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Tag: China

  • Giant pandas no longer endangered, says China

    Giant pandas no longer endangered, says China

    Giant pandas are no longer endangered, but they are still vulnerable, Chinese officials have said after years of conservation efforts as their number in the wild has reached 1,800.

    As per reports, the country succeeded in saving its iconic animal through its long-term conservation efforts, including the expansion of habitats.

    The latest classification upgrade “reflects their improved living conditions and China’s efforts in keeping their habitats integrated”, said Cui Shuhong, head of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation at a news conference.

    The news comes years after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had already removed the animal from its endangered species list and re-labeled it as “vulnerable” in 2016.

    However, Chinese officials at that time did not consider the progress, saying that it could make people believe that conservation efforts could be relaxed.

    This week’s announcement by China’s environmental ministry is the first time the animal’s status was changed on its endangered species list.

    Experts have said that the success is mainly due to Chinese efforts to recreate and repopulate bamboo forests. Bamboo makes up 99 per cent of their diet, without which they are likely to starve.

    Zoos have also attempted to increase numbers via captive breeding methods.

  • China’s tourist attraction allows visitors to fly across the river

    A tourist attraction in China now allows visitors a chance to walk or fly over a river. 

    The Xiatianxia Tourist Area is a popular tourist spot in Fujian Province where people can wear different traditional costumes and enjoy an experience walking and flying across a river. 

    A video shared by South China Morning Post shows people flying in the air over a river and attempting stunts often seen in movies.

    As per details, tourists are lifted in the air using wires attached to their waists. They can either fly across the water, use prop weapons or even run on water. The wire is 600 meters long and 20 meters off the ground.

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    The experience costs 128 yuan (Rs3,186), which includes costume, props, make-up and hairstyling. 

  • ‘Stop making trends on Twitter, focus on your studies’: Shafqat Mahmood advises students

    Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has advised Pakistani students to stop making trends on Twitter against exams and focus on the preparation for the upcoming exams.

    Speaking on Dawn News programme ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’ Mahmood said that exams have already started in Sindh and will also commence in Punjab from Friday so there is no possibility of papers being postponed or cancelled.

    “I would advise the students to stop spending time on Twitter to make trends and that it is better to focus on their education. There is still time left for exam preparation,” says Mahmood.

    When asked about Pakistani students waiting to return to China, Mahmood said he has discussed the issue with the Chinese envoy and hoped that it will be solved soon.

    “Every country is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in its own way. We all know that China is a big country and there is a risk of the virus spreading there, so the Chinese government enforced the strictest restrictions and imposed a lockdown.”

    Earlier Mahmood had said that board exams for students of classes nine and 10 would be held only for elective subjects and mathematics while exams for students of classes 11 and 12 would be held for elective subjects only.

  • We accept the Chinese version on Uyghurs in Xinjiang: PM Khan

    We accept the Chinese version on Uyghurs in Xinjiang: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Thursday said that the relationship between Pakistan and China is very deep. “It’s not just the governments, but it’s a people-to-people relationship.”

    “Whatever will happen…[the] relationship between our two countries, no matter what pressure is put on us, is not going to change,” PM Khan said in response to a question.

    Speaking to Chinese journalists as Beijing marked the centenary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), the premier said the Chinese version about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang was completely different from what was being reported in the western media.

    “Because of our extreme proximity and relationship with China, we actually accept the Chinese version,” added PM Khan.

    He said that it was hypocritical that while the Uyghur situation and Hong Kong were being highlighted, attention was not being given to the human rights violations in Indian-Occupied Kashmir.

    “It is hypocritical. There are much worse human rights violations taking place in other parts of the world such as in occupied Kashmir. But western media hardly comments on this,” he said.

    PM Khan praised the Communist Party. He said that until now, it was believed that electoral democracy is the best way to bring leaders on merit and hold them accountable.

    “But China’s process to hunt talent and then polish it is better than any electoral democracy.”

    PM Khan also praised President Xi for his success in the fight against poverty and corruption in China.

