Islamabad, Sep 14: A meeting within the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) was held on Saturday by the Arms Control and Disarmament Centre (ACDC) with a group from China, headed by Mr. SUN Xiaobo, Director General of the Department of Arms Control at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Beijing.
Some members of the delegation also attended the meeting: Mr. Xu Hangtian, Minister Counsellor, and Ms. Wang YiQiu, Third Secretary, Embassy of China, Islamabad; and Mr. Xie Xinxing, Deputy Division Director, Ms. XIAO Yue, Deputy Division Director, and Jiang Yingbo, Second Secretary, Department of Arms Control, MFA.
Prominent former diplomats, practitioners, academics, and experts from think tanks were present at the session. These individuals included Ambassadors Zamir Akram, Masood Khalid, Tehmina Janjua, Ali Sarwar Naqvi, Babar Amin, Mr. Haroon Rashid, DG SECDIV, Maj Gen (R) Ausaf Ali, Maj. Gen. (R) Naseer Ali Khan, Drs. Salma Malik and Shabana Fayyaz from QAU, Air Commodore (R) Khalid Banuri.
Mr. Kamran Hashmi, NIMA, Dr. Adil Sultan, Air University, Mr. Imran Ahmad Khan and Mr. Rashid Sultan, PAEC, and Dr. Ghulam Mujaddid, NDU. Directors of the Centers, members of the ACDC team, Chairman of the Board of Governors Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, and Director General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood were among the ISSI participants.
The moderator for the occasion was Malik Qasim Mustafa, the director of ACDC.The participants covered a wide range of topics, such as the challenges and global trends facing the disarmament and arms control regime, the growing militarization of space, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the increased risk of a nuclear exchange.
The challenges posed by emerging technologies, managing the risks associated with artificial intelligence, and China’s Global Security Initiative. The extensive conversation reflected shared views and convergent stances on security and strategic matters of mutual importance.
