Foreign news

Xi: China Firmly Supports Global Economic Recovery, Free Trade

Published

6 years ago

January 26, 2021

China will continue to implement a win-win strategy of opening-up, said Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Davos Agenda 2021 of the World Economic Forum on Monday. He stated that economic globalization meets the need of growing social productivity and is a natural outcome of scientific and technological advancement.

“It serves no one’s interest to use the pandemic as an excuse to reverse globalization and go for seclusion and decoupling,” he said in a video speech.

Xi reiterated China’s commitment to opening-up, adding that the country will foster a business environment that is governed by law and up to international standards.

He said China would also work toward realizing the potential of its enormous consumer market.

China has made continuous efforts to further open up its market, including further reducing the number of sectors and industries that were off-limits to both Chinese and overseas investors at the end of 2020.

Call for policy coordination

Noting the world is going through the worst recession since the end of the Second World War, Xi called for coordination in global macroeconomic policies in promoting sustainable and inclusive growth of the post-pandemic global economy.

“We need to shift the driving forces and growth models of the global economy and improve its structure to set the course for long-term, sound and steady development of the world economy,” said Xi.

China has been the only major economy to achieve economic growth last year amid the grave and complex environment posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world’s second-largest economy brought its economic growth back to a pre-pandemic rate of 2.3 percent in 2020, while many economies remain mired in recession.

The World Bank estimated an uptick of 7.9 percent of China’s real GDP in 2021, compared with 3.5 percent in the U.S.

The global economy is on track to grow by 4 percent in 2021, assuming vaccination for COVID-19 becomes widespread throughout the year, according to the World Bank.

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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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