Latest news with #ZhangYouxia
The Star
04-08-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Pakistan adds Chinese attack helicopters to upgrade aging fleet
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has officially added a new Chinese attack helicopter to its military arsenal - the Z-10ME - a similar model to the one China uses to patrol its border with India. The Pakistan Army Aviation Corps held an induction ceremony on Saturday (Aug 2), calling the helicopters a "state-of-the-art, all-weather platform' capable of precision strikes both day and night. They didn't disclose how many helicopters were acquired, but said the aircraft is equipped with advanced radar and electronic warfare systems. This latest addition marks an upgrade for Pakistan's military, which has relied on aging US-made AH-1 Cobra and Russian Mi-35 Hind helicopters. The new Chinese helicopters are meant to modernise that fleet. This would also be the first export deal of the Z-10ME, Chinese state-run Global Times reported. Defence ties between China and Pakistan have come under focus since the conflict between India and Pakistan in May. Pakistan said it used Chinese J-10C jets to shoot down Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets. An Indian military official acknowledged the loss of "some aircraft,' but added that it's because of initial instructions not to attack Pakistan's military or air defence. Reuters reported on Saturday that Indian forces may have underestimated the range of the China-made PL-15 missile fired by the J-10 fighter, which led to the loss of the Rafale jets. Reuters said India's defecse and foreign ministries did not respond to its requests for comment. The Z-10s, built by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corp., are medium-weight attack helicopters deployed in politically sensitive regions like the Tibet Plateau and the Taiwan Strait. China previously sent three Z-10s to Pakistan for testing, but they were returned after failing to meet expectations, Defence News reported in 2018. The Z-10ME is an upgraded export version, featuring improved low-altitude flight and situational awareness, and is seen as relatively cost-effective. China's Ministry of Defence didn't immediately respond to a request from Bloomberg News for comment on the latest deal with Pakistan and the previously failed Z-10 trial. Pakistan announced plans in June to buy more weapons from China, including one of its most advanced fighter jets. The Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir - who presided over Saturday's induction - visited Beijing in July and met top Chinese officials, including Zhang Youxia, vice-chair of China's Central Military Commission. Zhang has pledged deeper defence cooperation. "Pakistan is the key link in China's regional defence strategy,' said Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies. "China would be focussed on shoring up its defence across the region in order to cope with challenges that arise from the Indo-US strategic cooperation.' - Bloomberg
NDTV
01-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pakistan Is Fast Becoming A Security Burden For China ... But Are We Suprised?
During a meeting with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Asim Munir, on July 25, the Vice-Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, urged Pakistan to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions operating in the country. China's repeated calls for stronger security reflect lingering apprehensions that continue to cast a shadow over the "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership". This engagement, Munir's first with the Chinese military leadership since his visit to the White House, informs a pressured bilateral dynamic shaped by security deficits that threaten the operational viability of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The increased security threats against Chinese personnel and infrastructure in Pakistan sheds light on the fault line that Beijing can no longer mitigate solely through incremental security enhancements and diplomatic assurances. A report by Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) in 2024 noted that 20 Chinese nationals have been killed and 34 wounded in militant plots since 2021. A Twin Problem These security violations, perpetrated by both Baloch insurgents and Islamist outfits like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), speak to Pakistan's chronic governance and law enforcement challenges in safeguarding critical assets. As such, the consistency of these security threats can plausibly evolve from mere irritants to serious obstacles to Chinese presence in Pakistan. Consequently, this undermines China's capacity to provide foreign direct investment critical to its economic aspirations in Pakistan. Chinese assets in Pakistan essentially face threats from two groups: TTP and Baloch insurgents, each motivated by independent but overlapping reasons. The TTP's targeting of Chinese interests is part of its broader ideological opposition to the Pakistani state and its strategic partnerships, aimed at undermining Islamabad by attacking high-profile symbols. Meanwhile, Baloch insurgent groups perceive Chinese investment as exploitation of their region's resources, which marginalises the community and dilutes their autonomy. While collaboration between the two groups is purportedly restricted to low-level logistical support, this twin threat reflects a converging modus operandi in targeting China as a proxy to challenge Pakistan's economic agenda. The War Within Pakistan The tensions highlight the coexistence of two competing narratives within Pakistan. On one hand, both countries are determined to deepen this strategic bilateral relationship, supported by geopolitical imperatives and economic benefits. Concurrent