Category: Politics
A Glimmer of Hope in the Middle of a Dark Tunnel
By Lukas Fiala As someone working on international affairs in today’s world, it’s rare to end the week on an optimistic note. Yet, sometimes even the darkest of times offer a glimpse of hope. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s return to in-person ...
Vietnam is an Increasingly Popular Destination for World Leaders Looking to Broaden Their Asia Strategies Beyond China
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is the latest head of state to visit Vietnam as more countries look to expand their Asia engagement strategies beyond China. President Museveni arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday for a three-day state visit that will include talks with his Vietnamese counterpart ...
The Indian Pundit Who Created the Discredited Chinese “Debt Trap” Meme is Still Convinced He’s Right
The creator of the widely-debunked Chinese "debt trap" meme is at it again with a new litany of breathless warnings about the risks developing countries take on when they borrow money from China. Indian pundit ...
Zimbabwe’s Chinese-Built Parliament Building Ready for Business
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa will formally inaugurate the country's new parliament building on Wednesday. The building was financed as a 'gift' by the Chinese government and built by Shanghai Construction Group Co. After the inauguration, Mnangagwa will deliver his annual ...
Why the Fate of the New COP27 “Loss and Damage” Climate Fund Depends on China
Negotiators from 200 countries at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt worked overtime this weekend to finalize a controversial funding proposal that would facilitate wealthy countries to compensate developing states for "loss and damages" wrought by climate change. While the new proposal is being ...
Xi Seeks to Contrast China’s Approach in Asia Against the U.S.
Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a week-long diplomatic sprint in Southeast Asia this weekend with the conclusion of the APEC summit in Bangkok. Prior to his return to China on Saturday, President Xi restated his ambition to "foster an open, fair and non-discriminatory trade and investment environment" in ...
Xi Jinping’s Summit Tour Continues to APEC in Thailand
This week’s carnival of summitry continues with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting in Bangkok. While many leaders - including China’s President Xi Jinping - are continuing straight to Thailand from the G20 summit in Bali earlier this week, U.S. President Joe Biden won’t be there. Vice President ...
China-Mexico Love-In at the G20
Even as the G20 summit focused on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s high-profile meetings, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard. While the full agenda of their meeting wasn’t released, China’s Foreign Ministry said, “Ebrard expressed his gratitude to ...
As COP27 Races to an Agreement, Things are Getting Real Awkward
The COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, will soon head into its final stage when delegates will wrestle through the night to finalize the wording of the agreement. The summit saw the emergence of major fault lines between the Global North and ...
EU Border Tax Proposal Sparks BASIC Backlash
An EU proposal at COP27 to tax carbon-intensive products like cement and steel is drawing resistance from a group of developing countries. At a ministerial meeting of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) group on the COP sidelines, officials said:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Xi Jinping is Back in the Diplomatic Game
After three years of avoiding major in-person diplomatic engagements, Chinese President Xi Jinping re-emerged on the diplomatic stage with a flurry of at least eight bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Spread among the President's ...
Xi Champions Developing Country Causes in G20 Speech
Chinese President Xi Jinping used his opening day address at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, to reassert Beijing's self-appointed role as the world's preeminent developing country. President Xi dedicated the bulk of his speech on Tuesday to a wide range of critical issues confronting countries in ...