The Baloch House

APPWed, Dec, 18ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said the Balochistan province was gifted with natural resources, but lack of good governance and mismanagement on the part of previous governments, resulted in its backwardness.He was talking to a group of students of the Cadet College Qilla Saifullah here.The situation in Balochistan and other issues, including education, were discussed during the interaction.Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal was also present, PM Office media wing said in a press release.The Prime Minister referred to the Riasat-e-Madina and the Caliphate, saying the Muslims, despite limited resources, led the world by emulating the golden principles laid down by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).He also cited Switzerland, which had limited resources, but due to good governance, had left many other European countries behind in the realm of progress and prosperity.Corruption was the reason for backwardness of the people of Balochista…

December 13, 2018RAWALPINDI  -   The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has urged the government to expedite process and working on CPEC Special Economic Zones.READ MORE: French police hunts Strasbourg shooter after 4 killed near Christmas marketThe Labour-intensive industry from China under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) shall be relocated in Pakistan to boost the local employment.President RCCI Malik Shahid Saleem on Wednesday in a statement also pointed out that the upcoming industrial framework agreement with China would help to move forward with relocation of Chinese industries and large scale investment in Pakistan, he added. However he urged upon ministry of planning that the industrial parks would be developed aligned with local available resources.The RCCI president said, “We recognize CPEC as a game changer and we urge the government to focus on the 4th part of CPEC plan, which is Industrial Zones Development.” He further said that the CPEC is the fl…

By Yasir MasoodPublished: December 12, 2018

The writer is a deputy director, media and publications at the Centre of Excellence-China Pakistan Economic Corridor and is the lead editor of the CPEC Quarterly Magazine. He can be reached at yasirmasoodkhan@gmail.comThe recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Beijing in the first week of November has further heightened the brotherly relations between Pakistan and China. President Xi Jinping appreciated Prime Minister Khan’s firm resolve to introduce economic and social reforms in Pakistan by following the Chinese practices of incremental reforms and their implementation for achieving development, progress and prosperity. Apart from other diversified talks, pledges, promises and commitments to rectifying Pakistan’s current financial crunch, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has also been further solidified by mutual consultation for extending it in the just and right direction.It is beyond doubt that CPEC carries a colossal im…

By PTI | Dec 12, 2018, 04.02 PM IST

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday said India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation and it made this assertion to Islamabad last month as well.ADVERTISEMENT
Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India's "consistent and principled" position is that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is, and shall be an integral part of India.Pakistan has been in illegal occupation of approximately 78,000 sq km of Indian territory in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, Swaraj said."Under the so-called 'Boundary Agreement' signed between China and Pakistan on March 2, 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir to China," she said in her written reply."We have repeatedly and consistently called upon Pakistan to immediately…

Mohammad AsgharUpdated December 12, 2018

Security for Chinese diplomats and officials as well as offices, residences and business sites in Punjab needs to be reviewed on an urgent basis. ─ AFPRAWALPINDI: The government has found serious gaps in the security arrangements for businesses and residences owned by Chinese nationals after a review following the attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi.Sources said the provincial intelligence centre had observed that security for Chinese diplomats and officials as well as offices, residences and business sites in Punjab needed to be reviewed on an urgent basis.The exercise aimed to examine the available security arrangements made by the concerned authorities, find lapses and make improvements to the security arrangements for projects unrelated to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).The intelligence agency’s field staff conducted a survey of the projects, checked and reported on various parameters and submitted a comprehensive report …

The Newspaper's Staff ReporterUpdated December 11, 2018

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation inaugural round of bilateral political consultations with China. — File photoISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by pledging to complete it as a national priority.The assurance was conveyed to the Chinese side by the Foreign Office at the inaugural round of bilateral political consultations. Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua led the Pakistani delegation at the meeting, while the Chinese side was headed by Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou.“Pakistan side conveyed that CPEC is a national priority for the government and Pakistan remains committed to the successful implementation of CPEC,” the FO said in a statement on the meeting.“The two sides also resolved to work together towards completion of the ongoing projects and agreed to expand CPEC to new areas of cooperation in line with the vision of the le…

Khaleeq KianiUpdated December 12, 2018

Power Minister Omar Ayub Khan. ─ Photo courtesy Omar Ayub TwitterISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday gave another extension to Chinese investors for achieving financial close of two major power sector projects worth $2.2 billion under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).The projects given extensions include 4000MW Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line and 300MW Gwadar Coal Power Project.At a meeting of the Private Power & Infrastructure Board (PPIB) presided over by Power Minister Omar Ayub Khan, the $1.7bn Matiari-Lahore line was given a three-month extension to achieve financial close with a fresh deadline of Feb 28, 2019.Deadlines for financial close of Matiari-Lahore transmission line and Gwadar coal project now in February and August next year

