Tag: China

  • Pakistan economic security on the rise, ranks top 10 in business environment

    Pakistan economic security on the rise, ranks top 10 in business environment

    Pakistan has reformed to simplify initiating a company and obtaining a construction permit, applying a series of preferential policies in the latest years, says the Annual Report on Investment Security of China’s Belt and Road Construction (2021), jointly released by China Belt and Road Think Tank Cooperation Alliance, Beijing International Studies University, and other institutions.

    The report puts forward the results of researches on the political, economic, social, cultural, and ecological investment security in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

    According to the report, these steps upgraded Pakistan’s ability to attract foreign investment and strengthened the ease of doing business year by year, making Pakistan one of the world’s top 10 economies with the most improved business environment, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.

    In terms of political security, the report stated that South Asia as a whole is greatly affected by the superpower game.

    China, the United States, Russia, Japan, and other countries outside the region have historical ties and practical cooperation here, which makes the geopolitical environment of South Asia complicated.

    The conflict between India and Pakistan has also increased pressure on political security in the region, under which the dispute over Kashmir poses a long-standing risk of war.

    From the perspective of economic security, Pakistan’s economic security scored up by 220% in 2019 compared to 2010, showing an overall trend of growth.

    The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) construction has greatly boosted public confidence, stimulated domestic demand, and driven production.

    However, it is worth noting that since 2019, the accelerated marketisation of the domestic exchange rate in Pakistan has led to market fluctuations, currency devaluation, sustained inflation, forcing the government to raise the benchmark interest rate. Besides, the debt burden increased and the international sovereign rating lowered.

  • 15 Chinese officials to investigate Dasu bus tragedy: Sheikh Rasheed

    15 Chinese officials to investigate Dasu bus tragedy: Sheikh Rasheed

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that 15 Chinese officials have been included in the ongoing investigation of the Dasu bus tragedy in which 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, were killed, reports Dawn.

    Addressing a press conference, Rasheed said, “The investigation of the event is at its final stages and the highest institutions of Pakistan are investigating it. Fifteen individuals from China have been included [in the investigation] as well.”

    “We completely reassure the Chinese government that these culprits, hidden hands and enemies of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) and China-Pakistan friendship will never be forgiven at any cost,” he added.

    Nine Chinese nationals and three Pakistanis lost their lives on Wednesday. Chinese workers and accompanying Pakistani staff were proceeding to their workplace for an ongoing project, as per a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). 

    China had announced that it was sending a team to Pakistan to deal with the aftermath of the incident. “Today China will send a cross-departmental joint working group to Pakistan to help with relevant work,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had said at a media briefing in Beijing.

    A team comprising of 15 Chinese officials has reached Pakistan to probe into the Dasu bus tragedy.

    Chinese ambassador to Pakistan has visited the site of the shuttle bus explosion near the Dasu Hydropower plant to investigate the cause, together with the Pakistani military and a Chinese team.

  • Parents dump daughter on deserted island to ‘tame’ her

    Parents dump daughter on deserted island to ‘tame’ her

    A “rebellious” teenager was dumped on a desert island by her parents in the hope that she’d grow up.

    As per reports, the 13-year-old was saved from the empty piece of land in Shandong, China after flagging down some fisherman.

    She had been taken to the deserted place by her parents, who were tired of her bad behaviour.

    Read More: Jeweller makes necklaces, rings from teeth of dead loved ones

    They said that they wanted to teach the girl a lesson about hardship and adversity after she was dropped out of school.

    The island is located one kilometre off the coast of Rushan City and has been deserted for many years. It has no running water or electricity.

  • Father reunited with kidnapped son after 24-year search

    Father reunited with kidnapped son after 24-year search

    A man reunited with his kidnapped son after a 24-year hunt across China. After travelling half a million kilometres across China on a motorbike, handing out missing-person flyers, which cost him his savings and left him with huge debts, Guo Gangtang was finally reunited with his son.

    As per reports, Guo Gangtang, 51, began searching for his then 2-year-old son after he was kidnapped in 1997 from their home in a village in the eastern province of Shandong.

    When he tried to find his son, he found no trace but Guo did not give up and began a decades-long search.

    Guo travelled China on a motorcycle with a flag that had his lost son’s picture and carrying a bag full of flyers.

