ASIA
3rd round of Doha conference: A chance of “loss and win” for Taliban

By Shamim Shahid and Abdul Waheed Waheed
In order to participate in third conference scheduled to be held at Doha, Qatar on June 30th till July 3 next, regarding ongoing situation and future prospects of Afghanistan, the Taliban leaders governing Kabul have held talks with representatives of the United Nations and Qatar, and come up with the demand of Afghanistan seat in United Nations.
In connection with making successful the event, UN Secretary General’s representatives are touring the region. The UN representative had visited Kabul couple of days back and held details conversations with Taliban office holders. Taliban leadership besides listening to UN officioals also handed over a list of its demands which included beside others recognition of its Emirate Islami and giving it the UN seat on permanent grounds.
Whatever might be its conclusion and decisions but almost sessions of over three days much important gathering to be attended by a number of countries, either having stakes or interested in ending of over four decades conflict in Afghanistan but Taliban’s decision banning girls’ education, ending women’s jobs and establishing an inclusive government are believed to be its main key terms on the agenda. But instead, Taliban wants to include its achievements like controlling drugs production and its eradication, improving security situation and combating the IS (Daesh) militants considering a serious threat to the global peace may be made part of the agenda.
But apart from UN and Taliban, others especially European and Far Eastern world would definitely highlight political and rights issues as no one is allowed to exercise just human rights, Since mid of August 2021, forced disappearance, mysterious target and extra judicial killing, detention of men and women, denying just rights of expression to media personnel, making mum and even killing and beating of singers, musicians and artists are considered routine matters across Afghanistan. It will also be hard for the global community to remain silent spectators to what happening at hands of gun-totting Taliban inside prison houses and detention centers with all those who have served the country in different categories. All those who either remained in civil or in security organs since November 2001 last are still treated by Taliban as “enemies and American agents.” Hundreds of such people are locked in prisons for undine since August 2021 last.
Why it is hard for the regional countries to recognize Taliban
Except Russian Federation, nor any other country extended either any support to Taliban or willing to endorse its demand for giving representation in UN and recognition of its regime. Though Chinese are willing to recognize Taliban but they (Chinese) are aware its prices. It could be hard for China to formally recognize Taliban regime before of any other member of international community. Pakistan is making conditional all of its support and cooperation to Taliban. Compare to recent past, Pakistan’s position on the issue of Afghanistan is now different but still it effecting rest of the worlds on the grounds of its domains over “Islamic hardlines.”
In such a circumstances, defending its case could be very hard for Taliban in much high profile Doha Conference, considered biggest event in Qatar after February 2020 last when the US and Pakistan backed Afghan Taliban signed an agreement. Through this agreement, Taliban succeeded in returning to power but they had failed in earning hearts of common Afghans who having no any concern that who is in power and who is governing Afghanistan but they are much more interested in peace and tranquility in their motherland.
On such grounds, participation of Taliban government Doha Conference would definitely requires with strong arguments, especially with a positive approach, adopting a flexible and showing a balanced flexibility in the framework of its internal and external responsibilities and obligations. At the international level, the Taliban can communicate to the international community positive aspects of their achievements especially defending sovereignty and solidarity of the country, ensuring peace and tranquility and discouraging production of opium and its conversion in valuable commodities and its trafficking as well. Similarly patiently listening, understanding and responding its positive assurances about common men ( Afghans) miseries from the participants/observers and HR activists could make beneficial the Taliban who are now reluctant to share powers with others despite commitments made in Doha February 2020 historical documents.
Doha conference is significant opportunity for the Taliban
The Third globally applauded Doha conference might be a valuable opportunity for Taliban rulers as through it in return of international community’s demands pertained to honouring of human rights, allowing girls education and women to contribute in addressing economic needs of families, ending of political victimization and others, Taliban could easily cash its achievements. Doha conference could prove a golden chance for Taliban to review its all those internal and external shortfalls as Afghanistan is still on the bank of another global strategy, whereas US lead allies days and nights made hard by Russian federation on defense side and Chinese on economic side.
