Xi vows greater support for Russia as meets Lavrov
Beijing has long sought to present the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs such as NATO and has pushed for greater collaboration between its 10 members.
Top diplomats from the grouping have arrived in Beijing for a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, including Russia's Sergei Lavrov, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Iran's Abbas Araghchi.
Meeting Lavrov in the Chinese capital, Xi said the two countries should 'strengthen mutual support on multilateral forums', according to state news agency Xinhua.
Beijing and Moscow should work to 'unite countries of the global South and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction', Xi said, according to Xinhua.
Russia's foreign ministry said in an earlier statement that 'a number of issues of bilateral political contacts at the highest and high levels were discussed'.
They included preparations for President Vladimir Putin's visit to China to join a SCO summit and World War II anniversary celebrations.
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Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
World's largest power project stirs anxieties
Listen to article China has broken ground on what it says will be the world's largest hydropower project, a $170 billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain. The scheme dwarfs the mighty Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest, and Chinese construction and engineering stocks surged after Premier Li Qiang unveiled it on the weekend. For Beijing, the project promises clean power, jobs and a jolt of stimulus for a slowing economy. For neighbours downstream, it stirs old anxieties about water security: the Yarlung?Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh, a lifeline for millions. What exactly did China approve? The plan involves five dams along a 50?km stretch where the river plunges 2,000 metres off the Tibetan Plateau. First power is expected to be generated in the early?to?mid 2030s, but beyond that and the price tag, China has published little information about how it intends to build the project. Why are neighbours concerned? That lack of information is compounding fears about water security in India and Bangladesh, which rely on the Brahmaputra for irrigation, hydropower and drinking water. The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, said earlier this year that the dam could dry out 80% of the river passing through the Indian state while potentially inundating downstream areas such as neighbouring Assam state. In addition to water, the dam will also mean less sediment flowing downstream, according to Michael Steckler, a professor at Columbia University. That sediment carries nutrients essential for agriculture on floodplains downstream. India and China fought a border war in this region in the 1960s, and the lack of transparency from Beijing has helped fuel speculation it might use the dam to cut off water in another conflict, according to Sayanangshu Modak, an expert on the India-China water relationship at the University of Arizona. "The construction of the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project is a matter within the scope of China's sovereign affairs," Beijing's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding the dam would provide clean energy and prevent flooding. "China has also conducted necessary communication with downstream countries regarding hydrological information, flood control, and disaster mitigation cooperation related to the Yarlung Zangbo project," the ministry said. India's foreign and water ministries did not respond to requests for comment. India's take But the impact of the dam on downstream flows has been overstated, in part because the bulk of the water that enters the Brahmaputra is from monsoon rainfall south of the Himalayas, and not from China, said Modak. He added that China's plans are for a "run of the river" hydropower project, which means the water will flow normally along the usual course of the Brahmaputra. India itself has proposed two dams on the Siang river, its name for the Yarlung Zangbo. One, an 11.5-gigawatt project in Arunachal Pradesh, will be India's largest if it goes ahead. Those have been proposed, in part, to assert India's claims on the river and bolster its case should China ever seek to divert the water, Modak added. "If India can show that it has been using the waters, then China cannot unilaterally divert," he said. Controversy is common Quarrels over dams and water security are not new. Pakistan has accused India of weaponising shared water supplies in the disputed Kashmir region after New Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates water sharing between the neighbours. In Egypt, a senior politician was once caught on camera proposing to bomb a controversial Nile river dam planned by Ethiopia during a long-running dispute over the project. Earthquake, extreme weather risk The dam will be built in an earthquake zone also prone to landslides, glacial?lake floods and storms. A spree of dam building in the area sparked concerns from experts about safety following a devastating earthquake in Tibet earlier this year. A much smaller hydropower project on a nearby tributary has been limited to four?month construction windows because of engineering challenges in high altitudes and vicious winters.
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3 hours ago
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Balochistan PA condemns Degari honour killings
QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly Tuesday passed a unanimous condemnation resolution against the brutal double honour killing of a man and a woman in the Sinjadi Degari area of Quetta, calling the act inhumane, illegal, and a violation of both Islamic teachings and constitutional rights. The session, chaired by Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, began 45 minutes late and opened with Fatiha for the martyrs of recent terrorist attacks and fallen security personnel in the province. The joint resolution, presented by MPA Ghazala Gola and supported by other members, condemned the killing of unarmed individuals in the name of honor and stated that no person has the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner. 'Justice is the sole responsibility of the state,' read the text, urging the government to ensure the accused receive exemplary punishment. Women lawmakers, including Shahida Rauf, Mena Majeed, and Farah Azeem Shah, delivered powerful speeches condemning the Degari incident, describing it as a societal failure and a throwback to 'centuries of backwardness.' Mena Majeed said, 'Women around the world are reaching the moon, while women in Balochistan are being murdered in the name of honor.' Rauf demanded strict action and legislative reforms, calling for the formation of a joint government-opposition committee to oversee the investigation. She also questioned the role of traditional jirgas, suggesting they be redirected toward positive societal contributions rather than reinforcing outdated customs. Farah Azeem Shah criticised the double standards in the justice system, emphasising that 'honor does not mean taking a woman's life, but protecting her dignity.' Religious leader Hidayat-ur-Rehman, while condemning the killings, warned against adopting what he described as a "Western mindset" and stressed the need for balance, saying, 'No one has the right to kill in the name of honor, but no one should be allowed to violate our cultural and religious values either.' The House acknowledged that while laws against honor killings exist, implementation remains weak and societal mindset change is necessary. The resolution reaffirmed that such crimes have no link to religion, tradition, or morality and urged urgent action. The session was adjourned until 3:00 PM on July 25, 2025.
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Nikkei surges in boost to Asia as Trump announces Japan trade deal
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