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China’s Play for Global Governance Leadership

In the weeks since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the new Global Governance Initiative (GGI) during a speech at the SCO summit in Tianjin, Beijing's propaganda apparatus has been working overtime to build support for the new plan, particularly in Africa, ...

China Leads Influence in Southeast Asia, but Neighbors Come First

China leads the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Influence Index by a point, 65 to 64 over the United States on the latest reading, but the study finds neighbors are more important than any external power, including China. However, Lowy records ...

Australia, Papua New Guinea Delay Mutual Defense Treaty

Australia and Papua New Guinea will not sign a long-awaited mutual defense treaty as expected on Wednesday, the two countries said. The deal was set to see the two nations commit to defending each other from armed attacks as they face ...

Papua New Guinea, Australia Will Commit to Mutual Defense to Counter “Emerging Threats”

A new defense treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea commits to defending each other if they are attacked in the face of "emerging threats", a copy of the deal seen by AFP on Tuesday showed. The pact -- seen as ...

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 ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

The G20 Summit and the Half-Life of a Joke

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 ...

Rubio Presses Mexico on Cartels and Fentanyl as China Looms in U.S. Security Push

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed Tuesday on his first trip in office to Mexico, which has so far succeeded in navigating treacherous terrain with President Donald Trump who wants tough action on migration and cartels. Rubio is set to ...

U.S.–Indonesia Trade Deal Unveiled with China in the Crosshairs

The United States and Indonesia on Tuesday unveiled a joint announcement on a reciprocal trade framework that, though never mentioning China by name, echoes its presence at every turn. While the U.S.-Indonesia trade deal slashes tariffs significantly, it introduces strict supply chain provisions, measures widely viewed ...

Pew Survey: Global South More Concerned About U.S. Than China

A new Pew Research Center survey reveals a surprising shift: in many Global South middle-income countries, people are more concerned about U.S. influence than China’s.

Trump’s Middle East Pivot Aims to Counter China’s Rising Influence

By Maria Papageorgiou The U.S. president, Donald Trump, claimed he was able to secure deals totalling more than $2 trillion for the U.S. on his tour of the Gulf states in May. Trump said “there has never been anything like” the amount ...