Zamir Ahmed Awan: Taliban strictly bans drugs in Afghanistan

The Taliban has issued a decree banning the cultivation of opium poppy. “As per the decree of the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, all Afghans are informed that from now on, cultivation of poppy has been strictly prohibited across the country,” the Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada said.

【CRI】Liu Zhiqin: Why does Xi Jinping inspect Hainan?

Wang Yiwei: Why is China choosing now to ratify forced labour conventions?

China's plan to ratify two international labour conventions is an attempt to resuscitate an investment deal with the EU and take some heat out of allegations of worker abuses ahead of the visit by the UN's human rights chief, observers said.

Ding Gang: Developing countries must fight for the future of globalization

Cheng Li: Pioneers: The rise of the post-1970s generation at the 20th Party Congress

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long been overly concerned about the age echelons of its political elites. For Zhongnanhai to maintain its one-party rule over the vast country, it must ensure that the political leadership will not be disrupted by the “intergenerational deletion of cadres” (ganbu qinghuang bujie).

Zamir Ahmed Awan: Political change in Islamabad will not harm Iron Brotherhood between China and Pakistan

A few media outlets and social media platforms are spreading rumors that a change of government in Islamabad might adversely impact relations between China and Pakistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Both sides have denied such rumors and confirmed that the deep relations between the two “Iron Brothers” are time-tested and all-weather, and will have no change despite the political change in Pakistan.

Dong Shaopeng: CNOOC to raise 28.08b yuan in A-share listing, will support energy security

Chinese oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) said on Monday it will raise 28.08 billion yuan ($4.41 billion) in a listing at the A-share market, and investors could start purchasing its stocks from Tuesday.

He Weiwen: Danger of Global Famine and Debt

The Ukraine crisis has hit the world economy badly. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has revised down its forecast on world GDP growth from 3.6 percent to 2.6 percent. The IMF is set to revise downward its estimate for global GDP growth this year in its World Economic Outlook, to be released on April 19. Britain’s National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimates that the sharp rise in energy and food prices will drain $1 trillion of world GDP, or 1 percentage point, by 2023 and enhance the world inflation rate by 3.0 percentage points this year and 2.0 percentage points in 2023. Ukraine is the worst-hit country, with a 50 percent GDP decline for this year estimated by Ukrainian Ministry of Economy on April 3. The Russian economy will also suffer a serious setback. Russia’s central bank estimates an 8 percent drop in 2022 GDP.

Martin Jacques: India’s distancing from US over Ukraine crisis has deeper implications

The overwhelming assumption in the West is that the world, with a few exceptions, is strongly opposed to Russia's military actions in Ukraine. The West itself, including the great majority of Europe, seems to be of one voice in its condemnation. But worldwide the picture is rather more complicated. In the UN General Assembly on March 3, while 141 countries condemned Russia's invasion and called for an immediate withdrawal, 35 countries abstained and five voted against. In the recent vote to exclude Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, 93 countries voted in favour, 58 abstained and 24 were against.

Zhang Yanling: Financial warfare: will there be a backlash against the dollar?

Two weeks after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa held a phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. On the same day, European leaders meeting in Versailles warned democracy itself was at stake. Yet Ramaphosa struck a very different tone.

Wang Yiwei: US shuns UN meeting on biological security to 'cover up guilt conscience'

When Russia, China and other countries expressed their concerns over US biological activities in countries including Ukraine at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, the US did not show up, which in some Chinese experts' eyes, was out of the US' "guilty conscience" over the issue.

William Jones: Sanctions: a form of war with its own casualties

The response of the world to the Russian "special military operation" in Ukraine has been to increase the flow of military equipment to the Ukrainian forces, thereby assuring the continuation of hostilities, and to impose absolutely draconian sanctions on Russia. Sanctions have been the preferred mode of operation in this crisis by the U.S. and NATO, since they are not prepared to engage militarily for fear of pushing the conflict to the nuclear threshold. But sanctions have their own "deadly force" and their own "collateral damage."

Djoomart Otorbaev: Will sanctions on Russia derail the Eurasian rail route?

Sanctions on Russia, imposed by Western countries due to its "special military operation" in Ukraine pose a massive threat to the development and very existence of the Eurasian railway route connecting China with Europe. All countries along the route have analyzed the potential negative consequences of restrictions and possible suspensions of operations. There is a global rethinking of regional development, security and investment strategies. Many agree that Kazakhstan will feel the most severe long-term consequences of a restriction or suspension of the logistics chain.

Martin Jacques: U.S. Cold War mentality undermines international security cooperation

Zamir Ahmed Awan: US makes attempted moves to further provoke China over Taiwan issue

According to Western media reports, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to visit Taiwan on Sunday following a visit to Japan. Although Nancy Pelosi tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and had to postpone her Asia tour, China remains seriously concerned and has expressed its strong opposition to her plans.

Wang Wen: How Russia-Ukraine war, food insecurity and Covid-19 have made the world a more dangerous place in 2022

The Russian Ukrainian conflict has entered a protracted war, which is the main reason why the world has become more dangerous. On April 1, the Ukrainian army launched its first raid on Russia, which means that the Russian Ukrainian conflict has entered the stage of counter attack.

Marco Fernandes: Washington watches as China and Latin America deepen their ties

Kevin Rudd: How to stop China and the US going to war

As images of destruction and death emerge from Ukraine, and refugees flee the country in their millions, the world’s attention is rightly focused on the horror of what many once thought an impossibility in the 21st century: a large-scale modern war in Europe. In this grim moment, however, it is all the more important to think through and coldly reassess the dangers presented by other potential conflicts that could be sparked by growing geopolitical tensions. The most significant among these is the risk of a war between the United States and China. The salutary lesson of our time is that this scenario is no longer unthinkable.

Cheng Li: Predominance: The Post-1960s Generation in the Aftermath of the 20th Party Congress

If the 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2017 presented the coming-of-age of the post-1960s generation (6G) at the ministerial and provincial levels of the Chinese leadership, the forthcoming 20th Party Congress will witness the rise to predominance of this age cohort in the top national leadership. Although Xi Jinping and a few other post-1950s generation (5G) leaders will remain in a few top positions, the post-1960s age cohort is expected to become a majority of the 25-member Politburo and other prominent leadership bodies.

Martin Jacques: Why is U.S. a war-hungry nation?

The world's largest military spender this week unveiled a budget plan for the fiscal year 2023 calling for a boost in the military budget.