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Pakistani PM Extends Heartiest Greetings on China’s National Day
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday extended heartiest greetings to China and the Chinese people on China's National Day, which falls on Oct 1. China, as the second largest economy, is a source of stability in a perpetually changing world, the prime minister said in his message on the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on Twitter. Sharif said China offers a promise of hope to the developing world beset by multiple crises relating to climate, finance, food and energy, adding that the Chinese template of inter-state relations prioritizes cooperation over confrontation, a governing principle in the formation of a community of common destiny. "Personally, I am deeply touched by the Chinese adherence to remarkable work ethic and national discipline. This explains how China has been able to lift 800 million people out of acute poverty," he said. This article originally appeared in www..globaltimes.cn October 01, 2022. Original link.
Blinken – Bilawal Meeting: Pak-US Ties on a Fresh Trajectory
In a meeting with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken expressed concern at the destruction and fatalities brought on by catastrophic flooding. He pledged his full support and committed US$56 million in humanitarian aid for flood relief efforts. Blinken also implied that China should do more for the flood-stricken neighbor. China is irked by Washington's "unsolicited" advice. In Pakistan this year, flooding brought on by climate change reached devastating levels. A third of the country has been submerged by the floods, which already claimed at least 1,600 lives and caused more than $30 billion in damage to crops and infrastructure. On September 26, 2022, at the State Department in Washington, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had a meeting with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister of Pakistan. The Secretary expressed concern at the destruction and fatalities brought on by catastrophic flooding. At a time when Pakistan is seeking international aid, he pledged his full support and said, "We are here for Pakistan, just as we were during past natural disasters, looking ahead to rebuild." During the discussion, he urged Pakistan to ask China, its single-largest creditor, for debt relief and restructuring after the country suffered this calamity. In response to his statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin angrily reacted by stating that rather than “passing unwarranted criticism against Pakistan-China cooperation" the US should do something "real and beneficial" for the people of Pakistan. He added that the Chinese government has so far given Pakistan 400 million RMB in humanitarian aid and they will keep working tirelessly to aid the Pakistani people in overcoming the floods and quickly rebuilding their homes. The exchange of allegations between the two is a result of an escalating rivalry between the US and China for gaining world dominance. Unfortunately, this tension has spilled over to Pakistan,...
SCO Resolution and its Compliance
The resolution passed by the SCO meeting alluded to the international challenges and threats that are becoming more complex and leading the world to a situation where local conflicts are intensifying and new ones are emerging. SCO summit also called for a “more representative, democratic, just and multipolar world order.” On 15 and 16 September 2022, a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in Samarkand that was attended by the delegates from seven member countries: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan. The meeting gained prominence in global media because it was held at a time when the majority of the members faced crises that were against the basic agenda of the meeting which calls for good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation among the SCO Member States in developing connectivity and enhancing efficient economic and mutual trade relationships by gradually increasing the share of national currencies for the purpose. Two global issues, Ukraine War and China’s claim over Taiwan, dominated the summit – both direct in and on the sidelines of the SCO meeting. The world press defined it as an attempt of Russia and China to rally Asian leaders behind a new “world order” that can challenge the Western influence. The resolution passed by the SCO meeting also alluded to the international challenges and threats that are becoming more complex and leading the world to a situation where local conflicts are intensifying and new ones are emerging. The idea of “new world order” is not new as it has been intermittently been part of the international political discourse since the disintegration of the former Soviet Union that heralded a new cold war era led by the United States. One of the points of the resolution passed at the conclusion on 16 September 2022 relates to non-interference in internal affairs of independent nations. “Member States note the inadmissibility of interference in...
CRSS Executive Director, Mr. Imtiaz Gul, meets the Chinese Ambassador
Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director - Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), presents his book "What Lies Behind the Iron Brotherhood" to the Chinese Envoy to Pakistan, Mr.Nong Rong. In his book, Mr. Gul depicts a profound account of China's remarkable rise and history of its candid, everlasting friendship with Pakistan.
