Foreign news
What drives China’s success in 2020?
Facing unprecedented challenges brought by COVID-19 and the complex changes in the external environment, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has led China to achieve substantial progress in 2020.
Upholding the authority of the CPC, putting people first, and giving full play to institutional advantages are the key factors driving China’s success in its epic battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and poverty last year.
People first’
Under Xi’s command, the constant theme of China’s war against coronavirus has been “people first.”
“The people’s safety and health always come first, and thus the prevention and control of the outbreak is the country’s most important work for now,” said Xi on his meeting with visiting World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last January.
Stressing CPC is the most reliable backbone for Chinese people in times of trouble, Xi ordered the use of the entire country’s resources to tackle the pandemic, which is also an advantage of China’s socialist system.
As a result, China has emerged among the first countries to contain the virus, reopen the economy safely, and restore economic growth. The country’s GDP is expected to exceed 100 trillion yuan (about $15.38 trillion) in 2020, with per capita GDP reaching $10,000.
Meanwhile, China has sent 36 medical expert teams to 34 countries and offered help for 150 countries and 10 international organizations to fight the virus, echoing President Xi’s call for building a community of common health for mankind.
The COVID-19 vaccine will be made a global public good, which will be China’s contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries, Xi announced in May at the opening of the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly.
‘No one should be left behind’
On November 23, as southwest China’s Guizhou Province cleared all the names on its poverty list, China had eradicated absolute poverty and regional poverty.
At a symposium on securing a decisive victory in poverty alleviation in March, Xi said lifting all rural residents living below the poverty line out of poverty by 2020 is a solemn promise made by the CPC Central Committee and it must be fulfilled on time.
Xi put the poverty relief center in front of his governance and spent the most energy on it. During his domestic inspections last year, Xi often went to the frontline to supervise poverty relief efforts.
No one should be left behind on the road of socialism,” Xi said in May. “Everyone should be on the path toward a moderately prosperous society in all respects and common prosperity.”
Foreign news
Court of Arbitration Declares Indus Waters Treaty Fully Operational Rejects India’s ‘Abeyance’
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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