    Read More: Woman discovers son’s bride is her long-lost daughter

    Police in June tracked down a man matching his son’s description in central Henan province, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

    After a DNA test confirming the relationship, a family reunion with his son Guo Xinzhen was arranged on Sunday.

    The 26-year-old, Guo Xinzhen, is now a teacher.

    Guo’s son was found after the Ministry of Public Security launched a nationwide campaign this January to solve cold cases involving child abduction.

    Police have located and rescued 2,609 missing or abducted children this year, including adults who had gone missing or were kidnapped as kids. One victim was traced after 61 years.

    Guo’s motorcycle journey of around 500,000 km (311,000 miles) took him to most of China’s provinces. He also went through 10 motorcycles.

    In 2012, Guo set up a website “Tianya Xunqin”, which translates as “Find your family on the edge of the world”. It has since helped dozens of people locate family members, he told local media.

    Guo Gangtang’s story has been covered extensively by local media over the years and inspired the 2015 hit film “Lost and Love” starring Chinese megastar Andy Lau in the role of a character based on Guo.

    “I’ve found my son, and I want to get back to normal life as soon as possible,” Guo said in a video on his Tiktok social media page on Tuesday.

  • Afghan Taliban want China’s friendship, say will not interfere in Chinese affairs

    After seizing about one-third of Afghanistan’s districts, the Taliban this week swept through the northeastern Badakhshan province, reaching the mountainous border with China’s Xinjiang region, reports The Wall Street Journal.

    These days, the Taliban go out of their way to ease China’s concerns, eager to secure Beijing’s acquiescence to their rule.

    “The Taliban want to show China goodwill,” said Qian Feng, head of research at the National Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University in Beijing. “They hope that China can play a more important role, especially after America pulls out its troops.”

    With the American military withdrawal nearly complete, China is also becoming increasingly powerful in the Central Asian states that border Afghanistan to the north.

    “We care about the oppression of Muslims, be it in Palestine, in Myanmar, or in China, and we care about the oppression of non-Muslims anywhere in the world. But what we are not going to do is interfere in China’s internal affairs,” said a senior Taliban official in Doha, Qatar.

    Another official, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, pointed out that the Islamist group pledged in the February 2020 Doha deal with Washington to not let the country’s territory be used against other nations and to not accept any refugees or exiles outside the framework of international migration law.

    “We will not allow anyone whether it is an individual or an entity — to use the soil of Afghanistan against the United States, its allies, or any other country, and that includes China,” Shaheen said.

    While caring about the plight of the Uyghurs of Xinjiang, the Taliban will seek to help their fellow Muslims through political dialogue with Beijing, he added. “We do not know the details. But if we have the details, we will show our concern,” he said. “If there are some problems with the Muslims, of course, we will talk with the Chinese government.”

  • Giant pandas no longer endangered, says China

    Giant pandas no longer endangered, says China

    Giant pandas are no longer endangered, but they are still vulnerable, Chinese officials have said after years of conservation efforts as their number in the wild has reached 1,800.

    As per reports, the country succeeded in saving its iconic animal through its long-term conservation efforts, including the expansion of habitats.

    The latest classification upgrade “reflects their improved living conditions and China’s efforts in keeping their habitats integrated”, said Cui Shuhong, head of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation at a news conference.

    The news comes years after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had already removed the animal from its endangered species list and re-labeled it as “vulnerable” in 2016.

    However, Chinese officials at that time did not consider the progress, saying that it could make people believe that conservation efforts could be relaxed.

    This week’s announcement by China’s environmental ministry is the first time the animal’s status was changed on its endangered species list.

    Experts have said that the success is mainly due to Chinese efforts to recreate and repopulate bamboo forests. Bamboo makes up 99 per cent of their diet, without which they are likely to starve.

    Zoos have also attempted to increase numbers via captive breeding methods.

  • China’s tourist attraction allows visitors to fly across the river

    A tourist attraction in China now allows visitors a chance to walk or fly over a river. 

    The Xiatianxia Tourist Area is a popular tourist spot in Fujian Province where people can wear different traditional costumes and enjoy an experience walking and flying across a river. 

    A video shared by South China Morning Post shows people flying in the air over a river and attempting stunts often seen in movies.

    As per details, tourists are lifted in the air using wires attached to their waists. They can either fly across the water, use prop weapons or even run on water. The wire is 600 meters long and 20 meters off the ground.

    Read More: World’s only man-made, heart-shaped lake is a new romantic destination in Dubai

    The experience costs 128 yuan (Rs3,186), which includes costume, props, make-up and hairstyling. 

