The 27th Conference of Parties (COP-27) at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt concluded with the establishment of the much-awaited Loss and Damage Fund. The most vulnerable, developing countries, including South Asian ones have been demanding finance from the industrialized countries (that have ‘historical responsibility’ for climate change) for the losses and damages suffered by the former. …
Protests in China: A Tussle between the People and the State
In the last few months, there have been a few major protests in China, such as the one in Chongqing at an antigen kit-making factory over major layoffs and wage cuts and nationwide protests over the government’s stringent zero-Covid policy. The zero Covid policy imposed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) was in the …
Is it the End of the Road for China’s BRI?
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is nearing close to a decade since its initiation in 2013. The ambitious plan included building a series of infrastructure projects including roads, railways, pipelines to increase connectivity and strengthen China’s energy security and geopolitical position. The initiative signalled China’s growing power projection and opportunities for smaller countries who …
Only Deterrence will Work with Xi’s China
PRC will never be content until India is reduced to economic distress and societal chaos, for this is the only country in Asia that can upset China’s primacy in Asia. Whether during the Clinton or subsequent eras, the fact that the USSR had been replaced by 1992 with the Russian Federation made scant difference …
Xi Jinping’s Third Term: What does it hold for Taiwan?
The much-anticipated 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was held on October 16, 2022. It was an important event given the fact that the world was curious to see what the composition of the Chinese central leadership would be for the next five years. One of the most debated questions prior to …
Quad confronts the need for redefining itself and its rules
The US under President Biden appears to regard the Quad as needing to evolve into a subsidiary of NATO. The White House has lately been acting in a manner which suggests that they believe NATO needs to guarantee security not just in Europe but in Asia as well. Almost every week, a new headline …
The Russia-Ukraine Conflict in Cyberspace: Questions and Concerns
On February 21, 2022 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the Russian dominated Luhansk and the Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine which have been challenging Kiev’s sovereignty, and sent troops in to “keep the peace”. Subsequently, two days later Russia launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine to “demilitarize and denazify” the country. …
Reality begins to Overtake Assumptions Made by NATO during Ukraine War
If Ukraine and its luckless people are ‘winning’, it is beyond imagination to fathom what defeat would look like. Repeated efforts of the geographically diminished successor to the USSR, the Russian Federation, to enter the EU and even NATO were serially rebuffed by the North Atlantic alliance. Efforts at joining the EU and its …
The Geopolitical Ramifications of Japan’s Declining Demography
The importance of the impact of the recent trend of demographic decline, among developed countries, on the emerging state of geopolitics cannot be underestimated. In the past, states were able to overcome the disadvantages of a small population by relying on innovation, technology and strategy, as evidenced by the rise of empires under relatively small …
Huawei Finds Itself in Peril in the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict
China’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is increasingly being discussed globally. Despite worldwide condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese government, at every instance, failed to condemn Russia’s so-called “special military intervention” in Ukraine, and is rather alleged to provide support for Putin’s actions. China has abstained from voting at the United Nations Security …