South East Asia

In recent years, the Chinese Yuan Renminbi (RMB) has emerged as a popular form of exchange on the foreign currency markets in the Middle East. This arose as a direct result of the current global events that have shattered economies all across the world. The supremacy of the US dollar …

On the heels of China’s weather/spy balloon downed by a US F-22 comes a report of the construction of a Chinese listening post in Cuba. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., supports the Biden administration’s claim that China is setting up a spy station in Cuba. Gaetz calls it a “stationary aircraft …

The gifts the Biden Administration has already given the Chinese Communist Party in just two years have been nothing short of exorbitant — and often to the detriment of the US. The Biden Administration intends to spend more than half a trillion dollars on “clean energy and climate action over …

In April 2023, the first trilateral political consultation between the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, India and Armenia was held in Yerevan (Shargh Daily, April 21). The three countries focused primarily on “economic issues and regional communication channels,” and “the sides agreed to continue consultations in the trilateral format” (Mfa.am, …

The popular and picturesque term “soft power” has been increasingly used in recent years both in public discourse and in the academic community. The term was coined in 1990 by the American expert on politics and international relations, Joseph Nye. In short, soft power means the ability of a state/nation …

Head of the National Iranian Oil Company Mohsen Khojastehmehr announced that preliminary work for bilateral cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the oil industry has already commenced, amid the revival of relations between the two countries. He stated during a press conference on Tuesday that there is currently no …

As the Ukraine war nears its 500th day, the key issue on the minds of international policymakers is what impact last weekend’s extraordinary mutiny of Wagner forces will have on the conflict. The uprising, which exposed the growing internal fissures within Russia, will do nothing to strengthen the country’s already …

With U.S.-China ties at a low point, the resumption of high-level dialogue is a good sign — but there’s a long way to go to improve the relationship. Over the weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally made it to Beijing, where he met with senior-level Chinese Communist Party officials, …

What’s behind the dramatic increase in strategic cooperation? One word: China. Against the backdrop of tightening U.S.-India ties, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Washington this week for an official state visit — only the third President Joe Biden has hosted since taking office. The bilateral relationship has soared …

The army’s crackdown may appear to have been effective in undermining Imran Khan and dismantling his political party, but the long-term consequences could be serious. Too much time has been spent on ugly political manoeuvres, whereas the focus needs to be on the economy. A failure to address Pakistan’s economic …