Tag: Geopolitics
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How Chinese Experts are Reacting to the American-Israeli Strikes on Iran
By Andrea Ghiselli More than a hundred children at a girls’ primary school in Minab, in southern Iran, are reported dead. Missiles and drones are striking targets across Israel as well as the Gulf, from Kuwait to Oman, with the barrage ...
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Social Media Commentators Are Misreading the China Angle in the U.S.–Israeli War With Iran
By William Figuerora, Assistant Professor at Groningen University There are a lot of spurious claims that China will be badly damaged by the U.S and Israeli war against Iran, going as far as to suggest that China might be the real ...
As U.S. and Israel Strike Iran, China Watchers See Beijing Poised to Profit From the Chaos
Almost immediately after the U.S. and Israel launched "major combat operations" against Iran, a vigorous debate erupted online over what this latest conflict in the Persian Gulf would mean for China. The discourse largely broke down into two distinct categories:
China Highlights Tracking of U.S. Military Movements Near Iran
People’s Liberation Army-linked analysts and social media accounts have publicized satellite imagery and flight-tracking data purporting to show U.S. military aircraft and naval movements near Iran, raising questions about whether Beijing is signaling its intelligence reach. The reports, amplified by Chinese commentators ...
EU Lawmakers Question Global Gateway’s Africa Spending as China Comparison Intensifies
The EU's answer to China's Belt and Road Initiative is facing new scrutiny from lawmakers at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Global Gateway (GG), a program launched in 2021 to finance infrastructure in developing countries, was the focus of a new ...
Chinese Think Tank Argues U.S.–India Tensions May Ease Pressure on Beijing
A think tank affiliated with China’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission （国家发展与改革委员会), said in an analysis that current tensions between the United States and India extend beyond President Donald Trump himself, pointing instead to deeper structural factors that could make the ...
Chinese Commentator’s Defense of Missile Sale to Iran on Russian TV Lends Credence to Report
While the Chinese government has not officially commented on the reported sale of supersonic anti-ship missiles to Iran, one of China's most outspoken media provocateurs appeared on Russian state television on Tuesday to defend the move. Victor Gao, vice president of ...
China Close to Deal Selling Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles to Iran
After two years of negotiations, Iran is close to finalizing a deal with China to buy supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, according to Reuters. Reuters cited six sources who confirmed that Iran is poised to acquire Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, nicknamed "Carrier-Killers," that are ...
The Paradox of Panama’s “Rule of Law”: Hutchison Ports vs. Minera Panama
In the wake of the forced transition at the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal, Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha sent a clear message to the international community: Panama is a country of legal certainty, and the government is "simply respecting a Supreme Court ruling" regarding the ouster ...
Djibouti Signs Minerals Deal with Chinese Company
The small East African country of Djibouti signed a $50 million deal with the Singapore-based Chinese company Tze Kuen for mineral exploration and extraction over the five-year period from 2026 to 2030. ...
U.S. Signs Critical Minerals Deal with Uzbekistan to Counter China’s Resource Dominance in Central Asia
By Marc Jones The U.S. government has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to secure better access to the Central Asian country's critical minerals, as U.S. President Donald Trump moves to counter China's dominance of crucial resources and their supply chains.
U.S. Bars Palau Senate President, Former Marshall Islands Mayor Over China-Linked Corruption
By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom The United States on Tuesday barred Palau Senate President Hokkons Baules and his family from entering the U.S., accusing him of corruption linked to China, as Washington pushes back on Beijing's effort to boost its influence in the ...
Chinese Analysts Question Whether a U.S.-Led Minerals Alliance Can Ever Match China’s Costs
As Washington and its allies rally around a rare point of consensus under U.S. President Donald Trump on stockpiling critical minerals, a move clearly targeting China’s dominance in this sector, some Chinese scholars are questioning how durable this alignment will be for one simple reason: cost.
