South East Asia

The gifts the Biden Administration has already given the Chinese Communist Party in just two years have been nothing short of exorbitant — and often to the detriment of the US. The Biden Administration intends to spend more than half a trillion dollars on “clean energy and climate action over …

In April 2023, the first trilateral political consultation between the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, India and Armenia was held in Yerevan (Shargh Daily, April 21). The three countries focused primarily on “economic issues and regional communication channels,” and “the sides agreed to continue consultations in the trilateral format” (Mfa.am, …

The popular and picturesque term “soft power” has been increasingly used in recent years both in public discourse and in the academic community. The term was coined in 1990 by the American expert on politics and international relations, Joseph Nye. In short, soft power means the ability of a state/nation …

Head of the National Iranian Oil Company Mohsen Khojastehmehr announced that preliminary work for bilateral cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the oil industry has already commenced, amid the revival of relations between the two countries. He stated during a press conference on Tuesday that there is currently no …

As the Ukraine war nears its 500th day, the key issue on the minds of international policymakers is what impact last weekend’s extraordinary mutiny of Wagner forces will have on the conflict. The uprising, which exposed the growing internal fissures within Russia, will do nothing to strengthen the country’s already …

With U.S.-China ties at a low point, the resumption of high-level dialogue is a good sign — but there’s a long way to go to improve the relationship. Over the weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally made it to Beijing, where he met with senior-level Chinese Communist Party officials, …

What’s behind the dramatic increase in strategic cooperation? One word: China. Against the backdrop of tightening U.S.-India ties, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Washington this week for an official state visit — only the third President Joe Biden has hosted since taking office. The bilateral relationship has soared …

The army’s crackdown may appear to have been effective in undermining Imran Khan and dismantling his political party, but the long-term consequences could be serious. Too much time has been spent on ugly political manoeuvres, whereas the focus needs to be on the economy. A failure to address Pakistan’s economic …

If you have ever wondered what hell might feel like, ask an Afghan refugee. While you may not personally know any, there is a good chance that if you live near a major urban center in Europe, Canada or the United States, you’ve unknowingly passed someone on the street or …

FlashbackOn June 13, 2019, government of Pakistan issued a notification approving the creation of National Development Council [NDC] comprising 13 members under the then Prime Minister Imran Khan, which included the serving army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. The ‘terms of reference’ assigned to this newly created body were, “set …