Attending the said meeting will certainly reduce sensitivity and mistrust of global community towards Taliban, calling also Emirate Islami Afghanistan. Through this event, Taliban could easily convey its messages to rest of the world and can easily convince some of community fellows in favour of its achievements. Similarly through this event, Taliban could easily convince rest of the world which is really interested in nothing else except ending of hostilities and return to peace and tranquility in the war devastated Afghanistan. Through this scheduled event, Taliban without support or assistance of any third party mediation, could easily response to reservations and observations of international community and can get a lot for the war affected people of Afghanistan. It is the time
Whatever might be the situation, Taliban must avail the opportunity otherwise its decision of didn’t attending the moot could be an emotional blunder. Though Taliban would call it an independence in decisions and didn’t bowing head to compromise its principles in according to their own interpreted Islamic doctrine but it would pose very bad impacts on the future of already over war devastated Afghanistan. It would make more isolate Afghanistan at the time when its sheltered banned Tehrik Taliban Afghanistan is considered a serious threats to its links with Pakistan and Russian Federation and some of Central Asian countries are considering Afghanistan sheltered IS militants a threat to its peace.
ASIA
Xi urges global CEOs to safeguard trade and supply chains

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a meeting with a group of executives including Rajesh Subramaniam from FedEx and Bill Winters from Standard Chartered, called on global business leaders to work together to protect supply chains.
Amid a deepening trade war with the US, the Chinese leader told the group of foreign business leaders, including Pascal Soriot from AstraZeneca and Miguel Ángel López Borrego from Thyssenkrupp, that they should resist behaviors that “turn back” history.
Speaking at the meeting held in Beijing on Friday, Xi said, “We hope everyone will have a broad and long-term perspective and not blindly follow actions that disrupt the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, but instead add more positive energy and certainty to global development.”
The event at the Great Hall of the People marked the second consecutive year that Xi held a carefully arranged meeting with foreign CEOs in the Chinese capital. Last year’s event involved only US business leaders.
The meeting took place at the end of a busy week for Chinese policymakers, who are striving to strengthen relations with the international business community amid rising tensions with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
China’s leading annual CEO conference, the China Development Forum, was held earlier this week in Beijing, followed by the Boao Forum for Asia on the tropical resort island of Hainan.
Beijing is trying to present itself as a bastion of stability in global trade, in contrast to the US, where Trump has launched successive waves of tariffs on many products, from aluminum to automobiles.
Trump pledged on April 2 to impose broad and reciprocal taxes on US trade partners.
ASIA
Trump’s potential auto tariffs worry Japan and South Korea

Following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would impose a 25% tariff on imported cars and auto parts, Japan’s Prime Minister sounded the alarm on Thursday.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told lawmakers during a parliamentary session, “We need to consider appropriate responses,” adding, “All options will be on the table.”
This move, seen as undermining a bilateral agreement made between Trump and then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September 2019, came as a surprise to Japan. This limited trade deal had opened Japan’s market to more American agricultural products. The agreement states that the two countries “will refrain from taking measures contrary to the spirit of these agreements.”
Japanese automakers reacted cautiously to the announcement. Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, and Honda issued brief statements saying they were assessing the potential impact.
Imported cars and trucks are currently subject to tariffs of 2.5% and 25%, respectively. When the new tariffs take effect on April 3, these rates will rise to 27.5% and 50%. The 25% tariff will also apply to automotive parts like engines and transmissions, taking effect no later than May 3.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government intends to negotiate exemptions. Economists say it is unclear how exemptions might be secured, but there are several options.
According to economists, options Japan might consider include voluntary export restraints, a commitment to increase imports of items like natural gas, grain, and meat, and replacing Russian natural gas with gas from the US. In 2023, 8.9% of Japan’s natural gas imports came from Russia, while 7.2% came from the US.
“Japan will likely be looking at all these options,” said Koichi Fujishiro, a senior economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
South Korea in a similar situation
South Korea is also expected to seek exemptions. Analysts said that South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group’s announcement earlier this week of a $21 billion US investment would help its negotiating position.
Esther Yim, a senior analyst at Samsung Securities, said, “The US has, in principle, applied a 25% tariff on all imported cars,” adding, “Washington can then negotiate with each country, and I think investment can be used as leverage.”
South Korea’s Ministry of Industry pledged an emergency response by April to help the country’s automakers, who are expected to face “significant challenges” when the tariffs take effect.
