Day: September 9, 2025

Related Posts

Beijing Drives New Rail Bridge Linking Thailand – Laos with China

China, Thailand, and Laos have agreed to accelerate the construction of a second Nong Khai–Vientiane rail bridge. This move underscores Beijing’s central role in reshaping Southeast Asia’s transport and trade routes. It is designed to carry trains directly from Thailand ...

BRICS Criticize Tariffs at Muted Online Summit

The leaders of the BRICS countries gathered online on Monday for a summit at the invitation of Brazil, the current leader of the bloc. The gathering saw some sharp criticism of U.S.-led trade disruptions, but the tone was more muted than last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ...

Import Perks End, China EVs Must Be Built in Indonesia in 2026

Indonesia will end tax breaks on fully built battery electric cars, including Chinese EVs, on Dec. 31, 2025, and require automakers to assemble locally starting 2026. The rule puts Chinese brands at the center of the shift: BYD, Geely, ...

The Trump, Xi Foreign Policy Duel in Southeast Asia

Two sharply contrasting foreign policy visions emerged this week from China and the United States. In Beijing, President Xi Jinping outlined an agenda in talks with fellow BRICS leaders that directly challenged Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine, urging instead for stronger ...

Indonesia Backs Xi’s Global Governance Initiative at BRICS Meet

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has thrown his support behind Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposals at a BRICS virtual leaders’ meeting last night. The statement is aligning Southeast Asia’s largest economy more closely with Beijing’s call to defend multilateralism and reject ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

The Pain of Un-Polarity

“THE G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY!”
This post by U.S. President Donald Trump in the run-up to his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week may end up leaving a more lasting mark than the actual summit he attended.

Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping ...

BRICS Leaders Denounce Protectionism, Tariff ‘Blackmail’

Leaders of the 11-member BRICS bloc railed against economic protectionism and "tariff blackmail" during a virtual meeting Monday held amid a damaging trade war with US President Donald Trump. The group of emerging economies met via videoconference at the initiative of ...