When international delegates to the Third Belt and Road Forum gather in October 2023, they might find the focus of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has shifted again. If that happens, it could prompt some to wonder anew what are the ultimate goals of the BRI—a program that began in 2013 as the “Silk Road Economic Belt and the […]

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has, or has had, ties to 143 school districts in the United States, including 20 near military bases, through its “Confucius Classrooms,” according to a recent report, “Little Red Classrooms: China’s Infiltration of American K-12 Schools” by Parents Defending Education (PDE), a grassroots organization. Attention to Confucius Institutes has mainly been centered around colleges and […]

At the same time as Pakistani officials were negotiating with Russia to import oil and abstaining from anti-Russian UNGA Resolutions alongside China, their country’s arms were being used by Ukraine to kill Russians and therefore undermine China’s diplomatic efforts to freeze the most dangerous conflict since World War II. The Intercept reported on Sunday that “U.S. Helped Pakistan Get IMF […]

We are increasingly greeted by stories of a developing partnership between Russia, China, and North Korea. Much of the world has isolated Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Moscow’s constant targeting of civilians and its clear violations of international humanitarian law have only exacerbated this isolation. Running out of munitions and other military supplies, Russia has sought help from countries […]

In an increasingly interconnected world, the fight against terrorism has taken center stage as nations work together to safeguard global peace and security. Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner in Pakistan, recently applauded the unwavering commitment and sacrifices of the Pakistan Army in the global struggle against terrorism. Her recognition of Pakistan’s pivotal role in this endeavor comes at a […]

China and Russia have a strong alliance and strategic partnership, driven by a shared objective of countering perceived norms by the United States and Western nations in their domestic affairs. Furthermore, they have provided mutual assistance on a range of regional and global matters, including Ukraine, the circumstances surrounding North Korean nuclear missile tests, the maintenance of security in the […]

Kim Jong un’s meeting with Vladimir Putin remains a strategic win for the former, in capitalising on Putin’s vulnerability and in sending a message to both Beijing and the West. Jong un actually has more options and more leverage over Moscow and Beijing, knowing that Moscow will need his weapons, and that the fulcrum of needs tilts towards the advantage […]

ON THE EVENING of June 18th Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader whom India considered a terrorist, was sitting in his truck in a car park outside a gurdwara (a Sikh temple) in Vancouver when two masked men shot him dead. They escaped through a park and disappeared. On September 18th Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, told lawmakers in […]

Meandering in Myanmar In a ‘successful secretive operation’ in August 2023, the Assam Rifles (AR) facilitated the return of over 400 Meitei civilians from Myanmar. [1] These people had fled Manipur across the India-Myanmar border to escape the ethnic violence between the Meiteis and the Kukis in the state that started on 3 May and had taken refuge in a […]

Diaspora politics can often be testy. While the mother country maintains its own fashioned narrative, governed by domestic considerations, the diaspora may, or may not be in accord with the agreed upon story. While countries such as China and Iran are seen as the conventional bullies in this regard, spying and monitoring the activities of their citizens in various countries, […]