Sabena Siddiqi

An unsettled atmosphere prevails on the China-India border following accusations of trespass by Indian border guards in the Sikkim section, followed by an Indian attempt to obstruct ongoing construction activities by the Chinese frontier forces in the Donglang region. Demanding an Indian troop withdrawal as a precondition to any further meaningful dialogue, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged India to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter. Reaffirming that the Sikkim section of the China-India border is well-defined by treaties, the ministry’s spokesperson, Geng Shuang, pointed out that the Indian government has repeatedly confirmed these settlements in writing and has expressed no objections to them previously. Urging India to respect boundary treaties and China’s territorial sovereignty to maintain peace and stability, the foreign ministry also informed India through diplomatic channels that the entry of official Indian pilgrims at the Nathu La Pass, linking Sikki...

Reinforcing links between regional countries, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was founded in 1985, with its current membership comprising of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. With an overall mixed performance, its highest point was in achieving an impressive 7.0 percent average growth rate over two decades. Promoting inter-action and mutual dialogue, SAARC worked for peace and harmony in the region by concentrating on common interests and settling regional issues. Unfortunately, ever since the cancellation of the last SAARC Conference in 2016, a vacuum has been created and the future credibility of the organization is at stake. Functionally viable, in the past the group put forth different trade structures and mechanisms such as the South Asia Free Trade Agreement and South Asia Preferential Trade Agreement. Lacking any definite roadmap ahead now, it seems to have been postponed indefinitely ever since I...

Sitting on a massive goldmine of energy reserves, Central Asia's Kazakhstan has 30 billion barrels of oil reserves while Turkmenistan's natural gas is estimated at 265 trillion cubic feet. As a result this region is extremely vital in the battle for resources and global dominance over the last decade. Located right in the center of Eurasia, it has considerable potential as a market for its natural gas, gold, copper, aluminum, iron and cotton as well. Geo-economically, CARs are indispensable trade partners for neighboring countries in this era. Being the third largest consumer of crude oil globally, India wants to have closer strategic and economic ties with the Central Asian states but its trade volume sits at just $500 million. Limited land connectivity has proved to be the major obstacle. Lacking borders with the Central Asian states, India is denied land access through Pakistan's territory due to constant friction between the two countries. Likewise, even after ha...

Nowadays, running out of battery is the only concern when leaving home, as an estimated 40 percent of China’s population now carries less than $15 cash equivalent in their pockets, according to one report. It all started when China's Internet users decided they preferred to go online via their mobile devices, and then went on to avail themselves of Alipay, the payments option of e-commerce giant Alibaba. Following suit, the ubiquitous Wechat app launched Wechat Pay to keep its 500 million user base hooked; soon after, the Chinese search engine Baidu also introduced its own version of the wallet. As the movement grew, the Chinese government pro-actively allowed banks to include the QR Code scanning system and process mobile payments, bringing a new expanding market into the mainstream. Working on providing transparency, China's central bank established a nation-wide clearing house for mobile payment services. This was necessary, according to analyst Wang Pengbo, as ...

The world's "most important bilateral relationship" made a positive new beginning with President Trump's state visit to China. The bonhomie produced bodes well for the world as they oversee one-third of the world’s economy, a quarter of its trade and command its two most powerful armies. Having achieved a landmark consensus on China-U.S. relations, President Xi Jinping announced: "The meeting between myself and President Trump sets the tone and lays a solid foundation for the solid development of the China-U.S. relationship. It will achieve more results and more benefits for people around the world." Amid the good vibes, President Trump was optimistic that the two countries could effectively resolve problems in the world together, and looked forward "to building an even stronger relationship." Regarding the trade imbalance, he surprised some by saying: "The U.S. really has to change its policies because they’ve gotten so far behind on ...

In the aftermath of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s unveiling of the unprecedented Vision 2030 reforms, a sense of renaissance seems to exist in Saudi Arabia. Diversifying the oil economy along new routes for rapid progress, it is definitely the brainchild of the young Prince; however, he modestly insists he is only "one of 20 million people. I am nothing without them." Nevertheless, such a holistic package for economic, cultural and societal reform has not been seen before in recent Saudi history. Opening up Saudi Arabia to the world, the Prince announced his country would become "moderate" and "open" and that he would "eradicate" radical Islamist ideology. "We are returning to what we were before -- a country of moderate Islam open to all religions and to the world," he told an audience of world luminaries attending a major investment conference in the country. Announcing a futuristic new city named "NEOM," 33...

In a significant new development, China has proposed initiating an economic corridor with Myanmar to advance bilateral trade links, creating a central intersection for the Belt and Road Initiative between Southeast Asia and China. Addressing the media while on a recent visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced, "China and Myanmar have great potential for cooperation as they are highly complementary in economy. To further enhance China-Myanmar comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, China has proposed building the China-Myanmar economic corridor." Starting from Yunnan in southwestern China, the corridor would proceed south to Mandalay in Myanmar, eastward to Yangon and then westward to the Kyaukpyu special economic zone. This would boost connectivity and facilitate development throughout Myanmar. Three branches of this network would operate along with a proposed $1.5 billion oil pipeline through the Bay of Bengal. Deepening economic co...

Leaving behind decades-old social rules, Saudi Arabia is at a turning point for the first time since 1979 when conservative laws and norms were initially enforced. Nowadays, families in Saudi Arabia look forward to going to the movies as the first of planned 2,000 cinemas is due to open in March. As described in the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman's Vision 2030, things are moving ahead. Discussing the significance of these steps, the Saudi Culture Minister Awwad Alawwad  explained, "This is a watershed in the development of the cultural economy in the kingdom. Opening cinemas will act as a catalyst for economic growth and diversification. "By developing the broader cultural sector, we will create new employment and training opportunities, as well as enriching the kingdom's entertainment options." Diversifying the Saudi economy had also become a necessity, keeping in mind the plunge in global oil prices since 2014. With "Vision 2030," Saudi Ar...

Venturing to replace the U.S. dollar with the Chinese yuan for bilateral trade between Pakistan and China, the State Bank of Pakistan recently announced that all arrangements for the change-over were already in place.  Having considered the Chinese proposal to use the renminbi for some time, a comprehensive bank policy was prepared whereby public and private enterprises in both countries can carry out financial activities in CNY.  According to the official notification, "As per current foreign exchange regulations, the Chinese Yuan (CNY) is an approved foreign currency […] on a par with other international currencies such as the USD, Euro and JPY." Considering the ongoing massive Chinese infrastructure project in Pakistan, the new facility would "yield long-term benefits for both the countries," the announcement added. From now on, Pakistan's imports from China can be paid for in yuan rather than dollars. Not only that, Chinese companies investing in p...

After more than two decades, Washington wants to splurge on a flag-waving, chest-thumping military parade this year.  Usually held on a more moderate scale on occasions such as the Fourth of July, Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the last grand parade was a "victory celebration" over the first Gulf War in 1991. Nearly 200,000 spectators watched 8,000 troops march past along with Navy and Marine bands performing loudly, and jets and helicopters flying overhead.  Ever since assuming office, President Trump has wished to revive traditions like the parade as a symbolic statement of "America First." Having a grand parade was mulled over even at the time of the Trump inaugural ceremony, but displaying military equipment on the occasion was considered somewhat incongruous by the organizing committee. At that time, domestic critics worried it might send out an excessively "authoritarian" message instead of being simply a tribute to the military, so the plan ...