South East Asia

Breaking the Stalemate: Biden Can Use the U.S.-Taliban Deal to Bring Peace

U.S. troop withdrawal looms over negotiations a year after the historic agreement. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-Taliban agreement, Afghanistan remains unfortunately far away from peace. The historic agreement paved the way for a full U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the start of intra-Afghan …

Read More »

Pakistan’s Action-Plan At UNSC Urges Outlawing Extremist Nationalist Groups – OpEd

In January 2021, Pakistan proposed an action plan at UNSC (United Nations Security Council) to combat the extremist Hindutva ideology. The purpose of this action plan is to counter the recent growth of extremist ideologies e.g. Hindutva ideology and highlight the role of Pakistan in the global campaign to fight …

Read More »

Biden’s CIA nominee stresses China over Iran during Senate hearing

Ambassador William Burns said that China is the biggest challenge for the United States, but that Iran and Russia cannot be overlooked. CIA Director nominee William Burns said Iran cannot be overlooked, but advocated for a focus on China during his nomination hearing Wednesday. Burns, who was nominated for the …

Read More »

When It Comes to Soft Power, China Is Already Outpacing the U.S.

The coming crisis of American power that is sure to follow the November election will be unique in U.S. history. Competing with China, Russia and whatever other major rivals may emerge will be less about aircraft carriers, fighter jets, nuclear submarines and stealth bombers than ever before, and more about …

Read More »

Will US-China Competition Divide South Asia Along Great Power Fault Lines? – Analysis

(FPRI) — On February 8, 2021, U.S. President Joseph Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed in a call to continue “close cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.” U.S.-Indian cooperation has strengthened considerably in the past year against the backdrop of an increasingly tense security situation in …

Read More »

While The Indo-Pacific Waits For Biden To Recognize Reality, It Must Help Itself – Analysis

Successful foreign policymaking, like love and dancing, is almost entirely dependent on timing. Unfortunately, at the present time, the new, sunny, administration of Joe Biden—with its utopian Wilsonian outlook—is in for a period of jarring realist education. The major players of the Indo-Pacific must not wait around for the superpower …

Read More »

Tokyo seals deal on costs to host U.S. forces in FY2021

Japan and the United States on Wednesday signed an agreement to maintain Tokyo’s costs to keep U.S. forces stationed in the country at around the current level for fiscal 2021, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said. Under the agreement, Japan will spend 201.7 billion yen ($1.9 billion) in the year …

Read More »

Post-Brexit UK Trade Strategy Needs To Engage China – Analysis

The United Kingdom’s trading aspirations in Asia will not negate its dependence on the European Union, nor will they unwind the dominant economic role of China in its neighbourhood. UK trade with Asia post-Brexit needs to be accompanied by efforts to engage Beijing in the strengthening of trade rules and …

Read More »

China vs America

Human survival on this planet has now become a battle between two systems of thought and governance; one the American based on vestiges of Western Neo-Liberalism and the other the Chinese under President Xi Jinping based on a restating of Marxist Socialism. The implications for the future of human civilization …

Read More »

Al-Qa`ida’s Soon-To-Be Third Emir? A Profile of Saif al-`Adl

Abstract: With the confirmed deaths of Hamza bin Ladin and Abu Muhammad al-Masri, as well as the reported (but as yet unconfirmed) demise of al-Qaida’s second emir, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the likely next in line to inherit the leadership is an Egyptian who goes by the nom de guerre Saif al-Adl. …

Read More »