Latest news with #China-Pakistan-Afghanistan
News18
24-07-2025
- Business
- News18
India's Position On CPEC 'Clear', Any Third-Country Role 'Unacceptable': Govt In Rajya Sabha
Last Updated: In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, MoS for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that India's position on the matter remains 'clear and consistent' India on Thursday strongly reiterated its opposition to the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), especially any involvement of third countries in the project. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that India's position on the matter remains 'clear and consistent." The government was responding to questions in Parliament about the May 21 trilateral meeting held in Beijing between China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, where regional connectivity was reportedly discussed, including possible cooperation linked to the CPEC. 'The Government of India is aware of a China-Pakistan-Afghanistan meeting held in Beijing, China, on 21 May 2025. The government's position on CPEC is clear and consistent," Singh said. Singh stated that the CPEC passes through parts of the Indian Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, which are under illegal occupation by Pakistan. 'Government has consistently protested to parties concerned over the inclusion of the so-called 'China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through parts of the Indian Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir under illegal occupation of Pakistan, as a flagship project of 'OBOR/BRI' and asked them to cease these activities," he added. The minister stressed that India has always opposed the inclusion of these territories in international projects such as CPEC, which is promoted as a flagship component of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The minister further noted that India is fully aware of all developments, including international meetings involving countries participating in CPEC discussions, and continues to monitor them closely from the perspective of national security. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met in Beijing earlier this May. (With inputs from ANI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
30-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Pakistan, China, Bangladesh Push For New Bloc To Counter India, Replace SAARC
New Delhi: Pakistan and China are reportedly working together to establish a new regional grouping aimed at replacing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), where India was once a key player. India Today, citing a report from The Express Tribune of Pakistan, stated that discussions between Islamabad and Beijing on forming this new bloc are already at an advanced stage. The report also noted that Bangladesh participated in a recent meeting held in Kunming, China, on June 19 to explore the creation of the proposed group. According to The Express Tribune, the primary goal of the Kunming meeting was to extend invitations to other South Asian nations, many of them former SAARC members, to join this emerging regional platform. The development follows a China-Pakistan-Afghanistan trilateral dialogue held in May, which focused on expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and deepening cooperation with Afghanistan's Taliban-led regime. SAARC, established on December 8, 1985, in Dhaka, had originally included seven countries, with Afghanistan joining in 2007. The bloc has been largely inactive since 2016. While there hasn't been an official SAARC summit since 2014 in Kathmandu, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did host a virtual SAARC leaders' conference in 2020 to propose a COVID-19 Emergency Fund, pledging $10 million from India. The 19th SAARC summit was scheduled for Islamabad in November 2016, but India withdrew following the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Uri that killed 17 Indian soldiers. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan also pulled out, citing terrorism and regional instability, leading to the summit's cancellation and an indefinite pause in SAARC activity. The Express Tribune report claimed that both China and Pakistan believe a new regional framework is essential for enhancing integration and connectivity in South Asia. Countries such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Afghanistan are also expected to be included in the proposed bloc. However, Bangladesh has dismissed any notion of a political alliance taking shape. M Touhid Hossain, foreign affairs adviser to the Bangladesh government, clarified that the Kunming meeting was a routine official-level discussion and 'not political in nature.' 'We are not forming any alliance,' Hossain said, adding, 'There was no element of formation of any alliance' during the discussions. According to diplomatic sources cited in the report, India may be extended an invitation to join the new group. However, given New Delhi's strategic differences, its participation is considered unlikely.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ringfencing India? After Pakistan and Afghanistan, now China holds a tri‑nation meet with Bangladesh. What it means
China recently hosted Bangladesh and Pakistan for talks in Kunming. The meeting aimed to boost cooperation in trade and connectivity. A working group will explore joint projects. This follows a similar China-Pakistan-Afghanistan meeting. India is concerned about China's growing influence in the region. Security ties between Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China are also under scrutiny. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why China, Bangladesh, Pak meeting matters for New Delhi What Pakistan, China, Bangladesh agreed in the meet Focus area Planned cooperation Economy & trade Joint projects in industry, digital economy and maritime logistics Connectivity Exploration of Belt and Road links—potentially an eastward spur of CPEC People's welfare Agriculture, climate action, health, education and youth exchanges Follow‑up A working group to translate the Kunming understandings into pilot projects Bangladesh's quiet pivot towards Pak, China Former Bangladesh military intelligence chief end 12-day China trip Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Meeting comes after China, Afghanistan, Pakistan meet last month China on Thursday brought Bangladesh and Pakistan together for an inaugural trilateral dialogue in Kunming, barely a month after hosting a similar meeting with Pakistan and Afghanistan. The closed‑door talks, led by Chinese Vice‑Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, agreed to set up a working group for 'good‑neighbourly, equal and mutually trusted' cooperation, signalling Beijing's intent to knit India's neighbours more tightly into its strategic India, the move feeds a long‑running concern that China is cultivating a ring of friendly states along the subcontinent's periphery. New Delhi already objects to the China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor running through Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir. Now, with Bangladesh's interim leadership warming to Beijing—and exploring closer ties with Islamabad—the prospect of a three‑way framework on trade, infrastructure and security raises fresh questions about India's strategic Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique joined Sun at Kunming, while Foreign Secretary‑designate Amna Baloch represented Pakistan via video. The gathering came soon after Dhaka's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus publicly asked Beijing for economic help and discreetly revived contact with Islamabad—moves that have already drawn attention in New another development that has raised red flags within India's security establishment, Major General (Retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, former Bangladesh military intelligence chief and a convicted figure in the 2004 Chittagong arms smuggling case, reportedly concluded a 12-day trip to Guangzhou, China, on June 18. His visit coincided with that of Bangladesh's interim National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, who reportedly sought Beijing's help to arrange a backchannel meeting with Pakistan's ISI chief. Indian agencies view this synchronised movement of high-level security actors—linked to past anti-India plots—as a signal of a deeper and potentially coordinated security alignment between Beijing, Islamabad, and follows a May meeting in which China, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend CPEC into Afghan territory. India had protested that any third‑country role in CPEC infringes on its sovereignty. The new Bangladesh‑Pakistan‑China line‑up suggests Beijing is applying the same template to India's eastern Thursday's statements highlighted 'true multilateralism' and insisted the talks were 'not directed at any third party', the meeting comes at a time of heightened tensions in South Asia:India's May strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, which prompted Beijing's vocal support for Islamabad.82 per cent of Islamabad's defence imports already come from agencies are probing reports that Dhaka's interim National Security Adviser has sought a Beijing‑brokered meeting with Pakistan's ISI chief.
