China puts its weight behind Pakistan
The pledge came during a high-level meeting between Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
The discussion focused on a series of escalating issues, including India's recent accusations against Pakistan in connection with the Pahalgam incident.
Diplomatic setback for India at UNSC as Pakistan, China block pro-India statement on Pahalgam attack
Sharif categorically denied Pakistan's involvement, calling the claims 'false' and urging India to reconsider its approach.
In response, Ambassador Zaidong expressed gratitude to Sharif for presenting Pakistan's position and facts in detail, underscoring that China would continue to stand by Pakistan in its efforts to achieve long-term peace in the region.
Zaidong's comments come at a time of heightened political and military tensions, with India accusing Pakistan of backing militant activities.
However, Sharif was quick to emphasize the broader geopolitical dynamics, particularly the growing threat posed by terrorism in the region.
'Pakistan has long been a frontline state in the fight against terror,' Sharif remarked, pointing to the country's immense human and economic toll – over 90,000 lives lost and $152 billion in economic losses – faced in combating groups like Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), many of which operate from Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister also voiced concern over India's recent actions concerning water disputes, calling it a 'weapon of aggression.'
Under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), he argued, both nations are bound by agreements that should not be violated unilaterally.
Sharif's remarks were a direct rebuke to India's decision to utilize water resources as a tool of coercion, which Pakistan sees as a direct violation of international accords.
Sharif also expressed gratitude toward China for its ongoing diplomatic support. He referenced a recent phone call between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, where China reiterated its backing for Pakistan's position on India's provocative actions since April 2025.
In particular, the Prime Minister thanked China for its endorsement of Pakistan's call for a 'reliable and transparent' international investigation into the Pahalgam incident.
The longstanding dispute over Jammu and Kashmir was also a focal point of the conversation. Sharif reiterated that the only path to lasting peace in South Asia lies in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.
'We remain committed to dialogue and diplomacy, but any resolution must honour the legitimate rights of the Kashmiri people,' he added.
In his closing remarks, Sharif conveyed his best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. He expressed heartfelt appreciation for China's 'strong and unwavering support,' particularly at a time when South Asia is witnessing growing tensions.
'China's continued backing gives us hope for a peaceful resolution and for a stable, secure future in South Asia,' Sharif concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
4 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
US, China tariff truce holds for now but US says Trump has final say
STOCKHOLM: US and Chinese officials agreed to seek an extension of their 90-day tariff truce on Tuesday, following two days of what both sides described as constructive talks in Stockholm aimed at defusing an escalating trade war between the world's two biggest economies that threatens global growth. No major breakthroughs were announced, and U.S. officials said it was up to President Donald Trump to decide whether to extend a trade truce that expires on August 12 or potentially let tariffs shoot back up to triple-digit figures. But U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tamped down any expectation of Trump rejecting the extension. 'The meetings were very constructive,' Bessent told reporters after the meetings wrapped up. 'It's just that we haven't given the signoff.' As Trump returned to Washington after visiting Scotland, where he inked a trade deal with the European Union, he said Bessent had just briefed him on the China talks. 'He felt very good about the meeting, better than he felt yesterday,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. After months of threatening high tariffs on trading partners, Trump has secured trade pacts with the EU, Japan, Indonesia and others, but China's powerhouse economy and grip on global rare earth flows make these talks particularly complex. Both sides in May walked back from imposing triple-digit tariffs on each other in what would have amounted to a bilateral trade embargo. But global supply chains and financial markets could face renewed turmoil without an agreement. Bessent told reporters he expects to meet with Trump on Wednesday after both have returned to Washington, and the president would have the final say on any extension. Another 90-day extension is one option, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer added. 'We had constructive meetings for sure, to go back with the positive report. But the extension of the pause, he'll decide,' Greer said after talks at Rosenbad, the Swedish prime minister's office in central Stockholm. Trump sees meeting with xi by year-end Bessent said there would likely be another meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials in about 90 days, and the agreements on the flow of Chinese rare earths were becoming more refined after previous talks in Geneva and London. 'There was good personal interaction being built up, good, mutual respect. I think we understand their agenda much better,' he said. Underlining the stakes, the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday raised its global growth forecast but flagged a potential rebound in tariff rates as a major risk. China's top trade negotiator Li Chenggang said both sides fully recognized the importance of maintaining a stable and sound economic and trade relationship. 'The Chinese and U.S. economic and trade teams will maintain active communication, exchange views on economic and trade issues in a timely manner, and continue to promote the stable and healthy development of bilateral economic and trade relations,' said Li. The talks could pave the way for a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the year, though Trump denied going out of his way to seek one and U.S. officials said the topic was not discussed. Aboard Air Force One, Trump said he thinks he will meet with Xi before the end of the year, though he did not elaborate. The Stockholm meetings also included a lengthy discussion on the U.S. and Chinese economies, with Greer and Bessent emphasizing the need for China to shift away from a state-led, export-driven manufacturing economy to one powered by increased consumer demand, which would help U.S. exports. 'Cooperation between China and the United States will benefit both sides, while if they fight both will be hurt,' according to a readout of the meetings from China's state news agency Xinhua. 'Stable, healthy and sustainable economic and trade relations between China and the United States are not only conducive to achieving their respective development goals, but also conducive to promoting the development and stability of the world economy.' China vs. EU talks The Stockholm talks follow Trump's biggest trade deal yet with the European Union on Sunday for a 15% tariff on most EU goods exports to the United States, and a deal with Japan. That agreement has brought a measure of relief to the EU but also frustration and anger, with France denouncing the deal as a 'submission' and Germany, Europe's largest economy, warning of 'significant' damage. China can exercise leverage with its grip on the global market for rare earths and magnets, used in everything from military hardware to car windshield wiper motors, analysts say. Euro under pressure as US-EU trade deal fails to impress Unlike the EU, it does not rely on the United States for security ties and can let trade talks play out for several more months, Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank, told Reuters. 'China is well aware of its strong negotiating position, as could clearly be seen in the temporary escalation observed in April,' he said. 'But over Europe always hangs the Damocles sword of the U.S. withdrawing its security guarantee, and that is why the EU did not escalate the situation like China did.' Previous U.S.-China trade talks in Geneva and London in May and June focused on bringing U.S. and Chinese retaliatory tariffs down from triple-digit levels and restoring the flow of rare earth minerals halted by China; and H20 AI chips and other goods halted by the United States. Among broader economic issues, Washington complains that China's state-led, export-driven model is flooding world markets with cheap goods, while Beijing says U.S. national security export controls on tech goods seek to stunt Chinese growth. Separately, China's industry minister on Tuesday met with a delegation of U.S. businesses, including Apple, in Beijing, and pledged to uphold fair and open market competition and provide support and services for foreign enterprises.
