In terms of geopolitical optics, this week was nothing short of a banquet. It served up at least two sets of images that seem to crystallize our historical moment and that will live on in the Wikipedia of history as shorthand for where the world was in 2025.
One is the waves of uncannily synchronized soldiers and a bewildering array of high-tech weaponry gliding down Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue. The ...
Day: January 18, 2024
Related Posts
Philippines Defense Chief Accuses China of Insulting President Marcos and Using “Gutter Level Talk”
The increasingly frayed relationship between China and the Philippines worsened considerably on Wednesday when Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro lashed out at the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Mao Ning for "insulting" President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and stopping to "gutter level talk." This ...
Chinese, Indian Forces Clashed Twice in 2022 in Previously Unreported Skirmishes Along Disputed Border
Indian and Chinese military forces along the two countries' disputed border in the Himalayas engaged in two previously unreported clashes back in 2022, even as both sides were engaged in talks at diffusing border tensions, according to the Indian military.
Ghana Announces Debt Deal
Ghana announced a deal with its official creditors that would push back loan repayments until 2026. The government also says it will strike a deal with Eurobond investors for a new deal on $13 billion of private sector debt. Speaking at ...
Chinese Foreign Minister in Togo and Côte d’Ivoire
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his African tour in Togo and Côte d’Ivoire this week after touching down in Egypt and Tunisia during the trip’s first phase. The official press coverage revealed few specifics about his talks with Togolese and Ivorian leaders. ...
Chinese Nickel Plants Driving Pollution, Land Grabs in Indonesia: Report
A massive Chinese nickel mining and refining complex in the Indonesian region of North Maluku is causing massive environmental and human rights abuses, according to a new report from Climate Rights International. “Nickel Unearthed: The Human and Climate Costs of ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Deadly Fire at Chinese-Owned Nickel Smelter in Indonesia Reveals Stubborn Pattern of Workers’ Safety’s Neglect
Photography by Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro & Muhammad Fadli I first saw the news of the big fire on Instagram. It was Christmas Eve, when social media was full of pictures of families getting together, tucked safely in the warmth ...
Taiwan Under Lai Ching-Te Faces Uphill Battle in Advancing Southeast Asia Ties, Diverting From China
Taiwan elected Vice President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as its next president on January 13th, giving the ruling DPP a historic third win in a row as the self-ruled island continues to engage with neighboring Southeast Asia and beyond to reduce its economic ...