China | Pakistan

Air India is lobbying the Indian government to convince China to let it use a sensitive military airspace zone in Xinjiang to shorten routes as the financial toll from a ban on Indian carriers flying over Pakistan mounts, a company document shows. The unusual request comes just weeks after direct India-China flights resumed after a five-year hiatus following a Himalayan border clash between the nations. Air India has been seeking to rebuild its reputation and international network after a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Gujarat in June, killing 260 people and forcing it to briefly cut flights for safety checks. But that effort is being complicated by the closure of Pakistan airspace to Indian carriers since diplomatic tensions erupted in late April. For Air India, the country’s only carrier with a major international network, fuel costs have risen by as much as 29 per cent and journey times by up to three hours on some long-haul routes, according to the previously unreported document submitted t...

Country to boost counter-terror tie-up with China

Air India said on Monday it will resume New Delhi-China flights beginning from February 2026, nearly six years after suspension, as recent diplomatic steps are seen as cautiously reopening bilateral links. The carrier was also planning to launch a Mumbai-Shanghai route later next year, subject to regulatory approvals, it said. “The reinstatement of Air India’s services to Shanghai follows recent India-China diplomatic agreements that restored the air links paused in early 2020,” Air India said in a statement. China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport last month announced flights between the two nations were set to resume. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China earlier this year, for the first time in seven years, to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation regional security bloc. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that India and China were development partners, not rivals, and discussed ways to strengthen trade ties amid global tariff uncertainty. Last month, budget ...

UNITED NATIONS: Senior UN diplomats are cautiously optimistic that China and Russia may abstain rather than veto a US-sponsored Security Council resolution to authorise an international stabilisation force (ISF) in Gaza — a key test of the UN’s ability to back a postceasefire vision for the enclave, according to diplomatic sources. The draft resolution is expected to come up for vote in the UN Security Council on Monday, and would take effect if it secures at least nine affirmative votes and avoids a veto from any of the five permanent members (the US, China, Russia, Britain and France). “China will not veto the resolution, but Russia’s position is uncertain, and key as well,” said one senior diplomat. Another added, “both China and Russia may abstain, but they will not use their veto.” The draft resolution, formally circulated by the US, would authorise a two-year mandate for a transitional body called the Board of Peace, chaired by President Donald Trump, as proposed in his 20-point Gaza plan. It would also...

India’s air force chief made the inaugural landing of a military transport aircraft at a new airbase capable of fighter jet operations close to the disputed Himalayan border with China, a defence official said on Thursday. The move comes amid a thaw in ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours, following a milestone pact last October to ease military tension along their de facto border and a visit this year to China by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh landed the C-130J aircraft on Wednesday at the Mudh-Nyoma air force station in Ladakh, perched at a height of about 4,000m, added the official, who sought anonymity as the matter is a sensitive one. The Indian Air Force and the defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The new airbase, the region’s third such key station, is just 30 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. “This new airfield in Ladakh, capable of fighter operations, will add a new challenge for both of our adversari...

China has begun modest purchases of the United States’ farm products after the leaders of both countries met last week, but traders still await significant soybean buys after the White House said Beijing pledged to buy 12 million tonnes by year-end. The top market for US farmers, China has turned its vast appetite for crops into a powerful trade war bargaining chip, largely avoiding US wheat and soybeans in favour of other supplies, after rounds of tit-for-tat tariffs. Chinese buyers have booked two cargoes of US wheat, the first such purchases since October last year, two traders said on Thursday, while a sorghum shipment has been sent from the US to China, a US industry official said. The deals to import US agricultural goods come as Beijing confirmed on Wednesday that it suspended retaliatory tariffs on US imports, including duties on farm goods, although shipments of US soybeans still face a 13 per cent tariff. Soft white and spring wheat cargoes The purchases of about 120,000 tonnes for December shipment...