China tops in Flood Relief, including that by Civil Society
A friend in need is a friend indeed. The proverb rightly describes the bosom friendship between China and Pakistan. The recent deadly floods have been Pakistan’s most catastrophic experiences – a glaring impact of climate change that has not seen a parallel in the world’s history. Amidst these tribulations, China has stood by the people of Pakistan and demonstrated a profound commitment to helping Pakistan in the times most urgent and crucial. Not only the Chinese government but the common people, especially the civil society and philanthropic organizations, have come forward to offer dire assistance to the flood-stricken country. In an unprecedented action, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the China-Pakistan Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development have raised 125 million yuan worth of donations for the flood-affected areas. The ceremony, held in Beijing on September 25, was titled “Chinese People for Pakistani Brothers and Sisters” to raise funds and express solidarity with the affected communities. As many as 18 cities with sister city relationships with Pakistani cities participated in the event. Additionally, some 24 friendship organizations and subnational friendship associations, 13 companies, and several hundred charitable individuals from 15 Chinese provinces and municipalities participated in the event. “Since Pakistan was hit by the floods, the Chinese side, feeling deeply for our Pakistani brothers and sisters, has taken prompt actions to help.”, said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs told media on Monday. Webin further said that the Chinese government has provided 400 million yuan worth of humanitarian assistance to Pakistan in addition to the 125 million yuan raised separately by the civil society in China. The CPAFFC worked immediately to encourage and organize the friendship associations of Chinese cities with sister city relationships with Pakistani cities and...
UN General Assembly concludes general debate
UNITED NATIONS - This year's general debate of the UN General Assembly concluded on Monday, after representatives of 190 member states spoke around the theme of "A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges." Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, said in his closing remarks that 126 heads of state and government took part in this year's general debate. "The sheer number of you who took part in this debate points to the importance that the general debate holds in international affairs," said Korosi. Korosi said he got five messages from the member states during the general debate. The first is the growing awareness that humanity has entered a new era, he said. "Facing complex challenges and multi-layer crises, we reached a time of paradigm shift, because the movements, the adjustments that we see around us cannot be called mere modifications any longer: they are significant transformations in the making," he said. "The basic conditions of our global cooperation have changed. We live now in a different world -- a world of new challenges, changing priorities, changing roles, and changing ways. Fresh pages of history are being written, with new divisions and new alliances, new grievances, and new successes on them," he said. The second message is that the conflict in Ukraine should end, said Korosi. "You also pointed out that its effect is being felt around the world. You described the pain of shortages, inflation, the impact of refugees as far as South America and Africa, concerns about the safety of nuclear plants, and fears of a nuclear attack. You also highlighted the dangers of misinformation and propaganda," he said. The third message is that climate change is gradually destroying humanity, he said. "We heard about countries simultaneously experiencing droughts and flooding. We spoke about unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, eating up the fish and filling our waters with plastics,...
Worrying for Pakistan:China wants ‘Solid Protection’ of Personnel and Chinese businesses’ interests
Things are only getting worse for Pakistan; during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the historic Uzbek city of Samarkand (September 16) President Xi Jinping called on Pakistan to provide “solid protection” for hundreds of Chinese working on the CPEC projects in the country and build stronger synergy between the development of strategies of the all-weather allies. “China hopes that Pakistan will provide solid protection for the security of Chinese citizens and institutions in Pakistan as well as the lawful rights and interests of Chinese businesses,” Xi told Sharif, airing Beijing’s concern over recurring terror attacks on the Chinese workers , on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO). Coming from President Xi himself, words such as “solid protection” and “the lawful rights and interests of Chinese businesses,” should more than alarm Pakistan’s ruling elites. Long-standing dispute over electricity tariffs , particularly since 2020 and the lingering issue of delayed payments to all the Chinese power companies, have now found expression in public at the highest level. Pakistan owes nearly Rs.400 billion to the Chinese power companies. The issue had only partially been resolved when ex PM Imran Khan visited Beijing to participate in the Winter Olympics early February. PM Sharif – as usual – showered praise on Xi’s leadership, calling him a “leader of strategic foresight” whom Pakistani people hold in high esteem. But meanwhile such rhetorical expressions mean little in an increasingly complex and volatile world. Little do Pakistani leaders realise that the relationship has been under strain for months, particularly since the opposition launced the vote of no-confidence against Imran Khan. Circular debt has been a lingering issue but most serious concern related to the perception that the PDM government came into under the US influence. The continued political uncertainty and instability has only aggravated the Chinese concern about the...
