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The World Today explores the geopolitical competition between the United States and China for influence in Pakistan. China has rolled over $3.4 billion in loans to Pakistan, while the US hosted Pakistan's Army Chief at the White House. The program also covers TikTok's uncertain future in America, the Dalai Lama's upcoming address on succession, and tensions between the UN nuclear watchdog and the Trump administration over Iran's nuclear capabilities.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching World Today.
00:19Now what happens when two of the world's biggest superpowers zero in on one volatile country sitting at the heart of South Asia?
00:26Welcome to the new great game where the United States of America and China are locked in a 21st century power play and Pakistan is the prize.
00:36From billion dollar loan rollovers and high profile military meetings to covert arms deals and geopolitical chess moves.
00:43This is not just diplomacy, it's survival and in this game the stakes are nothing short of global order.
00:56China, according to reports, has just rolled over 3.4 billion dollars in loans to Pakistan, bringing Islamabad's foreign exchange reserves to 14 billion dollars.
01:08To most, it looked like routine diplomacy, but dig deeper, there is more to it.
01:14It was Beijing's opening gambit in intensifying US-China power struggle, one where control of Pakistan is seen as vital for reshaping the future of the Indo-Pacific, Central Asia and the broad Islamic world.
01:27Pakistan is more than just a neighbour to India.
01:32It is a pivot, a launch pad, a chessboard of corridors, pipelines and military alliances.
01:39But for China, Pakistan is the corridor to the Arabian Sea, a way out of the Malacca Strait.
01:46The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC allows Chinese goods and oil to bypass checkpoints controlled by the US Navy.
01:54For the US, Pakistan is a security lever, next to Iran, adjacent to Afghanistan and tightly linked to both the Taliban and Saudi Arabia.
02:04It is the only Muslim nuclear power and the only country that has been both an American ally, sometimes simultaneously.
02:12China has pumped over 62 billion dollars into Pakistan since 2018, building highways, power plants, railway lines and most crucially, developing Guadar port.
02:23It gives Beijing a direct sea outlet to oil-rich West Asia and a future naval outpost to project power in the Indian Ocean.
02:33June 2025, President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir for the lunch at the White House.
02:42That is not just for optics, it is symbolism.
02:45In Pakistan's military-dominated political system, being seen as the highest table of power in Washington is like winning the geopolitical lottery.
02:55Both countries want to be seen as Pakistan's primary military benefactor, but for different reasons.
03:02China wants long-term alignment, the US wants tactical access and to ensure Pakistan doesn't drift entirely into Beijing's orbit.
03:10For India, CPEC is more than infrastructure, it is provocation.
03:17The corridor passes through territory India claims as its own.
03:22Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
03:24New Delhi sees a two-front challenge, China in the north, Pakistan in the west and Chinese-funded military projects tying them together.
03:31So, when Trump hosts Pakistan's Army Chief and supplies F-16 upgrades, India sees betrayal.
03:39China offers debt relief, ports and long-term partnership.
03:44The US offers military prestige, diplomatic reach and market access.
03:49But neither can claim victory yet.
03:52Because Islamabad is doing what middle powers do best, balancing, hedging, extracting.
03:59With Farah Khan, Bureau Report.
04:03Michael Kugelman joins me from Washington, D.C.
04:06He's Senior Fellow, Asia Pacific Foundation.
04:08Michael, thank you so much for doing this.
04:09Let's begin with the fact that here is a new $3.4 billion rollover that China has announced for Pakistan.
04:16And we do understand the importance of Pakistan for China.
04:19But there's also an increasing engagement between Washington, D.C. and Islamabad.
04:24Or we can also say Raul Pindi.
04:26Why is that?
04:30Yeah, we know that so many Pakistan watchers in Washington beyond are still trying to get a sense as to what's going on here.
04:37And I think that what it really comes down to is that Pakistan, its civilian and its military leadership, have been very successful at getting the attention of this Trump administration, which is, of course, a very unconventional and unorthodox administration, particularly in terms of how it looks at foreign policy and in terms of how it looks at relations with allies and partners.
04:58So what Pakistan has done is it has appealed to this administration by tapping into the most pressing interest, the most passionate interest that this administration has when it comes to foreign affairs.
