ASEAN Heading Into Tense New Era as Philippines Takes the Helm

The Philippines became the new chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week, taking over from Malaysia. The shift marks a new phase that could see the 11-member body become more embroiled in U.S.-China geopolitics. Manila is expected ...

China and ASEAN Sign Updated Free Trade Deal

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed an updated free trade agreement on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Negotiations on upgrading their earlier trade agreement started in 2022. The ASEAN-China Free Trade ...

As Trump Departs, China’s Li Qiang Steps In to Champion Free Trade at ASEAN Summit

Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang arrived in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Monday to take part in the ASEAN leaders' summit that started over the weekend. Li's arrival came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump left Malaysia to continue his ...

Pacific Leaders Agree New Summit Rules After China, Taiwan Bans

By Ben Strang Pacific Island leaders agreed on Friday to a new framework that would allow nations to join a key regional forum as strategic partners, after accusations that China was influencing regional decision-making. The ...

Tianjin Summit in Review: The Winner Takes It All (But Not Much)

By Felix Brender 王哲謙 “We should continue to unequivocally oppose hegemonism and power politics, practice true multilateralism,” Xi declared in Tianjin last week. Yet for many of the leaders in the room, multilateralism appears to chiefly mean “more of me” ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

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) ...

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 ...

China is the ‘Elephant in the Room’ at Fraught Pacific Islands Summit

By Ben Strang Pacific Islands leaders are meeting in the Solomons this week for an influential summit clouded by differences over China's mounting influence in the region that risks scuppering regional cooperation. Alongside its 18 ...

China’s Xi at Center of World Stage After Days of High-Level Hobnobbing

By Rebecca Bailey Two blockbuster events in China this week were a successful exposition of President Xi Jinping's vision of a new world order -- one that puts him and his country firmly at its center while sidelining his rival, the ...

Xi Pushes for Security Boost in Pakistan

Chinese President Xi Jinping increased pressure on Pakistan to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel working in the country during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. Chinese work teams ...

SCO Summit Review: Xi, Modi & Putin Present a United Front

This week's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin signaled China’s ambition to redefine global governance. Leaders from more than 20 countries endorsed the Tianjin Declaration, pressing for a multipolar order, tighter security cooperation, and expanded economic integration.

Xi Launches Global Governance Initiative

In addition to China’s President Xi Jinping’s diplomatic blitz at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and this week’s upcoming military parade, he also launched the Global Governance initiative. It is the latest - and possibly the most prominent - of a series of initiatives that emblematize China’s ...
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