China detains, questions senior diplomat after return from foreign trip: Report
Liu, 61, has led the Communist Party's body in charge of managing ties with foreign political parties. Since taking the role in 2022, he has travelled to more than 20 nations and met officials from more than 160 countries.Liu's busy schedule, especially his meetings with the former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, stoked expectations that the former ambassador and ministry spokesman was being groomed to be the next foreign minister.His detention marks the highest-level probe involving a diplomat since China ousted its former foreign minister and President Xi Jinping's protg, Qin Gang, in 2023 following rumours of an extramarital affair.Born in the northeastern province of Jilin, Liu majored in English at Beijing Foreign Studies University and studied international relations at Oxford before taking up his first post as a translator with the foreign ministry.He has served in China's mission to Britain and later as ambassador to Indonesia and the Philippines.During his time as ministry spokesman, he was known for humorous off-the-cuff comments while making a no-nonsense defence of China's interests.- Ends
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
8 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump says no imminent plans to penalise China for buying Russian oil
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he did not immediately need to consider retaliatory tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil but might have to "in two or three weeks." Trump has threatened sanctions on Moscow and secondary sanctions on countries that buy its oil if no moves are made to end the war in Ukraine. China and India are the top two buyers of Russian oil. The president last week imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing its continued imports of Russian oil. However, Trump has not taken similar action against China. He was asked by Fox News' Sean Hannity if he was now considering such action against Beijing after he and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to produce an agreement to resolve or pause Moscow's war in Ukraine. "Well, because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that," Trump said after his summit with Putin in Alaska. "Now, I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now. I think, you know, the meeting went very well." Chinese President Xi Jinping's slowing economy will suffer if Trump follows through on a promise to ramp up Russia-related sanctions and tariffs. Xi and Trump are working on a trade deal that could lower tensions - and import taxes - between the world's two biggest economies. But China could be the biggest remaining target, outside of Russia, if Trump ramps up punitive measures.
Hans India
38 minutes ago
- Hans India
Independence Day attacks expose Pakistan's losing battle against TTP
New Delhi: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has become Pakistan's biggest security headache. Created by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), today the Pakistan establishment fights the terror outfit regularly. On Pakistan's Independence Day, the TTP carried out a series of attacks across the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). In all six districts, policemen were killed and nine others were injured in eight simultaneous attacks. Attacks took place in the Upper and Lower Dir, Bannu, Hassan Khel and Shangla. The TTP, while claiming the attack, said that this was part of their ongoing campaign to weaken the security establishment in Pakistan. Over the years, the TTP has become one of the most dangerous terror groups in the world. The Global Terrorism Index 2025 ranks it as one of the deadliest terror organisations in the world. Along with the Islamic State, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam and Al-Shabab, the TTP was responsible for most deaths globally for the year 2024. Data shows that in 2024 alone, these groups were responsible for the deaths of 4,300 people. In Pakistan alone, the TTP is responsible for 90 per cent of the attacks. In 2024, out of the 1,081 deaths due to terror, the TTP alone was responsible for 558 deaths. The ISI created TTP to create a divide within the Afghan Taliban. While it had remained loyal at first, over the years, it has turned very badly against the ISI. The other headache for Pakistan is that, like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the TTP has systematically targeted Chinese interests in Pakistan as well. While the intent was to divide the Taliban in Afghanistan, the ploy misfired for the ISI and Pakistan Army. The TTP is now heavily backed by the Afghan Taliban, thus making the outfit even more lethal. In fact, the terrorists who carried out the Independence Day attack had infiltrated from Afghanistan. Pakistan had managed to curb the activities of the TTP to a large extent. However, there was a resurgence, and since 2021, its activities are on in full swing, which the Pakistanis are unable to control. The shifting of its activities entirely to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region is also one of the reasons why the outfit has become even more lethal. This region is on the northern border with Afghanistan, and hence getting in and out of Pakistan is relatively easier for the TTP operatives. The backing of the Afghan Taliban is also an added advantage for the TTP. Before 2020, the Pakistan military campaign 'Operation Zarb-e-Azb' was launched. This operation broke the back of the TTP as its entire leadership was removed. However, after the US withdrew from Afghanistan, the TTP saw this as an opportunity. With Afghanistan being largely peaceful, it moved its operations to Pakistan. It brought together several splinter groups that had broken away and rebuilt the terror group. Along with the Taliban, Al-Qaeda too had backed the TTP. The Pakistan establishment has fallen out largely with the Taliban due to this factor. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of backing the TTP, and this has not gone down well in Kabul. Irrespective of the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the TTP has said that it will not back down. In fact, it released an infographic this month stating that it had killed 139 Pakistani soldiers in July 2025. To make matters worse for Pakistan are the sophisticated weapons that it has been using. Most of the weapons it has been using at the ones left behind by NATO during the withdrawal. During the Independence Day attack in Pakistan, it used drones along with its conventional weapons to carry out the eight attacks. The United Nations says that the TTP has 6,500 fighters and is looking to add more to its ranks. The UN says that the TTP could transform into an umbrella group for other terror organisations. There have been talks of a merger between the TTP and the Al Qaeda in the Subcontinent (AQIS), and this could make the outfit even more lethal.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Pakistan Gets 3rd Hangor-Class Submarine From China
China has delivered the third of the eight new "advanced" Hangor-class submarines to Pakistan as part of Beijing's efforts to upgrade Islamabad's naval strength to support its growing presence in the Indian Ocean, India's backyard. The launching ceremony of the third Hangor-class submarine was held in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, on Thursday, the state-run Global Times reported on Saturday. The second of the eight submarines China is building for Pakistan was handed over in March this year. This is in addition to four modern naval frigates that China supplied to Pakistan in the last few years as part of its efforts to boost Pakistan's naval strength amid the Chinese navy's steady expansion in the Arabian Sea, where it is developing the Gwadar port in Balochistan, as well as in the Indian Ocean. Speaking at the launch of the third submarine, Pakistan's Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Project-2 Vice Admiral Abdul Samad said the Hangor-class submarine's cutting-edge weaponry and advanced sensors would be instrumental in sustaining regional power equilibrium and ensuring maritime stability, the daily quoted a Pakistan defence statement as saying. According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China supplied over 81 per cent of Pakistan's military hardware. Some of Pakistan's key orders in the past five years include the country's first spy ship, the Rizwan; more than 600 VT-4 battle tanks, and 36 J-10CE 4.5-generation fighters, according to the SIPRI database. China supplied the first delivery of multi-role J-10CE fighter jets to the Pakistan Air Force in 2022, adding to its JF-17 fighters jointly manufactured by both countries. Pakistan used these fighter jets in the recent conflict with India. Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the Hangor-class submarine is characterised by its strong underwater combat capabilities, including comprehensive sensor systems, excellent stealth characteristics, high mobility, long endurance and formidable firepower. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
