CAEXPO reaffirms China's enduring commitment to a peaceful, prosperous ASEAN

By: Azhar Azam

The 22nd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) concluded in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China. The five-day event, covering a total exhibition area of 160,000 square meters, spotlighted artificial intelligence (AI) as its central theme – boosting cooperation in a field that is rapidly transforming every walk of life.

In recent years, CAEXPO has promoted cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in emerging areas such as digital and green economies, fostering growth and advancing sustainable development across both sides. The upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement 3.0 pledges to deepen cooperation in these two areas as well as supply chain connectivity – three overarching drivers likely to shape the world's future.

Since the turn of the century, China has promised friendly relations with regional countries – a relationship based on "good neighborliness, security and prosperity" and non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation to safeguard regional stability and economic interests.

This neighborhood policy – guided by important principles such as amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, inclusivity and shared future – continues to form the bedrock of China's regional approach. In the middle of intensifying conflicts, it seeks to strengthen regional peace and economy by pursuing the Asian model of security and promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

ASEAN holds a prominent place in China's neighborhood diplomacy. Underpinned by strong political and economic relations, bilateral relationship has blossomed over the recent decades. CAEXPO itself is a symbol of economic, trade and investment cooperation, enhancing strategic consensus and political trust between China and Southeast Asian nations.

Data speaks for itself. China has been the bloc's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years and the relationship has notched a new milestone with Beijing's imports and exports hitting the $694 billion mark in the first eight months of 2025. CAEXPO, among others, has been pivotal to this trajectory as bilateral trade increased more than sevenfold by 2024 since the inaugural expo in 2004.

This underscores that Beijing and Southeast Asian countries have common interest to protect regional peace and prosperity and jointly uphold multilateralism. Encouragingly, ASEAN leaders are demonstrating a commitment to multilateralism and calling for strengthening mutual trust, implementing strategic connectivity projects and enhancing people-to-people exchanges and cooperation across all areas – endorsing China's push to work together in securing a stable and sustainable region.

Given the latest edition drew high-level political and diplomatic participation and a tourism exhibition took place in Guilin, CAEXPO served as a platform for Beijing's neighborhood policy to bolster China-ASEAN ties, advance regional economic integration and further reinforce political trust, cultural exchanges and multilateral cooperation.

CAEXPO isn't just a marketplace for trade and investment deals or launchpad for new products and business partnerships; it's an avenue of dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations. Some 3,200 companies from 60 countries participated in the expo while the Belt and Road International Exhibition Area hosted 33 countries including Pakistan, South Korea and New Zealand.

With business and youth representatives of diverse cultures and nationalities gathering and interacting at a single place, it reflected China's ethos of openness and inclusivity and the expo's role in deepening understanding and furthering mutual learning. Beijing's visa-free policy, triggering a sharp rise in inbound travel from ASEAN, hasn't promoted just connectivity but also economic development.

China and ASEAN have deep, historical cultural and economic bonds. Unprecedented economic and security challenges are drawing them closer, fortifying their belief in cooperation, stability and shared responsibility for collective success.

CAEXPO – by holding several dozen sideline events and high-level forums such as on AI, blue, green and digital economies and roundtable dialogues – could carry this consensus forward, accelerating the implementation of building a community with a shared future.

Building a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN – one that is inclusive, respects political, social and cultural diversity and upholds multilateralism – anchors the regional organization's Community Vision 2045. To achieve this ambitious goal, it prioritizes embracing blue, green and digital economies, resolving disputes peacefully, maintaining stability in the region and developing robust economic partnerships.

*My article that first appeared in CGTN

Global Governance Initiative lays groundwork for inclusive global system

By: Azhar Azam

Lead: China's Global Governance Initiative proposes a pathway toward multilateral reform, emphasizing sovereign equality and shared benefits over Western-dominated international system.

At the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" Meeting on Sept. 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), calling on all countries to work together for a more just and equitable global governance system and advance toward a community with a shared future for humanity.

The GGI represents the fourth transformative initiative Xi has unveiled since 2021. It builds on the three other major proposals made previously: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Together, these frameworks aim to create an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity by revitalizing global development partnerships, strengthening the U.N.'s central role in international security governance and promoting cultural exchanges between diverse civilizations with the common goal of worldwide peace and prosperity. Of course, it will serve to accelerate the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The GGI is grounded in five guiding principles: sovereign equality, respect for international law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and concrete action. This framework offers a new paradigm of inclusive global governance to guide the world from confrontation toward peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit.

It considers sovereign equality as the most important norm governing state-to-state relations, casting it as a core premise of global governance and the foremost principle observed by the U.N. and all other international institutions and organizations.