    “China has lifted 700 million people out of poverty in a few years, which is a great achievement. We want to further develop political, economic and trade relations between the two countries.”

    PM Khan said that Pakistanis are impressed by the Chinese president’s fight against corruption and consider him “a great politician of modern times”.

    “President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign is effective and successful.”

    PM Khan said that it is unfair of the US and western powers to expect countries like Pakistan to take sides. “Pakistan will not downgrade its relations with China.“

    “The United States expects Pakistan to choose a side. This is not appropriate,” he added.

  • It is unfair of the US to force Pakistan to take sides, PM Imran Khan on Pak-China relations

    It is unfair of the US to force Pakistan to take sides, PM Imran Khan on Pak-China relations

    “It is very unfair for the US and other western powers [to ask] countries like us [Pakistan] to take sides, as all states should have good relations with one another,” said Prime Minister Imran Khan in an exclusive interview with Liu Xin of China-state media TV, CGTN. PM Khan said that there was a “strange, great power rivalry” taking place in the region. “You see the United States being wary of China. The way United States and China are looking at each other, it creates problems.”

    PM Khan asked: “Why do we have to take sides?

    PM further added that Pakistan and China enjoy a “very special relationship” spanning over 70 years and nothing could change this.

    PM Khan stressed that no matter what happens, no matter what pressure is put on Pakistan, the relationship between the two countries would remain the same. He said that when Pakistan had been in trouble politically, internationally, or had conflicts with its neighbour, China always stood by it.

    The people of China have a special place in the hearts of Pakistanis, he said, adding: “You remember friends who stand with you at all times. In good times, everyone stands with you, but in difficult, tough, and bad times, you remember those people who stood by you.”

    He said the people of Pakistan have that kind of fondness for the people of China.

    “So, from that point of view, Pakistan thinks that it is very unfair of the US and other Western powers [to make] countries like Pakistan take sides. Why should we take sides? We should have good relations with everyone,” he maintained.

    The prime minister categorically said that Pakistan cannot be pressurised into downgrading its ties with China.

  • ‘Pakistan wants a civilised relationship with the US’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister Imran Khan recently gave an interview to The New York Times about Pakistan’s planned future strategy once the United States (US) leaves Afghanistan and said that in the past, the US kept expecting more from Pakistan, while previous governments “tried to deliver what they were not capable of”.

    The interview was published on June 25, when US President Joe Biden had his first face-to-face meeting with his Afghan counterpart, Ashraf Ghani, at the White House.

    Replying to a question related to Pakistan’s future relationship with the US after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, PM Khan said that Pakistan has always had a closer relationship with the United States than neighbouring India.

    “After 9/11, Pakistan again opted to join the US war on terror. Now, after the US leaves Afghanistan, basically Pakistan would want a civilised relationship, which you have between nations, and we would like to improve our trading relationship with the US,” he said.

    Mr Khan recalled that Pakistan has had a closer relationship with the United States than other nations in the region, such as India, and was a US partner in the war against terrorism, an argument used by previous Pakistani rulers as well without much success.

    “Now, after the US leaves Afghanistan, basically Pakistan would want a civilised relationship, which you have between nations, and we would like to improve our trading relationship with the US,” the prime minister replied.

    “Unfortunately, the relationship during the war on terror was a bit lopsided,” he said, adding, “It was a lopsided relationship because [the] US felt that they were giving aid to Pakistan, they felt that Pakistan then had to do US’s bidding. And what Pakistan did in terms of trying to do the US bidding cost Pakistan a lot … 70,000 Pakistanis died, and over $150 billion were lost to the economy because there were suicide bombings and bombs going on all over the country.”

    Asked if Pakistan was still using its leverage with the Taliban to move the peace talks towards a deal, Mr Khan said: “Pakistan has used the maximum leverage it could on the Taliban.”

    The prime minister said Pakistan has been emphasising to the Taliban that they should not go for a military victory because it would only lead to a protracted civil war. And since the Taliban are primarily a Pashtun movement, this will have two effects: Another influx of refugees into Pakistan and upset Pakistan’s efforts to lift its economy through trade, he explained.

