Asia
Pakistan’s move to strengthen ties with Central Asian Countries impossible without settling Afghan issue
Pakistan Prime Minister, Premier Shahbaz Sharif in connection with the SCO Council of heads meeting has held a series of meetings and talks with fellow counterparts from various Central Asian Republics (CAR). Main purpose of such talks and meetings is to think of ways and means for entering into cordial diplomatic and trade links with each other. All sides agreed but they ignored the main hurdle – which lies in war-troubled Afghanistan which is in control of Taliban and these Taliban are reluctant to go along with the rest of the world and bent up on running affairs of the country according to their own interpretation of Islam.
No one can deny the fact that Afghanistan is surrounded by at least seven different countries. Most of these countries are Central Asians but beside Pakistan it also included China and Islamic Republic of Iran. Not only today when Taliban’s are in government but Afghanistan’s relations remain cordial with all these neighboring countries except Pakistan. It is ironic Pakistan is uncomfortable with Afghanistan whereas its blue-eyed Taliban are in power. Un-cordial relations between the two neighboring countries might be a big issue before mighty junta’s at Islamabad and Kabul who remain in close links with each other, even each other’s dependents since mid 90’s.
Afghanistan remained attractive destination for traders from all Central Asian countries
Historically united India, especially its North Western regions including the present Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan remained attractive destinations for traders and businessmen from all Central Asian countries. All such trade and traveling links between CAR and united India remained intact till the beginning of 20th century but were affected with the Soviet socialist revolution. However, despite pressures, threats and opposition from British colonialism, Afghanistan has maintained all of its trade, political and diplomatic relations till the previous 90’s. After the dismantling of the Taliban regime, former President Hamid Karzai had restored these links in 2002. With little changes and short intervals, still Taliban continue cordial and smooth trade links with all CAR and other neighboring countries including Islamic Republic of Iran. However, position of Pakistan is different as anger and tension between Islamabad and Kabul is aggravating day by day due to certain issues including Taliban’s determination of settling internal and external issues through their own yardsticks and rejecting demands of surrendering or extraditing banned TTP elements to Pakistan.
Pakistan wants to enter into trade business links with different CAR through Afghanistan
Pakistan after re-empowering the Taliban in Kabul had initiated efforts for entering into trade business links with different Central Asian Republics. The move remained very fruitful when trade convoys exchanged and touched its destinations on both sides in 2022 and 2023. Besides pulses, beans, fresh fruits and other commercial goods, Pakistan received dozens of containers loaded with coal and liquid gasses. Traders and consumers from Pakistan have jubilated exploration or restoration of such trade routes. But the trade links or imports and exports between Pakistan and CAR couldn’t be groomed further due to relations with Afghanistan. Torkham and Chaman considered most busy and important corridors frequent and prolonged closure, skirmishes and even encounters between security forces and war of words between personnel and officers from both sides are now considered routine matters, which are definitely affecting not only trade matters between the two neighboring countries especially sabotaging all efforts aimed at strengthening Pakistan trade and business links with CAR states.
Afghanistan playing key role in South and Central Asian economy
No one can deny the fact that Afghanistan is playing a key role in the South and Central Asian economy. Almost all regional countries, its rulers, policy makers and economists are realizing these facts but they are helpless before US lead allies, engaged in efforts aimed at establishing its own or group influence in this particular region. Though Pakistan is considered the most important tool in implementation of US lead allies policies in the region, most of its people, people from trade, business and industrial sectors and even politicians are thinking on different lines – they want and prefer cordial relations with neighboring and regional countries. And for this purpose, the voice for peace and tranquility in Afghanistan has been raised unanimously by majority from the last four decades.