The initiative doesn't intend to develop a global governance system where Chinese views and norms are decisive. Rather, it emphasizes that all countries, regardless of size, strength and economic power, should be equal partners in decision-making and equal beneficiaries of global governance. The GGI advocates greater democracy in international relations to ensure the system reflects the interests and aspirations of all nations, not just those of one or a small number of countries.

Affirming respect for sovereignty and the right of every country to choose its social and development model, the GGI maintains that internal affairs brook no external interference. Against the backdrop of America's normalization of high tariffs as a tool for "conquering markets and interfering in domestic issues," the initiative shares a vision to protect the territorial integrity and economic security of all countries.

Some Western observers frame partner nations' support for the GGI as obsequious and describe its language as abstract or ideological, attempting to downplay the initiative's significance due to long-held bias. However, endorsements from Malaysia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and many other nations demonstrate that its emphasis on principles, including sovereign equality, has compelling resonance for a wide array of countries.

The GGI puts commitment to the rule of law at the bedrock of global governance, stressing equal application of international law and rules. Xi said there should be no double standards and that "house rules" must not be imposed on others.

Countries across the Global South have intensified their criticism of Western hypocrisy in the application of international law and the U.N. Charter. These double standards have eroded the confidence of many countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and even Europe in the existing international order.

The U.S. administration's protectionist approach, disrespect for multilateral institutions and international law, dismissal of existential threats such as climate change and rhetoric toward partners have awakened a desire in the Global South to pursue a multipolar world order and expand partnerships.

Leaders of developing and emerging economies are pressing hard for a more just, equitable and representative world order based on universally recognized principles of international law. By advocating consensus-based international rules and uniform enforcement of international law, the GGI intends to purge double standards from the global governance system, which has long helped powerful nations tilt the system in their favor.

Multilateralism is the cornerstone of global governance. Rooted in extensive consultation and joint contribution, the GGI rejects unilateralism and maintains that the governance system, resting on inclusive decision-making and true multilateralism, should be built by all, with its benefits shared by all.

Contrary to claims the GGI showcases Beijing's ambition for a new global economic and security order, it actually pursues defending the U.N.'s status and authority, augmenting its "irreplaceable" role in global governance. At a time when the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation with rising unilateralism, it could help build a unified, multilateral response to global crises, from climate change, poverty and pandemics to inequality and socioeconomic regression.

The GGI draws on China's people-centered approach, following which it achieved dramatic progress against poverty, inspiring Global South leaders. The initiative strives to reform global governance to meet people's needs and improve their well-being by accelerating development, bolstering resilience to shared challenges and advancing common interests. In doing so, it has the potential to help narrow the North-South divide, act as a bridge between them and serve the interests of both the developed and developing countries.

The GGI affirms that governance is about concrete actions, not making statements. The initiative calls for adopting a systematic and holistic approach, coordinating global actions, mobilizing resources and boosting practical cooperation. It further necessitates addressing both root causes and symptoms to achieve sustainable outcomes.

Global governance lacks substance unless it produces tangible results. By placing problem-solving at the core of global governance and urging developed and developing countries to shoulder their respective responsibilities of providing more resources and contributing their best efforts, the initiative aspires to forge a synchronized effort against interconnected global challenges and generate visible outcomes for the world.

Despite growing skepticism surrounding the effectiveness of global governance and international institutions, the GGI doesn't aim to abandon or overturn the existing international order. Instead, it seeks to reform and strengthen this system by embedding fairness, inclusivity and transparency into its structure so it can respond to global needs and deliver lasting benefits to developed and developing nations alike.

The GGI sets out bold and ambitious goals. It vows to harness platforms provided by the U.N. and regional, sub-regional and international multilateral institutions to infuse energy into the global governance system. The initiative also focuses on building consensus to address governance gaps in areas such as international financial architecture, artificial intelligence, climate change and trade.

Anchored in multilateralism and aligned closely with the U.N. Pact for the Future, the initiative reaffirms its commitment to the U.N.-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. The framework envisions cooperation with all progressive forces to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

For a world facing a cascade of threats and challenges from environmental degradation and terrorism to Cold War thinking, hegemonism and protectionism, the GGI maps out the course for a fairer and more equitable global governance system, one built on the principle of mutual consultation and pledging peace, prosperity and security to all.

*My article first appeared in China's Diplomacy in the New Era

Climate injustice no excuse for Pakistan’s climate inaction

By: Azhar Azam

From abstract threat to an existential challenge, climate change has sped through the planet – wrecking ecosystems, lives, social structures and livelihoods particularly of vulnerable countries and small islands.