Open-Door Policy: China Makes Hay ONLY While the Sun Shines
Lately, there has been a consensus within and outside the country that China is returning to its isolationist days. What has sparked this sentiment can be attributed to various factors. Firstly, an article recently published by a Chinese historian titled A Fresh Look at the Isolationist Policy in the Ming and Qing dynasties, has been read with some interest by the local population and started a debate within. The article argues that China`s feudal rulers from the 16th to 19th centuries, did not pursue a policy of complete isolation, as is widely believed, but one of self-restriction, designed to protect the Chinese national interests and sovereignty and ward off Western invasion and colonization. The article has raised eyebrows within the international community and questions whether such sentiments, as expressed in the article, will sway China away from its existing open-door policy to the West. It was their late leader Deng Xiaoping, who almost 40 years ago, realized that China needs to adopt an open-door policy to the world for it to become a modern and prosperous nation. He is widely considered the founding father of modern China as his vision helped China become the advanced country it is today, with the second largest economy in the world. No small achievement by any standards. Secondly, to compound the worries of the international community, China`s zero-Covid policy, although seen as essential, is hurting its population. The country is amidst an economic slump, mainly due to growing fatigue over Covid and a recent heatwave that has caused drought and slowed the economy. In certain regions, including within the Uighur population, there is growing unrest amongst the people over the shortage of food items and their anger over strict isolation rules imposed by the government. Additionally, there is an increased resentment and accusations that the government has failed in its Covid-free policy. The psychological impact of isolation is destroying the general...
SCO: Will it be the barometer of the New World Order?
In its 21 years since inception, the alliance seeks to promote regional peace and security cooperation within its member states and primarily reject world hegemony by the Western superpowers. It has become increasingly clear to developing countries, including the SCO member states, that reliance on the West for equality and fair play in trade can no more be guaranteed and an alternate trading/security bloc is the need of the hour. The annual meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was recently held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, from Sept 15-16, hosted by the current SCO Chair, the President of Uzbekistan. The bloc of countries includes Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, India, and other Central Asian states and is led by the Russian and Chinese Presidents. As an indication of its importance and legitimacy, other countries such as Belarus, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Maldives, and Myanmar have lined up and applied for membership, poised to further expand the alliance, and enhance its sphere of influence. In the meeting, key topics such as the war in Ukraine and China’s increasing tension with the West were discussed. In a world of multipolar changes and fluid dynamics, there has been a consensus amongst Asian countries to forge an alternative to the Western-dominated world trade. Led by Russia and China, the bloc aims to rely more on its region for trade and security, slowly shedding its dependency on the West. In its 21 years since inception, the alliance seeks to promote regional peace and security cooperation within its member states and primarily reject world hegemony by the Western superpowers. One may understand that because of the unilateral steps taken by the West towards countries it deems unfriendly, such as the imposition of hard-hitting sanctions, which are sometimes unjustified, it was a matter of time for blocs such as the SCO to be formed. Dominated by Russia and China, it has become increasingly clear to...
Biden urges world to help ‘underwater’ Pakistan
US president unveils $2.9bn global fund; calls for negotiating debts of vulnerable nations • PM Shehbaz shares concerns on flood aftermath UNITED NATIONS: As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community on Wednesday to stay engaged with Islamabad as it struggles to recover from the devastating effects of this season’s unprecedent floods, US President Joe Biden made a fervent appeal to the world to help Pakistan deal with the devastation of the recent floods in his speech to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The US president also called for action to address the climate change crisis and announced a $2.9 billion fund to support life-saving humanitarian and food security assistance across the globe for this year alone. Mr Biden also suggested “transparently negotiating” debts of vulnerable nations to forestall broader economic and political crises around the world. “Much of Pakistan is still under water, and needs help,” said the US leader while highlighting the impact of the changing climate on the world. “Families are facing impossible choices, choosing which child to feed and wondering whether they’ll survive,” he said. “This is the human cost of climate change. And it’s growing, not lessening.” On Tuesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had urged world leaders to help Pakistan deal with its debts. Taking a step in the same direction, President Biden called on “major global creditors including the non-Paris Club countries to transparently negotiate debt forgiveness for lower income countries to forestall broader economic and political crises around the world”. He said that instead of infrastructure projects that “generate huge and large debt without delivering on the promise advantages,” consider other ways to help developing nations. “Let’s meet the enormous infrastructure needs around the world with transparent investments, high standard projects that protect the rights of workers and the environment, key to the needs of the communities...
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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.