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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Balochistan's rare earths: Pakistan's gamble in the great power race
China and Pakistan are reportedly advancing plans to create a new regional bloc to replace the long-standing but functionally ineffective South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). A trilateral meeting in Kunming on June 19, 2025—between China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—marked the first step toward formalising this China-led initiative, with Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Afghanistan also being courted to join. This raises a crucial question: Why is such an initiative being pursued now? A security personnel stands guard along a street near the site of a school bus bombing in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan province.(AFP/File) At the heart of this renewed regional alignment lies a game-changing revelation: Pakistan—particularly its restive province of Balochistan—is estimated to hold between $6 to $8 trillion worth of untapped mineral wealth, including strategically vital rare earth elements (REEs) like dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium. These elements are indispensable to the global green transition, as they are used in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, advanced defence technologies, and next-generation electronics. Balochistan's ophiolite-rich terrain, especially in the Muslim Bagh and Khuzdar regions, is believed to harbour significant deposits of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), now in intense international demand. However, despite the immense resource potential, Pakistan's capacity to extract and process these minerals remains severely constrained. According to Abdul Bashir, chief geologist at Koh-e-Daleel Minerals, Pakistan currently lacks the sophisticated extraction technology, skilled expertise, and financial resources needed to process these critical minerals domestically. Without proper laboratory testing and beneficiation, the continued export of raw ore could result in the loss of billions in potential national revenue in the years to come. This gap between mineral abundance and extraction capability has triggered a fresh race among global powers to partner with Islamabad. At the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum held in Islamabad in April 2025, delegations from the US, China, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union expressed strong interest in large-scale mining partnerships. For Washington, this was not just about investment—it marked a strategic shift aimed at diversifying away from China, which currently controls about 90% of the global REE supply chain. Led by Eric Meyer from the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, the US delegation sought to position Pakistan as a new critical minerals partner. To accelerate this mineral pivot, Pakistan has signed lobbying contracts worth $450,000 a month with US firms linked to key figures from former President Trump's administration, such as his former bodyguard Keith Schiller, compliance chief George Sorial, and economic adviser Everett Eissenstat. Their mandate spans both economic and defence cooperation—promoting rare earth investments while also seeking military support. Meanwhile, China, with its $60 billion footprint in Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is moving to consolidate its own position. For Beijing, Balochistan is a linchpin in its broader strategy to secure long-term access to critical minerals. However, the path to extraction is fraught with security risks. In 2024 alone, over 800 people were killed in nearly 500 militant attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—the very provinces that hold most of Pakistan's high-value mineral deposits. To reassure investors, Pakistan's military has stepped in forcefully. Army chief and field marshal Asim Munir has declared that 'economic security is now a pillar of national security,' promising full-scale military protection for mining zones. But the growing militarisation of mineral development is not without social and political costs. In 2025, two controversial laws—the Balochistan Mines and Minerals Act and the Mines and Minerals Harmonization Act—were passed with limited public debate These laws effectively centralised control under the federal government through the creation of a Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority (MIFA) reporting to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). This federal architecture undermines the country's 18th Amendment, which gives provinces authority over natural resources. In effect, Balochistan has been sidelined in the decision-making over its own resources. Equally troubling is the absence of any requirement for community consultation or profit-sharing with tribal populations, repeating the exclusionary patterns that have historically fuelled discontent in the region. The Reko Diq project is a prime example. Once stalled by legal battles over exploitative contracts, it is now being revived under Canadian firm Barrick Gold, with a projected output of $74 billion over 37 years. While it could reshape Pakistan's economy, serious concerns remain: Will Balochistan's impoverished residents benefit? And how will the water-intensive copper and lithium mining impact one of the world's most water-stressed regions? Some estimates warn extraction could consume up to 40% of local water supplies, worsening ecological strain and community tensions. Pakistan's mineral moment has clearly arrived—but whether it leads to equitable development or replicates extractive and exclusionary practices of the past will depend on policy choices made now. With external debt over $130 billion and the mining and sector contributing just 3.2% to GDP, Islamabad needs urgent foreign investment. But that capital must be aligned with transparent governance, environmental safeguards, and local benefit-sharing—not with attempts to recreate a regional stability institution that lacks legitimacy and inclusive representation. This article authored by Hriday Sarma, senior fellow, South Asia Democratic Forum, Brussels.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
3 years, 14 rounds: Deal clinched hours before start of Sindoor
