Latest news with #ChinaPakistan
Arab News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Chinese official discusses security with delegation from Pakistan's Balochistan
BEIJING: China's Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Bin met with a delegation from Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan on Monday, according to a ministry statement. The two sides exchanged views on issues including security and cooperation between China and the province. Chinese nationals have been in the crosshairs of separatist militants who believe Beijing is helping Pakistan exploit minerals in the underdeveloped province of Balochistan, where China has a strategic port and mining interests. Beijing has been pushing Pakistan to allow its own security staff to provide protection to thousands of Chinese citizens working there, frustrated by the string of attacks on its citizens. The push came after a bombing at the Karachi airport last October killed two Chinese engineers who were returning there to work at a power plant.
Al Jazeera
23-05-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Pakistan, Afghanistan move towards ‘restoring ties' in talks with China
Islamabad, Pakistan – As Pakistan remained embroiled in a war of words with its archrival India – following a dramatic exchange of missiles and drones nearly two weeks ago – it this week advanced diplomatic efforts with two other neighbors: China and Afghanistan, which could lead to the formal resumption of diplomatic ties between Islamabad and Kabul after nearly four years. In an 'informal' trilateral meeting held in Beijing on May 21, the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan convened under a forum first launched in 2017, and which last met in May 2023. This time, a key outcome from the meeting, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, was a renewed willingness by both Pakistan and Afghanistan to restore diplomatic relations after heightened tensions in recent years. 'Afghanistan and Pakistan expressed clear willingness to elevate diplomatic relations and agreed in principle to exchange ambassadors as soon as possible. China welcomed this and will continue to provideassistance for the improvement of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations,' Wang said. He added that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a $62bn mega project under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – will now be extended into Afghanistan. A Pakistani diplomat with direct knowledge of the talks told Al Jazeera that the next round of the trilateral meetings will be held 'very soon', within a few weeks, to build on the momentum from the Beijing conclave. 'I am reasonably optimistic about the outcomes. It was a great confidence- and trust-building exercise between the three countries,' said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity about the Beijing meeting. The meeting came after a four-day standoff between Pakistan and India, with both countries claiming 'victory' and launching diplomatic offensives to assert dominance. The conflict, from May 7 to May 10, followed Indian strikes on what it called 'terrorist infrastructure' in Pakistan, in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that left 26 civilians dead. India blamed the attack on Pakistan-based armed groups, an allegation Islamabad denies. While China urged restraint on both sides, its support for Pakistan was evident on the front lines of the conflict, with the Pakistani military using Chinese fighter jets, missiles, and air defence systems. On the other hand, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on May 15 that he appreciated Afghan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's 'condemnation' of the Pahalgam attack, in a conversation between the two. Indian media also reported a visit to New Delhi by senior Taliban figure and deputy interior minister, Ibrahim Sadr, in early May. Mustafa Hyder Sayed, executive director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan-China Institute, called the Beijing meeting 'very significant', given Afghanistan's geopolitical sensitivity. For Pakistan and China, the 'conflict with India has reinforced strategic clarity' on the need to work closely with Afghanistan, Sayed said. Kabul-based political analyst Tameem Bahiss agreed. 'This [the call between Muttaqi and Jaishankar] signals a major shift in India-Afghanistan relations, one that could raise concerns in Islamabad amid an already volatile regional climate,' he said. 'The timing of this trilateral meeting, not just its content, reflects an urgent need for coordination among these three countries as new geopolitical dynamics take shape in South and Central Asia.' Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, Member of the CPC Political Bureau & Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi, and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held an informal trilateral meeting in… — Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 21, 2025When the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021, many saw it as a win for Pakistan, given its historical ties to the group. From 1996 through 2021, Pakistan was one of the Taliban's key allies. India, meanwhile, viewed the Taliban as a proxy of Pakistan's intelligence agencies and refused to engage with it. However, relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have deteriorated. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to launch attacks across the border, an allegation the Taliban vehemently deny. The TTP, formed in 2007, shares ideological roots with the Afghan Taliban but operates independently. According to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, Pakistan suffered 521 attacks in 2024 – a 70 percent increase from the previous year – resulting in nearly 1,000 civilian and security personnel deaths. But in a trip that was seen as a potential breakthrough in strained ties, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul on April 19, just days before the Pahalgam attack. Ihsanullah Tipu, an Islamabad-based security analyst, says Pakistan's renewed diplomatic outreach to Afghanistan prioritises key concerns, with security taking precedence over trade, border disputes, and border closures, a sentiment he said China also shares. 'To foster meaningful trade ties, Pakistan's security concerns must be addressed first,' Tipu told Al Jazeera, warning that failure to do so could escalate tensions to armed conflict. 'But given China's global influence and close ties with both Pakistan and Afghanistan, Beijing can play a pivotal role as a guarantor of any commitments made,' added Tipu, who co-founded the security research portal The Khorasan Diary. While Pakistan continues to accuse the Afghan Taliban of harbouring fighters who attack targets in Pakistan, many of these assaults have been directed at Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects. Pakistani government figures estimate that about 20,000 Chinese nationals live in the country. At least 20 have been killed in attacks since 2021 in provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Groups including the TTP have claimed responsibility. China has also expressed concern over the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), alleging that its fighters use Afghan territory to stage attacks against China. Sayed of PCI stressed that both Pakistan and China see security as their 'core interest' in Afghanistan. 'This is a shared threat, and in the past the ETIM has also had a significance presence in Afghanistan. And these militant networks are connected with each other as well. So that is a pre-requisite for any cooperation to move forward, to first neutralise these terrorist outfits, which seem to be operating freely and comfortably in Afghanistan,' he said. However, Bahiss noted that since the Taliban's return to power, most regional countries, including China, have found the security situation inside Afghanistan acceptable, enabling ongoing economic engagement. 'The key exception is Pakistan, which continues to face serious threats from Afghan soil. While Pakistan prioritises eliminating or containing the TTP, Kabul is focused on trade, transit, and regional integration,' he said. This is where China's pivotal role could come into the picture, the Kabul-based analyst said, adding that the country is uniquely positioned to mediate by encouraging security cooperation while also advancing trade and transit initiatives that benefit all three countries. During the civilian governments in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021, India and Afghanistan developed close ties, despite several attacks on Indian diplomatic missions by the Taliban and its allies. In recent months, there has been increased interaction between officials from New Delhi and Kabul, including the recent Jaishankar-Muttaqi conversation. Does this warming of ties raise alarm in Islamabad? Sayed doesn't think so. 'Pakistan doesn't mistrust Kabul. But Pakistan has asked for action. The rulers there need to walk the talk regarding TTP and other terrorist outfits. I don't think either Beijing or Islamabad opposes Kabul having positive relations with India, as long as it doesn't compromise the interests of Pakistan and China,' he said. However, Bahis said New Delhi's rapprochement with the Taliban could lead to worries in Pakistan and China, both of which have historically had tense ties with India. 'While recent India-Afghanistan contacts are still in early stages, their timing may raise concerns in Islamabad,' he said. 'Afghanistan has the sovereign right to engage with any country, including India. But it must tread carefully. Clear messaging is essential to ensure that its growing ties with New Delhi aren't misinterpreted as threats by other regional players,' Bahiss said. 'Balancing these complex relationships will require diplomacy, transparency, and mutual respect.'