    ‘We have signed very good trade deals with the Central Asian republics, but we can only go there through Afghanistan. If there is a civil war, all that goes down the drain,’ he said.

    “Let me assure you, we will do everything except use military action against the Taliban. I mean, we will do everything up to that,” Mr Khan said, adding: “All sections of our society have decided that Pakistan will take no military action.”

    The premier was also questioned whether Indo-Pakistan relations would improve if the Modi government leaves power. In response, he said that he “knows India better than any other Pakistani”.

    He said that he has had “love and respect from India [more] than anyone because cricket is a big sport”.

    “And the best way would be if India and Pakistan had a normal, civilised trading relationship. It would benefit both countries,” the PM said he told Modi.

    “So we tried. Didn’t get anywhere. I think that it is a particular ideology of the (Hindu nationalist group) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which Narendra Modi belongs to, which just came up against a brick wall. And therefore the answer to your question is yes. Had there been another Indian leadership, I think we would have had a good relationship with them. And yes, we would have resolved all our differences through dialogue.”

    When asked if Pakistan would consider it an Indian win if Kashmir’s status quo remains the same, PM Imran Khan said that it would be a “disaster for India.”

    “[That is because] it will just mean that this conflict festers on and on. And so as long as it festers, it’s going to stop there being any relationship — normal relationship — between Pakistan and India.”

    The premier was questioned about Pakistan’s relationship with China and how it affects both the US and India. In response, he said that he finds it “very odd” that China and the US would become great rivals. 


  • ‘If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on men, unless they are robots,’ says PM Khan

    In an interview with “Axios on HBO” with Jonathan Swan, which aired at 3am PST on Monday morning, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that “if a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they are robots”.

    Prime Minister Khan discussed various issues in his interview with Axios’ Swan ranging from US withdrawal from Afghanistan to Pak-US relationship, Uyghur Muslims in China and sexual violence in Pakistan.

    Rape and sexual violence

    Swan asked PM Khan about his previous comments pertaining to rape and vulgarity, PM said that it is “such nonsense”.

    “I said that the concept of purdah is avoid temptation in the society. We don’t have discos here, we don’t have night clubs, so it is a completely different society, way of life here. So if you raise temptation in the society to the point and all these young guys have nowhere to go, it has consequences in the society.”

    Swan asked: “Do you think that what women wear has any affect, that that’s part of this temptation?”

    “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they are robots. I mean it’s common sense,” replied PM.

    Swan asked if this would provoke acts of sexual violence, to which PM Khan responded, “It depends which society you live in. If in a society, people haven’t seen that sort of thing, it will have an impact on them. If you grow up in a society like you, maybe it won’t on you. This cultural imperialism, whatever is in our culture must be acceptable to everyone else. It’s not.”

    “Jonathan, it’s about my society. My priority is how my society behaves, what reactions are caused in my society so when I see sex crime going through the roof, we sit down, we discuss how we are going to tackle this. It is having an impact in my society. We have to do something about it.”

    US withdrawal from Afghanistan

    Axios’ Swan asked PM Khan if he was happy that the US military is finally withdrawing from Afghanistan after 20 years. PM said, “Happy in one way because there was never going to be a military solution in Afghanistan. Anxious that they [the US] are leaving without a political settlement, there is a possibility of civil war.” When asked what would a political settlement look like, PM said that a political settlement in Afghanistan “would mean a sort of a coalition government, a government from the Taliban side and the other side. There is no other solution”.

    Swan asked if PM Khan thinks the Americans made a mistake by saying they are getting out by September 11. The PM said they got themselves in such a big mess that they had to give some sort of timeframe. “But the moment they gave a timeframe, Taliban would have considered that a victory.” PM was asked how he felt about the prospect of the Taliban effectively controlling Afghanistan and if he is happy to welcome them into the community of nations. “As far as Pakistan is concerned, whoever represents the people of Afghanistan, we will deal with them.”