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes PM Narendra Modi at Chequers near Aylesbury, England. (Pic credit: AP) NEW DELHI: The trade deal with UK may have been under negotiation for three years but the seeds were sown 18 years ago - on June 28, 2007, when India began talks for a Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement. It was a day after Tony Blair quit as the UK PM, having done some groundwork for the talks. But it was not until Brexit and India's decision to exit RCEP that talks for a trade deal with the UK actually began. Having opted out of China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, govt stepped up engagement with developed countries - from the UK and EU to Australia - hoping to open new markets for Indian goods and services. It meant reviving talks that had been on the backburner, as the Modi govt was reluctant to sign FTAs during its first term. The UK deal appeared smooth as long as Boris Johnson occupied 10 Downing Street. In April 2022, three months after negotiations began, Johnson set a Diwali deadline. Less than three months later, he stepped down, and the deal went on the backburner as UK grappled with uncertainty. Several members of Rishi Sunak's cabinet publicly expressed concerns over visa concessions, though discussions were on business visas. Finally, it was Keir Starmer who decided to go ahead with the deal at a time when pressure from US was mounting. It took three years and 14 rounds of negotiations for the deal to be finalised, hours before the start of Operation Sindoor . Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
AllAfrica
22-07-2025
- Science
- AllAfrica
With China, European Space Agency leaves politics to governments
The European Space Agency (ESA) has a comprehensive internal system in place to ensure that its collaboration with China will not raise security concerns or be affected by geopolitical changes, according to a senior director interviewed by Asia Times. After the ESA said in January 2023 that it would not send astronauts to China's Tiangong space station, it continued to work with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on two scientific research programs. One of the two programs is the Einstein Probe (EP), a China-led X-ray space telescope mission. China launched the EP satellite to low Earth orbit (600 kilometers above the Earth) from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on January 9 last year. Another mission is the Solar-wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), a 50-50 mission between the ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The SMILE satellite is scheduled to be launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, located in northeastern South America, in 2026. It will operate in a highly elliptical orbit similar to a Molniya orbit (40,000 kilometers above the Earth). With SMILE, scientists can understand the Sun–Earth connection by measuring the solar wind and its dynamic interaction with Earth's magnetosphere. Carole Mundell, Director of Science at the European Space Agency (ESA), stated that there is no immediate risk to the ESA-China programs. 'I don't believe there's an immediate risk of that, in the sense that ESA is governed by its member states, and those 23 countries guide me as director of science on how to run the program,' Mundell told Asia Times in an interview on the sidelines of the UK Space Conference in Manchester on July 17. The X-ray telescope of the Einstein Probe Photo: ESA 'I have permission from our member states to collaborate with China, and that's how we've worked on Einstein Probe,' she said. ' It's how we've worked on SMILE.' 'We have robust security processes, and apply them to each national country's government. If components are coming, say from the UK or Belgium, we go through their normal export license control processes, and that is how we satisfy the international regulations.' She said any political challenges between the United States and China are between their governments, which are not ESA member states. She said when collaborating with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the ESA also follows its processes and US rules and regulations. 'We are a technical agency and an international civil service. We are not political, and we don't make decisions on policy,' she said. Mundell took up her current position at the ESA in March 2023. She gained her PhD in astrophysics from the University of Manchester and postdoctoral research fellowships at Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK, and the University of Maryland in the US, specialising in the physics of accreting supermassive black holes and their role in galaxy evolution. She became the first woman Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2018 and first Chief International Science Envoy in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office until 2021. She was elected President of the UK Science Council in 2021. In March 2019, representing the UK government, she spent two weeks visiting scientific institutions and technology firms in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing, as well as the China National Space Agency (CNSA) and the National Space Science Center (NSSC). At that time, Wang Chi, the Director General of NSSC, briefly introduced the SMILE mission to her. China and the ESA targeted launching the mission in 2023. However, the launch date was postponed to 2026 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past six years, the world's geopolitical environment has faced drastic changes, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the trade and chip wars between China and the US, and rising political tensions between China and the European Union (EU). On July 18, the EU approved the 18th round of sanctions against Russia, which targeted Russian energy and military firms, as well as two Chinese Banks. Beijing slammed the EU for its sanctions. Carole Mundell, Director of Science at the European Space Agency (ESA) Photo: Asia Times, Jeff Pao Mundell said the ESA can avoid falling foul of international politics due to its independent organizational structure. 'Twenty-three countries are contributing their funding to us this year. Their ministers will all come together and set our budgets in November,' she said. 