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 ...
Month: November 2024
Related Posts
Is this China’s Great Power Opportunity to Change Global Order?
By Chris Alden & Lukas Fiala Reading through the headlines surrounding the recent G20 summit in Brazil last week, it was hard to overlook reports of outgoing US President Biden seemingly sidelined at the photo-op. While it’s important not to overinterpret the ...
Nepal PM to Make Official Visit to China
Nepal's premier will visit China next week, the foreign ministry said Friday, a departure from the usual practice by the Himalayan republic's leaders of making India their first official destination. Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, who returned to power in July, departs ...
China Manufacturing Expands for Second Straight Month
China saw an uptick in industrial output for the second straight month in November, government data showed Saturday, an encouraging sign for officials as they battle stagnant activity. Beijing has, in recent weeks, announced a slew of the most aggressive measures ...
Taiwan’s Lai Kicks off Pacific Tour With U.S. Stop in Hawaii
By Akio Wang Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived Saturday in the United States for the start of a week-long tour in the Pacific that he said would usher in a new era of democracy, but that has sparked fury in Beijing. ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: China Defense Minister Dong Jun Faces Corruption Investigation
Singapore's Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong began a six-day visit to China on Monday that will include meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit, Lee's first since stepping down as PM, is widely seen as an effort to stabilize heightened geopolitical tensions in ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
[WEEK IN REVIEW] China’s Role in Africa’s Energy Transition and Biden’s Angola Trip
The Sirexe “Salon International des Ressources Extractives et Energetiques” conference took place this week in the Ivory Coast and brought together ministers, policymakers and corporate leaders from across the continent to discuss Africa's energy transition. ...
Chinese Military Sends ‘Patrols’ Around Contested South China Sea Shoal
Beijing said on Thursday that it was conducting air and naval patrols around a contested shoal in the South China Sea to "resolutely defend" its national sovereignty. The so-called "combat readiness patrols" were to strengthen "vigilance in the sea and air ...
A Fight for Food and Sovereignty: How the South China Sea Crisis Impacts Filipino Fishermen
Part of the eastern South China Sea, known in the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea, represents not only a geopolitical flashpoint but also a lifeline for millions of Filipinos. Beneath the heated rhetoric of international diplomacy lies a struggle far closer to home, one that pits ...
Southeast Asia’s Trade at Risk: How Trump’s Tariffs and Chinese Imports Threaten Regional Economies
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to introduce sweeping tariffs poses significant economic challenges for economies in Southeast Asia. The region could become a battleground for redirected Chinese exports, flooding local markets and disrupting industries. At the same time, trade imbalances, protectionist measures, and deficits add to the ...
Prabowo’s Overtures to China and Ramifications on the South China Sea Dispute
By Ian Storey Indonesia’s long-standing position is that it is not a party to the South China Sea dispute because it does not have an overlapping maritime boundary claim with China. In Jakarta’s view, China’s nine-dash line has no legal basis. ...
Myanmar Rebel Army Willing to Talk with Junta Amid Pressure from China
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA,) one of a coalition of ethnic minority armies fighting Myanmar’s ruling military junta, signaled it wants to start peace talks. The Shan state-based militia announced its willingness to enter negotiations in a statement on Monday. Two ...
China Says ‘Welcomes’ Ceasefire Deal Between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon
China said Wednesday it welcomed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon after more than a year of fighting that has killed thousands. "China is paying close attention to the current situation in Lebanon and Israel," foreign ministry spokeswoman ...