    Swan asked what if they were not democratically elected and does it not concern you on some level that this group of people is accumulating power right next door to you. PM Imran Khan said, “Look, I am not a spokesman for Taliban. For me to say, you know what they are doing or what they shouldn’t be doing is pointless. In case Taliban go for an all-out victory, there is going to be incredible amount of bloodshed. And let me tell you, the country that is going to suffer the most after Afghanistan is going to be Pakistan. We already have three million Afghan refugees here. And this could lead to another exodus so that is our biggest concern. The Americans, before they leave, there must be a settlement.”

    Relationship with the United States

    Swan asked PM Imran Khan why the American CIA Director Bill Burns made an unannounced visit to Islamabad. “Ever since 9/11, there’s constantly been in touch between our intelligence agencies.” PM Khan said he did not meet the CIA director but the head of ISI met him.

    Swan said that the Americans want to have their spies and special forces based in Pakistan to keep an eye on what is happening across the border. To a question if he will allow the American government to have CIA here in Pakistan to conduct cross-border counterterrorism missions against al-Qaeda, ISIS or the Taliban, PM Khan emphatically said, “Absolutely not.” The host interjected and asked: “Seriously?”

    “There is no way we will allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not. Pakistan suffered 70,000 casualties, more than any other country by joining the American war. We cannot afford any more military actions from our territory. We will be partners in peace, not in conflict,” added Khan.

    Swan said that the American military is discussing doing airstrikes potentially to support the Afghan forces against the Taliban. “Would you allow the American Airforce to use your air space for those airstrikes?”

    “We are not going to be part of any conflict anymore,” replied Khan.

    But you haven’t decided yet whether you will let them use your airspace, asked Swan again. PM Khan said this has not been discussed at all. “Why would the Americans be using bombing Afghanistan after it hasn’t worked for 20 years, why will it work again?”

    Kashmir resolution

    PM Khan said he has not spoken to US President Joe Biden since he took office. “Whenever he has time, he can speak to me. But at the moment, clearly he has other priorities.” When asked what would he say to Biden when he does meet him, PM said: “The US has a big responsibility as the most powerful nation in the world. Almost 1.4 billion people are living in the subcontinent. We are held hostage to one dispute in Kashmir. A disputed territory. According to the United Nations Security Council resolutions, there should have been a plebiscite for the people of Kashmir to decide about their own future. That has never taken place. It’s festering. If the Americans have the resolve, the will, it can be sorted out.”

    Nuclear weapons

    Prime Minister Khan that the purpose of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons “is not an offensive thing”. He said that any country that has a neighbour seven times the size as Pakistan has, “would be worried”. PM Khan said he is “completely against nuclear arms. I always have been”. Ever since the nuclear deterrence, Pakistan and India have not been to war despite three wars in the past. “We have border skirmishes but we have never faced war. The moment there is a settlement on Kashmir, I believe the two neighbours will live as civilised people. We will not need to have these nuclear deterrence.”

    Uyghur Muslims in China

    Swan asked PM Khan why he does not speak about Uyghurs in China when he is so vocal about Islamophobia in the west.

    “What our conversations have been with the Chinese, this is not the case according to them. Whatever issues we have with the Chinese, we speak to them behind closed doors. China has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times. When we were really struggling, our economy was struggling, China came to our rescue so we respect the way they are,” said PM Khan. He also questioned why the people of Kashmir are ignored and how this is hypocrisy.

    “Am I going to start talking about everything? I concentrate on what is happening on my border, in my country…that concerns me more.”

  • Pakistani aeronautical engineer sets up juice stall after studying from China

    Pakistani aeronautical engineer sets up juice stall after studying from China

     Abdul Malik, a Karachi citizen had done his aeronautical engineering degree from a Chinese university but now he is forced to sell juice in Pakistan as he could not find a suitable job.

    As per details, he had his schooling from the United Arab Emirates. Later on, he did his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from a Chinese University.

