Amid buzz about a new free-trade zone at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, some observers are wondering if an anticipated rush of foreign investors will pour in money, given a troubled China-backed housing megaproject in the same area. Malaysia and Singapore signed off last week on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). Officials say it promises to boost the […]

His first State visit to China as President, has far reaching economic and geopolitical implications Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be on a State Visit to China from January 14 to 17, his first such visit to China after being elected President in September last. The visit is expected to have far reaching implications for the Sri Lankan […]

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been heralded as a transformative vision for global infrastructure development, linking continents through an intricate web of trade routes, ports, and railways. With over 140 countries participating and an estimated $1 trillion in investments, the BRI’s scale is unprecedented. However, the promise of prosperity often comes with a hidden cost, as many nations […]

Sun Tzu’s treatise on war offers many stratagems to deal with the enemy. He emphasises deception and patience, cautioning that the general who makes many calculations like a chess player is more likely to win. Unfortunately, endurance is in short supply when it comes to India-China dynamics, especially in the era of 24/7 news cycles. In December 2024, the 23rd […]

In the first week of January 2025, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) welcomed a delegation from the Republic of Chechnya. The delegation was led by Jambulat Umarov, head of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation. Zelimkhan Abdulmuslimovich Yandarbiyev, a Chechen writer and politician who served as second president of […]