Foreign news
Xi Jinping highlights AIIB’s role in promoting shared development
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for making the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) a new platform that promotes development for all its members and facilitates the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Xi made the remarks when addressing via video link the opening ceremony of the fifth annual meeting of the multilateral development bank.
He called on efforts to make the AIIB a new type of multilateral development bank that promotes development across the world, a new type of development platform progressing with the times, a new type of high-performance institution for international cooperation and a new paradigm of multilateral cooperation.
The AIIB, proposed by Xi in late 2013, was officially launched in January 2016.
“The initiative is designed to develop infrastructure and connectivity in Asia and deepen regional cooperation for shared development,” Xi said.
From the 57 founding members to today’s membership of 102 spanning the six continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania, the AIIB has grown from strength to strength and provided nearly 20 billion U.S. dollars in infrastructure investment to its members.
Xi noted that the AIIB set up a COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility this year to support its members in tackling the pandemic and reviving their economies, hailing it a “typical example of the AIIB’s power of action.”
“The global response to COVID-19 has made it clear that mankind rises and falls together in a community with a shared future,” he said. “Mutual support and cooperation in solidarity are the only way for mankind to overcome crises.”
The Chinese president called for efforts to “pursue more inclusive global governance, more effective multilateral institutions, and more robust regional cooperation” to address issues emerging in the course of economic globalization.
The AIIB should “stay open and inclusive” and “engage more development partners in cooperation,” Xi said, calling on the bank to promote regional economic integration and “help make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all.”
Underscoring the importance of innovation, he said the AIIB should strive to enhance connectivity, promote green development, and boost technological advance.
“China will continue working with other members to support the AIIB and make it a success, and contribute more to the global response to risks and challenges and the pursuit of shared development,” Xi said.
(With input from Xinhua)
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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