The contractors were earlier given a six-month extension in financial close in March this year which ended on Dec 1. The new deadline was approved on assurance that commercial operation date (CO…

The Belt and Road Initiative could offer good opportunities for Cambodia to achieve its development goal, but it is not without risks. Heng Chivoan
Hor Kimsay
Phnom Penh
Publication date 12 December 2018 | 09:02 ICTThe China-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project could offer good opportunities for Cambodia to achieve its development goal, but comes with risks. The Kingdom must carefully study the two-sided story of the project, experts said on Tuesday in a dialogue hosted by the UN.Talking at the dialogue on the BRI and Cambodia’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, University of Michigan associate professor Yuen Yuen Ang said involved parties are encouraged to talk and study the BRI in detail as the project will bring opportunities, but also problems.“We hear a lot about the [BRI] contribution, but it will be also really great to hear about what is the problem that BRI has brought about,” she said.According to Ang, Sihanoukville’s development should be an example about the…

Greek businessmen and Chinese scholars voiced confidence in the prospects of Sino-Greek cooperation in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative during a forum held on Monday at Piraeus port, Greece’s largest harbor which in recent years has become a strong symbol of win-win bilateral cooperation between the two countries.“Belt and Road Initiative – The New Silk Road” was the main theme of the event organized by the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Chinese Embassy in Greece with co-organizer Renmin University of China.Reflecting on the achievements made so far in this corner of the globe and along the 21st century’s Silk Road, five years after the launch of Beijing’s initiative, Greek and Chinese delegates explored the challenges lying ahead and the opportunities to further boost bilateral cooperation to benefit both sides, the region and the world.“Greece can and should make further use of the opportunities opened up both from its key geopolitical position an…

China will likely speed up infrastructure projects in its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative amid trade tensions with the United States, Citi said in a report Tuesday.Chinese construction, transportation, mining and finance companies are poised to benefit, it said.Citi suggested that China may be forced to modify the project into a "kinder, gentler" version that would sit better with its critics.Kelly OlsenPublished 8 Hours AgoCNBC.comBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRailway workers inspect a Kenya Railways Corp. freight train before departure from the port station in Mombasa, Kenya, on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. China will likely speed up infrastructure projects in its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative amid trade tensions with the United States, Citi said in a report Tuesday.Several Chinese companies and various sectors, including mining and transportation, are poised to benefit from that development, the report said.The Asian giant announced the BRI in 2013, aimed at rec…

- WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12In late August, President Abdulla Yameen of the Maldives hailed the opening of a Chinese-built bridge connecting two islands in the archipelago as “the gateway into tomorrow and the opportunities beyond.”One month later, Yameen was voted out and the new government of the palm-fringed nation off the coast of India began to uncover the mountain of debt with which he’d saddled the country. A pro-China strongman who jailed opponents and judges, Yameen borrowed heavily from Beijing to build a new runway for the main airport, housing developments and a hospital, as well as the 2.1 kilometer-long “China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.”On a recent trip to New Delhi, Maldives officials opened up about their frustration over the scale of the debt to China—the equivalent of almost  20 percent of GDP—and the inexplicable preference given to Chinese financing under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In just one example, the previous government rejected a $54 million hospital …

Source:Xinhua Published: 2018/12/12 11:04:49

A compilation of remarks by President Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) over the past five years has been published by the Central Party Literature Press.The book contains 42 articles drawn from the speeches and public remarks made by Xi, beginning with a speech he delivered at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan, in September 2013 calling for jointly building the Silk RoadEconomic Belt, and ending with the one he delivered at the opening ceremony of the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in July 2018.The book, with about 130,000 Chinese characters, was compiled by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.The BRI, first proposed by Xi, has received warm responses from the international community, especially the countries along the BRI routes. Jointly pursuing the BRI is becoming a Chinese solution for the country to participate in global openi…

The last vestige of BRI propaganda was deleted from a resolution on Afghanistan on December 6.The Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, May 13, 2017. Credit: Reuters/Jason LeeSeema Sirohi
Washington: In a significant expression of international will, references to China’s Belt Road Initiative (BRI) have been deleted from all UN resolutions, bringing an end to Beijing’s “wordplay diplomacy” and dealing a blow to its biggest strategic gambit.The spread of “Xi Jinping thought” via subterfuge came to a complete halt, at least at the UN, thanks to some diplomatic due diligence by India, the US and the EU. China’s little helper Pakistan could do nothing but watch.The last vestige of BRI propaganda was deleted from a resolution on Afghanistan on December 6 in a final act of cleansing that started last year when India took a strong stand against BRI and rained on Xi’s parade by raising questions about transparency, environmental standards, predatory economics and violations of sovereignty.Jus…