China’s Global Power Looks Different When Its Partners Are in Crisis
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces executed a dramatic operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, abruptly removing the central figure of a regime that had been one of Beijing’s most emblematic strategic partners in Latin ...
U.S. Proposes Critical Minerals Trade Bloc Aimed at Countering China
By Michael Martina, Simon Lewis and Jarrett Renshaw U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday unveiled plans to marshal allies into a preferential trade bloc for critical minerals, proposing coordinated price floors as Washington escalates efforts to loosen China's grip on materials ...
Xi, Putin Hail Ties in Video Call as Ukraine War Nears Anniversary
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed their ties during a video call on Wednesday held in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of Moscow's war in Ukraine. In a Russian state TV broadcast of the ...
Why the Belt and Road Is Back in a Big Way
There's been a lot of discussion in recent years about the financial health of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Critics contend the BRI became overstretched, bankrupting borrowers and straining creditors suffering from a weakening Chinese economy.
China Bristles After Panama Court Strips Hong Kong Firm of Canal Port Operations
The Chinese government reacted angrily to a Panamanian Supreme Court decision late last week that stripped Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison of operating two ports along the Panama Canal. The court ruled on Thursday that the concession for Panama Ports Company, a CK ...
Implications of Panama Court Ruling to Quash CK Hutchison Port Concessions
By Clare Jim, Kane Wu and Scott Murdoch Panama's Supreme Court annulled last week CK Hutchison's contract to operate two Panama Canal ports at the heart of a $23-billion deal to sell the Hong Kong conglomerate's global port assets.
China Emerges as Top Development Partner for Small Island States, ODI Survey Finds
As climate shocks intensify and aid from legacy donors comes under pressure, China is increasingly filling the development gap for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a group of climate-vulnerable economies spread across the Caribbean, Pacific, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea, according to a new report from ...
Australia Committed to Retaking Ownership of Darwin Port, Albanese Says
Australia was committed to returning a key northern port leased for 99 years to a Chinese company to Australian ownership, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday after Beijing's envoy to Canberra warned of trade reprisals. The Northern Territory government sold Darwin Port to Chinese company Landbridge for ...
Small Island States Rate China as Top Development Partner as West Cuts Aid
By Libby George A survey of small island developing nations such as Mauritius and the Maldives showed China rated as the top bilateral development assistance partner amid U.S. aid cuts and Washington's pivot away from climate change, a report by ODI Global found. ...
Senior Kenyan Diplomat Visits Beijing as Nairobi Deepens Development Talks With China
Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing'Oei, is in Beijing this week for talks with senior Chinese development and finance officials. Sing'Oei's first stop on Monday was at the headquarters of the China-Africa Development Fund, where he met with senior ...
Cambodia Defends Deportation of Alleged Chinese Scam Kingpin Chen Zhi
Cambodia publicly defended its decision to deport alleged cybercrime boss Chen Zhi to China, pushing back against questions over due process and sovereignty as scrutiny of the country’s sprawling scam-center economy intensifies. Officials said Chen’s expulsion was carried out on clear ...
Myanmar Completes China-Supported Election
Voting has concluded in the final round of national elections in Myanmar. The vote is widely expected to entrench the power of the ruling military junta, which took power in 2021 after ousting Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratic government.
Congo Invites U.S. Investors Into Key Mineral Projects, Amid Global Push to Diversify From China
By Ange Kasongo The Democratic Republic of Congo has sent Washington a shortlist of state-owned assets - including manganese, copper-cobalt, gold, and lithium projects - for U.S. investors to consider as part of a minerals partnership, two senior Congolese officials said. ...
India’s Central Bank Proposes Linking BRICS’ Digital Currencies, Sources Say
By Jaspreet Kalra and Nikunj Ohri India's central bank has proposed that BRICS countries link their official digital currencies to make cross-border trade and tourism payments easier, two sources said, which could reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar as geopolitical tensions ...