Pakistan proves itself as trustworthy ally of US
Pakistan’s mighty rulers – known as the military establishment – has proved itself as a trustworthy ally of the US. Besides playing a key role in the US lead alliance, Pakistan’s certain circles made and even made the best of exploiting the situation in its favor. Pakistan through its powerful military establishment is making efforts to establish its own influence in the region. In this respect, Pakistan is eyeing on prolonged conflict in Afghanistan. Like previous Peshawar – manufactured Jehadi leaders, now Taliban are also reluctant to compromise sovereignty and solidarity of Afghanistan – which is considered the main hurdle in strengthening of regional trade links, especially trade links of Pakistan with CAR states.
In the wake of meaningless involvement in prolonged conflict and influencing Afghanistan’s internal and external affairs, Pakistan must read on the wall. On the issue of Afghanistan, Pakistan has not only lost its control over internal security but its image at global level is also at stake. Instead, remaining mum over affairs of Afghanistan, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif must initiate efforts for establishing friendship with Afghanistan. Policy makers in Rawalpindi Islamabad also need to realize that the US had and is playing like masters not as a friend. Instead of remaining loyal and obedient to masters, Pakistan must hunt for friends. Finding friends could be more fruitful in strengthening regional trade, especially trade links with CAR countries, which may be helpful in settling almost economic hardships and other issues.
Beijing said it had conducted law enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan in response to a decision by Japan and the Philippines to launch talks on maritime boundary delimitation.
According to a statement from the China Coast Guard, a flotilla led by the vessel Daishan carried out law enforcement patrols “in accordance with the law” on Monday.
China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue said the operation was “a necessary action” in response to Japan and the Philippines “unilaterally announcing the start of negotiations on maritime delimitation in waters east of China’s Taiwan Island.”
“Such an announcement seriously infringes upon China’s territorial sovereignty and its maritime rights and interests,” Jiang said.
“We urge Japan and the Philippines to immediately cease all illegal actions that violate China’s sovereignty and rights,” he added.
Jiang also said the coast guard would continue strengthening its control and management of the relevant waters and that China would take concrete measures to “resolutely safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
The United States and most of its allies, including Japan and the Philippines, do not recognize Taiwan as an independent state and acknowledge it as part of China. The United Nations has also adopted resolutions reflecting this position. However, Washington continues to provide arms to Taiwan as part of its broader efforts to counter China and encourages its allies to do the same.
Following a summit in Tokyo between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the two countries said in a joint statement issued on Thursday that they had agreed to begin “formal negotiations” to delimit their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelves.
Beijing condemned the planned talks as “completely illegal and invalid” and swiftly lodged formal diplomatic protests with both Tokyo and Manila.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday: “The so-called delimitation negotiations are entirely illegal, invalid and void. They will have no impact whatsoever on China’s claims or on China’s exercise of its legitimate rights in the area east of Taiwan Island.”
The latest escalation comes at a time when relations between Beijing and both Tokyo and Manila are already strained. Japan and the Philippines are treaty allies of the United States, while China remains engaged in separate territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with the Philippines in the South China Sea.
As US attention and resources have increasingly shifted toward the war involving Iran, and as the White House has made the Western Hemisphere a strategic priority, Japan and the Philippines have stepped up diplomatic engagement in the region commonly referred to as the Indo-Pacific.
That effort has included building closer security and defence ties with other countries, prompting Beijing to accuse them of encouraging bloc confrontation in the region.
Japan and the Philippines do not share a maritime boundary. However, their seabed claims could overlap because both countries seek to extend their legal continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles, equivalent to 370 kilometres or 230 miles.
The overlapping area lies east of Taiwan, southwest of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and north of the Philippines’ Batanes Islands.
Yang Xiao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China’s highest-ranking state-affiliated think tank, said Taiwan’s EEZ and continental shelf are part of the area under discussion.
“These are China’s rights and are not something that the two sides can negotiate among themselves,” Yang said.
In an interview published on Sunday by Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, before the China Coast Guard announced the patrols, Yang said Beijing would take “historic and unprecedented” countermeasures against Tokyo and Manila.