'We're a membership organization in the same way that CERN is.' (CERN stands for Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, or the European Organization for Nuclear Research in English.) While the ESA and the EU are separate organisations, they work closely together in many programs, including: the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (Iris2) to promote digital autonomy and provide a strategic asset for the EU; the EU's Galileo system, with a 28-satellite constellation and global ground stations to provide a global positioning service; the EU's Copernicus Earth observation satellites to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. Under the Financial Framework Partnership Agreement signed in 2021, the EU will provide the ESA with about €9 billion (US$10.52 billion) of funding from 2021 to 2027. Last year, the ESA's full-year budget was €7.79 billion. China has not officially announced its investment in space exploration. According to China's government expenditure on space programs totaled $19.89 billion in 2024, compared to the United States' $79.68 billion and the EU's $3.71 billion. Mundell said that, as a scientist, she would not mind if other places invested more in climate monitoring than the ESA. 'During the pandemic, sometimes political leaders asked me, 'Who's got the best vaccine?' My answer was always: The competition is not about my vaccine being better than yours. It's about the best vaccine to prevent death and illness,' she said. 'For climate monitoring, the Earth is a complex system. We all have limited budgets. If you want to compete to get the best data on Earth observation, it's not a bad competition. That's fine. Go for it,' she said. 'It's better than being blind to the changes on our planet.' She hopes that other organizations will share their data and contribute to climate monitoring, following the example set by the ESA's Copernicus program. The EU and the ESA sent Copernicus Earth observation satellites to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. Photo: ESA 'The Copernicus program has set a gold standard for Earth observation,' she said. 'In terms of data transparency, we share our data. We also add value by helping people who might not know what to do with them to get extra information out of them.' 'When I was in the UK Government, it was very interesting visiting one of the NSSC's climate institutes, because there was some local data which was then fed back into some of the UK models, which then helped build the global climate models,' she said, highlighting the importance of boosting international collaboration. The Paris-based ESA, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year since its establishment on May 30, 1975, continues to explore new collaborations with Asian counterparts. In March this year, the ESA signed a letter of intent with Singapore's Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn) to promote deeper collaboration. In May, the ESA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed a joint statement of intent on cooperation for human space exploration, focusing on low Earth orbit, and in a secondary stage on the Moon. In July, the ESA announced that it would sign a framework agreement to strengthen cooperation with South Korea's newly established Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA). Read: China's patience wears thin with EU over medical device row
India.com
21-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
China plans another conspiracy against India, makes move to disturb power balance in Asia, Modi govt is biggest challenge due to...
China trying to form a new alternative to SAARC? faces big obstacle as India... Not just at the borders, but India is giving a hard time to China at other fronts too. China is preparing to form a new group under its leadership to replace the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). However, India has emerged as the biggest hurdle in this effort of China. Analysts say that due to its economic strength and crisis management capability, India remains important for future regional cooperation. In such a situation, it is useless to imagine any group or alliance in South Asia without India. India had distanced itself from this group due to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and its dogmatism. Due to this, the meetings of SAARC are pending. What is China-Pakistan planning together? According to reports, discussions are in advanced stages between Islamabad and Beijing on a possible alternative to the China-led SAARC. Experts believe that China is using this as a geopolitical ploy to sideline India. Bangladeshi officials reportedly attended a meeting about the new grouping in Kunming, China on June 19, but Dhaka downplayed any political implications. Why is SAARC eclipsed? SAARC was established in 1985 by seven countries including India. Later in 2007, Afghanistan also joined this alliance. The member countries of SAARC are India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But, SAARC has been largely inactive since 2016. India refused to attend the SAARC meeting due to the attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in 2016. Since then its meetings are pending and the rest of the members have also backed out from it. Why India's neighbors will not join China's SAARC? China's bid to expand its influence in South Asia is based on strategic, economic and security interests. Through projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing not only seeks to boost regional connectivity but also secure energy routes and counter the rise of India, analysts say. But countries such as Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal may be reluctant to join any new regional body that excludes India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited all SAARC leaders to his first swearing-in ceremony in 2014. He also attended the SAARC summit in Kathmandu that year, where he called for a motor-vehicle agreement to enhance connectivity. When Pakistan blocked the deal, India signed a similar agreement with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal the following year. India also pushed ahead with the South Asia Satellite Project in 2017, even after Pakistan had already backed out, which was intended to benefit all other SAARC countries.