05:11And that includes things like critical minerals, as well as cryptocurrency.
05:15So Pakistan had this major investment forum in Pakistan a few weeks ago focused on critical minerals, and it got a senior U.S. government presence there.
05:24Pakistan has also been able to tap into the personal and familial links in the Trump administration for its advantage.
05:33So, for example, Pakistan is now engaging with a crypto company that has Trump's sons as a part of it.
05:42And as a result, that company has actually signed some deals with Pakistan's new crypto council.
05:47And I think that Pakistan knows that for Trump, family is very important.
05:52And, you know, that seems to have worked.
05:54And it's led to other things, such as, you know, among other things, this very surprising meeting that the army chief had with President Trump at the White House some days ago.
06:04So I wouldn't overstate, I wouldn't say this is a major shift in relations, but it certainly is a lot different than what I think many of us expected to see with this relationship in the second Trump era.
06:15Right.
06:16Right. But, Michael, there has been a souring of ties between India and the United States of America post Operation Sindhu, the fact that India did not give Donald Trump credit for the ceasefire that he claims to have brokered between the two countries, as opposed to Pakistan, that immediately came out and gave credit.
06:35In fact, they've also nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
06:39Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, the Trump administration, including Trump himself, genuinely want a partnership, a strong partnership with India.
06:52You have a lot of champions of partnership with India in this relationship.
06:56And that's why I don't think we should let the events of recent days make us think that this administration is taking is taking a different tack.
07:04You know, I think you had a convergence of developments that simply benefited Pakistan, but were not meant from a U.S. perspective to alienate India.
07:13So, for example, and this gets back to the personal dimensions of Trump himself, he's someone that likes to be seen as the ultimate dealmaker, the ultimate peace broker.
07:22So, you know, he wanted to take credit for a U.S. role in the ceasefire.
07:27He wanted to make that very public, not realizing or not caring that for India, this is a very sensitive issue and that India does not want the U.S. or any other country to be talking about external mediation.
07:38He did not mean to upset India by doing that, but I think that he was focused on his own personal goals and motivations in that regard.
07:45But that trumped everything. The same with his most recent comment about Kashmir.
07:50He doesn't necessarily want that. He may not realize or he may not care that by bringing attention to this idea of a Kashmir resolution, that that's something that would not be received well in New Delhi.
08:01He wants to be the person. I think he's intrigued by the intractability of what he sees as the intractability of that dispute.
08:09And he wants to be seen as the guy that can try to fix it, so to speak.
08:12Clearly, that's where you'd have to hope that there would be his aides, his advisers would prevail on him and, you know, make very clear in due course that that's just not a good tack to take to if you want to ensure that the relationship with India stays in a good place.
08:27Right. We'll keep a close watch on the Pakistan versus China versus America, the entire geopolitics at play over here.
08:37Michael Kugelman, thank you so much for joining us.
08:42Now, a Hindu woman was gang-raped and filmed in Bangladesh, allegedly by a son of a BNP leader.
08:51Five arrests have been made, but initially police delays in arresting the prime accused led to accusations of a cover-up.
08:58Protests erupted across Bangladesh with Hindu community members, women's rights organizations,
09:03organizations and university students demanding justice and safety for minorities.
09:08The incident has raised concerns about atrocities against Hindu community and Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
09:15According to the survivor and her brother's accounts, the loan repayment date had passed, prompting Fazer Ali to visit the family.
09:22At that time, neither the survivor's brothers nor her parents were present.
09:26As she refused to answer the door, Fazer broke it open, stripped her naked, beat and raped her.
09:32According to locals, Fazer used to run drug and gambling operations in the locality
09:37and claimed to be a member of the Khalidazia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party, that's the BNP,
09:43despite holding no official position.
09:46TikTok's time in America seems to have come to an end.
09:58President Donald Trump said he has a group of very wealthy people who could be the future owners of TikTok,
10:04with TikTok being seen as a threat to America's security.
10:08It is to be seen whether the app, which according to Trump helped him win the 2024 presidential elections,
10:14can pass the test and continue to top the charts of American apps.