to that is the Pakistani state institutions' limitations in enforcing security frameworks in sensitive regions, addressing ethnic grievances and perceptions of economic marginalisation. This reality raises dissonance between Pakistan's internal security policies and its alignment with national strategic goals. The modus operandi of Baloch groups in recent years has included hijacking passenger trains and convoys, targeting road transport vehicles, seizing strategic towns like Mangochar to block key highways such as the Quetta-Karachi route (N-25), and employing suicide bombers, including women, to maximise impact. These road-based attacks seek to paralyse crucial trade routes, triggering supply chain disruptions and increased security costs. A Fragile Friendship The second phase of the CPEC, which will shift focus to business-to-business (B2B) cooperation, essentially depends on legitimacy derived from security confidence. The repeated targeting of Chinese assets exposes the fragility of this foundation. While Pakistan has employed various measures, such as deploying Special Security Divisions, instituting Safe City surveillance systems, and reinforcing airport and transit security protocols, these measures appear reactive rather than preemptive. They enable tactical mitigation without addressing strategic vulnerabilities within Pakistan's counter-terrorism abilities and complex socio-political environment. Further, Pakistan's staunch refusal or limited allowance for Chinese involvement in on-ground security operations points to a sovereignty dilemma. In that light, Zhang's statement should be seen as Beijing's genuinely waning patience with Pakistan's perceived security inadequacies, and not just as diplomatic rhetoric. This puts Islamabad under immense pressure to resolve internal security-related weaknesses. Will China 'Reassess' Its Friendship? From a regional geostrategic position, Pakistan's security shortcomings can have broader ramifications. The CPEC, the flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), integrates economically and strategically with western China's stability agenda, notably over Xinjiang. Pakistan's inability to guarantee security undermines these strategic objectives, which may force China to reassess risk thresholds. This precarious nature highlights the extent to which bilateral ties are vulnerable, beyond diplomatic management, to internal security dynamics. From an economic perspective, these challenges translate to tangible costs. Project delays, increased insurance premiums, operational scale-backs, and threats to Chinese nationals directly erode the cost-benefit calculus underpinning Chinese investment decisions in Pakistan. Pakistan's broader economic challenges further aggravate this situation, with fiscal constraints impacting the sustained funding required for comprehensive security improvements and institutional reforms. Consequently, the flawed security environment can quickly turn Pakistan from a strategic partner to a liability in Chinese geopolitical decisions. Failing to substantially reduce threats to Chinese interests can risk catalysing strategic recalibration in Beijing, potentially impacting trust, restricting future investments, and leading to more stringent terms of engagements. For India, the ongoing security volatility in Balochistan carries broader implications. It may encourage China to echo Pakistan's narrative that external actors, particularly New Delhi, are covertly backing Baloch militants to sabotage CPEC. As with Kashmir, the discourse around Balochistan risks shifting from a domestic insurgency to a contested geopolitical flashpoint.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
End of Xi Jinping's regime: How aging 'ousted' rival Hu Jintao may be staging a silent coup against China's mightiest leader?
China's President Xi Jinping has vanished from headlines and stages as rumours swirl of a silent coup. Intelligence sources claim real control now sits with Zhang Youxia and elders tied to Hu Jintao, who was once humiliated by Xi. Wang Yang is tipped as next in line. Behind closed doors, Beijing's internal struggles, economic woes and PLA reshuffles point to possible border trouble for India. Xi's regime, once iron-clad, now stands on shifting ground. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A leader looks tired and alone Zhang Youxia and the shadow elders Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Wang Yang emerges as successor Hu Jintao's symbolic exit still matters Discontent at home, trouble abroad Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Between late May and early June, Chinese President Xi Jinping simply disappeared. No parades. No spotlights. No front pages in People's Daily that once displayed him daily. Instead, other senior Communist Party leaders hosted visiting dignitaries in Beijing's grand to CNN-News18, top intelligence officials say, 'Xi Jinping's absence is not unusual, and China has a history of sidelining prominent leaders.' The method is familiar — big names stay on paper, power moves quietly Xi reappeared in early June, it was not the spectacle the world expected. He sat down with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, but the setting was unusually small. Gone was the red-carpet flourish. 'Xi appeared tired, distracted, and generally unwell at a meeting with the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in early June,' noted the Belarusian presidential press stranger, Xi's personal security detail has been halved. His father's grand mausoleum has lost its official status. And after a recent call with Donald Trump, Chinese state TV did something unheard of — it referred to Xi without any title. Later they patched it up, but the slip revealed Xi's health and image fade, power appears to shift. General Zhang Youxia , who helped Xi secure an historic third term, is now rumoured to be calling the shots in the People's Liberation Army. But he fell out with Xi soon source said: 'Currently, real power lies with General Zhang Youxia, the First Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), who is backed by CCP seniors from the Hu Jintao faction.'Dozens of generals loyal to Xi have vanished or been replaced. Rumours swirl about secret purges. 