Tag: China

  • Oil prices jump following Russia’s biggest production decline

    Oil prices jump following Russia’s biggest production decline

    Oil prices rose on April 13, after concerns that declining output in sanctions-hit Russia may affect supply, following the Russian announcement that peace negotiations to stop its invasion of Ukraine had reached a stalemate.

    Consequently, Brent crude futures were up 59 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to $105.23 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 60 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to $101.20 a barrel. The previous session saw both contracts rise by more than 6%.

    On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised Ukraine for the termination of peace talks and stated that Russia will not abandon its “special operation” to disarm its western neighbor.

    He stated that peace talks with Ukraine are at a stalemate, but that the seven-week operation is going as planned. In a note, ANZ oil experts stated that this raises the threat of the prolonged potential of supply disruptions in the oil sector.

    According to those familiar with the figures, Russian oil and gas extract output declined below 10 million BPD on April 11, the biggest drop since July 2020, as a result of sanctions imposed by numerous nations after Russia invaded Ukraine and logistical difficulties, which hindered business.

    This is quite serious as Russia is the world’s second-largest oil exporter.

    According to reports, Russia’s Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said late Tuesday that the government was willing to sell oil and oil products to “friendly countries in whatever price range,” adding that Moscow was focused on guaranteeing the oil sector’s proper functioning.

    Read more: International oil prices declined by 4%, crashing below $100 per barrel

    Meanwhile, indications of a partial relaxation of some of China’s strict COVID-19 restrictions have fueled optimistic sentiment between some market players this week.

  • ‘Ready to move forward on Kashmir if India agrees’: General Bajwa

    ‘Ready to move forward on Kashmir if India agrees’: General Bajwa

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday said that Pakistan continues to believe in using dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute.

    “Pakistan is ready to move forward on this front if India also agrees to do so,” the COAS said.

    “I believe it is time for the political leadership of the region to rise above their emotional and perceptional biases and break the shackles of history to bring peace and prosperity to almost three billion people of the region.”

    Khanewal Indian Missile incident

    Gen Bajwa termed India’s “accidental” launching of a supersonic missile into Pakistan on March 9 a matter of “serious concern”.

    “We expect India to provide evidence to assure Pakistan and the world that their weapons are safe and secure.”

    “Unlike other incidents involving strategic weapons systems, this is the first time in history that a supersonic cruise missile from one nuclear-armed nation has landed in another,” he said.

    Relationship with the US

    “Pakistan does not believe in camp politics and our bilateral relations with our partners are not at the expense of our relationships with other countries.”

    He said that Pakistan sought to broaden and expand relations with both China and the US “without impacting our relations with [either]”.

    In addition, relations with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Gulf countries, South East Asia and Japan were also important for Pakistan’s progress, the COAS said.

    Pakistan enjoyed a close strategic relationship with China, which was demonstrated by the country’s commitment towards the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said, adding, “Equally, we share a long and excellent strategic relationship with the US, which remains our largest export market.”

    Afghanistan situation

    “Pakistan recognises that it is the regions and not countries that grow. This is why we believe that peace and stability in our wider region are prerequisites for achieving shared regional prosperity and development. In this regard, our doors are open for all our neighbours,” the COAS said.

    The army chief cautioned that an inability to address the issues would “not only lead to a refugee crisis but will again make Afghanistan an epicentre of terrorism where [the Islamic State] with its global agenda flourishes [and] may result in more than one 9/11”.

    Gen Bajwa stressed the need for the international community to support the Afghan government. “The performance of present Afghan government is not satisfactory, to say the least, but we have to be patient and accommodative.”

    “While Pakistan shares some of the concerns of the international community, we believe disengagement with Afghanistan is not an option,” he stressed.

  • Pak-China trade to resume through Khunjerab pass after 2-year hiatus

    A lucrative trade route connecting Pakistan and China, the Khunjerab Pass will finally reopen for trade activities on April 1, 2022 after more than a 2-year hiatus. The pass was closed in November 2019 as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19.

    As per a credible resource, Chinese authorities sent Pakistan a letter requesting the reopening of the border, in reference to the agreement made in May 2013 between the neighboring countries.

    Port authorities on the Chinese side have been advised to take all preventive measures related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

    Likewise, the Pakistani border authorities have also been instructed to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus spread.

    The Khunjerab Pass was temporarily opened for less than two weeks from July 29, 2020 to August 10, 2020 to allow the passage of stranded containers filled with goods. The prolonged closure of Khunjerab Pass had caused severe financial hardships to the local business community.

  • VIVO to launch its first-ever tablet by next month

    VIVO to launch its first-ever tablet by next month

    The smartphone maker ‘vivo’ has finally revealed that it is launching its first tablet in the next month. Two of its products including vivo X Note and vivo X Fold were already expected to launch in the coming days.

    A new feature offered in the upcoming tablet is that it will have stylus support, which will be the company’s first-ever pointing tool.

    The device itself will be equipped with an 8 MP front camera and dual cameras at the back with 13 MP and 8 MP modules, accompanied by a LED flash.

