Category: Diplomacy
Chinese PM Li Heads Home From Cambodia After Another Round of Diplomatic Speed Dating
Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang wrapped up a six-day visit to Cambodia on Sunday at the conclusion of a pair of regional summits where he also held a number of sideline bilaterals with both Asian and Pacific leaders: ...
Why Xi and Modi Should (and Shouldn’t) Meet on the Sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali
While much of the attention this week at the G20 summit in Bali will be on Monday's meeting between the U.S. and Chinese presidents, in South Asia, many observers will be keeping a close watch on what happens between Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Why This European Man Is so Happy to Be in Vietnam
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz seemed visibly happy to be back in Southeast Asia over the weekend and specifically to be out of China. Chancellor Scholz arrived in Hanoi on Sunday to kick off a four-day visit to Southeast Asia that will also include a stop in Singapore.
China, Russia, and Myanmar: Symptomatic of a Weakening ASEAN?
By Saniya Kulkarni According to reports the annual ASEAN summit, which takes place today in Phnom Penh, is prioritizing the issue of rising violence in member state Myanmar following the 2021 coup which resulted in a military junta displacing the elected government ...
Forecasting China-India in the 21st Century: Is Asia’s Richest Man Overestimating India and Underestimating China?
In a territorial dispute, overestimation by one side of its strength relative to the opposing side is the crux of continuing conflict. At the end of September, Indian billionaire Gautam Adani gave a speech in Singapore celebrating an extremely optimistic message centered on the Indian economy ...
A Conversation with Molly Phee, the Top U.S. Diplomat for Africa
This Summer the United States updated its foreign policy for Africa when it shifted the focus from competing with China to improving governance and bolstering trade ties with the region. Now, three months later, the State Department's top diplomat for ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden to Attend Next Week’s G20 Summit in Bali
Indonesian President Joko Widodo confirmed that both Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden will attend next week's G20 summit in Bali but said it's still not certain if Russian leader Vladimir Putin will be there. President Xi will spend much of next week traveling in ...
China Will “Strongly Support” Climate Compensation, But Not With Actual Money
China will support a mechanism to compensate poor countries for the loss and damage associated with climate change, but it won’t contribute any cash. That was the main takeaway from a press conference by Xie Zhenhua, China’s chief delegate to the COP27 climate summit ...
Kenya’s Supreme Court to Weigh In on SGR Contract
Kenya’s Supreme Court will rule on the legality of the country’s Standard Gauge Railway contract. Opponents say the contract being awarded to China Road and Bridge Corp contravened Kenya’s competitive tender rules. The ruling will ...
China’s Growing Influence in West Africa
As former colonial powers like France and the United Kingdom lose their relevance in West Africa, the region is pivoting to China. This trend comes as China’s own confidence in West Africa is growing, despite relatively slow engagement compared to other parts of the ...
More Evidence that the Africa-China Relationship is Increasingly Driven by Politics, Not Commodities
For centuries, many assumed that Africa's greatest contribution to the global economy was through selling stuff that comes out of the ground. That was certainly what drew the Chinese to Africa back in the early 2000s. Today that's no longer the case.
Algeria is the Latest Developing Country to Get in Line to Join the BRICS Group
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially submitted its application this week to become a new member of the BRICS club. Algeria now joins a growing list of developing countries, including Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, that all want to join the Chinese-initiated group. ...