India is ramping up aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and branding itself as the region’s “first responder” after Monday’s deadly earthquake, seeking to counter China’s efforts to fill the void left by the West, officials and analysts said. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was among the first to call his Taliban counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi on Monday, pledging more support after New Delhi shipped 15 tonnes of food. Medical supplies would follow soon, he said, as his ministry promoted the hashtag #IndiaFirstResponder on X. China on Tuesday said it too was ready to assist after the quake near Mazar-i-Sharif killed at least 20 people and injured more than 900. India wields soft power Both Asian giants are keen to deepen engagement with the Taliban, said Harsh Pant, head of foreign policy studies at the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi. India’s ties with Afghanistan have warmed in recent weeks, even as relations between both countries and Pakistan have soured. “Behind India’s ou...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sought Chinese President Xi Jinping’s help in efforts to resume talks with nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea on Saturday, while Xi told Lee he was willing to widen cooperation and jointly tackle the challenges they face. Lee hosted Xi at a state summit and dinner after an annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, marking Xi’s first visit to the United States’ ally in 11 years. Beijing attaches great importance to relations with Seoul and sees South Korea as an inseparable cooperative partner, Xi said ahead of the summit, according to Lee’s office. Lee, who was elected president in a snap election in June, has promised to strengthen ties with the US while not antagonising China and seeking to reduce tensions with the North. “I am very positive about the situation in which conditions for engagement with North Korea are being formed,” Lee said, referring to recent high-level exchanges between China and North Korea. “...

• Critical Minerals Forum chief meets Aurangzeb • Islamabad welcomes move; asks team to revert with a detailed framework for collaboration ISLAMABAD: A leading US delegation met with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Friday, seeking to build secure and transparent mineral supply chains for American industry amid Washington’s growing concerns over China’s upper hand in global rare earth materials. The delegation led by Robert Louis Strayer II, president of the US government-funded Critical Minerals Forum (CMF), “discussed avenues of cooperation in the minerals and mining sector, strengthening supply-chain security, and encouraging responsible and sustainable investment in Pakistan’s critical minerals landscape” with a Pakistani team headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, according to an official statement. The meeting took place as the US and India announced a 10-year defence framework agreement. The CMF’s focus is driven by the strategic threat posed by Beijing’s control over key resources. “China’s...

US President Donald Trump said he had struck a deal to reduce tariffs on China on Thursday in exchange for Beijing resuming US soybean purchases, keeping rare earths exports flowing and cracking down on the illicit trade of fentanyl. His remarks after the face-to-face talks with China’s leader Xi Jinping in the South Korean city of Busan, their first since 2019, marked the finale of Trump’s whirlwind Asia trip on which he also touted trade breakthroughs with South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations. The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, lasted nearly two hours. Trump shook hands and escorted Xi to his car before the US president was given a red carpet send off at the airport. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said the meeting with Xi yielded an extendable one-year deal on the supply of crucial rare earths. “All the rare earths has been settled, and that’s for the world,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that th...

Top Chinese and US economic officials on Sunday hashed out the framework of a trade deal for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to decide on later this week that would pause steeper American tariffs and Chinese rare earths export controls, US officials said. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur had eliminated the threat of Trump’s 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports starting November 1. Bessent said he expects China to delay implementation of its rare earth minerals and magnets licensing regime by a year while the policy is reconsidered. Chinese officials were more circumspect about the talks and offered no details about the outcome of the meetings. Trump and Xi are due to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea to sign off on the terms. While the White House has officially announced the highly anticipated Trump-Xi talks, China has yet to conf...

Pakistan extended their winning streak to advance to the semi-finals of the boys volleyball event after defeating China in straight sets in the quarter-finals at the Asian Youth Games on Sunday. The Green Shirts clinched their victory in a speedy 53-minute game at the Isa Sports City, winning 25-12, 25-13, 25-17. View this post on Instagram Pakistan had earlier opened their campaign with a straight-sets victory over Mongolia before defeating hosts Bahrain 3-0 in their Group ‘A’ match. Pakistan then downed Uzebikstan in similar fashion on Thursday in their first Group ‘E’ match of the 1-8 Classification Round. The team then defeated Saudi Arabia 3-1 on Friday to move top of the group, winning with scores of 25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 26-24. Khizar Hayat, Mohammad Yahya and Mohammad Anas were among the standout performers of the day. Pakistan will now play the semi finals on October 27 (Monday) at 9pm local time (11pm PKT). Pakistan sent a 53-member contingent for the ongoing games being held from Oct 22 to 31, baggi...

Islamabad - A major question mark has surfaced over the performance of the Ministry of Communications after sixteen out of twenty-six invited transport ministers — including China’s — failed to attend the Regional Transport Ministers Conference held in Islamabad despite receiving formal invitations.

