... was marked by two events that, in the absence of their fundamental significance for the global agenda, are essential for understanding what international politics may look like in the future. First, there was a de facto rupture of relations between China and the small Baltic state of Lithuania after the authorities of the latter made a decision to de facto recognise the sovereignty of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of the People’s Republic of China. Second, this is the first anniversary ...
China has restricted cryptocurrency mining fearing a disruption in the national payment system at a time when the digital yuan is experimentally introduced into the national economy.
In May–June 2021, China—allegedly to preserve financial stability—banned ...
In international maritime affairs, neither China nor Russia will be absent, but the two countries can enhance their respective positions to have greater influence through cooperation, which is a more effective way to realize their national interests than working alone
In the China-Russia strategic ...
... Russia is depicted not only as one of leading challenges to NATO but as a threat, which is more dangerous than international terrorism.
For the first time in NATO’s Communique (and apparently as a derivative – In the next NATO’s strategic concept) China is mentioned several times. It is characterized as a potential, not immediate challenge. Interestingly, the policy of China is called “assertive”, an adjective, which in the past for a long time was reserved for Russia (see paragraph 55).
Still ...
... that allow us to talk about good chances for success,”
the professor explained.
Firstly, he claims, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union was concerned with enemies on more than one front. Now, with Beijing on the side of Moscow, Russia can utilize China as a strategic resource, he went on to say. Secondly, the country is much more prosperous than it was during the latter years of the USSR. And most importantly, the West is significantly less powerful than it was in the past.
“But, to win even ...
... to come to a definitive judgment" on the origins of COVID-19, but stressed that it is "not going to be for lack of hard work or effort on this issue to try to uncover as much as we can about what happened."
In any case, to argue that China is responsible for the global spread of COVID-19 is no more convincing than to argue that Vladimir Putin defined the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election in the United States. To focus the US public attention on China and its alleged wrongdoings ...
On July 30, 2021, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) co-hosted a webinar titled “Situation in Central Asia and Afghanistan: Russia’s and China’s approaches”
On July 30, 2021, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) co-hosted a webinar titled “Situation in Central Asia and Afghanistan: Russia’s and China’s approaches”....
... heavily-indebted developing economies was the
provision of debt-relief
to cope with the shock of the COVID pandemic. According to the OECD the total debt relief extended by advanced economies in 2020 amounted to USD 541 mn. At the same time, according to China’s Ministry of Finance, the Export-Import Bank of China as well as the China International Development Cooperation Agency have suspended debt service payments from 23 countries totalling more than USD 1.3 bn. Overall, the total debt relief provided ...
... called Cambodia’s “rice cup” for millennia.
Megawatts and a “Hungry River”
International Rivers
In recent decades, the situation has sharply deteriorated, though. Along the upper course of the Mekong, dozens of mega-dams have been built, with China alone
detaining
about 10% of the annual flow (47 billion cubic meters of water; remember this figure!). Along the middle course, Laos, the “battery of Asia”,
has built
46 hydropower plants that generate 6,400 MW of electricity.
Today, the ...
... withdrawal creates significant hurdles for regional stability and a power vacuum in Central Asia. There are several players, both internal and external, who are seeking to fill the void left by the Americans and their allies. Pakistan, India, Iran, Turkey, China and Russia seem poised to play the next “
great game
” in the so-called “
graveyard of empires
”. Some of these states have a vested interest in the stability of Afghanistan to ensure regional security and foster economic interests as well ...
