China-Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics
Andrew Small’s “China-Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics” describes the relations between the two Asian states. The book is an in-depth analysis of the impact of geographical factors on the past and present ties between China and Pakistan. Through his extensive research, Andrew Small has explained how this relationship is one of mutual benefit, and both of the countries involved have put themselves and their defense ahead of everything else.
The Strategic Importance of the Indian Ocean to China and India
The changing dynamics of global politics has pushed the Indian Ocean region into the limelight, and so the author, Allah Nawaz, examines the strategic policies and alliances of China and India. Although both China and India have a huge disparity in conventional and non-conventional capabilities, the US and Israel’s role in making India a regional power has intensified Indo-China relations.
All Eyes on the Republics of Central Asia’s Resources
The onset of the geopolitics of energy and resources in the international political system has redefined the regions’ importance in terms of the reservoirs of resources. Central Asia, in this respect, stands out with its abundant, unexplored, and top-notch natural resources. The paper highlights the factors behind the arousing interests of Pakistan, China, and the United States in the Central Asian republics. The future of Central Asia’s political, economic, and geostrategic landscape shall be determined by the member countries’ course of policies and actions towards Pakistan, China, and the United States.
Is China’s Soft Power Being Affected by Its Negative Global Image?
China’s “wolf warrior diplomacy” and its human rights abuses have caused its global image to become increasingly negative. With China’s soft power declining, and its policies becoming aggressive, the international community has started to distrust the state. As a consequence, states like the US, Australia, and Britain have boycotted the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The author, Zuha Tiwana, asserts that this mistrust has caused the favorability of the Belt and Road projects, among the European states, to decline. The European Union has even put investment agreements with China on hold.
A Tug of War Between America and the Rising Powers
A unipolar world is transitioning into that of a multipolar, stirring the debate on the decline of the US once again. China, India, and Russia — the major contenders — are challenging the US’s sole authority. The author, Ali Raza Jalbani, follows the debates closely and shares what he’s noticed about the shifting — or sharing — of power in the global arena.
A Peaceful Afghanistan: The Interest of Pakistan, China, & the Region
Over the years, the state of Afghanistan has experienced terrorism, drug trafficking, human rights abuse, political turmoil, geostrategic and geo-economic tussle, and societal deterioration. The instability in the state has impacted Pakistan, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Central Asian Republics as well. The authors, Muhammad Saad, Eman Anjum, Jizza Babar, and M. Shaheer Khattak, note that for their own interests, these regional states seek a peaceful Afghanistan, the establishment of which is not an easy task. For this reason, they have made efforts to stabilize and develop the war-torn state.
An End in the Korean War: A True Possibility or a Pipe Dream?
Though the Korean War concluded with the 1953 armistice, there has been no formal declaration of an end to the war in the last 70 years. As such, both North and South Korea are still, technically, at war. The author, Hammad Khan, notes that the current South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, has been quite resilient in his approach to officially end this war. While the parties involved in the conflict – North and South Korea, the US, and China – have agreed in principle to end it, the US has some reservations which have made it reluctant to accept a peace agreement.
The Mercurial Relationship Between China and North Korea
Many take the Sino-North Korean friendship as an established fact, but there are more undertones to this alliance than meets the eye. Infamously dubbed as the ‘Lips and Teeth’ alliance, the People’s Republic of China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had a cautious beginning — and now an uncertain future.
The Enactment of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act by the US
Signed into law on 23rd December 2021, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act will prevent US businesses and consumers from becoming complicit in human rights violations. The Act will radically reorient the US’s foreign policy with China, as it will presume that goods made wholly or in part in the Xinjiang region are a result of forced labor and hence the onus to disprove that presumption will be on the importer.
The Diplomatic Boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics
February is nearing and so are the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The US’s boycott of the Games has motivated many states – Australia, Canada, and the UK to name a few – to follow suit. China hasn’t taken kindly to these political ploys and in fact has warned countries of the price that they will pay for boycotting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Nine Famous Straits of the World: Exploring Trade Routes
This article describes some of the most important straits of the world. Straits are narrow stretches of water that serve as significant strategic and trade routes. As almost 80 percent of the world’s trade is carried over the waves, these straits provide navigable routes to various ships thus playing a critical role in the trade of the world.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP): Strategic Interests & Economic Recovery
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a free trade deal and has a total of 15 member states from the ASEAN, East Asia, and Oceania. It is considered to be the world’s largest trade bloc with respect to the combined GDP of the member states.
The author, Saira Javaid Cheema, discusses both the opportunities and threats that the RCEP holds for member states and non-member states.
The Non-democratic yet Democratic State Led by the Communist Party of China
Though China considers itself to be a “socialist democracy”, it is not a democratic state in the eyes of the West. The authors, Alyan Waheed and Muskan Moazzam, note that while the West is busy contemplating the state of democracy in China, it has failed to realize that despite being “non-democratic”, China is a better leader, and more beneficial for the international community, under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As per their argument, the CCP has ensured that the nationalist element in the Chinese does not become overpowering and that China remains a pragmatic and rational status quo power.
Build Back Better World (B3W) vs the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI)
The Build Back Better World (B3W) project – a $40 trillion investment venture undertaken by the G7 states in June 2021 – aims to contest China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While B3W only exists on paper, BRI has already embedded its roots in several regions. The author, Muhammad Ali Memon, notes that in their race to achieve economic hegemony, the G7 states and China are investing in developing states and creating a cycle of economic dependency akin to economic imperialism. He argues that the B3W contracts will follow a pattern similar to China’s debt contracts, giving the lending state significant power over the borrowing state’s decision-making process.
President Biden’s Summit for Democracy 2021: A Big Question Mark?
President Biden of the US will host a two-day Summit for Democracy this week to cast an eye over the current status of democracy in the world. Much like the author, many feel this summit to be an affront to the US’s ‘undemocratic’ rivals, China and Russia — two nations that were struck off the invite list.
Will CPEC Become a Chinese Debt Trap Against Pakistan?
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has promised to create millions of employment opportunities, and undertake essential infrastructure and energy projects. The author, Muhammad Ali Talib, a practicing advocate of the High Court of Pakistan, notes that despite the benefits of CPEC, the immense Chinese lending to Pakistan has created a debt problem for the latter. An AidData report, analyzing 100 Chinese debt contracts, reveals that the Chinese loan agreements contain confidentiality clauses that prevent borrowers like Pakistan from revealing any details of the agreements to the general public. Furthermore, these contracts include cross-default clauses, stabilization clauses, and “No Paris Club” clauses which increase China’s bargaining power and policy influence over the borrowing states.
The Biden-Xi Summit: Deliberating Taiwan, Trade, HR Violations & Climate Change
The much-awaited Biden-Xi virtual summit took place on 15th November to deliberate and resolve the contentious issues between the two states. The meeting focused on four key areas: Taiwan, trade relations, human rights violations, and climate change.