The rise of cyber-scam syndicates in Southeast Asia constitutes a global crisis. TheStarsHub and The New York Times recently ran exposés on these operations, which extract billions of dollars from victims across the world, often through cryptocurrency. One type of cyber-scam, the “pig butchering scam” – shazhupan in Mandarin Chinese – involves the grooming of … Read more
As the world’s largest trading country, China relies heavily on seaborne trade, with 95 percent of international trade conducted through sea lanes. Securing access to strategic ports and investing by varied degrees and ownership in maritime infrastructure projects has allowed China to strengthen its control over supply chains and ensure the smooth flow of goods, … Read more
Xi Jinping’s announcement of three global initiatives since 2021 has sparked considerable debate about Beijing’s articulation of the international order. However, much of the analysis and commentary surrounding these initiatives have focused on the degree to which they illustrate China’s revisionism. As a result, they fall short in three regards. First, the status quo-revisionist binary … Read more
Advertisement On July 31, the Ministry of Defense in Beijing announced that the first-ever joint fighter jet exercise between China and the United Arab Emirates will take place in China’s western Xinjiang region in August. This is the latest development in what is proving to be the rapid growth of Beijing’s security role in the … Read more
Advertisement Last weekend, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu attended the Shangri-La Dialogue, the premier Asia-Pacific security forum hosted annually in Singapore by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). For Li, who assumed his post in March this year, it was his first time representing China at the conference. Much of the media attention focused … Read more
Advertisement Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited Germany, France and Norway from May 8 to 12, meeting with his counterparts in each country. This trip came two weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had their first contact since Russia’s invasion. Xi’s call with Zelenskyy sits at the pinnacle of … 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 During his keynote address at the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in December 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted his trip to Saudi Arabia heralded a “new era” in the China-Arab partnership and invited the Gulf states to join the Global Security Initiative (GSI) “in a joint effort to uphold regional peace and stability.” … Read more