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 ...
Category: Conflict
China Says Cambodia, Thailand Ready to De-escalate After Wang Yi Calls
China says Cambodia and Thailand are prepared to de-escalate and move toward a cease-fire after separate phone calls with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Thailand has said any truce depends on Cambodian action, and Phnom Penh has yet to publicly confirm ...
China, Ukraine Diplomats Discuss Russia Invasion in Beijing Talks
A senior Ukrainian diplomat held talks with a Chinese official in Beijing on Thursday, both sides said, including on resolving the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine triggered by Russia's invasion. The visit represented a rare meeting between officials from Kyiv and ...
China, Egypt FMs Discuss Crises in Palestine, Sudan
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the crises in Gaza and Sudan with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday. While the two expressed concern about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the call preceded the announcement of a $35 ...
Thailand’s Resumed Border Strikes on Cambodia Highlight Limits of U.S. Pressure, Chinese Scholars Say
Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint peace declaration at the ASEAN summit in late October, aimed at ending long-standing border disputes. Yet, less than two months later, Thai forces launched strikes on casinos and hotels in Cambodia, reportedly linked to cross-border online fraud. Experts in China
Dozens of Chinese Nationals Detained After Attack on Indonesian Soldiers in Kalimantan
Dozens of Chinese nationals are being held by Indonesian immigration authorities after an attack on soldiers and a civilian at a gold mine in West Kalimantan, on the Indonesian part of Borneo, officials said. The Indonesian immigration office in Ketapang, ...
Philippines Says Fishermen Injured in China Coast Guard Encounter
Three Filipino fishermen were injured when China Coast Guard vessels sprayed their boats with water cannons and cut their anchor lines in a disputed area of the South China Sea, Philippine authorities said Saturday. Beijing said Friday it had taken "necessary ...
China, Iran, Saudi Arabia Reiterate Cooperation, But Barriers Remain
Officials from China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia convened in Tehran for trilateral talks on Tuesday. It was the third meeting of their trilateral committee following China’s brokering of a historical Iran-Saudi detente in 2023. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, ...
Chinese Weapons a Trigger in Thai-Cambodia Conflict: Report
Thai airstrikes against Cambodian military facilities on Monday reportedly targeted Chinese-made rockets. Reuters reported a Thai military official saying the strikes were preceded by surveillance showing the presence of Chinese rockets that could hit civilian targets. The Thai military calculated that the ...
China’s Aerial Confrontations With Japan and Philippines Stoke Regional Anxiety Amid U.S. Silence
Tensions surged over the weekend after two dangerous mid-air confrontations between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets and another with a Philippine aircraft over disputed territory in the South China Sea. Tokyo and Beijing on Monday sought to portray the other ...
Macron Tells Xi China, France Must Overcome ‘Differences’
French President Emmanuel Macron told Xi Jinping that France and China must overcome their "differences" during their meeting in Beijing on Thursday. "Sometimes there are differences, but it is our responsibility to overcome them for the greater good," Macron told Xi ...
Tajikistan Says Two Chinese Citizens Killed in Latest Attacks on Afghan Border
Tajikistan on Monday said two more Chinese citizens died in new attacks on the border with Afghanistan last week, as it urged Kabul to ensure security in the region. The former Soviet republic shares a lengthy mountainous border with Afghanistan and ...
China Urges Evacuation After Attack on Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border
China’s embassy in Tajikistan called on its nationals to leave the country’s border zone with Afghanistan, after an attack killed three Chinese people and wounded one. The victims worked for the mining company LLC Shohin SM. Tajik authorities said ...