were formally proposed as the norms for handling international relations. In 1955 the Asian-African Conference convened in Bandung, Indonesia adopted Ten Principles for conducting international relations, inside which the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence were included. Hereafter, in the process of the third-world countries seeking a fairer international political and economic order, the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence have been accepted and adopted by the overwhelming majority of the developing countries, and have an increasing impact all over the world. In 1970, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the “Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations”. This declaration included the content of the FIVE...
BRI deal boosts cooperation between China, Arab states
Beijing has signed cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative with all 22 Arab nations and the League of Arab States, after such a deal was reached between China and Jordan last week. The latest memorandum of understanding was signed by Chen Chuandong, Chinese ambassador to Jordan, and Zeina Toukan, Jordan's minister of planning and international cooperation, in the Jordanian capital Amman on Nov 29. The ambassador said the signing of the memorandum will strengthen the alignment between the BRI and Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision. "It will promote policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, thus providing an action guide for deepening practical cooperation in various fields," Chen said. Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the BRI has become an important international public good and a platform for international cooperation that provides strong support for building a China-Arab community with a shared future. "Looking ahead, China hopes to work with Arab countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation by building a route that leads to development and happiness for the Chinese and Arab people as well as affinity among them," Wang said. Referring to China and Arab countries as "natural partners" to jointly build the BRI, the spokesman said the two sides have made remarkable achievements since the initiative was put forward a decade ago. According to the ministry, trade volume between China and Arab countries has doubled compared to the figure 10 years ago, exceeding $430 billion last year. More than 200 large-scale cooperation projects under the BRI framework have been implemented, with its results benefiting 2 billion people on both sides. The Article originally appeared in www.chinadaily.com.cn Dec 07, 2023 Original Link
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I am also a member of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting. Recently, we held a meeting with the Director General of Radio Pakistan and we told them to initiate such local programs (like Constituency Hour) in regional languages to educate and inform people. Even Indian Radio can be heard in FATA which is being used for propaganda purposes and must be closed. Therefore, we should launch some standard and quality programs like CRSS that will change the taste of the listeners.