South Africa Defends Naval Drills With China, Iran, and Russia as ‘Essential’
South Africa on Saturday began naval drills with Russia, Iran, and China, describing the maneuvers off its coast as not merely a show of force but a vital response to rising maritime tensions. The week‑long 'Will for Peace 2026' exercises come ...
China: The Indispensable Partner of Maduro’s Venezuela
By Peter Catterall China was the dominant buyer of Venezuelan oil under deposed president Nicolas Maduro, the fulcrum of a symbiotic partnership that propped up the South American economy and gave Beijing regional influence. But ...
Survey: Indonesians See China as an Opportunity, Not an Ally or Threat
Global debates about China’s rise often revolve around military flashpoints or ideological rivalry. Far less attention is paid to how societies in influential middle powers actually perceive Beijing’s growing role. Indonesia—home to more than 270 million people, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and a country with a long ...
Q&A: Maduro’s Fall Tests China’s Influence in Washington’s Backyard
The United States government's rationale for last Friday's military incursion into Venezuela to detain President Nicolás Maduro has evolved over the months from combating narco-terrorism to asserting control over the country's vast oil reserves. But amid the varying justifications for the intervention was a concern about China's ...
U.S. Strike in Venezuela Intensifies Chinese Media Debate Over Taiwan
Washington’s intervention in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro have sent shockwaves across Chinese social media, triggering surprise, anger, and unease. Beyond that, a more intriguing conversation emerged - Taiwan. U.S. forces carried out the lightning strike on Caracas ...
After Venezuela, China Is Watching How Washington Defines Its Sphere of Influence
By Shaun Tandon With a major attack to arrest Venezuela's leader, President Donald Trump is showing that the United States will impose its will in its neighborhood -- and the lesson may not be lost on Russia and China.
S. Korean President Heads to China, Hoping to Sidestep Taiwan Tensions
By Hieun Shin South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung heads to China on Sunday, eager to boost economic ties with Seoul's largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan. ...
2025 China-Africa Year in Review
In this special year-end edition of The China in Africa Podcast, Eric, Cobus, and Géraud look back on the top stories of 2025 and look ahead to the key trend to watch in 2026. 📌 ...
At UN, Russia and China Criticize U.S. Conduct Toward Venezuela
Russia and China on Tuesday criticized the United States for its military and economic pressure on Venezuela, telling the UN Security Council it was "cowboy behavior" and "intimidation." Venezuela, which requested the emergency council meeting with the backing of Moscow and ...
Jane Perlez on the New Era of U.S.-China Competition and Rivalry
The increasingly acrimonious U.S.-China relationship is the defining trend of this era, upending global politics, economics, and security, especially across the Global South. Countries that have worked hard to avoid having to pick sides in this new competition may no longer ...
What Makes China’s Foreign Aid Different
Soon after USAID was closed in February, speculation circulated that China would move quickly to fill the void left by the United States. That did not happen. While the Chinese did step in to provide ...
What the U.S. Strategy Debate Gets Wrong About China
By Lukas Fiala Over the last week, all of us have pored over the latest U.S. National Security Strategy. As many have pointed out, one of the most striking developments is the shift towards recognising the Western Hemisphere as a primary ...
The New Dilemma for Middle Powers Caught Between the U.S. and China
In this episode of the China Global South Podcast, Eric & Cobus unpack a major question facing middle powers everywhere: What happens when the global security architecture you relied on for decades no longer exists? Fresh from ...
Macron Tells Xi China, France Must Overcome ‘Differences’
French President Emmanuel Macron told Xi Jinping that France and China must overcome their "differences" during their meeting in Beijing on Thursday. "Sometimes there are differences, but it is our responsibility to overcome them for the greater good," Macron told Xi ...
China, Japan in Fresh Incident Around Disputed Islands
Japanese and Chinese vessels engaged in a fresh standoff around disputed islands on Tuesday, the two countries' coast guards said. Relations have been strained since Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested last month that her country could intervene militarily in ...