'The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has previously done this with three notable leaders, reducing their operational authority to mere ceremonial roles,' top intelligence officials told of a new face have also emerged. Wang Yang, who once served as a respected technocrat, is now spoken of as Xi's likely replacement. Reports claim, 'Wang Yang, recently appointed to lead the Chinese Communist Party, has been spoken of as a successor to Xi Jinping.'Once lifted by Deng Xiaoping from obscurity, Wang represents reform. He is seen as calm, pro-market and less confrontational. Intelligence insiders told CNN-News18, 'Wang Yang is being groomed as a reform-oriented future leader and technocrat.'Back in 2022, the world watched as Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao was guided off the stage at the Party Congress in full view of cameras. China's Xinhua agency said Mr Hu felt unwell. But Hu looked reluctant. BBC's Stephen McDonell noted, 'Mr Hu, 79, appeared reluctant to move.' He even reached for Xi's notes before the sitting President brushed him many saw then as a power play now takes on new meaning. The silent exit of Hu — once a symbol of collective leadership — marked Xi's total grip. Or so it economic engine is spluttering. Youth unemployment is stuck at 15 per cent. Real estate sits stagnant. Semiconductor plans have collapsed. National debt has ballooned to over $50 trillion. Local protests and factory unrest are flaring W. Slayton, a former US diplomat, summed it up: 'With over $50 trillion in total debt... and an unemployment rate in depression territory... it is not surprising that local riots, factory arsons and anti-government protests have flared all over China.'When domestic problems grow, Beijing often looks outward. Intelligence sources remind, 'China is known for externalising its internal problems and instability, especially against India.' They warn that reshuffles in the PLA Western Theatre Command could stir new skirmishes in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh — just as they did in the South China Sea during the Bo Xilai scandal or Ladakh during the COVID-19 the Party's heavy red doors, no one knows what comes next. But signs point to a dramatic turn. China's top professors are criticising Xi in print — once unthinkable. Party elders hint that only a shift can rescue China's elder was blunt: under Xi, China is isolated, with friends who are 'good for nothing.' That isolation has left Xi vulnerable. For now, he keeps his titles. But power may be sliding away.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
China Fast-Tracks Stealth Jets to Pakistan to Counter India: Report
China is fast-tracking delivery of its advanced J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters to Pakistan, with the first batch expected by early 2026, according to senior diplomatic and military sources cited in regional defense reports and Pakistani media. Highlighted by Defence Security Asia, the accelerated timeline reflects deepening military ties amid rising tensions after recent cross-border violence with India. The move aims to strengthen Pakistan's aerial deterrence as it seeks to counter India's air force. Newsweek has reached out to China and Pakistan's defense ministries for comment. The expedited delivery of China's next-generation stealth fighters could shift the airpower balance in South Asia. India continues to modernize its air force with platforms like the Russian Su-30MKI and French Rafale jets, but neither possesses the stealth capabilities of the J-35A. This deal also marks China's first known export of a fifth-generation fighter jet, reflecting its ambitions as a global arms supplier. Originally planned for late 2026, Pakistan is now expected to receive its first batch of J-35A fighters six months earlier, possibly by August 2025 for the initial 30 jets. This acceleration follows high-level diplomatic and military exchanges, including Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar's visit to Beijing and General Zhang Youxia's trip to Islamabad. Pakistan aims to close the qualitative airpower gap with India, which still fields non-stealth platforms. Pakistani media reports say the country's pilots are already training in China on the J-35A, signaling Islamabad's commitment to integrating the new stealth fighters into its fleet. Additionally, a recent post on X by an apparent Pakistan Air Force fan appears to show a J-35 in test flight, further fueling anticipation of the aircraft's imminent arrival. The reports say China is offering Pakistan a significant 50 percent discount on the J-35A jets, along with favorable payment terms. This is widely seen as a "reward" for Pakistan's military performance during recent tensions with India and highlights the growing strategic partnership between the two countries. Unveiled at a major airshow in November 2024, the J-35A became China's second stealth fighter after the J-20, positioning Beijing as only the second country-after the United States-to operate multiple fifth-generation stealth aircraft types. A recent Pentagon assessment highlights China's air force as the largest in the Indo-Pacific and the third largest worldwide, boasting more than 3,150 aircraft, including roughly 2,400 combat-ready jets capable of long-range operations. Zia Ul Haque Shamshi, Retired Air Commodore, Pakistan Air Force: "India is not expected to