DefenceTalkKARACHI: Pakistan is set to sign a 40-year-lease with a Chinese company to develop a massive special economic zone in the deep sea port of Gwadar, officials said on Wednesday. The contract is part of the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corri­dor (CPEC) that will link western China to the Arabian Sea with infrastructure, energy and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pakistan-china-set-to-sign-economic-zone-accord-65336/

DefenceTalkRussian President Vladimir Putin is to meet world leaders on Wednesday including China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi ahead of the start of a summit of the BRICS emerging economies. Putin is to hold bilateral talks with leaders of the other BRICS countries — China, Brazil, South Africa and India — in the city […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-hosts-brics-summit-amid-standoff-with-west-64852/

DefenceTalkThe Taliban insurgency may still be raging but the poor state of the economy could pose a bigger threat to Afghanistan’s long-term viability, and huge mineral reserves are unlikely to offer a quick fix. In Kabul’s Sarayee Shahzada market, moneychangers wave thick bundles of Afghanis, dollars, rupees and dirhams, but the customers are not packing […]https://www.defencetalk.com/afghanistan-faces-economic-timebomb-as-nato-war-ends-61234/

DefenceTalkChina and the US geared early Wednesday for high-stakes talks on a slew of thorny issues, as American officials warned against rising tensions caused by Beijing’s “problematic” claim to swathes of the South China Sea. The maritime disputes, as well as US fears over cybersecurity and Chinese hacking, were raised Tuesday in preparatory talks involving […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-us-vow-to-end-old-rivalries-60083/

DefenceTalkAn expert panel on Tuesday urged Canada to leverage hundreds of billions of dollars in planned defense spending to build up its defense sector, in order to bolster its economy. In a report, the panel led by Tom Jenkins, a special advisor to Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose, calls for “using military procurement as an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/canada-urged-to-become-major-arms-producer-46764/