South East Asia

“This agreement is somewhat ambiguous, and on the other hand, in some cases, Iran has had bitter experiences in dealing with other countries. It has pros and cons.” Iran is celebrating a new agreement with China. But what is inside the new 25-year plan? According to Fars News in Iran …

China would also receive a major discount on Iranian oil and become a near monopsony, as long as sanctions on Iran remain. When the details of a multibillion dollar, 25-year economic and security agreement between Iran and China leaked last summer, the headline in The Jerusalem Post was: “Proposed China-Iran …

A regional ministerial conference called the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) started Monday in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe to try to advance the goal of ending the decades long conflict in Afghanistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who arrived early Monday to attend the annual conference, also met his Tajik counterpart Emomali …

A top Chinese warplane-producing company recently announced plans to make technological breakthroughs to ensure the successful development of a new, fourth-generation stealth fighter jet, and conduct test production and research on its next-generation aircraft in 2021. China is widely expected to develop an aircraft carrier-ready stealth fighter jet, as the …

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described the relations between Tehran and Beijing as strategic, hailing China’s stances in support of Iran in international arenas, including on the JCPOA and the US’ unilateral sanctions. Iran and China maintain very good ties and the two countries’ common stances on international issues are indications …

Two initiatives send the clearest signal, yet, that China may be gearing up to play a greater political role in the Middle East. Touring the region this week, Foreign Minister Wang Yi laid out five principles Middle Eastern nations would need to adopt to achieve a measure of regional stability. …

More than a year after the US and the Taliban signed an agreement in Doha to pave the way for a reduction in both Taliban violence and the American troop presence, progress on intra-Afghan talks remains limited and the security situation remains fragile. The agreement called for a phased reduction …

Recent US sanctions on Saudi Arabia, coupled with prospects for Washington reentering the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, could push Saudi Arabia to strengthen its ties with China. Following the release of the declassified US intelligence report on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, there are signs that the US …

The decision by India and Pakistan to ‘cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors’, with effect from the midnight of February 25, 2021, is being seen as an important thaw in the bilateral relationship that was at an all-time low.1 The decision came about after …

A US peace plan for Afghanistan, involving intra-Afghan talks in Turkey, could offer Ankara a chance to raise its international profile and break the ice with Washington. US President Joe Biden is still keeping his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan waiting for a phone call, but Washington has recently cheered …