Express Tribune
4 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan makes peace overture to India
DPM Ishaq Dar addressing international conference on 'Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution' at UN on Monday. Photo : Listen to article In a renewed bid for regional peace, Pakistan on Tuesday extended an olive branch to India, offering to resume comprehensive talks to resolve all outstanding disputes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, including the decades-old Kashmir issue. Speaking at a news conference in New York, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as the country's foreign minister, reiterated Pakistan's willingness for "composite dialogue," emphasizing that any future engagement must go beyond the issue of terrorism. "Pakistan has itself been one of the biggest victims of terrorism," Dar said, adding that the offer was made in good faith and with the aim of achieving durable peace in South Asia. The foreign minister asserted that there could not be lasting peace in the region without resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He said even US President Donald Trump had repeatedly acknowledged the importance of the issue. Dar's comments came after his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the meeting, both leaders discussed regional security and Pakistan's contributions to the global war on terror. "Secretary Rubio recognized Pakistan's sacrifices," Dar said. On the Indus Waters Treaty, he reaffirmed Islamabad's position that the agreement is legally binding and cannot be altered unilaterally. He warned that any attempts by India to divert or block Pakistan's share of river waters would be unacceptable. In response to a question on Israel, he made it clear that Pakistan has no plans to establish diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. He called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated Pakistan's support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital. Earlier in the day, the foreign minister addressed the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and Implementation of the Two-State Solution. In a strongly-worded speech, he condemned Israeli actions in Gaza and called for urgent international intervention. "For over 75 years, the Palestinian people have endured occupation, displacement and denial of their fundamental rights," Dar said. "Gaza is now a graveyard of international law." He cited the killing of over 58,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — as a "grave breach of international humanitarian law" and called for accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity. "This collective punishment must stop now," he declared. Dar outlined Pakistan's key demands that include an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire across Gaza and all occupied Palestinian territories, full and unimpeded humanitarian access, political and financial reinforcement for UNRWA and end to Israeli impunity through international accountability mechanisms and a genuine and irreversible political process toward a two-state solution. He welcomed France's recent decision to recognize Palestine and urged other nations to follow suit. He also supported the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) proposal for an international protection mechanism for Palestinians and pledged to contribute technical and institutional assistance in areas like public health, education, and governance. "The occupation must end and end now," he demanded. "The best guarantee for lasting peace is freedom, self-determination, and full UN membership for Palestine."
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan trade, investment forum held
Listen to article Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI, President ECO-CCI, and VP CACCI, welcomed a high-profile Kyrgyz trade delegation to Pakistan. The visiting delegation included senior parliamentarians, diplomats, businessmen, and key stakeholders. The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) hosted the Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Trade & Investment Forum at its head office in Karachi on Tuesday, amid growing interest from both countries' business communities, according to a statement. Sheikh expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the recent Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan Inter-Governmental Commission, which agreed to increase bilateral trade from the current $16 million to $100 million. He noted that the present trade volume is well below the two countries' true potential. The chief guest, Edil Baisalove, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyz Republic, told Pakistani businessmen that Kyrgyzstan is undergoing rapid industrialisation. He said this presents numerous opportunities for joint ventures, investments, and trade cooperation between the two nations. Kylychbek Sultan, Kyrgyz Ambassador to Pakistan, said both countries are working to establish new trade routes to create a feasible and enabling environment for the bilateral trade to grow. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, SVP FPCCI, stressed that the shortest route from Chinese city of Kashgar to Kyrgyzstan is about 200 km; and Pakistan is also linked with this province through CPEC; whereas two Kyrgyz passes of Torugart and Erkeshtam should be utilised for establishing linkages to the warm waters of Gwadar port. Magoon recommended holding reciprocal single-country exhibitions and regular trade delegation exchanges. He urged the immediate removal of non-tariff barriers (NTMs and NTBs) and closer coordination between FPCCI and Kyrgyzstan's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-KG).
