Remember “no blood for oil”? Decades ago, the slogan emblematized opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Its logic subsequently shifted as the United States experienced a gas and oil revolution thanks to fracking.
It has cycled back into relevance following the Trump administration’s invasion of Venezuela and the seizure of its oil, which, despite its carnivalesque tone, left at least 80 people dead. The Iran war has now ...
Category: Forum
China Moves from Infrastructure to Legal Influence in Africa
Prosecutors and representatives from twelve African countries — Ethiopia, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — gathered in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, on October 29, 2025, for the second China-Africa Prosecutorial Cooperation Forum. The meeting’s theme, ...
China Wins Observer Seat in Andean Bloc, Expanding Its Latin American Diplomacy
In late September 2025, the Andean Community (CAN, for its acronym in Spanish) granted observer status to China, marking Beijing’s latest diplomatic advance into a sub-regional body of Latin America and the Caribbean. Access to the CAN is part of ...
Cambodia Deepens China Defense Ties at Xiangshan Forum
Cambodia deepened defense ties with China and opened talks with regional counterparts at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, China. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha addressed the conference and held a meeting with China’s defense minister. Seiha ...
Don’t Expect Concrete Results From the SCO Summit – That’s Not the Point
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is gearing up for its annual summit on Sunday, and the same old criticisms are resurfacing: too big, too divided, too vague. And there’s truth to that. What started as a six-member organization in 2001 (consisting ...
Belt and Road Forum Concludes as Geopolitical Clouds Gather
The Belt and Road Forum has wrapped up with an eye-watering list of new initiatives and events, and commitments. Some of these are strikingly vague and/or abstract and working out exactly what they entail will take a while. What is notable ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Kevin Gallagher’s Key Takeaways From the Belt & Road Forum
Boston University Global Development Policy Center Director Kevin Gallagher was one of only a handful of U.S. stakeholders invited to participate in the Belt and Road Forum that just wrapped up in Beijing. Kevin joined CGSP Editor-in-Chief Eric Olander for a ...
Xi’s Speed Diplomacy on the Sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum
Xi Jinping’s presence at the Belt and Road Forum was dominated by his keynote address during which he announced a raft of new initiatives. However, he also engaged in speedy rounds of bilateral meetings and hosted a banquet on Tuesday night. ...