    It will be offered with a Bluetooth magnetic keyboard, however, it is hard to say if the company will include it in the box, as it seems like an additional accessory. The vivo pad comprises four speakers for an enhanced audio experience with two microphones on the top and right.

    Coming towards the operating system (OS), the pad is likely to use vivo’s Ocean OS, with the latest android underneath. Keeping in view the leaked renders, the pad is likely to have an 11-inch O-LED display with Dolby Vision for crisp and vibrant visuals, linked to Dolby Atmos for an excellent audio surround.

    As per many credible reports, the Pad will most probably launch within a month. Hopefully, we may get to know about all of its key features in the coming days or at vivo’s upcoming launch event.

  • Chinese Foreign Minister pays unannounced visit to Kabul

    Chinese Foreign Minister pays unannounced visit to Kabul

    Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister (FM) Wang Yi arrived in Kabul on Thursday after attending the three-day Organisation on of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Islamabad, which ended on Wednesday. His visit was not announced earlier.

    Yi is the first senior Chinese leader to visit Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover in August. He was received by Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

    The two sides will hold talks on important issues, focusing on China’s role in stability and development, reports Afghan state-run Bakhtar News Agency.

    On March 30-31 Beijing is set to host a two-day conference to discuss the Afghan situation. It is pertinent to mention that the Taliban government is yet to be recognised by any country.

    Foreign Minister Yi last visited Kabul in 2017 after a huge bombing incident after which he tried to ease tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    China has been involved in the Afghan peace process since the US started its withdrawal of troops in 2014. Moreover, in the past few years, Taliban political representatives have paid several visits to China.

  • ’Immoral’, Moscow to allow Ukrainian civilians to ‘escape’ and enter Russia

    ’Immoral’, Moscow to allow Ukrainian civilians to ‘escape’ and enter Russia

    After bombarding Ukraine, Russia said that their military will hold fire and six humanitarian corridors will be opened around Ukrainian cities to allow civilians to escape, reports Al Jazeera citing Russia’s Defence Ministry.

    Ukraine rejected the plan to give civilians in several key cities safe passage to Russia and Belarus as ‘immoral’.

    “This is a completely immoral story. People’s suffering is used to create the desired television picture,” the spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “These are citizens of Ukraine, they should have the right to evacuate to the territory of Ukraine”, he added.

    Kyiv also said that negotiations are taking place with Russia on establishing humanitarian corridors but warned that such escape routes are unlikely to be set up.

    Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to Zelensky’s chief of staff, said each Ukrainian should be allowed to decide where they want to go. He also advised Ukrainians against evacuating to Russia.

    China’s Foreign Minister (FM) said that the country’s Red Cross Society will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

    As of yet, more than one million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the start of the Russian invasion.

  • ‘I would love to have a debate with Modi on TV’: PM Khan

    ‘I would love to have a debate with Modi on TV’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, in an interview with Russia TV (RT) ahead of his visit to Moscow, said that the first thing his government did in 2018 was to reach out to India for a dialogue.

    “I told them [India] our only issue is Kashmir. Remember, I am the one who knows India better than anyone else. So I immediately reached out and then I discovered to my horror that this is not the India I used to know because this has been taken over by a mad ideology. It’s a racist ideology that was inspired by the Nazis,” said the premier.

    “I would love to debate with Narendra Modi on TV. It would be so good for over a billion people in the sub-continent if we can resolve our differences through a debate,” said PM Khan.

    The prime minister noted that greater cooperation between the United States, China, and Russia will benefit mankind much more than the conflict.

    Pakistan wants to strengthen bilateral relations with Russia and he looks forward to his Moscow visit, said the PM.

    The prime minister said, “Our North-South Gas pipeline has suffered a delay because of the US sanctions on the Russian company we were negotiating for the construction of the pipeline.”

    PM Khan said the western countries should frame laws as they have on terror financing to check the illicit flow of money from poor countries. 

    “My main emphasis is to remove poverty. No human society has achieved what China has done. So, therefore we learn from everyone. But we should be rooted in our culture, history, and religion.”

     “Pakistan wants to establish trading relations with all other countries to lift people out of poverty rather than becoming part of any bloc,” said the premier.

    It is pertinent to mention here that PM Khan, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will go on an official two-day visit to Russia from February 23-24.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Asad Umar,  Adviser for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, National Security Adviser Moeed Yousuf, and others will accompany the premier during the visit.

  • ‘I know India much more than rest of my own countrymen’: PM Khan

    ‘I know India much more than rest of my own countrymen’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Sunday said that no one in Pakistan knows India better than him. PM Khan was talking to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria about Pakistan’s relations with India.

    “I understand and know India much more than the rest of my own countrymen or probably all over the world,” said PM Imran Khan, adding that he has many friends in India.

    Racist RSS ideology has taken over India: PM Imran Khan

    “The moment my government came into power, the first thing I did was reach out to India. I told them [PM Narendra Modi] if he took one step forward, I would take two. Our only issue is Kashmir, and we should solve it like good neighbours on the dialogue table,” said PM Khan.