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Islamabad, Beijing discuss bolstering ‘collective response mechanisms' after India-Pakistan fighting
KARACHI: Beijing's ambassador to Islamabad met the Pakistani air chief on Tuesday evening, with the two leaders vowing to 'bolster collective response mechanisms to emerging threats,' the Pakistan army said in a statement, a little over a week after Islamabad's worst military standoff with New Delhi in decades gave Chinese weapons a rare battle test. The most striking claim from four days of fighting earlier this month was the contention of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) that its Chinese-supplied jets had shot down six Indian aircraft — including three French-made Rafale fighters — with some observers seeing this as a symbol of Beijing's rising military might. Pakistan accounts for around 63 percent of China's arms exports, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In the recent fighting with India, Pakistan used the J10-C Vigorous Dragon and JF-17 Thunder planes, armed with air-to-air missiles. It was the first time the J10-C has been used in active combat. Islamabad's air defenses also used Chinese kit — including the HQ-9P long-range surface-to-air missile system — and deployed Chinese radar as well as armed and reconnaissance drones. On Tuesday evening, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, and engaged in a 'comprehensive and in-depth discussion on a range of matters including corporate-level engagements, defense cooperation and the evolving geostrategic environment in the region.' 'They underscored the importance of cohesive & collaborative approaches in responding to emerging challenges, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining peak operational readiness and swift coordination amidst the prevailing regional security dynamics,' the Pakistan army said in a statement released after the meeting. Sidhu commended China's role in assisting Pakistan's defense modernization and technological advancement. 'Both the dignitaries reaffirmed their pledge to institutionalize regular high-level exchanges through expanded joint operational exercises and exploration of multilateral frameworks that bolster collective response mechanisms to emerging threats,' the Pakistan army said. The statement said the Chinese ambassador lauded the 'unmatched operational excellence' demonstrated by PAF personnel during the recent standoff with India, terming it a reflection of PAF's 'high standards and unwavering commitment to national defense.' 'He praised Pakistan Air Force for its exemplary professionalism and commendable utilization of Chinese-origin equipment & technology to thwart enemy aggression,' the Pakistan army said. 'The dignitary also acknowledged PAF's operational effectiveness and strategic acumen in employing indigenous solutions and advanced systems to safeguard national interests and deter potential threats under the current leadership.' The ambassador assured 'full technical assistance' to PAF to bolster its aerial defense capabilities, adding that continued focus on homegrown technological development would further elevate the country's defense capabilities. Nuclear-armed neighbors Pakistan and India halted their worst fighting in nearly three decades after agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10, following diplomacy and pressure from the United States. On Tuesday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi sad Beijing welcomed and supported efforts by Pakistan and India to handle their differences through dialogue and to achieve a 'comprehensive and lasting' ceasefire. With inputs from AFP and Reuters
Russia Today
19-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
China gave Pakistan air defense support during clash with India
China provided Pakistan with air defense and satellite support during its recent military confrontation with India, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a think tank affiliated with the Indian Defense Ministry. Ashok Kumar, director general at the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies in New Delhi, said China assisted Pakistan in reorganizing its radar and air defense systems, enabling them to more effectively detect Indian troop and weaponry deployments, according to the report. 'It helped them to redeploy their air defense radar so that any actions which we do from the aerial route are known to them,' Kumar told Bloomberg. The aid indicates a more direct level of involvement from Beijing than was initially revealed, the report claimed. The think tank added that China also provided assistance to Pakistan in adjusting its satellite coverage over India during the 15-day period between the April 22 terror attacks in India's Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and India's strikes on suspected terror facilities in Pakistan-controlled territory on May 7. China, which called on the South Asian countries to de-escalate during their four-day conflict, has traditionally enjoyed warm defense ties with Pakistan. On Monday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar left for a three-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a report by state-owned media outlet Radio Pakistan. Today, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 arrived in Beijing on a three day official visit from 19-21 May 2025 . He was received at the airport by senior Chinese officials and Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Khalil Hashmi. Dar will engage in comprehensive talks with his Chinese counterpart, focusing on the changing regional dynamics in South Asia and their potential impact on peace and stability, the report stated. Additionally, the two nations will conduct a thorough review of their relations. Wang Yi speaks to India's Doval, urges "calm and restraint" after days of fighting Pakistan has admitted using Chinese weapons in the recent standoff, according to reports. However, New Delhi has not publicly commented on Beijing's alleged involvement in the confrontation, which ended with a ceasefire on May 11. China has condemned the April terror attack in Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives, adding that it 'opposes all forms of terrorism.' On the day the South Asian neighbors negotiated a ceasefire, Wang called Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and expressed hope that India and Pakistan 'would remain calm and restrained, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation and avoid escalating the situation.'