Amid a Global Arms Boom, China Confronts Delays, Scrutiny, and a Rare Drop in Defense Sales
Sales by the world's top 100 arms makers reached a record $679 billion last year, as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza boosted demand, researchers said Monday, but production issues hampered deliveries. The figure was 5.9 percent higher than the year before, ...
At African Studies Gathering, Critiques of China Grow Louder… And More African
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 Some of North America’s (and perhaps the world’s) leading Africanists gathered last week in Atlanta for the African Studies Association’s Annual Meeting. As ever, China loomed large on the agenda. What was new, however, was not ...
India Launches $815 Million Plan to Cut Reliance on China for Rare Earth Magnets
India has approved a more than $800 million plan to boost production of rare earth magnets in an effort to secure supplies and cut its dependence on imports from countries like China. Rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs), some of the strongest ...
EU Says Must ‘Step up’ Against China Rare Earths ‘Racket’
The European Union must ramp up efforts to break its dependence on China for rare earths faced with export curbs that amount to a "racket" by Beijing, the bloc's industry chief Stephane Sejourne said Tuesday. China, the world's top producer of ...
As Conflict Escalates in Eastern Congo, China’s Mining Giants Confront New Risks Far From the Front Lines
In late November, China’s Foreign Ministry issued a stark warning about the Democratic Republic of Congo: the security situation in the east has deteriorated sharply, with armed clashes, extremist activity and attacks against foreign workers rising again. Congo sits at the ...
With Washington Absent, China Seizes the Stage at G20 in Johannesburg
Chinese Premier Li Qiang was very busy at this weekend's G20 summit in Johannesburg, where he seemed at ease that Donald Trump and the U.S. delegation stayed home, for the most part. There's no doubt that had Trump been there, the ...
As China Expands Its Presence in Africa, Smaller EU States Rush to Catch Up
By Umberto Bacchi From Finland opening diplomatic outposts in Senegal to Czech instructors training Mauritanian security forces, a group of smaller European nations has joined a global scramble for influence in Africa. Estonia, Romania and ...
An Exhibition of ‘Civilizations’ in Beijing, and the Narrative China Is Quietly Writing
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 The Where Civilizations Meet exhibition at Beijing’s National Museum of China drew to a close this month. Showcasing artifacts from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it was, at least on the surface, a celebration ...
Bolivia’s Lithium Mines Drive U.S. Rapprochement, Chinese Commentator Says
On his first day in office, Bolivia’s new president, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, made a historic move, ending a 17-year diplomatic deadlock with the United States. On Saturday, he announced the full restoration of ties, including the exchange of ambassadors. The high-level U.S. presence at his inauguration underscored ...
China’s Shadow Looms Over Trump’s Summit With Central Asian Leaders
U.S. President Donald Trump will host all five Central Asian leaders in Washington on Thursday, marking the first time they have been gathered together. This comes just a few months after they held separate summits with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Japan PM Says Raised ‘Serious Concerns’ With Xi on South China Sea, Xinjiang
Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday she raised "serious concerns" about the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Xinjiang in a "candid" first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi, in turn, told Japan's first woman prime minister, ...
U.S.-China Summit Demonstrates Who Matters in International Politics and Why That’s a Problem
By Lukas Fiala Who needs Michael Myers this Halloween when a look at this year’s major headlines should send shivers down the spine of even a seasoned observer of international relations? Amidst all the mayhem, the apparent deal between the U.S. ...
Trump, China, and Stalled Diplomacy: Five Takeaways From ASEAN Summit
By Isabelle Leong The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded on Tuesday its biannual summit attended by foreign leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, with trade and regional tensions on the agenda. Here are ...
Japan Sidelines Chinese Immigrants as It Opens Door to India, Says Chinese Commentator
In August, India and Japan finalized a significant human resources partnership, agreeing to facilitate the exchange of 500,000 people over the next five years, including 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled Indian workers who will be employed in Japan. Recently, popular online ...