The world’s descent to this point isn’t abrupt – it’s been gradual and deliberate. Unchecked fossil fuel combustion, industrial expansion and exploitation of natural resources over the last two centuries engendered a phenomenon, called global warming. The scorching heat accelerated climate-induced disasters such as droughts, water scarcity, wildfires, floods, biodiversity loss and spread of infectious diseases.

Pakistan is highly exposed to climate change. Arguably the worst in its history, the 2022 floods submerged a third of the country, affected 33 million people, resulted in 1,700 deaths and caused $30 billion in damages and economic losses, according to the Word Bank.

Islamabad has sharply climbed up the ladder vis-à-vis weather extremes. It was ranked at #5 in countries most affected by the extreme climatic events by GermanWatch's Climate Risk Index 2020. The country now tops the list, mainly due to its monsoon-driven exceptionally high relative economic losses between June to September 2022.

A climate catastrophe is in the offing as climate-related calamities have triggered 802 fatalities including 203 children in the ongoing rainy season, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), aside from wreaking havoc on infrastructure, crops and livestock.

Glacial melt led to creation of thousands of glacial lakes in northern areas. The process, kindled by excessive heat, sharply elevated the specter of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). These sudden events – over their potential to cause significant downstream damage by releasing millions of cubic meters of water and debris in a few hours – are a persistent threat to life, infrastructure and livelihoods of 7 million people in KP and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Pakistan’s government often singles out climate injustice and “lopsided allocation” – receiving $2.8 billion from international creditors against pledges of $10 billion – of green funding for its failure on climate action. Yet it remains unwilling to address its own governance weaknesses and step up climate adaptation efforts.

For instance, the UN-backed $37 million GLOF-II project faced criticism for failing to contribute to disaster preparedness and deliver early warnings, partially because the funds were allegedly misused. Other projects were also accused of being plagued by institutional incompetence and corruption or eroded in value over unimpeded deforestation.

Similarly, poor access of climate-smart technologies to farmers and major policy distortions such as in wheat procurement and inequitable subsidies continue to block Pakistan's agricultural transformation and harm rural communities.

At the COP27, loss and damage fund was hailed as a quantum leap in climate finance but as of June, 27 countries had pledged just $789 million – a minuscule fraction of hundreds of billions required annually

Developed countries authored the climate destiny of vulnerable nations; the government mustn't dawdle, watching Pakistan sleepwalk into climate catastrophe. It has to iron out cracks in its governance.

For Pakistan to imprint a sustainable impact on climate change, it shouldn't rely squarely on international climate financing and must mobilize domestic resources. Rather than merely shifting blame on the wealthy nations, it should expand the network of technology providers (largely concentrated in Punjab) across Pakistan and encourage private investment in renewable energy and climate-resilient infrastructure to boost productivity and lower emissions.

Establishing effective risk-sharing mechanisms such as crop insurance, promoting initiatives like issuance of green bonds and experimenting alternative climate finance models for example debt-for-climate swaps should be expedited to protecting farmers and generate climate finance.

The country’s energy mix is highly dominated by oil, gas and coal. Albeit shrinking, circular debt in the energy sector is both a threat to climate adaptation and economic stability, butting heads with terrorism and insurgency for the country’s biggest challenge.

Considering Pakistan’s economic fragility and tiny forex reserves, its heavy reliance on fossil fuels could be acceptable only as short-term necessity to foster transition toward long-term climate resilience.

Still, the government can’t lurk behind climate injustice to evade climate action. This will be akin to courting disaster. Fixing systemic inefficiencies such as low tax-to-GDP ratio, strengthening accountability mechanisms and controlling transmission and distribution losses and unproductive subsidy regimes could create a fiscal space to shore up Pakistan’s climate resilience.

In the coming decades, Pakistan is projected to stay amongst the group of countries most vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather. The country’s high exposure to torrential downpour, floods, cloudbursts and GLOFs urges a collective, nonpartisan national response.

By lacing up climate action with climate injustice or resorting to cosmetic measures – viewed by experts as taxation levies framed as climate mitigation efforts while climate adaptation funding has declined from 40% to 10% in a decade – the government shouldn't pretend to act.

The monsoon that once whispered of bliss and euphoria now fetches pain and affliction. What was rejoiced as a boon is being mourned as a doom. Climate change isn’t alone responsible for this tragic reversal. Chronic Governance failures too have magnified this crisis. Addressing systemic weaknesses is crucial to boost climate adaptation and build a climate-resilient Pakistan.

*My article (unedited) that first appeared in Asia Times