NIAS Area Studies
PAKISTAN READER
In Brief
INTERNAL
Government allocates additional CNY 60 million for Henan flood relief
On 19 August, Global Times reported that Chinese authorities allocated an additional CNY 60 million from central disaster relief funds to support flood control, emergency rescue, and disaster relief work in Henan Province, after Typhoon Dolphin's remnants triggered widespread flooding. The funds, jointly allocated by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management, will support the relocation and resettlement of affected residents, hazard mitigation, temporary living assistance, and home repairs. This follows an earlier allocation of CNY 80 million for Henan, Hubei, and Anhui provinces, including CNY 40 million for Henan. Heavy rainfall swelled rivers and triggered a levee breach in Zhoukou City last week, sealed after more than 2,000 personnel took part in the emergency response. The Ministry of Emergency Management sent 13 emergency drainage teams to assist with urban waterlogging relief in Zhoukou.
("China allocates 60 mln yuan for disaster relief in Henan," Global Times, 19 August 2026)
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1368509.shtml
Rain shelter collapse in Sichuan kills five as torrential rains force 21,784 relocations
On 19 August, Global Times reported that a temporary rain shelter collapsed during a banquet at a villager's home in Changning County, Sichuan Province, killing five people and injuring 17 others, according to Xinhua News Agency. The accident occurred at around 1730 hrs on 18 August during a banquet celebrating a child's college admission, according to the Changning County Emergency Management Bureau. A parapet wall on the shelter's rooftop collapsed after rainwater accumulated on the structure, placing excessive tension on the ropes securing it. Three people died at the scene, while two others died after emergency treatment failed. The accident occurred amid torrential rain across Sichuan, with 21,784 people relocated in advance across 64 county-level regions by Wednesday morning, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The rainfall also triggered two geological disasters, disrupting the G350 national highway in Wenchuan County. Since the flood season began, Sichuan has evacuated 1,102,694 people in total.
("5 killed, 17 injured in rain shelter collapse as torrential rainfall batters SW China's Sichuan, leading to relocation of 21,784," Global Times, 19 August 2026)
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1368541.shtml
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Zhuque-3 rocket achieves first land-based recovery of its first stage
On 19 August, Global Times reported that China launched the reusable Zhuque-3 rocket this morning, achieving the first recovery of a rocket's first stage on land. The Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket blasted off at 07:35 Beijing Time from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China. The land-based recovery of the first stage, using deployable landing legs, was completed as planned, marking China's first successful controlled land recovery of a rocket stage and a major breakthrough in its reusable rocket technology. The mission followed the successful sea-based net recovery of the Long March-10B's first stage on 10 July.
("China launches Zhuque-3, achieving its first rocket recovery on land," Global Times, 19 August 2026)
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1368529.shtml
DEFENCE
Military researchers propose robotic drone swarms to defend contested South China Sea islands
On 19 August, the South China Morning Post reported that a Chinese coast guard defence proposal envisions transforming the South China Sea's contested islands into autonomous fortresses defended by coordinated swarms of air, surface, and underwater drones instead of soldiers. Researchers from the China Coast Guard Academy and Dalian Maritime University detailed the plan in a July paper published in Command Control & Simulation, aimed at countering low-cost drone swarm attacks, citing Ukraine's Magura V5 maritime strike drones against Russia's fleet as an example of traditional ships' vulnerability. The proposed system, guided by the "observe, orient, decide, act" framework, would deploy uncrewed defences across three spatial rings, from long-range strike drones at the outer ring to close-in defence systems at the core, ensuring resilience if individual nodes are destroyed.
("Chinese coastguard proposes turning South China Sea isles into robotic fortress," South China Morning Post, 19 August 2026)
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3364440/chinese-coastguard-proposes-turning-south-china-sea-isles-robotic-fortress?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
Opinion:
Albee Zhang, “Is South China Sea warship breakdown a sign US is ‘taxing reserve capacity’?” South China Morning Post, 19 August 2026
“A US guided-missile destroyer that was adrift in the South China Sea without power last month is a sign that America is taxing its reserve capacity as its operation against Iran drags on, according to an analyst ... “Failures such as this are a predictable outcome of issues such as deferred maintenance and training gaps,” he said, adding that more details were needed to get a full picture of the incident ... In an opinion piece on Monday, Chinese state-run nationalist tabloid Global Times said the “sudden absence of a carrier in the western Pacific is not an accident – it is a bill coming due” … “This does not mean the US military has suddenly become a paper tiger. Washington has simply left the era of easy dominance,” it said.”