U.S. Expands Iran Sanctions, Targeting Chinese Firms Tied to Oil Shipments
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on dozens of people, companies and ships tied to Iran's oil sector, stepping up its campaign against a key revenue source for Tehran. The Treasury announced more than 50 targets aimed at people who ...
How China is Displacing U.S. Economic Power in Latin America
For centuries, the United States was the undisputed hegemonic power across the Western Hemisphere; however, that is no longer the case today. China is now the largest trading partner for the majority of countries in Latin America and is quickly filling ...
Future-Gazing China’s Global Governance Initiative
By Lukas Fiala At China’s SCO summit earlier this month, Xi launched yet another one of his signature foreign policy-oriented projects: the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). Adding an umbrella framing to the existing alphabet soup of GSI, GDI, GCI and ...
For Chinese Viewers, a Serbian Blogger Replaces a Simple Story with a Complex Reality
In recent weeks, Serbia has once again found itself at the crossroads of global power politics. On Chinese social media, military enthusiasts have been celebrating the prominent role of Chinese-made equipment in Serbia’s preparations for its September 20 military parade — including the debut of two ...
Rubio Seeks ‘Constructive’ Engagement in China Call
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he wanted constructive dialogue with China in a call with his counterpart, after Washington teased new pressure over oil purchases from Russia. In a telephone call with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Rubio "emphasized ...
Revealing Reactions to China’s Festival of Optics
In terms of geopolitical optics, this week was nothing short of a banquet. It served up at least two sets of images that seem to crystallize our historical moment and that will live on in the Wikipedia of history as shorthand for where the world was in ...
China Slams Vietnam Over Island-Building in South China Sea
China condemned Vietnam over a report it had sped up island-building in an area of the disputed South China Sea that Beijing claims as its own. "China firmly opposes the relevant country’s construction activities on islands and reefs they have illegally ...
China Says Opposes European Sanctions Over Iran Nuclear Program
China said Friday it opposed invoking sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program after three Western nations told the UN they would reimpose them if no diplomatic solution was found by the end of August. European sanctions on Iran were eased ...
China’s Top Diplomat Wang to Visit India for Border Talks
China's top diplomat will visit India next week for talks about their shared boundary, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Saturday, as the two countries consider resuming border trade after a five-year halt. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India on Delhi's ...
Marcos Says Philippines Would Be Dragged ‘Kicking and Screaming’ Into Taiwan War
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos warned Monday that his country would be dragged "kicking and screaming" into any war over Taiwan, but must prepare for it. China considers self-ruled Taiwan, Manila's closest neighbor to the north, to be part of its territory ...
Philippine, Indian Navies Begin First Joint South China Sea Patrols
Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila's military said Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos departed for a state visit to New Delhi. The two-day sail, which ...
Amid Fuel Shortages, Cuba Looks to China for Energy Solutions
Cuba is in the middle of a profound energy crisis — and China sees an opening. As Havana struggles with crumbling infrastructure, dwindling oil imports, and a decades-long economic downturn, Beijing is stepping in to fill the void left by its traditional allies, Russia and Venezuela. The ...
Western Aid Cuts Cede Ground to China in Southeast Asia: Study
China is poised to expand its influence over Southeast Asia's development as the Trump administration and other Western donors reduce aid, a study by an Australian think tank said on Sunday. The region is in an "uncertain moment", facing cuts in ...
China Begins Massive Dam Project in Tibet, Prompting Indian Objections
China started building a mega-dam Saturday on a river running through Tibet and India, with Premier Li Qiang attending the commencement ceremony, state media said. Beijing approved the project in December on the river -- known as Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet ...
Disorder as Strategy at the Gate of Tears
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 In the latest vignette of maritime theater off Yemen’s coast, a Chinese frigate decided to dazzle a German surveillance plane with a military-grade laser, forcing it to turn tail and return to Djibouti. Berlin is ...
