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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari will leave today, Tuesday, for Beijing on a five-day state visit to China, amid friction between the two allies over security of Chinese interests in Pakistan.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan that has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of the Belt and Road Initiative that is a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to stretch around the globe.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan’s security challenges have put a strain on Islamabad’s ties with China, with separatist and religiously motivated militants attacking Chinese interests and nationals in Pakistan in recent years. In October, a suicide blast killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan in March.
Zardari is undertaking the visit from Feb. 4 till Feb. 8 on the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and will hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart, Premier Li Qiang and other senior Chinese officials in Beijing, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“The discussions will encompass the full spectrum of Pakistan-China relations, with a particular focus on economic and trade cooperation; counter-terrorism and security collaboration, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and future connectivity initiatives,” it said on Sunday.
The suicide bombing near the Karachi airport in Oct. was claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has targeted Chinese interests and primarily operates in Balochistan where China is building a deep-sea port and last month opened an airport.
The BLA accuses China of plundering the province’s mineral resources with Pakistan’s help. Pakistani and Chinese authorities deny the allegation and say they are working for the uplift of the region.
In recent months, China has publicly criticized Pakistan over the attacks on its nationals and projects, while media reports have suggested that Beijing wants its own forces on the ground to protect its interests, a demand Islamabad has long resisted. Pakistan has assured China it will protect its nationals in the country from militant threats and has tightened security protocols for Chinese investors and nationals.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said President Zardari’s visit reflects “deep commitment” of the two countries to strengthening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, while the two sides would also exchange views on the unfolding global and regional geopolitical landscape, and bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora.
“It reaffirms mutual support on the issues of core interests, advance economic and trade cooperation including CPEC, and to highlight their joint commitment to regional peace, development and stability,” it added

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five US universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It’s part of President Donald Trump’s promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than former President Joe Biden’s administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. The new investigations were opened the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department’s power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of its investigations, which stem from complaints.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating “toothless” resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
“Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses,” said Craig Trainor, the agency’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn’t provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism amid protests against Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza. The searing hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia’s Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern’s negotiations with student protesters a “stunning capitulation.”
Since the outcry over the campus protests, universities say they have taken several steps to address antisemitism.
At Northwestern, that includes updates to the Student Code of Conduct and disciplinary procedures and investing in public safety, spokesman Jon Yates said in an email. “Free expression and academic freedom are among our core values, but we have made clear that these values provide no excuse for behavior that threatens the well-being of others,” Yates said.
Columbia has strengthened and clarified its discipline process, a statement said, and its interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has strengthened the Public Safety Office and established an Office of Institutional Equity to address discrimination and harassment. “Columbia strongly condemns antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we are resolute that calling for, promoting, or glorifying violence or terror has no place at our University,” the university’s statement said.
The new investigation, Portland State spokeswoman Katy Swordfisk pointed out, “is not in itself evidence of any violation,” since the Department of Education apparently initiated it without receiving a complaint from someone at the university. Portland State plans to cooperate with the department. “The university continues to support and engage with efforts to combat antisemitism and mitigate the impact of hate and bias,” Swordfisk said in an email.
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Rep. Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was “glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students.”
Trump’s order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week’s order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
“The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found,” said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. “The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump’s renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools.”