South East Asia

What’s Behind China’s Strategic Partnership With Georgia?

With Western powers distracted by the war in Ukraine, China appears to be making cautious moves to cement its position in the wider Black Sea region. The strategic partnership agreement released by Beijing and Tbilisi on July 31 surprised many in Georgia and in the West. While this diplomatic advance …

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Building Up the BRICS: An Emerging Counter-West Order?

While it is too early to declare the end of the US-led liberal international system and the rise of a BRICS-led counterweight, the Johannesburg summit highlights that the West is increasingly confronted by a multipolar world in which its position and the idea of a single global order are being …

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Afghanistan: A Final British Betrayal?

Two years ago, on 28 August 2021, the final British evacuation flight took off from Kabul airport. Thus ended 20 years of British endeavour in Afghanistan. Some was ineffectual, but some inspirational. This is the story of a major success, but with a decidedly bitter aftertaste. Just before midnight on …

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The Impact Of EU’s Regulation 2023/1542 On Chinese Power Battery Industry – Analysis

The EU’s Regulation 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries (henceforth “Regulation”) officially came into effect on August 17 this year. This will significantly impact battery production, supply chain construction, and trade worldwide, with China’s power battery industry and companies being the most affected. The Regulation categorizes products into automotive batteries, …

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India Powers G20 Summit Amid West’s Geopolitical Tensions With Russia – OpEd

India is gearing to hold the G20 in its capital Delhi, from 9-10 September, for the first time in its history. G20 members, foreign organizations and institutions have already grabbed their seats and ready for active participation in the context of the current global tensions. But Russia will skip New …

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BRICS : Un nouveau monde étonnant

L’élargissement de la zone des BRICS a laissé de nombreux analystes perplexes. Et a plongé les hommes politiques et les opérateurs économiques dans une sorte d’état de confusion. La démonstration – s’il en était besoin – du vieil adage selon lequel les dieux aveuglent ceux qu’ils veulent perdre. Car ce …

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China is doing everything it can to conceal the true extent of its economic turmoil

China’s economy is turning into a big black blob. This transformation means that while the country’s economy will still be significant to global business, it will no longer be the lodestar for growth. It will still advance, but much more slowly. And while those on the outside will still be …

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China’s Road to Ruin

The Real Toll of Beijing’s Belt and Road This year marks the tenth anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, the largest and most ambitious infrastructure development project in human history. China has lent more than $1 trillion to more than 100 countries through the scheme, dwarfing …

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Afghanistan At A Crossroads: Two Years Under The Taliban Rule – OpEd

As Afghanistan marks two years under Taliban rule, the world remains apprehensive about the nation’s potential resurgence as a safe haven for international terrorism. The world’s worst fears were confirmed over a year ago when the U.S. identified al-Qaeda leader Aimen al-Zawahiri in Kabul before killing him in a drone …

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