BRICS Nations to Gather Without Xi, Putin
By Facundo Fernández Barrio BRICS leaders will meet in Rio de Janeiro from Sunday, with the bloc depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who is skipping the annual summit of emerging economies for the first time in 12 years.
In China, Ecuador’s Noboa Looks for Breathing Room and Bargains
With a tightening fiscal clock and the weight of geopolitical balancing on his shoulders, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa touched down in China last week with more than just a forum appearance on his agenda. His trip to the 2025 Summer Davos Forum in Tianjin doubled as a ...
How China is Challenging Russia’s Nuclear Dominance in Central Asia Through Kazakhstan
Having reshaped Central Asia’s oil and gas infrastructure and challenged Russia’s long-standing dominance of the region’s traditional energy sector, China is now setting its sights on nuclear power as the next frontier. This next step is not just about energy diversification. ...
China Hosts Iranian, Russian Defense Ministers Against Backdrop of ‘Momentous Change’
China hosted defense ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending.
Putin Will Not Travel to BRICS Summit in Brazil Due to ICC Warrant: Kremlin
Vladimir Putin will not travel to Brazil for next month's BRICS summit due to the outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on the Russian president, the Kremlin said Wednesday. Putin is wanted by the Hague-based ICC for the alleged illegal ...
How Paraguay’s Veto Power Could Reshape China’s Trade Future in South America
Amid a flurry of headline-grabbing geopolitical developments, one story has flown largely under the radar: several recent signals from within Paraguay suggest a potential shift in the country’s long-standing diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. While it might seem like just another chapter in the long-running contest between Beijing ...
New Zealand Halts Aid to Cook Islands Over China Deals
New Zealand's government halted aid to close partner the Cook Islands on Thursday because of a row over agreements the Pacific island nation struck with China. New Zealand "paused" the payments and would not resume them until the Cook Islands took ...
Africa May Have to Give Up on the United States
It was during the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa — just as the lights dimmed, Trump cued up a video presentation, and the whole encounter veered into political theater — when the question hit me: what is this all ...
Unmapped Opportunity: What Role for China in Syria’s Reconstruction?
By Sama Aziz and Raphael Angieri Five months since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad and subsequent consolidation of power by insurgent leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and his militant faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria’s international repositioning is well underway. Global powers ...
China’s Xi Aims to Beef up ‘No Limits’ Putin Partnership
Chinese President Xi Jinping headed to Moscow on Wednesday for a key three-day visit including a grand Victory Day parade and a show of support for Vladimir Putin. Moscow and Beijing declared a "no limits partnership" weeks before Putin ordered Russia's ...
The Fate of China’s Global Supply Chains in the New Tariff Era
With new tariff threats from the Trump administration and rising tensions across key markets, companies and governments alike are scrambling to understand what decoupling—or de-risking—actually looks like in practice. From electronics and apparel to solar panels and electric vehicles, China’s ...
Bangladesh’s Yunus to Visit China This Month
Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus will travel to Beijing on a diplomatic goodwill visit this month as frosty relations with neighboring India spur his caretaker administration to court new friends. The Nobel Peace laureate took charge of Bangladesh last August after the ...
Dismantling U.S. Influence: China Watches as Washington Walks Away
It was another head-spinning weekend trying to absorb the magnitude of the changes taking place in Washington. Just as you're reading about the closure of U.S. state-funded media outlet Voice of America and its sister outlets, you learn that another U.S. Congressionally-funded think tank, the venerable Wilson ...
How the Global South Became Central to China’s Narrative Strategy on Russia’s War in Ukraine
By Lukas Fiala Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a little over three years ago, marked a critical juncture in the development of European and international security. Far from merely a regional issue, the war has since affected many beyond the old continent: ...
