Author: HeraldStar

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD The recent hantavirus cluster aboard the Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship MV Hondius in the South Atlantic serves as a sobering reminder that infectious disease threats continue to emerge in our interconnected world. In early April 2026, the vessel departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, with 147 passengers and crew. By early May, several cases of the Andes strain of hantavirus were confirmed, resulting in three tragic deaths. While the World Health Organization assesses the broader public risk as low and no sustained community transmission has occurred, the incident underscores the need for stronger international collaboration — particularly…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD As the United States approaches its November 2026 midterm elections, the contest carries consequences that reach far beyond domestic politics. With President Donald Trump’s administration confronting stagflation risks, supply chain vulnerabilities, and complex global tensions, the composition of Congress will heavily influence America’s ability to pursue a calibrated China policy. From Pakistan’s vantage point, a strong Republican performance offers the best prospect for policy continuity — enabling Trump to shift from confrontation toward pragmatic cooperation with China in ways that deliver tangible benefits to American businesses, consumers, and workers. Midterm elections often serve as a…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing on May 13-15 marks the first trip by a sitting US president to China in nearly a decade. Occurring against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty and ongoing Middle East tensions, particularly the conflict involving Iran, the summit provides a critical opportunity for the world’s two largest economies to manage their rivalry through pragmatic engagement rather than escalation. For nations like Pakistan, which maintain important relationships with both Washington and Beijing, the outcome carries implications for regional stability, trade flows, and development cooperation. The visit, originally postponed due…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD In an era of intensifying strategic competition, the persistent reliance of American enterprises on the Chinese market and supply chains offers a sobering counterpoint to narratives of easy decoupling. From consumer electronics giants to leaders in artificial intelligence, many US companies continue to depend on China as both a critical marketplace and a manufacturing backbone that remains difficult and expensive to replace at scale. As Washington considers further restrictions, the practical economic realities facing corporate America deserve honest examination. This dependence stems from decades of integration. China is the world’s second-largest consumer market and possesses…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD As the United States grapples with stagflation risks — sluggish growth coupled with persistent inflation — pragmatic trade engagement with China offers a practical buffer. Billionaire investor Ray Dalio has warned repeatedly in recent weeks that the US economy has entered a stagflationary period, driven by high fiscal deficits, sticky inflation, and external shocks including energy price volatility. In this environment, disrupting ties with the world’s leading manufacturing base risks amplifying domestic pressures rather than easing them. Bilateral trade remains substantial despite tensions. In 2025, the US imported $308.4 billion in goods from China while…

By Wania Tahir A newly published study, Voice of Balochistan’s Youth: Identity, Development and Geopolitical Perspectives, offers a valuable window into the minds of young people in Pakistan’s largest province. Authored by researchers from institutions in Quetta and based on surveys and discussions with youth across urban and rural districts, the paper reveals a generation that is proud of its Baloch heritage, committed to Pakistani identity, and deeply frustrated by persistent development gaps. Rather than viewing these voices through a lens of grievance alone, Pakistan should treat them as a practical roadmap for more effective provincial policy and national cohesion.…

By Hadia Safeer Choudhry As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), the focus has shifted from declaring victory over absolute poverty in 2020 to the harder, quieter work of consolidation and expansion. After lifting nearly 100 million rural residents out of extreme poverty, the challenge now lies in preventing relapse, raising incomes sustainably, and narrowing the persistent urban-rural divide. The recently released 2026 No. 1 Central Document outlines a pragmatic path: regular and targeted assistance, stronger industrial support for farmers, and steady progress toward modern living conditions in the countryside. This transition from intensive campaign to institutionalised support…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD From the world’s first fully automotive-grade, fully redundant L4 autonomous light truck, to smart cockpits that can understand driver intent within 150 milliseconds and chat with users in different personalities, to the world’s first 32Gbps in-vehicle SerDes display chip, to Blade batteries capable of charging from 10% to 97% in nine minutes…At the ongoing Beijing Auto Show, “intelligent cars” take center stage, with 181 vehicles debutting and 71 concept cars on display, showcasing how AI is transforming China’s auto sector at a stunning pace. Iyiou, a think tank, estimates that China’s AI-powered EV market reached…

By Hadia Safeer Choudhry Eight months after German auto giant Volkswagen announced a partnership with Chinese EV upstart XPeng on electronic and electrical architecture, the alliance has delivered results, debuting two brand-new battery-electric models this month. The second, unveiled at the ongoing Beijing Auto Show, comes equipped with Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems—evidence of how legacy carmakers can reinvent themselves for the intelligent age. As global demand for electric vehicles accelerates amid volatile oil markets, automakers are flocking to the innovation frontier to keep pace with cutting-edge technology and close the gap in smart mobility. In its iX3 and i3…

By Hadia Safeer Choudhry Many developing countries continue to face chronic energy shortages. Frequent power cuts disrupt industries, limit access to healthcare and education, and slow economic progress. In Pakistan, load-shedding has long been a fact of life. Across sub-Saharan Africa, hundreds of millions still lack reliable electricity. Against this backdrop, equipment and expertise from China’s renewable energy sector have become an important source of practical relief. Chinese-made solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and related systems are reaching markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America at competitive prices, helping governments and private users add capacity faster and at lower cost…