China
Russia’s Fuel Export Ban and its Implication for Africa and Beyond

Background On September 21, by a decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Russia banned the export of all types of diesel, including summer, winter and Arctic blends, as well as heavy distillates, including gasoline and diesel.[1] As per...

Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 46, 2023)

Commentary Africa wants to benefit from its lithium boom: it must find ways to tame the dragon For clean and sustainable energy in the future, energy storage systems are becoming increasingly important. And, Lithium-based batteries are anticipated...

China-Bhutan Border Talks: Indian Stakes in the Discussions

On 23 and 24 October 2023, the 25th Round of Boundary Talks was held between China and Bhutan in Beijing. Tandi Dorji, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Bhutan visited China, and led the Bhutanese delegation for the talks, while Sun...

Great Game in Reverse: Decoding Central Asia’s Geopolitical Rebalancing

Central Asia’s geostrategic location is critical, making this region a focal point of geopolitical struggle for centuries. In 1904, British geographer Halford Mackinder presented his ‘Heartland Theory,’ in which the Eurasia region is referred to as...

Neighborhood News Digest – 13 November 2023

Afghanistan Over 6,000 Afghan migrants return from Pakistan in a single day – The Khaama Press The Ministry of Migrant Affairs of Afghanistan has reported that more than 6,000 Afghan migrants returned to the country in a single day through the...

Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 45, 2023)

Commentary What Did the 3rd Belt and Road Forum Mean for Africa? There has been much talk of a perceived slowdown in BRI lending, but African leaders are still looking to China to advance development goals. Click here to read… AGOA Forum: Has the US...

Sheetal Devi: An Epitome of Perseverance

अप्राप्यं नाम नेहास्ति धीरस्य व्यवसायिनः ॥ (there is nothing unattainable in this world for the steadfast and determined.’) This is a verse from an ancient Indian text, Kathasaritsagara (Verse 12.20.23), written by Somadeva in the 11th Century, and...

Africa Now - Weekly Newsletter (Week 44, 2023)

Commentary In Southern Africa, mixed feelings about the plight of Palestine Arabs It is easy to appreciate why, in Southern Africa, attitudes of students, converts, veterans and sympathisers of what one can loosely term ‘liberation politics usually...

Turbulence in South China Sea: Need to Enforce UNCLOS

The expansive South China Sea, covering an area of more than 3.5 million square kilometres consisting of atolls, reefs is arguably the most contested waters of Asia. The reserve of hydro carbons and its strategic location in the vicinity of shipping...

Resilience to Economic Authoritarianism, Treachery and Wars

Today’s security environment is utterly unpredictable, the world saw three black swan events in as many years –Covid19, Russia-Ukraine War and more recently Israel-Hamas War! In 2023 itself threats originated from state and non-state aggressors, as...

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