South East Asia

In the increasingly bitter global rivalry between China and the United States, the case of Venezuela’s special envoy, Alex Saab, may be only a sideshow. But it serves as a good reminder of the different political and diplomatic priorities of the two superpowers as they vie for influence in major …

Top U.S. and Russian military officials have held a “constructive” meeting to discuss issues of mutual interest and how to lower the risk of incidents during military exercises. General Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, met …

With increasingly strong talk in support of Taiwan, a new deal to supply Australia with nuclear submarines, and the launch of a European strategy for greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and its allies are becoming more assertive in their approach toward a rising China. China has bristled at …

The fallout over the AUKUS deal, as we are now seeing, has been a severe rift in relations between two historic allies, the U.S. and France. And the collateral damage may also include NATO. Only weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden courageously ended the war in Afghanistan—in the face of …

As the dust settles on the Taliban’s reconquest of Afghanistan, regional neighbors are adjusting their policies to take the new geostrategic reality into account. Among these countries are the self-proclaimed “iron brothers”—China and Pakistan. The good news for Beijing and Islamabad is that their respective policies on Taliban-run Afghanistan broadly …

The Chinese authorities said on Friday that all cryptocurrency-related businesses are illegal and they urge the exit of cryptocurrency mining projects, as the country doubles down efforts on virtual currency regulation to fend off financial risks and facilitate improvement of the industrial structure for reaching carbon peak and neutrality goals. …

A top Chinese law enforcement official has called on police and local governments to step up their use of big data, artificial intelligence, and networked security cameras to stem potential social unrest in times of “growing uncertainty.” Chen Yixin, secretary general of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s political and …

China’s coal-fired power plants are facing the threat of bankruptcy as a result of government policies and soaring prices for coal, industry groups say. On Sept. 11, the South China Morning Post reported that companies in the power sector had petitioned authorities for increases in electricity rates to stem losses …

Recently, Pakistan has showcased its achievements in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna. Pakistan presented its achievements in diverse fields such as power generation, health, agriculture, industry and environmental protection. Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Muhammad Naeem …

Chinese officials are bracing for a potential financial crisis as giant real estate conglomerate China Evergrande Group appears to be unable to make good on bond payments due on Thursday. According to the Wall Street Journal, the central government has instructed local officials across the country to begin “getting ready …