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Thailand Maintains Neutral Stance Amid China-U.S. Rivalry, Urges Stronger ASEAN Ties

As China’s influence grows across Southeast Asia, Thailand is carefully treading a fine line, choosing not to side with either Beijing or Washington. At an event on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai explained that Thailand's foreign policy needs ...

China Says to Hike Defense Spending by 7.2% This Year

By Oliver Hotham and Ludovic Ehret China's defense spending will rise by 7.2 percent in 2025, the same as last year, Beijing said on Wednesday, as its armed forces undergo rapid modernisation and eye deepening strategic competition with the United States. ...

Connecting the Dots: DRC Mineral Geopolitics

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is reportedly lobbying the U.S. for greater backing against incursions by the Rwandan-backed M23 militia in return for access to critical minerals. Recent press reports cited a classified letter by Aaron Poynton, an executive appointed by the DRC government to boost ...

China’s $249 Billion 2025 Military Budget: Modernization, Tensions, and Comparisons

On Wednesday, China announced a 7.2% increase in its 2025 national defense and military budget, bringing total military spending to $249 billion. This marks the 10th consecutive year of single-digit growth in defense expenditure, a pattern Beijing maintains is measured ...

BYD’s $5.6 Billion Share Sale to Power Worldwide Expansion

The Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD raised $5.6 billion in the largest Hong Kong share sale in four years. The cash injection will boost BYD’s “capacity to further advance its technological capabilities and accelerate its overseas expansion,” according to the filing. ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

The G20 Summit and the Half-Life of a Joke

When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...

A Taste of Tradition in Nairobi’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant Without Chinese Chefs

It’s lunchtime in Nairobi, and the city buzzes with energy. I arrive at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC), a landmark in the heart of the City in the Sun. But today, I’m not here for a conference or a meeting—I’ve ...

Ports Sale Offers Panama Way out of Trump Row: Experts

By Juan José Rodríguez The decision by Hong Kong firm CK Hutchison to sell its Panama ports to a U.S.-led consortium provides the Central American country with a convenient way out of its standoff with President Donald Trump, experts said Tuesday. ...

Hong Kong Firm Offloads Panama Ports After Trump Pressure

Under fierce pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Hong Kong firm Hutchison said it had agreed to sell its lucrative Panama Canal ports to a U.S.-led consortium Tuesday. CK Hutchison Holdings said it would offload a 90 percent stake in ...

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