Headlines:
• China Announces Plans to Develop Karachi Coast
• Increased China Incursions
• Facebook Harms Children

China Announces Plans to Develop Karachi Coast

Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of the Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone. According to the agreement, China will invest $3.5 billion to create new berths at the Karachi port, new fisheries, a trade zone and a bridge connecting the port with the Manora islands. The agreement to develop the Karachi port rather than the Gwadar port is an interesting development especially as the government of Islamabad is trying to reach an agreement with separatists. The Bajwa-Khan regime after years has struggled to build an economy that can stand on its own feet and continue to open Pakistan to foreign nations who have their own strategic objectives.

Increased China Incursions

With the US strengthening its containment of China with its recent AUKUS deal, China has hit back with probes into Taiwanese airspace. After a record-setting number of sorties into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone over the weekend, China set another daily record by sending 56 warplanes into the area on Monday 4th October. China is being forced to respond but American provocations, but it doesn’t have an alliance system of its own institutions to vassal states in order to undermine the US constructed system.

Facebook Harms Children

A whistleblower accused Facebook of putting profit before people as she told Congress its products harm the mental health of some young users, stoke divisions and weaken democracy. During a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing, Frances Haugen called for transparency about how Facebook entices users to keep scrolling, creating ample opportunity for advertisers to reach them. “The company’s leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer, but won’t make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people. Congressional action is needed,” Haugen said. Facebook and two of its main services, Instagram and the messaging app WhatsApp, suffered an hours-long global outage as Haugen gave her testimony and after weeks of mounting pressure on the social media company to explain its policies for young users.