TRIVIUM CHINA

We are hearing from more and more people who are wired into Washington that the Meng Wanzhou arrest is just the tip of the iceberg.The US Department of Justice is prepping a slew of legal actionsagainst Chinese individuals who have been involved in breaking sanctions and other crimes.If tensions continue to escalate along these lines, then the diplomatic and business relations between China and the US – and China and other countries – will go into the freezer.The situation is already affecting Canadian companies (SCMP):“Canadian businesses operating in China are starting to feel the chill and the signing of one major deal has been postponed, a well-placed source said.”“’The consequences have already begun,’ said the source, noting that a Canadian firm had been due to ink a major agreement in the next few weeks.”“’The local partner, a Chinese private sector actor, has told the Canadian partner that now is not a good time to sign,’ said the source.”This is worrying: US Pres…

Opportunities and Perspectives of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)SWP Comment 2018/C 53, December 2018, 4 Pages

Download (PDF) | 448 KBDownload (EPUB) | 791 KBDownload (MOBI) | 2.9 MBOwing to the increased commitment from India, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has experienced a revival since 2016. Firstly, India is hoping to be able to develop better the country’s hard-to-reach northeast by intensifying regional cooperation. Secondly, given the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investments in neighbouring countries, it aims to reinforce its claim to leadership in the region. From an international perspective, BIMSTEC is an essential building block in India’s Act East policy in the context of the renewed importance of the Indo-Pacific region. With the support of BIMSTEC, Ger­many and the European Union (EU) can deepen their strategic partnership with India whilst…

New terminal to boost trade with China and the regionPublished:  December 10, 2018 17:25Fareed Rahman, Senior ReporterDr Al Jaber, Shaikh Hamed and Shaikh Theyab during the opening of the Cosco Shipping Ports container terminal at Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi.Image Credit: WAMAbu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Ports on Monday inaugurated the new Cosco Shipping Ports (CSP) container terminal at Khalifa Port that is expected to boost trade with China and support China’s ambitious One Belt One Road initiative.The new terminal, which includes the largest container freight station in the Middle East, is the result of a 35-year agreement between Abu Dhabi Ports and Cosco Shipping Ports Ltd, a subsidiary of Cosco Shipping Corporation Limited of China.The new container terminal has a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and can accommodate mega vessels carrying in excess of 20,000 TEUs. Cosco has spent Dh1.1 billion on construction and machinery at the terminal, according to a statement…

Nicholas R. Lardy (PIIE)December 10, 2018 3:15 PMPhoto Credit: China Daily via REUTERSA major source of friction in the economic negotiations between the United States and China is the accusation by the US government that US firms that want to do business in China are forced into joint venture arrangements in which they must surrender access to their advanced technology. This charge has echoed through many official statements and reports, and the Trump administration has cited the issue many times as part of its agenda with the Chinese leadership.The problem certainly does exist, most experts agree. But the data suggest that its magnitude has diminished over time. Instead of launching a broadside implying that all foreign direct investment (FDI) into China involves forced technology transfer, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Robert Lighthizer—who is now in charge of the US-China trade dialogue—should acknowledge the problem is receding and focus criticism on the few key …

by Michael J. Mazarr, Timothy R. Heath, Astrid Stuth Cevallos

DOWNLOAD EBOOK FOR FREEPDF file1.4 MB
Research QuestionsWhat will China's revitalization goal mean for the international order?Which institutions and rules of the order will China's leaders continue to support, and which ones will they seek to change?Which of the potential changes could threaten the interests of the United States?How has China engaged with questions of shared concern that are under active negotiation, such as climate change, information security, and counterterrorism?Relative to three or four decades ago, is the general trajectory of China's engagement positive or negative?The question of how China's rise will affect the post–World War II international order carries considerable significance for the future of global politics. This report evaluates the character and possible future of China's engagement with the postwar order. The resulting portrait is anything but straightforward: China…

SupChina.com
Despite Beijing’s fury over the arrest of Huawei CFO Mèng Wǎnzhōu, the remaining 80 of the 90 days of U.S.-China trade negotiations appear on track, for now.A phone call was held on December 10 between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is leading the American side of the negotiations, and his Chinese counterpart Liú Hè 刘鹤, the Wall Street Journal reports(paywall). Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was also on the call.The three officials “discussedChinese purchases of agricultural products and changes to fundamental Chinese economic policies,” the Journal reports, and “Chinese officials are also considering making changes to the Made in China 2025 plan,” according to “people familiar with the matter.”It is unclear whether the “changes” being considered to Made in China 2025 are any more substantial than the very slight modifications reported to be under consideration in early August.Chinese auto tariffs will fall to pre-trade-war levels, or 15 percent rather…