  • ‘Stop making trends on Twitter, focus on your studies’: Shafqat Mahmood advises students

    Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has advised Pakistani students to stop making trends on Twitter against exams and focus on the preparation for the upcoming exams.

    Speaking on Dawn News programme ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’ Mahmood said that exams have already started in Sindh and will also commence in Punjab from Friday so there is no possibility of papers being postponed or cancelled.

    “I would advise the students to stop spending time on Twitter to make trends and that it is better to focus on their education. There is still time left for exam preparation,” says Mahmood.

    When asked about Pakistani students waiting to return to China, Mahmood said he has discussed the issue with the Chinese envoy and hoped that it will be solved soon.

    “Every country is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in its own way. We all know that China is a big country and there is a risk of the virus spreading there, so the Chinese government enforced the strictest restrictions and imposed a lockdown.”

    Earlier Mahmood had said that board exams for students of classes nine and 10 would be held only for elective subjects and mathematics while exams for students of classes 11 and 12 would be held for elective subjects only.

  • We accept the Chinese version on Uyghurs in Xinjiang: PM Khan

    We accept the Chinese version on Uyghurs in Xinjiang: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Thursday said that the relationship between Pakistan and China is very deep. “It’s not just the governments, but it’s a people-to-people relationship.”

    “Whatever will happen…[the] relationship between our two countries, no matter what pressure is put on us, is not going to change,” PM Khan said in response to a question.

    Speaking to Chinese journalists as Beijing marked the centenary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), the premier said the Chinese version about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang was completely different from what was being reported in the western media.

    “Because of our extreme proximity and relationship with China, we actually accept the Chinese version,” added PM Khan.

    He said that it was hypocritical that while the Uyghur situation and Hong Kong were being highlighted, attention was not being given to the human rights violations in Indian-Occupied Kashmir.

    “It is hypocritical. There are much worse human rights violations taking place in other parts of the world such as in occupied Kashmir. But western media hardly comments on this,” he said.

    PM Khan praised the Communist Party. He said that until now, it was believed that electoral democracy is the best way to bring leaders on merit and hold them accountable.

    “But China’s process to hunt talent and then polish it is better than any electoral democracy.”

    PM Khan also praised President Xi for his success in the fight against poverty and corruption in China.

    “China has lifted 700 million people out of poverty in a few years, which is a great achievement. We want to further develop political, economic and trade relations between the two countries.”

    PM Khan said that Pakistanis are impressed by the Chinese president’s fight against corruption and consider him “a great politician of modern times”.

    “President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign is effective and successful.”

    PM Khan said that it is unfair of the US and western powers to expect countries like Pakistan to take sides. “Pakistan will not downgrade its relations with China.“

    “The United States expects Pakistan to choose a side. This is not appropriate,” he added.

  • It is unfair of the US to force Pakistan to take sides, PM Imran Khan on Pak-China relations

    It is unfair of the US to force Pakistan to take sides, PM Imran Khan on Pak-China relations

    “It is very unfair for the US and other western powers [to ask] countries like us [Pakistan] to take sides, as all states should have good relations with one another,” said Prime Minister Imran Khan in an exclusive interview with Liu Xin of China-state media TV, CGTN. PM Khan said that there was a “strange, great power rivalry” taking place in the region. “You see the United States being wary of China. The way United States and China are looking at each other, it creates problems.”

    PM Khan asked: “Why do we have to take sides?

    PM further added that Pakistan and China enjoy a “very special relationship” spanning over 70 years and nothing could change this.

    PM Khan stressed that no matter what happens, no matter what pressure is put on Pakistan, the relationship between the two countries would remain the same. He said that when Pakistan had been in trouble politically, internationally, or had conflicts with its neighbour, China always stood by it.

    The people of China have a special place in the hearts of Pakistanis, he said, adding: “You remember friends who stand with you at all times. In good times, everyone stands with you, but in difficult, tough, and bad times, you remember those people who stood by you.”

    He said the people of Pakistan have that kind of fondness for the people of China.

    “So, from that point of view, Pakistan thinks that it is very unfair of the US and other Western powers [to make] countries like Pakistan take sides. Why should we take sides? We should have good relations with everyone,” he maintained.

    The prime minister categorically said that Pakistan cannot be pressurised into downgrading its ties with China.