CHINA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Foreign ministry welcomes Malaysian PM Anwar's remarks affirming Taiwan is part of China
On 19 August, Global Times reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said China appreciates Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim's recent remarks affirming Taiwan is part of China, calling adherence to the one-China principle an "unshakable" international consensus. In an earlier interview, when asked about China's position of not renouncing force to resolve the Taiwan question, Anwar said that if any part of Malaysia sought to break away, he would similarly use force to safeguard his country's territorial integrity, or else risk fragmentation. Lin said there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, adding that China "must and will be reunified" as an "irreversible trend of history."
("Chinese FM appreciates Malaysian PM Anwar's Taiwan remarks, reiterates China must and will be reunified," Global Times, 19 August 2026)
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1368547.shtml
CHINA AND EAST ASIA
Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit South Korea, ending five-year gap
On 19 August, Global Times reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit South Korea and Indonesia from 19 to 22 August, at the invitation of South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Wang and Cho are scheduled to hold a foreign ministers' meeting and dinner today, discussing bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula situation, and regional issues, South Korea's foreign ministry said. President Lee Jae-myung will also meet Wang on Thursday. The visit marks Wang's first trip to South Korea in five years, since bilateral talks in Seoul in September 2021. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said the visit would help implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and deepen their strategic cooperative partnership, ahead of the 34th anniversary of China-South Korea diplomatic relations on 24 August.
("Chinese FM's visit to South Korea ends five-year gap, 'underscores importance of bilateral ties'," Global Times, 19 August 2026)
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1368544.shtml
CHINA AND SOUTH ASIA
Afghan ambassador calls for expanded economic cooperation
On 18 August, Omid Radio reported that Afghanistan’s Ambassador to China, Bilal Karimi, called for expanding economic relations and cooperation between Afghanistan and China in trade, transit, agriculture, mining, and investment. Karimi made the remarks at a ceremony held at the Afghan Embassy in China to mark the fifth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s return to power. He described Afghanistan-China relations as based on mutual respect, political engagement, and shared interests. Karimi also said Afghanistan’s strategic geographic location offers opportunities for expanding trade, investment, and regional connectivity. The event was attended by Chinese officials, ambassadors and diplomats from several countries, university professors, researchers, Afghan businessmen and students.
("Bilal Karimi calls for expanded economic cooperation between Afghanistan and China," Omid Radio, 18 August 2026)
https://omidradio.com/en/2026/08/18/bilal-karimi-calls-for-expanded-economic-cooperation-between-afghanistan-and-china/
Opinion:
Anushree Dutta, "Borderline Brilliant: India–China Turn the LAC Into a Stability Launchpad," India Narrative, 19 August 2026
"Viewed through a strategic lens, LAC stability is not an isolated objective but a precondition for a more manageable India–China relationship in a complex geopolitical environment. Both countries face challenges: supply-chain reconfiguration, technology competition, climate imperatives, and the need to sustain growth while navigating great-power rivalry. In such a context, a militarised, unpredictable border acts as a drag on strategic bandwidth, forcing both capitals to allocate disproportionate political and military attention to a single front ... The India–China relationship will always contain elements of rivalry, but rivalry need not be synonymous with instability. The recent diplomatic review of the LAC situation is a reminder that both capitals recognise the costs of unmanaged competition and the benefits of structured engagement. By treating the border as a domain for disciplined statecraft rather than a theatre for perpetual brinkmanship, India and China can move toward a form of competitive coexistence that is stable, predictable, and conducive to broader regional peace. In the Indo-Pacific’s multipolar reality, such a trajectory is not just desirable—it is strategically necessary."