10:27Even if China sees in President Donald Trump an adversary with tariff war looming large,
10:34Chinese company TikTok finds an admirer in the president.
10:40The US president, during an interview, said that he has a buyer for TikTok,
10:45though he will require the approval of the Chinese government.
10:49The app has survived a ban so far in the US,
10:52even though it is perceived as a threat to national security.
10:59TikTok's extension requires its parent company,
11:01by dance to reach a deal and sell the platform by September 17th.
11:10Trump, who had earlier criticized TikTok during his first tenure,
11:14later praised it in 2024, after he won the election.
11:20We'll take a look at TikTok.
11:22You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,
11:25because I won youth by 34 points.
11:27And there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with it.
11:36China had continued to reiterate its position regarding TikTok, even in the past.
11:45China has made clear its position on the issue of TikTok many times,
11:49and its opposition to additional tariffs is also consistent and clear.
11:53The US Congress had passed a law forcing TikTok's sale in April last year.
12:01The lawmakers cited fears that the app or its parent company
12:05could hand over US user data to the Chinese government,
12:09which TikTok denied.
12:13Former President Joe Biden had signed legislation
12:16that gave China's bite dance about six months
12:19to divest the popular TikTok to an American company.
12:23The law was supposed to take effect on 19th January,
12:27but Trump delayed its enforcement.
12:30TikTok earlier challenged the constitutionality of the law,
12:34but lost its appeal to the US Supreme Court.
12:37His Holiness the Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering
12:51of Buddhist religious figures this week ahead of his 90th birthday.
12:55This event is also seen by many of his followers
12:58as the pivotal moment when the Tibetan spiritual leader
13:01will share details about his succession.
13:04The Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on the 6th of July,
13:06said there will be a framework to discuss his succession.
13:10The 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate in his traditional saffron and maroon robes
13:14has lived in exile in northern India since 1959
13:18after fleeing a failed uprising against the rule of Mao Zedong's communist regime.
13:24Chinese officials have repeatedly said
13:26the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should be decided
13:30by following national laws that decree use of the golden urn
13:35and the birth of reincarnations within China's borders.
13:38But many Tibetans suspect any Chinese role in this election
13:42as a ploy to exert influence on the community.
13:47In his book, Voice for the Voiceless, released in March this year,
13:51the Dalai Lama said his successor would be born outside China.
13:55The United States, which faces stiff competition from China,
13:58has repeatedly said it is committed to advancing the human rights of Tibetans.
14:04In 2024, then-President Joe Biden signed a law pressurizing Beijing
14:09to resolve disputes over Tibet's demands for greater autonomy.
14:13India is also estimated to be home to more than 100,000 Tibetan Buddhists
14:18who are free to study and work here.
14:21many Indians revere the Dalai Lama.
14:29The rest of my life, I will dedicate for the benefit of others,
14:33as much as possible, as extensive as possible.
14:36There will be some kind of a framework within which we can talk about
14:39the continuation of the institution of the Dalai Lamas.
14:43The chief United Nations nuclear inspector has widened the divide
14:54with the Trump administration over how severely the United States
14:57set back Iran's nuclear program,
15:00declaring that it could be enriching uranium in a matter of months,
15:03even as President Trump has repeatedly claimed
15:06that Tehran had lost interest in the effort.
15:09Head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafal Grossi,
15:18in a recent statement warned that Iran could begin enriching uranium again
15:22within a few months.
15:24He also said that the US strikes on Iran fell short of causing
15:29total damage to its nuclear program.
15:31The US had struck three key Iranian nuclear sites
15:35in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan before a ceasefire began.
15:40While US military officials have provided information
15:43about the planning of the strikes,
15:45they offered no evidence of their effectiveness
15:48against Iran's nuclear program.
15:51Trump again and again claimed that the attacks
15:53had completely and totally obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities.
15:58President Trump had posted on Truth Social
16:04that he was not speaking to Iran
16:06and was not offering the country anything
16:08and he reiterated his assertions
16:11that the United States had totally obliterated
16:14Tehran's nuclear facilities.
16:17Meanwhile, responding to Trump,
16:19Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said
16:21that Trump's shifting stance on lifting economic sanctions
16:25against Tehran were not aimed at solving problems
16:28between the two countries.
