Some of the major anti-Taliban resistance groups active in Afghanistan have condemned Russia’s removal of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) from its terrorist list. Their criticism comes as the U.S.-led international community is slated to hold the third Doha meeting on the future of Afghanistan on June 30-July 1, 2024. In a May 29 statement, […]

For over three decades, Beijing has deployed an initially slow but now accelerating campaign to degrade Philippine maritime rights and access in the West Philippine Sea. This long-term effort has been characterized by often seemingly benign actions and even conciliatory rhetoric interspersed with escalatory words and deeds designed to test the thresholds of neighbors and allies. Today, China’s rising aggression […]

Terrorism poses a persistent and significant threat in Indonesia, with several extremist groups, including those sympathetic to ISIS, challenging national security. The government has taken legislative measures and implemented de-radicalization initiatives to combat terrorism. However, the ongoing presence of terrorists raises doubts about the effectiveness of these policies. This article critically evaluates the Indonesian government’s approach to terrorism, with a […]

After record rapid urbanization, China is moving to the next stage with integrated and coordinated multi-city clusters. The Yangtze River Delta region is a case in point. Last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a Shanghai symposium on advancing the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Half a decade before, he had championed the initiative that made the […]