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First Post
14-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
How S Jaishankar's visit to China points to a continued thawing of ties
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting of the foreign ministers. He is on his first such visit to the neighbouring country since the Galvan Valley clash in 2020. The trip is yet another indication of the ties between the countries continuing to thaw. Let's take a closer look read more External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is making his first trip to China since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020. Image/X/@DrSJaishankar External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in China. Jaishankar is in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting of the foreign ministers. In the backdrop of Jaishankar's visit to China, let's take a closer look at how India-China ties are improving. A brief look at Jaishankar's visit First, let's take a brief look at Jaishankar's visit to China. The external affairs minister is in the city of Tianjin. He is making his first such visit to the neighbouring country since the Galvan Valley clash in 2020. India and China share a 3,800-kilometre border in the Himalayas. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jaishankar's trip taken in concert with Rajnath's visit last month, indicates that the thaw between the two countries seems to be lasting Jaishankar met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday. Jaishankar during the meeting reiterated New Delhi's support for Beijing's presidency of the SCO. The SCO is a China-led multilateral group comprising nine permanent members including India, Pakistan, Russia and Iran. China is the current chair of the SCO. It is hosting the meetings of the grouping in that capacity. In the first leg of his China visit, S Jaishankar held talks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday. At the meeting, Jaishankar expressed confidence that the ongoing discussions will maintain a positive trajectory when it comes to ties between the two nations. X / @DrSJaishankar 'Pleased to meet Vice President Han Zheng soon after my arrival in Beijing today, and conveyed India's support for China's SCO Presidency. Noted the improvement in our bilateral ties. And expressed confidence that discussions during my visit will maintain that positive trajectory,' Jaishankar wrote on X. 'The international situation, as we meet today, is very complex. As neighbouring nations and major economies, an open exchange of views and perspectives between India and China is very important. I look forward to such discussions during this visit,' Jaishankar said. The external affair ministers' meeting will be held tomorrow (July 15). Jaishankar is set to hold a bilateral meet with his counterpart Wang Yi before the summit. The two men previously met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. They will hold wide-ranging talks on a number of issues including the Dalai Lama, rare earth materials, resuming flights between the two countries and the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He and Wang will also lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely China trip for the SCO summit. Wang may also visit India this month to hold a fresh round of talks with NSA Ajit Doval under the framework of Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary dispute. Jaishankar is set to hold several other bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit. Kailash Mansorvar resumes Jaishankar pointed to the resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra as a positive development. The resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is widely appreciated in India', Jaishankar said during the meeting. 'Continued normalisation of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes', he added. The yatra was initially suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. After the Galwan Valley clash caused the relationship between India and China to nosedive, the yatra remained suspended. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is resumed after a gap of five years. File Photo/ANI India and China had announced the resumption of the yatra to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in Tibet during Rajnath's visit last month. 'Expressed my happiness on restarting of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years. It is incumbent on both the sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship,' Rajnath wrote on X after the announcement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rajnath visit Jaishankar's visit comes weeks after Rajnath visited Qingdao in June. The defence minister did so for an SCO meet of defence ministers. That was the first such visit by a senior Indian official to China since 2020 and the first visit by an Indian defence minister to China in over a decade. Rajnath during his trip met Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun and presented him a four-pronged approach for better ties. This included following the 2024 Disengagement Agreement to the letter, continuing efforts at de-escalation, accelerating efforts to demarcate and delimit and bridging trust deficit. 'Held talks with Admiral Don Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward looking exchange of views on issues pertaining to bilateral relations,' Rajnath wrote on social media. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. X - @rajnathsingh Rajnath had also presented Dong with a Madhubani painting from Bihar. The painting, which comes from the Mithila region, is known for its line drawings filled in with bright colours and contrasts or patterns. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Such paintings are popular because of their tribal motifs and use of bright earthy colours. However, Rajnath had refused to sign the SCO statement as there was no mention of the Pahalgam terror attack. Border de-escalation Jaishankar is also likely to speak to Wang about de-escalation at the border. Rajnath during his trip had called for a 'structured roadmap of permanent engagement and de-escalation' as well as a 'permanent solution of border demarcation'. India and China previously met at a high-level to work on the disengagement process at Demchok and Depsang Plains in October 2024. Since the 2020 Galwan crisis, India has made incremental security improvements through diplomatic agreements and infrastructure development, yet significant challenges remain. Representational image: PTI/file photo Jaishankar also noted that the relationship between India and China has been on a firmer footing since the meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October. The two leaders had met on the sidelines of the summit in Kazan. The decision to resume talks under the Special Representatives (SR) mechanism was taken during this meeting. What do experts say? They say India thinks this is the right time to reach out to China given recent events in Washington. 'India thought it would be a very close strategic ally [of the US] but they were not getting the support they were expecting from Washington,' professor Christopher Clary of University of Albany in New York told BBC. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'In recent years, China has also significantly increased its influence in other multilateral organisations like the SCO and the Brics grouping of emerging economies,' Phunchok Stobdan, a former senior Indian diplomat, added. India sees this as the pragmatic approach, he added. 'At the same time, it does not want to be seen yielding too much to the Chinese demands for domestic reasons,' he adds. However, all isn't smooth sailing just yet. Jaishankar's visit also comes in the backdrop of China taking offence over some in India's remarks on the Dalai Lama, who celebrated his 90th birthday last week. 'They should be fully cognizant of the sensitivity of issues related to Xizang, and that the reincarnation and succession of the Dalai Lama is inherently an internal affair of China, brooking no interference of any external forces,' Yu said_._ With inputs from agencies
