South East Asia

US Focuses on Myanmar, South China Sea at Special ASEAN Meeting

The meeting highlighted where U.S. and Southeast Asian interests align, and where they part ways. Myanmar, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the South China Sea disputes have topped the agenda in discussions held yesterday between the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his 10 Southeast Asian counterparts. The Special ASEAN-U.S. …

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The overreaction to China’s new nuclear silos

China hawks have seized on a report about new Chinese missile silos to spread alarmist claims about the Chinese nuclear arsenal and agitate for a new arms race. The revelation that China has been quickly building approximately 119 new hardened silos in the desert of Gansu province is important new …

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China Preparing to Expropriate Foreign-Held Tech Shares

VIEs, as they are known, evade Chinese law, which prohibits foreign ownership of Chinese tech companies. Through a series of intricate contractual arrangements, however, these structures effectively give foreigners the economic benefits of ownership. People believe that if Beijing were to publicly declare a VIE illegal—in other words, expropriate foreign …

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Turkey’s Gambit in Afghanistan

Turkey has undertaken to protect Kabul’s airport. It is a risky job, but also one which promises some substantial strategic rewards. The Taliban do not shy away from assertive statements, nor do they hesitate to commit war crimes. So, this week’s statement by the group castigating Turkey’s offer to remain …

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Afghanistan and the UK: Confounded Hopes, Tragedy and What Can Still Be Done

Prolonging the UK military presence in Afghanistan would not have helped so long as the fundamental problem of the absence of a strategy remained unaddressed. But the manner of leaving and what follows still matter a great deal to the UK. It feels a lot like 1989. Once again, the …

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U.S. to begin evacuating Afghan helpers this month

U.S. officials will begin evacuating Afghan allies by the end of this month to a safe third-country while their visa applications are being processed, an administration official confirmed on Wednesday. President Joe Biden is expected to formally announce the effort, dubbed “Operation Allies Refuge,” later on Wednesday. Tracey Jacobsen, former …

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Russia’s Options Following A Taliban Takeover Of Afghanistan: Cooperation With The Taliban Or Containing Them

The American withdrawal from Afghanistan coupled with the exponential growth of those parts of the country under the rule of the Taliban have caused alarm in Russia. Kommersant’s foreign policy expert Maxim Yusin painted a series of gloomy scenarios. The Taliban could expend into the former Soviet republics in Central …

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After 20 Years and $2.26 Trillion, the US has Lost Its Longest War in Afghanistan

Another lost war! Another denial! The US actually began its war on the people of Afghanistan back during the presidency of Jimmy Carter, who foolishly followed the advice of his Russia-hating, rabidly anti-Communist Polish emigre National Security Director Zbigniew Brzezinski. Brzezinski, in mid-1979, successfully convinced the gullible Carter to launch …

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