“Since they are negotiating in a three-party overlapping zone, we can also take further steps to advance our jurisdiction in the waters east of Taiwan,” Yang said.
“If the other side insists on reckless and destructive actions, we will inevitably introduce new countermeasures.”
Yang described the waters east of Taiwan as a vital maritime area for the island’s economic activities.
“If these waters are divided between Japan and the Philippines, that would clearly harm the interests of the people living on Taiwan Island,” he added.
As artificial intelligence reshapes industrial structures in Japan and South Korea, stock market rankings are being redrawn. SoftBank Group has overtaken Toyota Motor to become Japan’s most valuable listed company.
SoftBank shares have surged as the global artificial intelligence rally gathers momentum, lifting the technology conglomerate’s market capitalisation above that of Toyota for the first time in more than two decades.
The shift reflects a broader reordering of Japan’s equity market. Automakers, alongside banks, steelmakers, energy companies and other traditional heavy industries, are losing ground to chipmakers and companies linked to artificial intelligence.
SoftBank shares jumped 14% on Monday, reaching a new record high. The company’s market value climbed to 48 trillion yen, or $301 billion, making it the most valuable company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Toyota had long held the top position, with a market capitalisation of approximately 45 trillion yen. The last time SoftBank surpassed Toyota was in March 2000, at the peak of the dot-com bubble.
SoftBank’s rapid rise has been driven by strong earnings performance and its substantial investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI.
The Japanese company reported net profit of 1.82 trillion yen, or $11.4 billion, for the first three months of 2026, 3.5 times higher than in the same period a year earlier. The group is also increasing its investment in OpenAI, completing a $10 billion investment in April and committing to invest an additional $20 billion later this year. Total investment is expected to reach roughly $65 billion.
According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI plans to file for an initial public offering and aims to list in the United States as early as September. Some media reports suggest the company could seek to raise $60 billion through the offering, potentially valuing it at more than $1 trillion. Such a transaction could become the largest initial public offering in history.
Investors expect the IPO to significantly boost SoftBank’s investment gains. Those expectations have helped drive the technology group’s share price higher. SoftBank shares have risen about 127% since early April.
The company is also planning to invest up to 14 trillion yen in the construction of data centres in France.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Beijing, where the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and oversaw the signing of multiple cooperation agreements. Xi also awarded Vucic the Friendship Medal of the People’s Republic of China.
The meeting between Xi Jinping and Aleksandar Vucic began with an official welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The two leaders then proceeded to formal talks. Xi said China and Serbia had achieved “positive results” since jointly launching the construction of a “China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era” in 2024.
Xi said the partnership had not only benefited the two peoples but had also set an example for international relations.
The Chinese president described relations between China and Serbia as an “iron friendship” based on deep historical ties and mutual trust.
Calling on both sides to strengthen exchanges, deepen practical cooperation and continue supporting each other on issues concerning their core interests, Xi also said the two countries should align their development strategies and advance cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. In this context, he pointed to transport, energy and infrastructure projects.
Xi also called for expanding cooperation in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green energy and advanced manufacturing.
Aleksandar Vucic congratulated China on the start of implementation of its 15th Five-Year Plan. Vucic also expressed confidence in China’s future development under Xi Jinping’s leadership.
The Serbian president said Belgrade attached great importance to relations with China and firmly supported Beijing on issues concerning China’s core interests.
Vucic thanked Chinese companies for their contributions to Serbia’s economic development and infrastructure construction.
Saying the two countries had made notable progress since establishing their comprehensive strategic partnership, Vucic added that cooperation had expanded across numerous sectors.
The Serbian president also praised China’s role in international affairs, saying Beijing approached smaller countries on the basis of equality and respect and defended international law.
Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of more than 20 cooperation agreements covering politics, trade, science and technology, education, legal affairs and culture.
The two sides also issued joint statements on steadily advancing the construction of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era and jointly supporting the implementation of four global initiatives.
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