In 2017, a military standoff between India and China took place in the Doklam Plateau, which is claimed by both China and Bhutan. During the standoff, Bhutan maintained a firm stance against China, with India providing support to Bhutan. However, in recent years, Bhutan’s stand on Doklam has shifted, causing concern in India about the future of India-Bhutan relations. The […]

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on a visit signaling France’s intent to revive dialogue with China. Macaron was due to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. The visit is widely seen as an opportunity to change the course of the Russian war in Ukraine, especially since Xi could have a significant influence on Russian President Vladimir […]

Years before Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a “no-limits” partnership and the Kremlin launched a wide-ranging censorship campaign following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow were sharing methods and tactics for monitoring dissent and controlling the Internet. That growing cooperation between the two countries is shown in documents and recordings from closed door […]

The recent resurgence of public debate over nuclear weapons in South Korea can be attributed to both Korean peninsula and global drivers. South Korean support for nuclear weapons reveals the country’s desire for greater agency and control over its ability to respond to evolving and uncertain external security challenges. The greatest driver of these desires is North Korea. North Korea’s […]

When Russian assault troops landed at Hostomel Airport near Kiev in February 2022, few could have anticipated how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would alter geopolitics in Europe. Yet it has the potential to do the same in Asia. Moscow’s failure to score a quick military victory over Ukraine has made Russia increasingly reliant on China and India to not only […]

On 3 April, the Philippines officially announced the locations of the four additional sites under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States (US). Accordingly, three of the four newly chosen bases will be positioned in the Philippines’ northern Luzon provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, while the fourth base will be located at the western tip of the […]

The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) says that currently the embassies of neighboring countries and countries in the region have diplomatic representation in Kabul and are active in the country. In a recent interview with Dorar TV, Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi said the Islamic Emirate has trade relations with neighboring countries and ambassadors of the Islamic […]

Russia and Tajikistan militaries kicked off joint drills near the border with Afghanistan that will last through April 7, Russia’s TASS news agency reported Monday. The drills are taking place at the Kharb-Maidon training ground in Tajikistan – 20 kilometers from the border with Afghanistan. “During the practical stages, the military contingents from Russia and Tajikistan will practice preparing and […]

It would be wrong to view the restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran as something that happened suddenly. Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, ties between the two important Muslim neighbours have been strained. For the Saudi elite the Revolution was not only anti-monarchical but also a boost to the Shia sect within Islam. For the Iranian revolutionaries, […]

In another move that is deliberately raising tensions with China, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen held a series of high-level meetings in New York on Wednesday and Thursday with American politicians and representatives. The trip to the US is being held under the guise of a “transit” by Tsai as she proceeds to visit Guatemala and Belize in central America—two of […]