Advertisement China is strengthening its grip on Colombo port after securing an agreement to build, operate, and transfer a warehousing hub within the port. The China Merchants Port Holdings Company (CMPH) will have an 85 percent stake in the warehouse facility and will operate it for 50 years. The Sri Lankan government assigned the $392 … Read more
Advertisement Russia is unlikely to face criticism over its war in Ukraine at an upcoming meeting of Central Asian foreign ministers and instead could flex its influence with the regional group. The meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ministers Friday in India’s picturesque state of Goa is the latest avenue for the host nation … Read more
Advertisement Last week, in two separate incidents, two Australian men were arrested in Indonesia. In Aceh province, a young man was arrested after allegedly running naked through a village, chasing and striking members of the community. The second man was arrested after an incident in West Java where he allegedly spat in the face of … Read more
Flashpoints | Diplomacy | South Asia New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow, its Cold War ally, has remained strong. But Beijing gaining more sway over Moscow could prove frustrating for India. Advertisement India’s foreign minister held talks Thursday with counterparts from China and Russia ahead of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Goa, India. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said he … Read more
Advertisement Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to China in late March proved to be a resounding success. Insiders who attended the meeting between Anwar and Chinese President Xi Jinping reported a strong sense of camaraderie between the two leaders. Politically, Anwar and Xi pledged to collaboratively establish the China-Malaysia community with a shared … Read more
Advertisement A recent flurry of Chinese diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East seems to be drawing countries closer to Beijing’s orbit while chipping away at the United States regional influence. Some analysts have gone as far as to suggest that a “Pax Sinica” is emerging in the region. But Middle Eastern countries are not necessarily … Read more
In this photo provided by Thailand’s Ministry of Defense taken during the third week of Dec. 2021, Thai soldiers receive Myanmar villagers arriving in Thailand after fleeing clashes between Myanmar troops and an ethnic Karen rebel group in Mae Sot, Tak province, northern Thailand. Credit: Thailand Ministry of Defense via AP Advertisement Thailand is scheduled … Read more
Advertisement Japan and South Korea are finally emerging from their long diplomatic stalemate. In a surprise move, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will make a two-day visit to Seoul starting on May 7 to meet with President Yoon Suk-yeol. This is a reciprocal trip, coming less than two months after Yoon’s trip to Tokyo in … Read more
Advertisement President Joe Biden will use this week’s celebratory state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to underscore that the United States is ready to step up its efforts to deter a North Korean attack on South Korea, according to the White House. Biden will announce specific new nuclear deterrence efforts as well as … Read more
Advertisement Last week, the media was abuzz when Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang indicated his interest in helping mediate the Israel-Palestine conflict by speaking to both the Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers. This generated some discussion as to whether China was looking to build on the success of its hosting of talks between Iran and … Read more