Foreign news

Highlights: 19th CPC Central Committee holds press conference on fifth plenary session

Published

6 years ago

October 30, 2020

The 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in a Press conference on Friday to introduce the guiding principles of its fifth plenary session. The four-day session concluded on Thursday with the release of a communique.

Here are some highlights of the press conference:

The agenda of the session have all been completed, said Wang Xiaohui, executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Social and Economic Development (2021-2025) and Long-Range Objectives for 2035 were adopted during the session, said Wang, calling it the most important outcome of the session.

This is the first time that China has set long-term objectives for the country to achieve socialist modernization by 2035, according to the official.

The drafting of the proposals, which consists of three parts and 15 chapters in total, has followed five principles, said Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Office of the Central Economic and Financial Affairs Commission.

The principles include balancing the relationship between inheritance and innovation, government and market, opening-up and independence, development and security, as well as between strategy-making and operational tactics, according to Han.

Double development dynamic

The concept of double development dynamic emphasizes both domestic and international circulations, Han said.

It takes the domestic market as the mainstay and allows domestic and foreign markets to boost each other.

Focusing on the internal market is by no means a downgrade of opening-up, instead, the pattern aims to promote a higher level of opening-up by using two resources and two markets, said Han.

China-U.S. ties

“As the two largest economies in the world, the economic ties between China and the United States are determined by the complementary of their economic structures and the openness of the global economy,” Han said.

A complete decoupling between the two countries is unrealistic and will not benefit either nation as well as the world, said Han.

China will promote high-level opening-up to provide more opportunities for the rest of the world, Han told reporters.

Technological innovation

Talking about technological innovation, the Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang told reporters that China has not and will never close its doors.

China is willing to hold international dialogues on sci-tech innovation with other countries.

The country will focus on climate change, energy resources, and public health and other global issues, strengthening intellectual property protection and providing better conditions for overseas talent.

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Foreign news

Court of Arbitration Declares Indus Waters Treaty Fully Operational Rejects India’s ‘Abeyance’

Published

1 month ago

August 31, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

The Court of Arbitration has unanimously reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains fully in force, ruling that India cannot unilaterally place the 1960 agreement in “abeyance” or suspend its obligations under the treaty.

The decision represents a significant legal development in the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan over the management and use of the Indus river system.

The Court’s finding addresses a fundamental issue at the heart of the dispute: whether either party can unilaterally suspend the treaty outside the legal framework agreed by both countries.

In its unanimous determination, the Court made clear that the IWT continues to bind both India and Pakistan and that its obligations cannot be set aside through a unilateral political declaration.

The ruling means India remains subject to the treaty provisions governing the use of the Western Rivers, including requirements relating to the design and operation of hydroelectric projects, as well as the dispute-resolution mechanisms established under the agreement.

The Court has also ordered interim measures concerning the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant, restricting specified construction activities while the broader dispute remains under consideration.

The measures are aimed at preserving the effectiveness of the arbitration process and preventing developments that could prejudice the outcome of the proceedings.

For Pakistan, the decision represents significant legal validation of its longstanding position that the IWT is a binding international agreement and contains no provision allowing either party to unilaterally place it in abeyance.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that disagreements over the treaty should be addressed through the institutional mechanisms established by the agreement, rather than through unilateral action.

The IWT provides a structured framework for resolving disputes through mechanisms including the Permanent Indus Commission, Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes.

The latest ruling therefore reinforces the principle that treaty obligations cannot simply be disregarded because of deteriorating political relations between signatories.

The significance of the decision extends beyond the India-Pakistan dispute. It underscores the broader international-law principle that agreements governing shared rivers and other transboundary resources must be respected and disputes resolved through established legal and institutional channels.

The Indus river system supports agriculture, livelihoods, food security and communities across the region, making the stability of the treaty particularly important.

The ruling also highlights the distinction between seeking to amend an international agreement through mutually agreed procedures and attempting to alter its obligations unilaterally.

The IWT has endured wars, prolonged diplomatic tensions and periods of limited bilateral engagement. Its continued operation demonstrates the importance of rules-based mechanisms in managing shared resources when relations between neighbouring states become strained.

For Pakistan, the outcome provides an opportunity to frame the decision not merely as a bilateral legal victory, but as an affirmation of international law, treaty compliance and peaceful dispute resolution.

The central message from the ruling is clear: the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force, its obligations continue to bind both parties, and disputes concerning shared waters must be addressed through the legal mechanisms agreed by India and Pakistan.

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