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Chinese FM in Pakistan to discuss Afghanistan

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The Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang landed in Islamabad on his two-day maiden visit for talks with his counterparts from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Chinese foreign minister will take the issues of bilateral interaction with the Pakistani side but also try to forge cooperation on the vexed Afghan issue. The two sides also will meet the Afghan foreign minister, who is already in Pakistan.

Pakistan has confirmed the visit of Chinese FM Qin Gang and Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to attend the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue set for Saturday.

Pakistan foreign ministry in a statement said that this is the first visit of “China’s State Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Pakistan since assuming office.”

Besides the bilateral meetings, Qin Gang will participate in the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue scheduled to be held on Saturday.

Chinese FM and his Pakistan counterpart Bilawal will co-chair the dialogue which is organized to discuss a mechanism that reviews bilateral cooperation in key areas.

The sides will discuss the evolving regional and global landscape and will reaffirm the abiding vitality of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and develop a roadmap for multidimensional cooperation between Pakistan and China.

Muttaqi will spend four days in Pakistan

Afghanistan’s FM Muttaqi reached Islamabad on a four-day official visit to partake in the trilateral dialogue and also to meet with Chinese and Pakistan top officials.

Muttaqi will also try to improve Afghanistan-Pakistan relations and trade ties between the two countries. Muttaqi has been accompanied by the Taliban’s minister of commerce and industry Nooruddin Azizi and other senior Taliban members.

Acting Foreign Minister of Taliban Amir Khan Muttaqi

“The visit of the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister is a continuation of Pakistan’s political engagement process with Afghanistan, which, inter alia, included visit of Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to Kabul on 29 November 2022 and visit of a high-level delegation led by the Defense Minister of Pakistan to Kabul on 22 February 2023,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Both sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and security, and education domains, according to the statement.

The statement furthered, “Pakistan is desirous of a peaceful, prosperous, stable and connected Afghanistan and reiterates its commitment to pursue continuous and practical engagement with the Interim Afghan Government.”

Muttaqi and the travel ban

At the start of this week, the UN Security Council agreed to allow Muttaqi to travel to Pakistan. Muttaqi has long been subject to a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo under Security Council sanctions.

To attend the meeting, Pakistan’s UN mission requested an exemption for Muttaqi to travel between May 6-9 and no more details were disclosed, but the Pakistani sides will cover all the cost of Muttaqi’s trip.

Last month, the UN Security Council also allowed Muttaqi to travel to Uzbekistan to attend a meeting of the foreign ministers of neighboring countries of Afghanistan to shed light on the issues related to peace, security, and stability in the region.

Afghan Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Hafiz Zia Takkal in a tweet post shared a video of Muttaqi who has reached Islamabad, saying that Kabul wanted to hold talks on a wide range of matters including, political, economic relations, regional security, and transit trade. Despite the trilateral dialogue, Muttaqi will also meet with several Pakistan officials.

Don’t forget – China, Afghanistan and Pakistan are neighbors

All hopes are on the Chinese FM who will meet with his Afghan and Pakistan counterparts in order to review the entire spectrum of trilateral relations between them in the areas of political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and security.

There is no doubt that the three sides are ready to work for a peaceful region with mostly China that has been working for unity, peace, and trade connectivity between Islamabad and Kabul.

“China is the only neighbor of both Pakistan and Afghanistan that wants to play a huge role to help Kabul and Islamabad to brush aside their differences and work closely in areas of development,” a Taliban official said.

China has been pushing the work to remain engaged with the Taliban government, he told Harici on condition of anonymity. “China has been doing a lot to remind the world that engaging with the Afghan government would be in the best interest of them,” he added

Change on Taliban’s behavior

Meanwhile, Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani on Friday called on the Taliban members to treat the citizens in the best manner.

Speaking at the ceremony to introduce the new governor of Kandahar, Haqqani warned that any kind of harsh behavior makes people hate Islam and called on Taliban members to mend their ways with the people.

“We should not act in a way where people start hating Islam,” Haqqani said, adding “our behavior should be such where people fall in love with Islam.”

In the past one week, over 13 government officials have been appointed or reshuffled, and the latest one was Muhammad Ali Hanafi, known as Mullah Shirin, who was appointed as the governor of Kandahar.

 

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Afraid of the gun; Taliban supreme leader fears of a coup

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Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Taliban, has ordered the security institutions that without his permission, “no one can distribute or use the military equipment registered by the ministries of defense and interior, the directorate of intelligence and other independent institutions.”