China’s $249 Billion 2025 Military Budget: Modernization, Tensions, and Comparisons
On Wednesday, China announced a 7.2% increase in its 2025 national defense and military budget, bringing total military spending to $249 billion. This marks the 10th consecutive year of single-digit growth in defense expenditure, a pattern Beijing maintains is measured ...
Navigating U.S.-China Rivalry: Africa’s Strategic Response in the Trump Era
The U.S.-China relationship is at a critical inflection point as Donald Trump tries to reset ties with his counterpart Xi Jinping. The U.S. President has repeatedly said he wants to negotiate a comprehensive trade agreement that would, in his view, lead ...
Sri Lanka President to Visit Key Lender China
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will travel to the island's largest bilateral lender, China, for talks in January, he said on Saturday, days after completing a long-delayed foreign debt restructuring. China accounted for more than half of Sri Lanka's bilateral ...
Indonesian and Malaysian Leaders to Discuss Regional Priorities and Challenges Amid China-U.S. Tensions
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is set to meet with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the Malaysian island of Langkawi near the Thai border as part of efforts to bolster ASEAN cooperation amid growing geopolitical and economic challenges.
Trump 2.0 and U.S.-China Competition Across the Global South
By Chris Alden, Felix Brender, and Lukas Fiala While U.S. elections have commonly captured the world’s attention, it is safe to say this week’s result has perhaps been one of the most anxiously anticipated outcomes both within the U.S. and in ...
Indian and Chinese Troops Gift Sweets at Contested Border
Indian and Chinese troops exchanged boxes of sweets on Thursday at two points on their contested high-altitude border, a week after the leaders of the Asian rivals held a rare meeting. China and India, the world's two most populous nations, are ...
U.S. Strategy in Question as China and India Begin Border Troop Pullback
It's been a week since news broke that China and India would withdraw military forces along their contested border, and we're still trying to digest the implications of the deal. The sense in New Delhi is to wait and see how ...
Xi Tells BRICS Summit World Facing ‘Serious Challenges’
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday told leaders of BRICS emerging economies the world was facing "serious challenges" and urged the group to be a "stabilizing force." Xi was speaking on the final day of the BRICS summit in the Russian ...
Putin Touts ‘Multipolar World Order’ at Flagship BRICS Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday touted the creation of a new "multipolar world order" at the BRICS summit, a gathering of world leaders he hopes will show that Western attempts to isolate Moscow over its Ukraine offensive have failed. The ...
China’s Xi Hails Russia Ties in ‘Chaotic’ World in Putin Talks
Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed his country's ties with Russia in a "chaotic" world as he met President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan. "The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the international ...
Putin Seeks to Rival Western Power With High-Profile Summit
Two dozen world leaders will meet in Russia next week for a summit of the BRICS group, an alliance of emerging economies that the Kremlin hopes will challenge Western "hegemony." The summit will be the biggest in Russia since the Ukraine ...
Global Gateway in Africa: Europe’s Answer to China’s Belt and Road
The European Commission's Global Gateway initiative will turn three years old in December. The $300 billion infrastructure initiative was launched with great fanfare to provide developing countries in Africa and elsewhere with an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Blinken at ASEAN Meet Condemns China’s ‘Increasingly Dangerous’ Sea Moves
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Beijing's "increasingly dangerous" actions in the South China Sea and voiced support for freedom of navigation as he met leaders of the ASEAN bloc on Friday. "We remain concerned about China's increasingly dangerous and ...
With Global Attention Elsewhere, Asia-Pacific Remains a Theater for China-India Rivalry
By Saniya Kulkarni In what has turned out to be the closest election in the history of Sri Lankan politics, left-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake has unseated Ranil Wickremesinghe to become the island country’s eighth president, also
Japan Warship Asserts Right to Sail Through Taiwan Strait: Media
By Kyoko Hasegawa A Japanese warship cruised through the Taiwan Strait for the first time to assert its freedom of navigation, local media said Thursday, just a week after a Chinese aircraft carrier sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan.