acquire fifth-generation fighter jet capabilities within that timeframe, which will provide Pakistan with a strategic edge." Brendan Mulvaney, Director, China Aerospace Studies Institute, U.S. Air Force: "It has put the Pakistani Air Force ahead of the Indian Air Force by tying Pakistan and China further." If deliveries follow this accelerated schedule, Pakistan's air combat capabilities will see a significant boost, potentially altering the regional defense landscape. Regional powers, particularly India, are expected to closely monitor pilot training, operational integration, and strategic responses in the coming months. Related Articles Chinese Navy Announces Major Warfighting MilestoneStock Market Sinks After Trump Threatens Tariffs on Apple, EUCrowd's Response to Howard Lutnick's Price Rise Question Goes ViralHow China Is Fighting Back in Its Manufacturing War With the US 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
China Fast-Tracks Stealth Jets to Pakistan to Counter India: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China is fast-tracking delivery of its advanced J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters to Pakistan, with the first batch expected by early 2026, according to senior diplomatic and military sources cited in regional defense reports and Pakistani media. Highlighted by Defence Security Asia, the accelerated timeline reflects deepening military ties amid rising tensions after recent cross-border violence with India. The move aims to strengthen Pakistan's aerial deterrence as it seeks to counter India's air force. Newsweek has reached out to China and Pakistan's defense ministries for comment. Why It Matters The expedited delivery of China's next-generation stealth fighters could shift the airpower balance in South Asia. India continues to modernize its air force with platforms like the Russian Su-30MKI and French Rafale jets, but neither possesses the stealth capabilities of the J-35A. This deal also marks China's first known export of a fifth-generation fighter jet, reflecting its ambitions as a global arms supplier. A mockup of a Chinese Air Force J-35 stealth fighter jet is displayed to the media in Zhuhai, southern China, on Nov. 10, 2024, ahead of the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition starting on... A mockup of a Chinese Air Force J-35 stealth fighter jet is displayed to the media in Zhuhai, southern China, on Nov. 10, 2024, ahead of the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition starting on Nov. 12. More Kyodo/AP Photo What to Know Originally planned for late 2026, Pakistan is now expected to receive its first batch of J-35A fighters six months earlier, possibly by August 2025 for the initial 30 jets. This acceleration follows high-level diplomatic and military exchanges, including Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar's visit to Beijing and General Zhang Youxia's trip to Islamabad. Pakistan's Strategic Ambitions Pakistan aims to close the qualitative airpower gap with India, which still fields non-stealth platforms. Pakistani media reports say the country's pilots are already training in China on the J-35A, signaling Islamabad's commitment to integrating the new stealth fighters into its fleet. Additionally, a recent post on X by an apparent Pakistan Air Force fan appears to show a J-35 in test flight, further fueling anticipation of the aircraft's imminent arrival. Pakistan received first one 'J35A Gyrfalcon' (Pakistan Flag coloured). Test flight successfully conducted in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan together with Chinese Pilots. — Pakistan Air Force (@TheRealFalcons5) May 22, 2025 The reports say China is offering Pakistan a significant 50 percent discount on the J-35A jets, along with favorable payment terms. This is widely seen as a "reward" for Pakistan's military performance during recent tensions with India and highlights the growing strategic partnership between the two countries. A Pakistani Air Force fighter jet flies over during a military parade to mark Pakistan National Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Pakistanis celebrated their National Day with a military parade that's showcasing... A Pakistani Air Force fighter jet flies over during a military parade to mark Pakistan National Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Pakistanis celebrated their National Day with a military parade that's showcasing nation's elite army units and high-tech weaponry, including short, medium, and long-range missiles, tanks, fighter jets and other hardware. More AP Photo Regional Airpower Unveiled at a major airshow in November 2024, the J-35A became China's second stealth fighter after the J-20, positioning Beijing as only the second country—after the United States—to operate multiple fifth-generation stealth aircraft types. A recent Pentagon assessment highlights China's air force as the largest in the Indo-Pacific and the third largest worldwide, boasting more than 3,150 aircraft, including roughly 2,400 combat-ready jets capable of long-range operations. What People Are Saying Zia Ul Haque Shamshi, Retired Air Commodore, Pakistan Air Force: "India is not expected to acquire fifth-generation fighter jet capabilities within that timeframe, which will provide Pakistan with a strategic edge." Brendan Mulvaney, Director, China Aerospace Studies Institute, U.S. Air Force: "It has put the Pakistani Air Force ahead of the Indian Air Force by tying Pakistan and China further." What Happens Next If deliveries follow this accelerated schedule, Pakistan's air combat capabilities will see a significant boost, potentially altering the regional defense landscape. Regional powers, particularly India, are expected to closely monitor pilot training, operational integration, and strategic responses in the coming months.
