Chairman PRCS meets Red Cross Society of China chief

ISLAMABAD
Chairman Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari held a landmark meeting with Mr. He Wei, President of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and Vice President, Mr. Sun Shuopeng, on the sidelines of the International Seminar on Red Cross Resilient Communities in Guiyang, Guizhou Province on Friday. The meeting marked a significant milestone in the growing partnership between the two humanitarian organizations.
The discussions centered around strengthening collaboration to address shared humanitarian challenges and building resilient communities in Pakistan and China. Chairman Laghari expressed gratitude for the steadfast support of the Red Cross Society of China in humanitarian initiatives, which have greatly benefited vulnerable communities in Pakistan. He underscored the longstanding and multifaceted friendship between the two nations, built on mutual respect and cooperation.
Highlighting PRCS’s recent achievements, Chairman Laghari briefed President He Wei and Vice President Sun Shuopeng on the organization’s comprehensive flood 2022 response and ongoing recovery efforts for flood affected families. He also emphasized PRCS’s focus on climate resilience, notably the establishment of a Climate Research Center at the PRCS National Headquarters to tackle the escalating impacts of climate change.
President He Wei commended PRCS for its impactful humanitarian work under Chairman Laghari’s leadership, particularly its proactive disaster response and climate change initiatives. He reaffirmed RCSC’s commitment to supporting such endeavors and emphasized the importance of further collaboration between the two National Societies.
“Pakistan’s efforts in addressing climate challenges are exemplary, and the Red Cross Society of China is keen to strengthen this partnership to achieve shared goals,” he stated. The meeting concluded with both organizations agreeing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the near future.
The MoU aims to formalize collaboration on capacity building, volunteer network strengthening, joint projects on climate resilience, and enhancing disaster preparedness in communities. Chairman Laghari extended a warm invitation to President He Wei to visit Pakistan and PRCS National Headquarters in Islamabad, further cementing this historic partnership.
“South Asia will continue to be a relatively low priority for Trump Presidency 2.0”
Islamabad: At a seminar organized by the Institute of Regional Studies, (IRS) and the Metropolitan International University College (MIUC), US foreign policy experts felt that Trump’s policies towards South Asia were likely to remain unchanged, with terrorism remaining a key concern.
Michael Kugelman, Director South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, U.S., stated that Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy would remain unchanged, making it difficult for Pakistan to navigate its position due to China factor.
Regarding India, he noted that while the U.S.-India relationship may face shifts in priorities and, its overall trajectory would remain positive.
Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of the IRS, highlighted that President Trump’s aggressive approach on tariffs, immigration, as well as the China factor could lead to enhanced challenges, both bilaterally and regionally. However, there were significant stakes for Pakistan and the US in a bilateral relationship which, despite many vicissitudes, had withstood the test of times.
Besides the existing avenues of cooperation, given the re-emergence of terrorism in Afghanistan, there was potential for cooperation between Pakistan and the US in the area of counterterrorism as well.
Dr. Hassan Abbas, a distinguished professor at the NESA Centre in Washington D.C., suggested that under the Trump administration, the two key elements of US-Pakistan relations; namely security sector collaboration for counterterrorism and the Fulbright scholarship program fostering educational ties—were likely to remain significant and dynamic. The economic ties were also likely to withstand any challenges that may emerge because of Trump’s protectionist perspective.
He did envisage some challenges for Pakistan in view of the US’ “Indo-pacific” strategy, given its close ties with China but felt that Pakistan could navigate its way through those through well calibrated approach. Additional Foreign Secretary Hamid Asghar noted that Trump would prefer bilateral dealings not just with South Asian countries, but globally as that was the hallmark of his political approach given his background of big business.
Renowned journalist and author, Zahid Hussain stated that Trump’s engagement with South Asian states, including Pakistan, was likely to remain limited and that developments in Afghanistan would dictate his future engagement with the Taliban as well as Pakistan. Mr. Walid Mustaq, CEO MIUC, noted that since the U.S. was Pakistan’s largest export market, enhancing bilateral ties could create new opportunities for Pakistan’s entrepreneurial and export ecosystem.
The seminar was attended by a large number of researchers, students, academicians, journalists, and foreign diplomats including ambassadors. Prominent media anchor Faisal Rehman served as the moderator.