    “Unfortunately Fareed, there is a tragedy unfolding in India. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology has taken over India. We are in this day of information technology. All we have to do is Google who are the founding fathers of RSS,” said the premier.

    “It’s a racist ideology which has taken over India. It’s an ideology that assassinated the great Gandhi. It’s very difficult to come to terms with the ideology,” said the prime minister.

    “We have made no headways. But my worry is Fareed that what is going on in India is much more damaging for India than for Pakistan,” added PM Khan.

    The only option the world has right now is to engage with the Taliban for things to move forward: PM Khan

     The premier further talked about Pakistan’s diplomatic relations with the new Taliban government in Afghanistan and the current state of the war on terror.

    PM Khan said that sooner or later, the Taliban will have to be recognised by the world as it is about the well-being and future of about 40 million Afghans.

    “Forty million people in Afghanistan are in dire straits because of the ongoing situation in the country,” the premier said, adding that the people of the United States (US) should understand that disliking the Taliban government is one thing but thinking about the welfare of the Afghans is another as they are facing “extreme difficulties”.

    “Afghanistan is on the verge of experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis,” PM Imran Khan said. “Considering the circumstances, is there any other alternative to the Taliban in Afghanistan? No, there isn’t.”

    “Therefore, the only alternative we have is to work with the Taliban government [for the sake of the Afghans] because turning the Taliban away would only lead to chaos in the country,” PM Imran Khan reiterated. 

    He went on to say that the US’ War on Terror (WoT) backfired and increased the number of terrorists worldwide, adding that because of the war, there had been extensive casualties in Pakistan as more than 80,000 Pakistani citizens lost their lives during the war.

    “Pakistan had to bear the brunt of the war in Afghanistan by witnessing numerous suicide attacks,” he said. “The US must reconsider its policy on carrying out drone attacks.”

    The situation in Xinjiang is not what the western media portrays: Premier

    When asked about China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, PM Khan said that Pakistan’s ambassador to China Moin ul Haq had visited Xinjiang and said that the situation over there is “not what the western media portrays”.

    The premier said that a comparison of Pakistan’s condemnation of India committing genocide of innocent people in occupied Kashmir and the issue of Xinjiang is not fair.

    “Occupied Kashmir is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India and India is ruled by an RSS ideology,” the premier said. “Until the Kashmir issue is resolved, the fear of war between the two nuclear powers will remain intact.”

  • ‘Islamophobia has taken a most lethal form in India’: Noam Chomsky

    ‘Islamophobia has taken a most lethal form in India’: Noam Chomsky

    Renowned Scholar and Professor Noam Chomsky, in a video message to a webinar organised by the Indian American Muslim Council, said that India has turned its community of Indian Muslims into a “persecuted minority”.

    He further said, “The pathology of Islamophobia is growing throughout the West, it is taking its most lethal form in India.”

    Referring to the violence in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), the famed activist stated that the situation is painful in particular not because of what is happening but because of what is not happening.

    During the webinar on “Worsening Hate Speech and Violence in India,” Chomsky compared the brutal situation of IoK to Israeli forces occupying Palestine and blamed Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist regime for it.

    Several other personalities who took part in webinar condemned the barbarous acts by Indian authorities.

    Angana Chatterji, an Indian anthropologist took a jibe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and stated, “Hindu spiritual leaders are involved in [the] ethnic cleansing of Muslims.”

    According to an Indian author, Annapurna Menon, the situation in IoK is even more dire, where the journalists routinely face police questioning, ban on reporting, suspension of internet services and financial constraints in line with BJP’s recent ‘media policy’.

  • US becomes friendly when in need, later abandons Pakistan: PM Khan

    US becomes friendly when in need, later abandons Pakistan: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that the United States (US) has also been “a good friend of Pakistan” but it hasn’t been an “all-weather friend” like China.

    In an interview with Dr Eric Li, Director of the Advisory Committee of the China Institute of Fudan University, PM Khan said: “There have been times when the US has been very friendly but then when they think Pakistan is not of use to them, then we get abandoned. Then they again sort of become friendly.” PM said that Pakistan became a frontline state against the Soviets in Afghanistan, Pakistan became a friend of the US, and “they even helped us and they were good to us”. He added that the moment the Soviets left, “they slapped sanctions on Pakistan”.

    “Ten years later when 9/11 happened, they [the US] again became very good to us but then when they could not win against Afghanistan, then we [Pakistan] were blamed for this debacle,” said PM Khan.

    PM Imran Khan said that with China, our relationship has been consistent for seven decades regardless of the government in power. “It’s a people-to-people friendship.”

    “When you have no clear aims why you invaded a country, it is going to be a failure. Anyone who thinks of controlling the Afghan people has not read their history,” said PM Khan when asked about the situation after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. He added that the whole mission of the US in Afghanistan was “based on a false premise”.

    On Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, PM said, “If Afghanistan descends into chaos because of the sanctions, as its 75 percent economy depends on foreign aid, this will be the biggest manmade human disaster.”

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