2 h. ago China, Pakistan pledge stronger tech and trade cooperation amid US charm offensive

China and Pakistan have pledged to expand trade and deepen technological cooperation in areas ranging from agriculture to space exploration, at a time when Islamabad is warming to the United States. During a meeting on Thursday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Premier Li Qiang said Beijing would advance the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship infrastructure project under the Belt and Road Initiative. “Global instability and uncertainty have grown...

Politics

7 h. ago ‘Legitimate targets’: Putin warns West about deploying troops in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that any Western forces deployed to Ukraine would be a “legitimate” target for Moscow’s army, a day after Kyiv’s allies said they had committed to a troop presence in the event of a peace deal. Two dozen countries, led by France and Britain, pledged Thursday to join a “reassurance” force on land, at sea and in the air to patrol any agreement to end the conflict, unleashed by Russia in February 2022. Tens of thousands have been killed in...

Events

29 h. ago Chinese leader Xi holds talks with North Korea’s Kim in Beijing

President Xi Jinping is holding talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Beijing, state media reported, in their first sit-down in six years. Thursday’s meeting came a day after Kim appeared with Xi, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Tiananmen Square for a Victory Day military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was the first time that the three leaders had gathered in the same place, in what was viewed as a rare show of unity against the West and...

Politics

29 h. ago China stands firm on strategic ties with North Korea, Xi tells Kim

Beijing is willing to deepen strategic coordination with Pyongyang in regional and international affairs to safeguard “mutual interests”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday in his first sit-down with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in six years. “The Chinese Communist Party and government attach great importance to the traditional friendship between China and North Korea and are willing to maintain, consolidate, and develop China-North Korea relations,” he said, according to state...

Politics

40 h. ago How an SCO development bank could shift the global financial order

At the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged member states to accelerate the creation of an SCO development bank, a proposal that could mark a turning point in Asia’s financial landscape. While headlines focused on the high-profile presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xi’s proposal points to the SCO’s evolution from a security bloc into a financial actor. Xi also pledged US$1.4...

Economics

43 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying authoritarian strength

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

43 h. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

49 h. ago China parades statecraft and hardware as world faces ‘critical’ choices

China crowned a busy week of grand diplomacy with a spectacular military parade on Wednesday, sending a message to the world that it has the determination and strength to champion a multipolar global order as geopolitical challenges rise. Flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and leaders from 26 countries, President Xi Jinping gave a keynote speech on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war against...

Events

59 h. ago Russian, Chinese, North Korean leaders meet to 'conspire' against US, Trump says

Russian, Chinese, North Korean leaders meet to 'conspire' against US, Trump says  USA Today

Politics

64 h. ago Indian textile industry must dig deep to survive US tariff shock

The Indian textile industry is staring down its worst crisis yet, as an additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on India for buying Russian oil came into effect on August 27, taking the total levy on India’s exports to the United States to a staggering 50 per cent. Trump’s astounding tariffs not only threaten the successful 25-year-old trade partnership between the two countries but are also becoming a defining moment for India’s textiles, posing an existential threat...

Events

3 d. ago As China exports to Russia dip on less car demand, new deals show ‘room to grow’

Despite a slowdown in automotive shipments from China to Russia, there is room for them to advance trade settled in yuan and roubles as both countries continue to be pressured away from the US market, analysts said on Tuesday during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the world’s second-largest economy. Russians want consumer goods, personal electronics and common machinery that are difficult to import from the West because of trade sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began...

Politics

3 d. ago Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir to join Kim, Putin among world leaders at China military parade | World News

Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir to join Kim, Putin among world leaders at China military parade | World News - Hindustan Times  Hindustan Times

Politics

3 d. ago Xi urges Russia and Mongolia to block ‘external interference’, forge closer ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Russia and Mongolia to deepen their energy and financial bonds with his country while fending off “external interference” during their first trilateral summit in three years. Beijing, Moscow and Ulaanbaatar must further strengthen “solidarity” amid increasingly turbulent international dynamics, Xi told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa on Tuesday, according to the official Xinhua news agency. “China is ready to...

Politics

3 d. ago Foreign leaders ride the rapid rails of China’s tech prowess after SCO summit

A slew of foreign leaders took China’s signature high-speed railway from the northern port city of Tianjin to Beijing on Monday and Tuesday, having departed from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to attend a Victory Day parade. Seven state leaders arrived on Monday night: President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Maldives Mohamed...

Politics

3 d. ago Pakistan’s Sharif to meet Chinese, Russian presidents in Beijing today amid regional cooperation push

Pakistan’s Sharif to meet Chinese, Russian presidents in Beijing today amid regional cooperation push  Arab News

Politics

4 d. ago India signals no oil import cut from Russia, ‘eagerly’ awaits Putin visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the two countries should deepen cooperation “in all sectors”. The remark was a strong indication that New Delhi would not cut back on crude oil imports from Russia despite pressure from the US. Modi also expressed strong enthusiasm for welcoming Putin to India, in a subtle rebuke of US President Donald Trump. As they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Modi...

Politics

6 d. ago Russia’s Putin vows to deepen China ties, slams ‘distortion’ of WWII history

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned “attempts to distort” World War II history while pledging to deepen strategic collaboration with China on the eve of a state visit to the country. During his four-day trip, described by the Kremlin as “absolutely unprecedented”, Putin is expected to join regional leaders for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on Sunday, before holding bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday. On Wednesday,...

Politics

6 d. ago Putin would have ‘played’ Trump if he doesn’t meet Zelensky, Macron says

The leaders of France and Germany on Friday vowed to step up pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine, warning that President Vladimir Putin was showing little appetite to end Moscow’s 3½-year onslaught against its neighbour. French President Emmanuel Macron said that Putin would have “played” US President Donald Trump if the Russian leader failed to fulfil a pledge to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added it looked like Putin was “unwilling” to...

Politics

6 d. ago Pakistan PM Sharif to be at SCO summit in China that PM Narendra Modi will attend

Pakistan PM Sharif to be at SCO summit in China that PM Narendra Modi will attend  Telegraph India

Politics

7 d. ago Beijing oversees $109 billion in deals as regional Chinese antitrust hub

Beijing oversees $109 billion in deals as regional Chinese antitrust hub  MLex

Economics