Global Affairs

 Last year when the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman visited Pakistan on a 4-day diplomatic tour he was escorted by the PM of Pakistan Imran Khan who turned a chauffeur for the Prince to the place where the latter was going to reside. Looking at that moment the Twitterati army went crazy by both criticizing and a few praising the moment. Many experts believed that this photo was proof for the deepening ties between the two countries who are also powerful members of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) and even the Saudis maintained good relations with Pakistan since the South Asian country has a minority of Shiites. But all the claims of deep ties came to a still recently when Riyadh asked Islamabad to repay some of the amounts of loan which was given to them .   The  loan  was part of a USD 6.2  billion  package announced by  Saudi  Arabia in November 2018, which included a total of USD 3  billion  in  loans  a...

It is very evident now and from the past actions of China that it is expanding its military might and trading not only in the South China Sea but around the globe and especially in the Indian Ocean through its 'Debt Trap Diplomacy' and 'String of Pearls' strategy which posed a great threat directly to India and indirectly to the whole world. What is China's String of Pearls? It is an attempt by China to encircle India through maintaining and developing its strategic bases in countries around India, such as at Karachi (Gwadar Port) Pakistan, Chittagong (Bangladesh), at Colombo and Hambantota  (both in Sri Lanka), the Maldives, Myanmar, and some other small island nations which will help in confining India to its own land and limiting its influence on the neighboring countries. This will provide China easy access and control over the vast Indian Ocean. This String of Pearls phenomena in the background of recent Chinese 'One Belt One Road' or the OBOR and CPE...

China’s Intention to Become a Great Power by 2049 Since assuming power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has clearly articulated his vision of the “Chinese dream” which seeks to achieve the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Xi has vowed to “restore” China’s historical influence and status by transforming China into a moderately prosperous state by 2020 and a rich, strong, and fully-developed great power by 2049. A major component of the Chinese dream includes the strengthening and expansion of China’s military capabilities. Beijing has specifically tasked the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to complete military reform and modernization by 2035 and to become a world-class military by 2050. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, the Chinese government has undertaken significant measures both at home and abroad . A Little Dig into the History During the Cold War era, which was taking place between the United States of America and Russia, every major country got affect...