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‘Confident’ China to Convene Rubber-Stamp Parliament

China is expected to tout its strong economic performance during the pandemic and unveil long-term goals for its economy at an annual meeting of its ceremonial legislature beginning Friday in Beijing. Thousands of delegates will attend the National People’s Congress session and a parallel gathering of a political advisory body, …

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Confucius Institutes And Espionage – OpEd

“Chinese Confucius Institutes are suspected of espionage” – such headlines graced news articles a couple of years ago, but the reality is that everyone knows about it, but it’s difficult to prove. In this article I will explain the role of these institutes as an instrument of Beijing’s soft power.

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Biden, Afghanistan And Forever Wars – OpEd

The papers are full of suggestions on what US President Joe Biden should do about his country’s seemingly perennial involvement in Afghanistan. None are particularly useful, in that they ignore the central premise that a nation state long mauled, molested and savaged should finally be left alone. Nonsense, say the …

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China In The Middle East: Stepping Up To The Plate – Analysis

By defining Chinese characteristics as “seeking common ground while reserving differences,” a formula that implies conflict management rather than conflict resolution, Messrs. Sun and Wu were suggesting that China was seeking to prepare the ground for greater Chinese engagement in efforts to stabilize the Middle East, a volatile region that …

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US urges Saudis to disband force behind Khashoggi killing

The United States on Monday urged Saudi Arabia to disband an elite unit controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Washington sanctioned over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “We have urged Saudi Arabia to disband this group and then adopt institutional, systemic reforms and controls to ensure that …

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Morocco suspends contact with German embassy

Officials say decision in part due to ‘deep misunderstandings’ in Berlin’s stance over Western Sahara. Morocco has suspended contacts with the German embassy in the North African kingdom in part over what officials said was Berlin’s stance on the Western Sahara dispute.

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China, Iran relations widen amid renewed nuclear talks

While pressuring Washington to drop sanctions and renew the JCPOA, Beijing has expanded trade and military relations with Tehran and its neighbors. In the puzzle that is known as the Iran nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the United States holds the key, China’s Foreign …

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