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Pakistan's close ally China faces major threat! Offering citizens lakhs of money due to..., reason will shock you

Pakistan's close ally China faces major threat! Offering citizens lakhs of money due to..., reason will shock you

India.coma day ago
With the rising conflicts and wars across the globe, several countries are either stockpiling military assets or emphasizing population growth. Many countries are preparing for conflict in today's geopolitical climate. Orders to strengthen military capabilities are increasing, and population size is once again being viewed as a strategic asset. It is to be noted that population holds a significant role in war—whether as a source of manpower, economic strength, or national resilience.
Well, Pakistan's close ally, China, is facing a serious problem: declining birth rates. According to the BBC report, the Chinese government has announced an annual subsidy of 3,600 yuan (around £375, $500) payable to parents for each child under the age of three under a new initiative launched to encourage more births nationally for the first time.
China is now experiencing the consequences of its largest policy blunder: the 'one child' policy. While it produced rapid economic growth for decades, it also produced a fast-growing elderly population and turned China into an 'aged' nation before its time. This situation has become so dire that the government is now offering subsidies to encourage childbirth.
On Monday, the government announced a policy that will provide the parents of children under the age of three an annual subsidy of 3,600 yuan (reportedly about Rs 41,000). The policy will be implemented on January 1, 2025. Meanwhile, even families with children born in 2022, 2023, or 2024 will still be eligible for partial benefits. The subsidy will be tax-free and excluded from poverty-assistance eligibility calculations. The government estimates that 20 million families could benefit from the new program.
According to state media, the handouts will benefit about 20 million families, with the cost of raising children. The plan was revealed on Monday, with parents receiving up to 10800 yuan per child. Beijing's state broadcaster CCTV said the policy will be retroactive to the beginning of the year reported BBC. This comes amid multiple local government initiatives designed to address low birth rates in locations across China.
For example, in Hohhot, a city in the northern region of China, parents are receiving support of up to 100,000 yuan per baby for couples with at least three children.
The study by the China-based YuWa Population Research Institute found that the average nationwide cost of raising a child from birth to age 17 was about $74,800 – rising to more than $94,500 to support a child through a bachelor's degree, CNN reported.
The cost of raising a child to age 18 in China is 6.3 times higher than the country's GDP per capita, the report said – a ratio second only to South Korea, which has the world's lowest fertility rate, and where the cost of child-rearing is 7.79 times the GDP per capita, CNN reported.
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Pakistan is making desperate efforts to keep China and the US in good humour and on the right side by a delicate balancing act; however, only time will reveal the true outcomes read more Very recently, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir was on an official visit to China. During his stay in Beijing, he held meetings with senior Chinese political and military leadership. A military statement emanating from Pakistan claimed that the Chinese military leadership reiterated full confidence in the strength of the bilateral defence partnership, acknowledging Pakistan's pivotal role in promoting 'regional peace'. General Munir called on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Their discussions focused on the evolving regional and global political canvas, connectivity initiatives under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and the need for coordinated responses to address shared geopolitical challenges. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Significantly, both sides expressed satisfaction over the depth of bilateral engagement and avowed their shared commitment to sovereign equality, multilateral cooperation, and long-term regional stability. The Pakistan Army statement further claimed that the Chinese leadership lauded the Pakistan Armed Forces as a cornerstone of resilience and a vital contributor to peace in South Asia. This seems far-fetched and looks only like a ceremonial or ritualistic expression. The military engagement between both sides included comprehensive exchanges on defence and security cooperation, including counter-terrorism collaboration, joint training, defence modernisation, and enhanced institutional linkages. It also claimed that emphasis was placed on improving operational interoperability and strategic coordination to confront hybrid and transnational threats. On his part, the COAS appreciated China's 'consistent support' and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to further expanding military-to-military cooperation across all domains. Munir at Beijing reaffirmed Islamabad's deep appreciation for Beijing's consistent support toward its socio-economic development and emphasised the Pakistani military's resolve to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with China as part of their shared vision for regional peace and prosperity. However, reliable sources indicate that the Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir was under severe pressure when China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised the issue rather prominently of the safety and security of the Chinese 'personnel, projects, and institutions' in Pakistan. Over the years, several Chinese nationals have been killed in a string of terror attacks in Pakistan. While Munir stressed and claimed that 'brotherhood' between Beijing and Islamabad was time-tested and was 'solid as a rock', he, in the same vein, assured Yi that the Pakistani military would take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals. It may be recalled that in October 2024, a suicide car bombing outside Karachi airport had killed two Chinese engineers, and earlier, in the same year in March, a suicide bombing in northern Pakistan had killed five Chinese workers, which had angered the Chinese leadership, who had expressed serious concern over the killings of the Chinese. This had also put at risk the bilateral ties between the two countries, albeit for some time. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Importantly, this was Munir's first visit to China after the hostilities with India in May this year. Islamabad is actively pursuing its military diplomacy to bolster strategic regional partnerships and defence alliances to reposition its defence standing. This was further demonstrated by Munir's visit to the US, as well as his one-on-one lunch with President Donald Trump. In a separate development related to China, the Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar met with the Chinese Foreign Minister, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and promoting regional peace, stability, and development. This shows that Pakistan continues to warm up to China at regular intervals. Further, in a Pakistan military-related development, Munir on July 26 reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering resolve to foster a secure, peaceful, and prosperous regional environment through strategic cooperation and defence diplomacy. As a host, he was addressing the Regional Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference in Islamabad, bringing together senior military leaders from the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 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He had arrived in New York on July 21 to attend 'high-level signature events' of Pakistan's United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Presidency, including a conference on Palestine. Discussions were also held on promoting bilateral trade and economic relations and cooperation in important sectors, including investment, agriculture, technology [and] minerals. Counter-terrorism and regional peace were also discussed. Foreign Minister Dar acknowledged the efforts of President Donald Trump and the US leadership in promoting global peace, adding that their role and efforts regarding the recent Pakistan-India tension were 'commendable'. Meanwhile, at the US State Department, Marco Rubio expressed appreciation for Pakistan's continued willingness to play a constructive role in mediating conversations with Iran and its commitment to preserving regional stability. 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STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Judging by the Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister's US trip and earlier Munir's recent China visit, both much hyped, it is clear that Pakistan is making desperate efforts to keep China and the US in good humour and on the right side by a delicate balancing act, as both the US and China are at loggerheads, but the US needs Pakistan as a strategic ally. [It may be recapitulated that Munir was in the US, including a meeting with Trump, just ahead of the US military strikes at the Iran nuclear sites using the Pakistani skies.] Such US overtures to Pakistan could possibly be cosmetic, more tactical, and not really substantial or meaningful. Only time will tell about their 'relationship' and its tenacity. The writer is a retired IPS officer, adviser NatStrat, Bangladesh watcher and a security analyst. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. 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