Japan got its first woman prime minister on Tuesday after Sanae Takaichi, a China hawk and social conservative, forged an 11th-hour coalition deal. Japan’s fifth premier in as many years will lead a minority government and has a full in-tray, not least a scheduled visit by US President Donald Trump next week. Parliament appointed Takaichi, an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, as prime minister on Tuesday, after she unexpectedly won a majority in a first round of voting. She will formally take office after meeting the emperor later. The former heavy metal drummer became on October 4 head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost non-stop for decades but is losing support. Six days later the Komeito party, uncomfortable about Takaichi’s conservative views and an LDP slush fund scandal, quit their coalition. This forced Takaichi to form an alliance with the reformist, right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which was signed on Monday evening. JIP wants to lower the consumption tax rate on ...

China and the United States agreed on Saturday to conduct another round of trade negotiations in the coming week, as the world’s two biggest economies seek to avoid another damaging tit-for-tat tariff battle. Beijing last week announced sweeping controls on the critical rare earths industry, prompting US President Donald Trump to threaten 100 percent tariffs on imports from China in retaliation. Trump had also threatened to cancel his expected meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. In the latest indication of efforts to resolve their dispute, Chinese state media reported that Vice Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had “candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges” during a Saturday morning call, and that both sides agreed to hold a new round of trade talks “as soon as possible”. On social media, Bessent described the call as “frank and detailed”, and said they would meet “in-per...

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met with China’s Deputy Finance Minister Liao Min in Washington and sought Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s membership in BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB), the Ministry of Finance said on Friday. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the plenary meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) in Washington, DC, where Aurangzeb had arrived on Sunday on a six-day trip from Oct 13 to 18. NDB — established in 2015 by the BRICS — is a multilateral development bank aimed at mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS, as per their website. In February, the Economic Coord­ination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet had approved Pakistan’s membership in the NDB. In a statement issued today, the ministry said, “Aurangzeb sought China’s support for Pakistan’s membership in the NDB and welcomed enhanced investment from Chinese enterprises in key sectors, including information and communication technology, agriculture, indu...

China has voiced support for Pakistan and Afghanistan’s ongoing efforts to maintain restraint and implement a comprehensive, lasting ceasefire following recent cross-border clashes.

China’s foreign ministry has said that Pakistan keeps its strategic ally aware of its cooperation with the United States in the mining sector, and the two countries have maintained a “high-level strategic mutual trust and close communication”. “The two countries have maintained high-level strategic mutual trust and close communication on major issues concerning each other’s common interests. From what I’ve learned, the two countries have been in communication on Pakistan-US mining cooperation,” said spokesperson Lin Jian. US Strategic Metals, which signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan in September to invest rou­ghly $500 million to establish mineral processing and development facilities in the country, rece­ntly dispatched its first consignment of mineral samples to the US to advance the deal. The sample shipment, prepared locally in collaboration with the Frontier Works Organisation, includes antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium. Pakistan also...

China is concerned about recent border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan and has asked the two countries to protect their nationals and investments in the region, Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday. Intense border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan started late on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that 23 Pakistani troops were martyred and 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists were killed when Islamabad responded to aggression by Kabul. Afghanistan claimed it carried out the attack as a “retaliatory” measure, accusing Islamabad of conducting air strikes in its territory earlier this week. For its part, Islamabad has not confirmed whether it was behind the air strikes but maintains that Kabul should “stop harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan on its soil”. In response to Islamabad’s repeated calls to bar terrorists from using its territory for cross-border attacks, Afghanistan denies the allegation of allowing terrorist out...

India and China will resume direct flights between their two countries this month after a five-year suspension, officials said, with bookings opening on Friday. Direct flights between the world’s two most populous countries were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and were not resumed as tensions grew between Beijing and New Delhi over border disputes. Relations between the Asian rivals have since thawed, and their leaders spoke in China in August and in Kazan, Russia, last year. Following technical discussions, “it has now been agreed that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late October”, an Indian government statement released on Thursday said. “This agreement of the civil aviation authorities will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges,” it said. IndiGo, India’s largest commercial operator, said today it would start direct daily flights between Kolkat...