China on Monday slammed US-based media for trying to smear the relationship between Beijing and Russia after a reputed publication claimed in an article that China had asked Moscow “not to invade Ukraine” during the Winter Olympics. Speaking at a routine press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian refuted […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
5 Reasons to Be Optimistic About 2022
By March, as many as 1 billion doses are scheduled to arrive in Africa—in theory enough to fully vaccinate 70 percent of the continent’s population, up from only 8 percent at the start of December. Hoarding by rich countries could still slow that down, and the vaccines now arriving are […]
Read Time : 11 Minutes
‘You’re Very Vulnerable’: Afghan Diplomats Fear Violent Taliban Reprisals
On Monday, Afghanistan’s top diplomat in China, Javid Ahmad Qaem, announced his resignation with a detailed note that hinted at deep-seated personal and professional frustrations. The Taliban had sought to undermine Qaem by tapping their own replacement, another former Afghan diplomat, Mahyuddin Sadat, as the embassy’s first secretary. Just a […]
Read Time : 16 Minutes
U.S.-China Detente Would Pose Its Own Dangers
Already the economic costs of confrontation and technological decoupling are pushing business and political leaders to advocate a modus operandi of defusing the tension. Other areas of possible cooperation might drive a push for de-escalation. A majority of Americans and allied populations, especially in Europe, consider climate change a top […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
What to Watch in South Asia Next Year
If you would like to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Thursday, please sign up here . Last week, we looked at the most surprising stories from South Asia in the past year. This week, we turn to 2022. Below, we’ve rounded up four key questions for the […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
Albania Is a New Belt and Road Battleground
Washington has responded favorably by boosting investment and military ties. In early January, U.S. Special Operations Command Europe announced it was establishing a forward base in Albania on a rotational basis. This came just months after the country hosted the Defender Europe 21 military exercises, the largest operation in southeastern […]