File image of an artisanal miner carrying raw ore at Tilwizembe, a former industrial copper-cobalt mine, outside of Kolwezi, the capital city of Lualaba Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. REUTERS/Kenny Katombe/File Photo
By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila and Ange Kasongo The U.S. has made progress in its push to prise Congo's strategic minerals from China's orbit, but conflict, contested licences and compliance demands are still slowing Washington's advance into a region its rival dominates, diplomats and ...
As U.S. and Israel Strike Iran, China Watchers See Beijing Poised to Profit From the Chaos
Almost immediately after the U.S. and Israel launched "major combat operations" against Iran, a vigorous debate erupted online over what this latest conflict in the Persian Gulf would mean for China. The discourse largely broke down into two distinct categories:
China Highlights Tracking of U.S. Military Movements Near Iran
People’s Liberation Army-linked analysts and social media accounts have publicized satellite imagery and flight-tracking data purporting to show U.S. military aircraft and naval movements near Iran, raising questions about whether Beijing is signaling its intelligence reach. The reports, amplified by Chinese commentators ...
EU Lawmakers Question Global Gateway’s Africa Spending as China Comparison Intensifies
The EU's answer to China's Belt and Road Initiative is facing new scrutiny from lawmakers at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Global Gateway (GG), a program launched in 2021 to finance infrastructure in developing countries, was the focus of a new ...
Chinese Think Tank Argues U.S.–India Tensions May Ease Pressure on Beijing
A think tank affiliated with China’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission （国家发展与改革委员会), said in an analysis that current tensions between the United States and India extend beyond President Donald Trump himself, pointing instead to deeper structural factors that could make the ...
Chinese Commentator’s Defense of Missile Sale to Iran on Russian TV Lends Credence to Report
While the Chinese government has not officially commented on the reported sale of supersonic anti-ship missiles to Iran, one of China's most outspoken media provocateurs appeared on Russian state television on Tuesday to defend the move. Victor Gao, vice president of ...
China Close to Deal Selling Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles to Iran
After two years of negotiations, Iran is close to finalizing a deal with China to buy supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, according to Reuters. Reuters cited six sources who confirmed that Iran is poised to acquire Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, nicknamed "Carrier-Killers," that are ...
The Paradox of Panama’s “Rule of Law”: Hutchison Ports vs. Minera Panama
In the wake of the forced transition at the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal, Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha sent a clear message to the international community: Panama is a country of legal certainty, and the government is "simply respecting a Supreme Court ruling" regarding the ouster ...
Djibouti Signs Minerals Deal with Chinese Company
The small East African country of Djibouti signed a $50 million deal with the Singapore-based Chinese company Tze Kuen for mineral exploration and extraction over the five-year period from 2026 to 2030. ...
U.S. Signs Critical Minerals Deal with Uzbekistan to Counter China’s Resource Dominance in Central Asia
By Marc Jones The U.S. government has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to secure better access to the Central Asian country's critical minerals, as U.S. President Donald Trump moves to counter China's dominance of crucial resources and their supply chains.
U.S. Bars Palau Senate President, Former Marshall Islands Mayor Over China-Linked Corruption
By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom The United States on Tuesday barred Palau Senate President Hokkons Baules and his family from entering the U.S., accusing him of corruption linked to China, as Washington pushes back on Beijing's effort to boost its influence in the ...
Chinese Analysts Question Whether a U.S.-Led Minerals Alliance Can Ever Match China’s Costs
As Washington and its allies rally around a rare point of consensus under U.S. President Donald Trump on stockpiling critical minerals, a move clearly targeting China’s dominance in this sector, some Chinese scholars are questioning how durable this alignment will be for one simple reason: cost.
China’s Global Power Looks Different When Its Partners Are in Crisis
By Felix Brender 王哲謙 On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces executed a dramatic operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, abruptly removing the central figure of a regime that had been one of Beijing’s most emblematic strategic partners in Latin ...