    After coming back to Pakistan he got a chance to intern at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra, followed by a job as a trainee engineer at the Peshawar Flying Club. He also worked as an assistant ramp officer at a private company for a few years.

    But even after having a good qualification and experience, he could neither find a suitable job nor a fair salary. 

    Read More: Engineering graduate from NUST sets up fruit stall during lockdown

    Talking to Geo News, Abdul Malik said that he applied to every aviation-related company for a job but he never got a positive response from anywhere.

    “I think I had to face a setback because there was no one to refer me,” said Abdul Malik, who is also fluent in five languages, including Urdu, English, Chinese, Pushto, and Arabic.

    Finally Abdul Malik decided to sell watermelon juice as he had no other to make ends meet.

    “I stayed jobless for six months before trying to sell juice. But once I started, it became an instant hit and people started loving it,” he said. “I think my career and future have been destroyed.”

    Expressing his disappointment, Abdul Malik said that he would throw away his degrees and certificates because they have been of no use because of the system.

  • 13 mesmerising photos of the Super Flower Blood Moon

    13 mesmerising photos of the Super Flower Blood Moon

    The first lunar eclipse of the current year took place on May 26 (Wednesday) but it wasn’t just a lunar eclipse with a simple full moon, it was a Super Flower Blood Moon. Photos of the Super Flower Blood Moon were shared from around the world and some scenic pictures will leave you in shock.

    A super moon occurs when the moon appears larger than usual in the night sky because it is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, known as the perigee.

    According to NASA, a blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse, when the Earth is positioned directly between the moon and the sun. Earth’s atmosphere filters the sunlight, scattering blue light but allowing red light to pass through.

    May’s full moon is additionally known as the “Flower Moon,” named for the abundance of flowers associated with spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

    Astrophotographers around the globe captured breathtaking images of the event, which was clearly visible in Asia and Australia, as well as much of the US and South America.

    Here are some of the pictures that we’ve collected for you:

    Pakistan

    Arfa Karim Tower, Lahore by Art by Wasif

    New Zealand

    The total lunar eclipse is seen on May 26, 2021, in Auckland, New Zealand. 

    Australia

    A surfer is seen as the “Super Flower Blood Moon” rises over the Pacific Ocean at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on May 26, 2021.

    Brazil

    A lunar eclipse is observed during dawn in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

    Britain

    The full moon is seen behind Stonehenge stone circle near Amesbury, Britain, May 26, 2021.

    Hong Kong

    The moon is pictured above Hong Kong on May 26, 2021, during a total lunar eclipse.

    California

    The full moon sets over Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, California, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

    Mexico

    The lunar eclipse is seen on May 26, 2021, in Mexico City, Mexico.

    Taiwan

    A full moon is seen, May 26, 2021, during a partial eclipse in Taipei.

    Indonesia

    The moon is pictured above Jakarta during a total lunar eclipse, on May 26, 2021,

    China

    A total lunar eclipse occurs in the night sky of Haikou, the capital of southwest China’s Hainan Province, on May 25, 2021.

    Hawaii

    The full moon rises over the Makapuu lighthouse in east Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S., on May 25, 2021. 

    Turkey

    The full moon is seen over the Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara, Turkey, on May 26, 2021.

  • CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga lashes out at Pakistan for not speaking up for Uyghur Muslims

    CNN’s Senior Global Affairs Analyst and anchorperson Bianna Golodryga who earlier labelled Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi “anti-Semitic” after she interviewed him on the ongoing violence in Gaza has now called out Pakistanis for not speaking up for Uyghur Muslims.

    Sharing a news story by Vice media about the crackdown by Pakistan on Uyghur Muslims who fled China, Bianna wrote: “Even though Pakistan is the only country in the world created as a Muslim nation, the promise of Chinese money seemingly overpowers the desires to stop what is happening to Uyghur Muslims.”

    Born in 1978, Bianna Vitalievna Golodryga is a senior global affairs analyst at CNN. She has previously served in Yahoo! News, ABC Network, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, and CBS.