16:33You have previously witnessed similar instances
16:36where in the morning a topic is raised
16:38suggesting that a certain action is supposed to take place
16:41and by the afternoon a new package of sanctions
16:45is imposed against Iran.
16:47Therefore, these fluctuations and repeated changes
16:50in positions which we have observed
16:52over the last three to four months
16:54as a consistent pattern in US behavior
16:56are in no way reliable or trustworthy.
17:00These developments should be seen
17:02as part of psychological and media games
17:05rather than serious statements aimed at negotiation
17:08or resolving issues.
17:09He further went on to criticise the positions
17:16and actions taken by the International Atomic Energy Agency
17:20Chief Rafal Grossi.
17:26We are strongly dissatisfied with the positions
17:28and actions of Director General of the IAEA
17:31Rafal Grossi.
17:32We are critical and believe that he has not acted
17:37within the framework of his technical duties
17:39and responsibilities as Director General of the agency.
17:47While Iran has insisted its nuclear program
17:51is for peaceful purposes,
17:52Western powers remain skeptical.
17:56With Neha Kumari, Bureau Report, India Today.
18:02Now, it was the wedding.
18:04The internet couldn't stop buzzing about.
18:07Jeff Bezos tied the knot in Venice,
18:09but it was Lauren Sanchez who truly stole the spotlight.
18:13From vintage McQueen to custom Versace,
18:15the bride turned every moment into a fashion headline.
18:19And yes, even the pajama party came
18:21with a touch of red carpet glam.
18:22Take a look.
18:32After weeks of buzz, backlash and media frenzy,
18:40the most anticipated wedding of the season
18:42finally took place this Saturday.
18:45Billionaire Jeff Bezos tied the knot
18:47with longtime partner Lauren Sanchez
18:48in a glamorous celebration in Venice, Italy.
18:53But while the guest list and venue
18:56were undeniably dazzling,
18:57it was Lauren's jaw-dropping wardrobe
19:00that truly stole the show.
19:02The bride's fashion journey
19:05began the moment she touched down in Venice.
19:08Lauren turned heads in a rare 2003
19:10black Alexander McQueen dress
19:13sourced from tab vintage.
19:15She paired the archival piece
19:17with sleek $510 sunglasses from Celine,
19:20a sophisticated nod to timeless glamour.
19:26For the welcome party on Thursday,
19:29Lauren embraced bold bridal elegance
19:31in a custom Schiaparelli gown.
19:34The fitted dress featured intricate floral embroidery
19:37across the top and was styled with a sparkling engagement ring
19:41and diamond earrings,
19:42blending haute couture with personal sentiment.
19:47On Friday, she stepped out in a vintage-inspired Dior ensemble,
19:51a crisp, buttoned top paired with a knee-length skirt.
19:56Completing the look-oat Tom Ford glasses,
19:58a chic bandana and a classic Hermes handbag,
20:03effortlessly combining European flair with understated luxury.
20:06The main event, however, came on the wedding day.
20:11Lauren walked down the aisle in a breathtaking high-necked Italian lace gown
20:16custom-made by Dolce & Gabbana.
20:19According to Vogue,
20:20the stunning creation took 900 hours of meticulous atelier work,
20:24a true labour of love and craftsmanship.
20:31Netizens on the internet are even comparing that look to Priyanka Chokra's wedding dress,
20:36giving emphasis to details around the neck area.
20:39There was a vast dissimilarity in the styling.
20:43But the fashion parade didn't end there.
20:46For the post-wedding party,
20:48a pyjama-themed soiree aptly titled Dolce Norte,
20:51meaning Sweet Night.
20:53Lauren chose an atelier Versace strapless Georgia dress,
20:57complete with crystal mesh embroidery.
21:01While guests kept it cosy,
21:03Sanchez elevated the theme with a red carpet-worthy sparkle and sophistication.
21:09From vintage McQueen to bespoke Versace,
21:12Lauren Sanchez turned her wedding celebration
21:14into a full-blown couture moment,
21:17one stunning look at a time.
21:21With Sujata Sharda, Bureau Report, India Today.
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