Author: HeraldStar

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD At the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, local currency settlements were highlighted as an area of growing interest. Amidst currency volatility and geopolitical uncertainties, many view multi-currency settlement arrangements not only as a means to cut costs but also as tools to better manage risk in cross-border trade. These discussions are not just theoretical. Observers noted that both established and emerging markets are experimenting with settlement mechanisms in local or regional currencies, reflecting practical considerations in trade and finance. These practices are already visible in specific projects and financial…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD The ongoing 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), which opened on September 10 in Beijing, showcased China’s commitment to inclusive, open, and forward-looking service trade. Centered on the theme “Embrace Intelligent Technologies, Empower Trade in Services,” the fair featured 85 countries and international organizations setting up pavilions. Among them, 25 countries and organizations participated in the thematic exhibition. Nearly 2,000 companies attended on-site, including around 500 Fortune 500 and industry-leading enterprises such as Walmart, AstraZeneca, and KPMG, representing 26 of the top 30 countries and regions in service trade. Expanding Market Access…

Islamabad, Pakistan – On behalf of the youth of Pakistan, and in my personal capacity, I express my strongest condemnation of the unlawful and heinous bombing in Doha by Israeli forces, deliberately targeting a residential area and putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk. At this moment of grief, our hearts and prayers are with the Amir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the esteemed Qatari Royal Family, and the brave people of Qatar. Pakistan’s youth share in their sorrow and stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the face of this…

By Urooj Babar The latest U.S. jobs data, released on September 5, 2025, paints a disquieting picture: employment gains have stalled, unemployment has edged upward, and markets are recalibrating expectations of Federal Reserve policy. What does this shift mean not just for America, but for economies around the world? A Labour Market Losing Momentum In August, the U.S. economy added a mere 22,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, a far cry from the nearly 75,000 that analysts had predicted. Worse still, revisions show that June, previously reported as gaining 14,000 jobs, actually lost 13,000 — the first monthly contraction since late 2020.…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD On September 2, spot gold briefly broke through the historic threshold of $3,500 an ounce, before settling just under that level at $3,494. This rally not only eclipsed the previous peak set in April but also cemented gold’s position as one of the best-performing assets of 2025. With a year-to-date gain of nearly 35 percent, the yellow metal has surged at a pace rarely seen in recent years, reflecting deep shifts in the global economy and investor psychology. The question now confronting markets is whether this meteoric rise marks the beginning of a longer-term structural…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD The ancient land of Uzbekistan, often described as the Pearl of the Silk Road, continues to capture the imagination of the world with its rich history, architectural wonders, and deep cultural heritage. Last week in Islamabad, the Embassy of Uzbekistan organised a Tourism and Cultural Show under this very theme. The event was graced by the keynote address of H.E. Alisher Tukhtaev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan, who eloquently reminded the audience that Uzbekistan is not merely a country of historic monuments but a modern state redefining its role in global affairs. I had the…

On September 4, the second China-Pakistan B2B Investment Summit was successfully held in Beijing. Ren Hongbin, Member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was present at both the opening and closing ceremonies, where he delivered a keynote address. Senior government officials, diplomats, and business representatives from China and Pakistan participated in the event, engaging in extensive exchanges on deepening industrial cooperation and promoting the high-quality development of…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD China held a grand military parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025, to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The event was not only a solemn commemoration of a historic triumph but also a symbolic demonstration of China’s growing role in shaping regional unity and global security. The parade featured 45 marching units and lasted about 70 minutes, showcasing both traditional and next-generation forces. Alongside infantry and armored formations, the event highlighted new capabilities in unmanned systems, underwater warfare,…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD China held a grand military parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025, to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The event was not only a solemn commemoration of a historic triumph but also a symbolic demonstration of China’s growing role in shaping regional unity and global security. The parade featured 45 marching units and lasted about 70 minutes, showcasing both traditional and next-generation forces. Alongside infantry and armored formations, the event highlighted new capabilities in unmanned systems, underwater warfare,…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD On Sept. 1, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the massive SCO Plus meeting in Tianjin, unveiling what Beijing calls the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). The initiative was presented at the largest-ever summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a security and economic bloc founded in 2001. The Tianjin gathering was reportedly attended by leaders from over twenty countries and heads of ten international organizations, making it the biggest SCO meeting in its 24-year history. Speaking to this diverse assembly of Asian, Eurasian, and Middle Eastern states, Xi framed the GGI as a “more just…