Author: Ghulam Ali, National Chengchi University

On 11 August 2011 China successfully launched Pakistan’s communication satellite, Paksat-1R, into space from its Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) in Sichuan Province.

The satellite covers all of Pakistan, parts of South and Central Asia, the Far East, Eastern Europe and East Africa. It will replace the aging Paksat-1, which is approaching the end of its 15-year life span this November. Read more…

Author: Ghulam Ali, Monash University

In the third week of December Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made consecutive visits to India and Pakistan. Since mid-1990, top Chinese leaders have been trying to include both India and Pakistan in their South Asian tours to show that Beijing treats the arch-rivals equally.

The visit came in the middle of tensions in East Asia and, once again, instability in Sino-Indian relations. Although India and China celebrated 2010 as a year of friendship, their relations for the last few years have been tense over a host of issues created by both sides. Read more…