Experts and analysts have considered this move by Hibatullah as last resort to weaken the position of defense minister, Yaqoob Mujahid, interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani and the head of Taliban intelligence, Abdul Haq Wasiq in order to prevent a possible internal coup that was initiated by these three top officials.

In the first article of the order, it is mentioned that no person can distribute military equipment registered in the reserves of the ministries of defense, interior and intelligence, or issue an order to distribute it without the order of Hibatullah.

This decree titled “Regarding the distribution, protection and supervision of registered military equipment”, specifies that whenever an Emirate entity (Taliban-related entity) needs weapons, ammunition, night vision cameras, telecommunications and other military equipment” must receive the approval order from the leader of the Taliban.

Also, in the second article of this decree, it is stated that whenever one of the military departments of the Taliban needs military equipment, it must send its request to Hibatullah’s office in Kandahar.

In the third article of the decree, it is emphasized that if the military equipment was distributed or used without the permission of the Taliban leader before the issuance of this decree, they must be returned to the reserves.

Ministries of defense, interior and head of intelligence department are banned from disturbing military weapons.

According to this article, Hibatullah entrusted the ministries of defense and interior, as well as the general directorate of Taliban intelligence, with the responsibility to report the list of available military equipment to the directorate of registration, and protection of military equipment.

This order of the Taliban leader has been considered as another step in the direction of concentrating more power in the hands of Mullah Hibatullah in Kandahar. Many have seen it as a sign of Hibatullah’s increasing distrust of senior Taliban officials in Kabul. Previously, some senior Taliban officials, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, have openly disobeyed Hibatullah’s order to prohibit photography and filming and have not followed the order of their supreme leader.

(R) Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid and (L) Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Previously, several reports have been published about the sale of military equipment left over from the US troops and Afghan security forces during the republic government. Even the US-elected president Donald Trump, repeatedly mentioned this issue during his election campaigns. Not long ago, the government of Pakistan also announced that the Pakistan security forces have discovered and confiscated a car carrying US weapons smuggled from Afghanistan.

Pakistani media reported that this equipment included M4 assault rifles, night vision cameras and thousands of rounds of ammunition, which were transported in a truck carrying vegetables. Pakistani security officials have estimated the total value of weapons smuggled from Afghanistan in this truck to be 126,354 US dollars.

The cost of US’s remaining equipment in Afghanistan estimated over 7 billion US dollars

The Pentagon has already announced that after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, about 7 billion dollars of military equipment fell into the hands of the Taliban. This equipment reached the hands of the Taliban after the fall of Afghanistan on 15 August, 2021.

It has been reported that when the US forces left Afghanistan, there were 78 US-made aircrafts in the country, whose value reached 1 billion dollars. According to CNN, with the end of the US military presence, a total of more than 9,000 air-to-ground munitions worth more than six and a half million dollars have remained in Afghanistan.

The report also states that out of a total of 96,000 military vehicles, more than 40,000 units, including 12,000 Humvees (armored tanks), fell into the hands of the Taliban. Moreover, out of a total of more than 400,000 weapons that the US gave to the forces of the former Afghan government, about 300,000 remain in the country.

Almost all “communications equipment, including mobile base stations, portable and hand-held commercial and military radio systems, and associated transmitters and encryption devices, all remain in Afghanistan,” according to the report.

The report added that “almost all” of the equipment for night vision cameras, surveillance, biometric and positioning equipment,” a total of nearly 42 thousand pieces of specialized equipment, remained in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Five Mi 17 helicopters of the then Afghan army, which were transferred to Ukraine for repair before the collapse of the government, have also returned to Afghanistan and now are used by the Taliban.

It should be noted that the internal rivalries in the Taliban, especially among the different factions of this group, is one of the important reasons for Mullah Hibatullah’s distrust of some Taliban officials. Some officials, including interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and defense minister Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, gained a lot of power, especially during the Taliban’s war against foreign forces, and Mullah Hibatullah may be worried that these officials are trying to expand their power, which is a clear threat to his position as the Taliban leader.

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China’s BYD prepares to launch latest SUV, the Sealion 07, in Europe despite EU tariffs

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BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker, is set to launch its latest SUV, the Sealion 07, in Europe, undeterred by recent tariff increases on Chinese-made electric vehicles. This strategic move highlights BYD’s commitment to expanding overseas sales despite economic barriers.

