International Relations/Diplomacy
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Assessing Ten Years of Belt and Road Initiative

With China's economy growing at a significantly slower pace than it was a decade ago, Beijing's willingness and ability to continue pouring money into the BRI has been a matter of speculation. But Xi seems to have doubled down on his signature progra

Japan Abandons its Three Basic Principles on Arms Exports

In response to the increase in the region’s geopolitical stress, Japan’s vulnerability has increased manifold. This has compelled the administration of Fumio Kishida to make some drastic change in the country’s security posture. The main driver

Prospects and Problems: Providing Aid to Ukraine

Setting the Strategic Perspective
A Global War
The Russo Ukraine war which is treading its blood-soaked trail (676 days and counting) has truly been a ‘global war’. Simply put, it is West plus the US versus Kremlin on the

West Asia - in the Throes of a Disruptive 2023 and not so Different 2024

Even as the 2023 turned out to be literally the hottest year in history, West Asia continued to face the equally destabilizing heat in the old and new hotspots. The ongoing wars and conflicts do not portend well for 2024. Hence, more disruptions cou

Perceptions and Prospects: Israel-Hamas Conflict

“History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” - Mark Twain Biblical descriptions record the divergent fates of Issac, the patriarch of Israelis and Ishmael, the prophet of Islam, both sons of Abraham. The confluence of places

The Fate of the Palestinian Authority Post-Hamas Attack

The 7 October attack by Hamas’ military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades backed by Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) Al-Quds Brigades has boosted the support for armed resistance path among Palestinians, frustrated with the Palestinian Auth

Japan-ASEAN Special Summit: Major Takeaways

Introduction
In a major outreach initiative towards the 10-member bloc Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan hosted a summit in Tokyo from 16-18 December 2023 to commemorate the special anniversary of the 50th year of Japa

Fortifying State Secrets: China's Authoritarian Revamp of the State Secrets Law

China's State Secrets Law, a cornerstone in the nation's authoritarian stranglehold on information, is undergoing a radical overhaul with the recent submission of a draft amendment. To fully grasp the implications of this legislative overhaul, it is

Xi in Vietnam: Consolidating the Communist Connection

General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Vietnam for about 30 hours on 12– 13 Dec 23, with a jam-packed schedule, meeting his comrades from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in addition to the political leadership of an important country on China�

A Victory for Democracy in Liberia

In a knife-edge election, Joseph Boakai made a stunning comeback and is set to become Liberia’s new leader. With 50.9 percent of the vote, the 78-year-old leader, a former vice president, saw a close victory over his main rival, incumbent Weah, who

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