South East Asia

Afghanistan’s Green Future? – OpEd

Everyone has a different Doomsday scenario for Afghanistan once U.S. and NATO troops withdraw by September 11. The Taliban will take over and reimpose their repressive social agenda. Al-Qaeda will multiply rapidly and again become a global threat. Rival warlords will split apart the country. Another wave of Afghan refugees …

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China releases counter-espionage regulations

China’s Ministry of State Security on Monday issued regulations on counter-espionage security work, which take effect upon promulgation. Overseas espionage and intelligence agencies and hostile forces have intensified infiltration into China, and broadened their tactics of stealing secrets in various ways and in more fields, which poses a serious threat …

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China Encourages Companies to Invest in Afghanistan: Envoy

Chinese envoy in Kabul Wang Yu on Sunday said that cooperation between Afghanistan and China in the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative will benefit the people of the two countries. He said that Chinese companies will be encouraged to take part in Afghanistan’s reconstruction. Wang vowed his country’s …

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Govt Employee Killed in Gunmen Attack in Kabul

Ahmad Fawad Amiri, a government employee at the Presidential Palace, was killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen in Kabul on Saturday evening, a source said. The incident happened in Khawja Musafir area in Paghman district of Kabul when the government employee was on the way to a mosque on …

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The Americans May Leave Afghanistan, but the Forever War Will Grind On

Joe Biden may be withdrawing US troops from the ground, but given the continuing threat of terrorism that will emanate from Afghanistan it is unlikely that NATO will be able to fully disengage. As the administration of Joe Biden announces a full US withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan by 11 …

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Afghanistan Sees Resurgence Of Warlords, In Familiar Echo Of Civil War

Afghanistan’s powerful former warlords are remobilizing their old militias in anticipation of what many expect to be a bloody new chapter in a decades-old conflict. Armed groups loyal to regional and local strongmen have rearmed and reappeared in the country’s northern, western, and central regions in recent months. The former …

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China’s Fishing Fleet Is Vacuuming the Oceans

“China’s leaders see distant water fleets as a way to project presence around the world. The aim is to be present all over the world’s oceans so that they can direct the outcomes of international agreements that cover maritime resources.” — Tabitha Mallory, CEO of China Ocean Institute and affiliate …

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China’s Record First Quarter Fuels Strong Expansion In 2021 – Analysis

China’s first quarter record performance will accelerate momentum in China and support recovery in the US and global economic prospects – as long as unwarranted geopolitical tensions remain in check. A year ago, China’s first quarter plunge was -6.8 percent, due to the pandemic effect. In the West, it was …

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Biden Must Make Hard Choices Quickly on Afghanistan

Afghanistan may not rank in the top tier of U.S. President Joe Biden’s policy priorities, given the host of pressing crises in the United States. But Afghanistan’s fate hinges in large part on how the Biden team decides to approach the country’s conflict and its tenuous, still-nascent peace process. Biden …

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Fears of an Imminent Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Are Overblown

The top U.S. military commander for the Asia-Pacific region, Adm. Philip Davidson, raised eyebrows at a recent Senate hearing when he suggested China could invade Taiwan within the next six years. The nominee to replace Davidson at the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. John Aquilino, then went a step …

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