Deliveries of the Sealion 07 are scheduled to begin in 2025, marking BYD’s seventh all-electric model in the European market, the company announced on Wednesday. Additionally, BYD plans to enter the South Korean market next year, adding to its existing presence in 95 countries worldwide.

This European expansion comes on the heels of the European Union’s decision last month to impose new tariffs—ranging from 17% to 35.3%—on Chinese electric vehicles following an anti-subsidy investigation. BYD’s EVs are subject to a 17% tariff, in addition to the standard 10% tariff applied to all pure electric cars imported from China. These tariffs, which took effect last month, will remain in place for five years. Meanwhile, U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made EVs increased from 25% to 100% as of September, citing similar concerns.

Despite the added costs, BYD’s vehicles continue to hold strong appeal in export markets. “BYD’s vehicles remain attractive even after the additional tariffs, so it’s not really a big problem for the company,” said Chen Jinzhu, CEO of Shanghai Mingliang Auto Service, a leading industry consultancy. “The Sealion 07 exemplifies how BYD’s cost advantage enables it to counteract such trade barriers in key export markets.”

Shenzhen-based BYD has yet to disclose the European pricing for the Sealion 07. On the mainland, the SUV—featuring a range of 450 kilometers—starts at 189,800 yuan (approximately US$26,272), with deliveries beginning in May.

According to a report last year from UBS analysts, BYD has a sustainable cost advantage of 25% over traditional European brands.

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Singles’ day promotions target overseas Chinese as China’s domestic demand slows

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After last year’s Singles’ Day shopping festival in China was dubbed the “quietest in history,” China’s e-commerce platforms focused on a new strategy this year.

For this year’s Singles’ Day event, major e-commerce companies such as Alibaba, JD.com, and Pinduoduo invested heavily in expanding overseas markets, targeting the estimated 100 million Chinese living abroad with offers like discounts and free or low-cost shipping.

The central question, however, is not whether these efforts will succeed in the short term, but rather if this shift can help platforms grow their user bases as online sales growth in China reaches a bottleneck.

“Domestic consumption is quite weak right now, and every company is certainly considering new ways to drive growth for Singles’ Day,” said an executive at a leading online retailer, who requested anonymity. “The overseas market is widely seen as a promising source for additional growth,” he added in an interview with Nikkei Asia.

Singles’ Day, a one-day sales event launched by Alibaba in 2009 as a celebration for singles, has since evolved into a month-long campaign with special offers and deep discounts, culminating on or around November 11.

This year, China aimed to revitalize its retail sector with the event. Total consumer goods sales rose by 3.3% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2024, though high-end consumer spending remained stagnant. Cosmetics sales fell by 1%, while gold and silver jewelry sales declined by 3.1% year-on-year.

Last month, Alibaba’s Taobao launched a significant marketing campaign in Hong Kong and Taiwan, flooding subway stations with advertisements for “free shipping on orders over 99 yuan,” among other offers. According to the company, the campaign cost 2 billion New Taiwan dollars ($61.7 million) in Taiwan and 1 billion yuan ($138 million) in Hong Kong.

Following Alibaba’s move, JD.com announced it had invested 1.5 billion yuan to offer discounted product prices and cheaper shipping to Hong Kong shoppers. Bargain platform Pinduoduo took it a step further, offering free shipping via courier SF Express for Hong Kong shoppers, regardless of the item’s price. All products on these platforms are shipped from mainland China.

A spokesperson from Alibaba’s International Digital Commerce Group noted that since the overseas initiative launched in October, Taobao Hong Kong has achieved double-digit growth in both orders and gross merchandise value (GMV)—a metric that excludes canceled orders—on both a monthly and year-on-year basis.

The platforms are also targeting Chinese shoppers in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

This year, unlike in previous years, shoppers could combine online discounts with a subsidy program introduced by the Chinese government to boost domestic consumption, primarily for home appliances and household products. Analysts suggest these incentives will likely boost sales for JD.com, which is known for selling high-quality large appliances and offering after-sales services.

While JD.com has yet to release sales or GMV figures for home appliances during the shopping festival, it is expected to share its June-September results, along with Alibaba, later this week.

Last year, data provider Syntun estimated that total GMV on major e-commerce platforms grew by only 2.1% to 1.14 trillion yuan, falling short of the 2.9% growth forecast for 2022. Similarly, consultancy Bain predicted that Singles’ Day sales would reach 1.15 trillion yuan in 2023.

On Tuesday morning, Alibaba announced “strong GMV growth” and a “record number” of active shoppers for this year’s Singles’ Day event.

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