Over the years, global automakers have shifted to local production to avoid trade friction. According to the Mitsubishi Research Institute, 60% of Japanese cars sold in the US are produced in the US. This figure drops to 40% for Korean cars. For European brands, the rate is as high as 70%.
Although Ishiba insists all options are on the table, few analysts expect Japan to resort to retaliatory measures, at least at this point. “Japan would gain very little by retaliating against US tariffs,” Fujishiro said.
At a summit with Trump in February, Ishiba pointed out that Japan is the largest investor in the US and a significant job creator, promising to work towards increasing Japan’s investment balance from $783.3 billion in 2023 to $1 trillion.
Cars, Japan’s largest export item to the US, are worth 6 trillion yen ($40 billion) and will account for 28% of Japan’s total exports in 2024. This amount is equivalent to 1% of Japan’s nominal gross domestic product.
Takahide Kiuchi from the Nomura Research Institute estimates that a 25% tariff would reduce Japan’s car exports to the US by 15% to 20% and lower Japan’s GDP by 0.2%.
If Japanese automakers try to respond by shifting production to the US, this would reduce domestic employment and hollow out the country’s economy in the long run.
Masanori Katayama, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, said at a press conference last week, “Car exports from Japan are necessary to supplement the domestic production of Japanese automakers and to provide a lineup of attractive cars… to meet the diverse needs of American customers through car dealerships in every US state.”
Katayama said that when the US implements the tariff, “a significant production adjustment is expected. The Japanese auto industry consists not only of automakers but also parts suppliers and employs 5.5 million people.”
Katayama insisted that the industry and the Japanese government must come together to take action and keep domestic supply chains intact.
The tariffs are also expected to harm American automakers because they too source parts and manufacture globally to keep costs down and make their cars competitive in the market.
Nomura analyst Anindya Das said General Motors could fall into an operating loss on an annual basis due to its reliance on factories in Mexico. He added that Toyota could also see a 30% drop in operating profit.
Jennifer Safavian, president and CEO of Autos Drive America, an industry group representing international automakers operating in the US, including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and others, said, “Tariffs imposed today will make it more expensive to produce and sell cars in the US, ultimately leading to higher prices, fewer choices for consumers, and fewer manufacturing jobs in the US.”
ASIA
South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung acquitted in election law case

A court in South Korea on Wednesday overturned a lower court’s decision, ruling that the main opposition party leader is not guilty of violating election law. If this decision is upheld, it will pave the way for him to run in the next presidential election.
Prosecutors can appeal the decision, which could take the case to the Supreme Court, South Korea’s highest judicial body.
Speaking outside the court after the ruling was announced, Lee Jae-myung thanked the court for the decision, which he described as “the right decision.”
The charges against Lee stem from remarks he made in 2021 while competing in his party’s presidential primary, where he allegedly denied knowing one of the key figures in a real estate development scandal. The scandal involved a redevelopment project in Seongnam city, where Lee was mayor. Prosecutors allege Lee lied about his relationship with businessman Kim Moon-ki to conceal his own culpability in the real estate deal.
Immediately after the court’s decision was announced, Kweon Seong-dong, leader of the ruling People Power Party, called the ruling “regrettable” and urged the Supreme Court to quickly decide the case.
Lee, a trained lawyer and experienced politician, lost the 2022 presidential election by the narrowest margin in South Korea’s democratic history to now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon, Lee’s fierce rival, is awaiting a Constitutional Court ruling on his impeachment over charges of leading an insurrection in December. Lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon following his attempt to declare martial law in early December, which he claimed was necessary to protect South Korea from opposition “anti-state forces.” The measure was quickly rejected in the National Assembly, but the attempt triggered a political crisis that continues months later.
The Constitutional Court completed hearings on Yoon’s case late last month and is expected to deliver its verdict within days, although no official date has been announced. If the court finds Yoon not guilty, he will be immediately reinstated. If found guilty, an early election will be held within 60 days.
Data released last week by polling firm Gallup Korea showed Lee as the leading choice among potential candidates for the next presidential election. Lee, with a support rate of 36%, was far ahead of the number 2 likely candidate, conservative Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo.
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