The 9th China-South Asia Expo opened yesterday (June 19) in Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
The five-day event is a key platform for economic and trade exchanges between China and South Asia. Exhibitors from over 50 countries are expected to participate, including full representation from all South Asian nations.

This year, Sri Lanka has been designated as the Guest of Honor Country at the Expo.

Notably, China-Sri Lanka bilateral trade reached a record high of USD 5.36 billion in 2024, representing a 13.4% year-on-year increase. This makes Sri Lanka China’s fastest-growing trade partner in South Asia.

The Sri Lankan pavilion was officially declared open by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Trade and Commerce – Wasantha Samarasinghe and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment – Arun Hemachandra, who jointly led the country’s high-level delegation to the prestigious regional event.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told US President Donald Trump that Delhi will never accept third-party mediation with Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir, India’s senior-most diplomat said.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said that Modi “strongly” conveyed India’s long-held stand to Trump during a phone call between the two leaders on Tuesday.

Trump has repeatedly offered to mediate between India and Pakistan to solve the “Kashmir issue” since a four-day conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.

The White House has not commented on India’s statement.

Mr Misri also said that Modi told Trump “clearly” that during the duration of the conflict, “no talks were held at any level on the India-America trade deal or on the mediation between India and Pakistan by America”.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that India and Pakistan ended the conflict after a ceasefire brokered by the US and also that he used trade as a lever to make them agree. Pakistan has backed US claims of brokering the ceasefire but India has denied it.

“The talks regarding cessation of military action were held directly between India and Pakistan under the existing channels established between both militaries,” Mr Misri said.

Last month, Trump told reporters: “I said, ‘Come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys [India and Pakistan]. Let’s stop it. Let’s stop it. If you stop it, we’ll do a trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade.'”

Delhi is rushing to negotiate a trade deal with the Trump administration before a 90-day pause on higher tariffs ends on 9 July.

Kashmir is a contentious issue for both India and and Pakistan, who claim the region in whole, but administer it only in part. Bilateral talks over several decades have not led to any resolution.

India treats Kashmir as an integral part of its territory and rules out any negotiation, particularly through a third party.

Tensions escalated between the South Asian neighbours after India blamed Pakistan for a 22 April attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in which 26 people, mainly tourists, were killed. Islamabad denied the charge.

In May, India carried out air strikes on what it called terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan, leading to four days of intense military action from both sides of the border.

Both countries accused each other of targeting airbases and other military sites.

As the conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations threatened to escalate further, Trump announced on 10 May that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire”, brokered by the US.

Later, in a post on Truth Social, he said: “I will work with you both to see if, after a thousand years, a solution can be arrived at, concerning Kashmir.” (The Kashmir issue only dates back to 1947).

A statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the same day said that the two countries had also agreed “to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site”.

On 11 May, Trump repeated praise for India and Pakistan’s leaders for understanding it was “time to stop the current aggression”, adding that he was proud the US “was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision”.

After Trump’s statement on the ceasefire, Pakistan’s foreign minister said the agreement had been reached by the two countries, adding that “three dozen countries” were involved in the diplomacy.

India has, however, consistently denied any intervention by the US.

Analysts say Trump’s very public statements on offers of mediation over Kashmir have tested Delhi’s red lines on the issue.

Delhi has always encouraged its Western partners not to treat India and Pakistan as equals. It also discourages western leaders from undertaking visits to India and Pakistan at the same time.

But Trump’s tweets often hold India and Pakistan as equals. This has caused some discomfort in Delhi’s diplomatic circles but analysts believe it’s too early to say whether this will affect ongoing trade deal talks between Washington and Delhi.

(BBC News)

US President Donald Trump has cut short his visit to the Group of Seven summit in Canada, with the White House saying he must return to Washington to deal with the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.

“I have to be back early for obvious reasons,” Trump said, as reports circulated he had instructed the White House National Security Council to meet upon his return.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier announced the “deployment of additional capabilities” to the Middle East to enhance the Pentagon’s “defensive posture” in the region.

But American officials rejected suggestions that the US was about to join Israeli offensive operations against Iran.

The White House was at pains to emphasise that Trump had “a great day” at the summit, saying much was accomplished, including a trade deal between the US and UK.

But the president’s press secretary said he was leaving the gathering of world leaders at Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies after dinner on Monday night because of “what’s going on in the Middle East”. She did not elaborate.

It means the US president will miss in-person meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum that were scheduled for Tuesday, the final day of the summit.

At a photo session on Monday, Trump said it was important he return to Washington for “big stuff”. His departure came as Israel and Iran attacked each other for a fifth straight day.

Earlier the president posted on social media that Iran should have signed a deal that he put forward to them in the most recent round of US-Iran nuclear talks.

“Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” he wrote. “I said it over and over again!”

Trump also urged Iranians on his social media platform Truth Social to “immediately evacuate” their capital, Tehran, a city of up to 17 million people. He did not offer further details.

Shortly afterwards, Iranian media reported explosions and heavy air defence fire in Tehran early on Tuesday. That came hours after Israel targeted Iran’s state broadcaster, forcing a presenter to flee mid-broadcast.

In Israel, air raid sirens wailed in Tel Aviv after midnight and an explosion was heard as Iranian missiles targeted the country again.

World leaders at the G7 summit said they understood Trump’s need to leave early.

“If the United States can achieve a ceasefire, that’s a very good thing,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Trump’s exit was “understandable”, despite the two being scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss tariffs.

(BBC News)