The outcome of the United States (US) presidential election on 3 November will have momentous consequences for America in terms of economic policy, racial justice, the judiciary, health care, and the overall quality of its democracy. But the election’s international effects could be equally far-reaching and lasting.
Taiwan's leader on Saturday appealed to her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to deescalate military tensions and live up to his promise to "never seek hegemony" after months of Beijing ramping up fighter jet incursions.In a speech on Taiwan's national day, President Tsai Ing-wen said the international community was becoming concerned about the "expanding hegemony" of China. Beijing views democratic, self-ruling Taiwan as its own territory and has never ren
Japan’s new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has arrived with a suite of ambitious policy ideas, including plans to digitise government services and revive the country’s regional banks. But he has yet to come up with an overarching theme that strikes a chord with the public.
China would not have exclusive access to a Cambodian naval base, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday, despite Beijing chipping in for upgrades after a United States (US)-funded facility was razed at the site last month.The Ream base is strategically located in the Gulf of Thailand, providing ready access to the fiercely contested South China Sea - a key global shipping route.Beijing claims the majority of the resource-rich sea - vying with six other countries."Other countries can also
There is no single future until it happens, and any effort to envision geopolitics in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic must include a range of possible futures. I suggest five plausible futures in 2030, but obviously others can be imagined.The End Of The Globalised Liberal OrderThe world order established by the United States (US) after World War II created a framework of institutions that led to a remarkable liberalisation of international trade and finance.
Western views of China have soured sharply amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with record numbers in major developed countries seeing the Asian power unfavourably, a survey showed Tuesday.The 14-nation study by the Pew Research Center found a sharp deterioration of perceptions on China in the United States (US), where President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to pin blame on Beijing for the pandemic.73 percent of Americans see China unfavourably, an increase of nearly 20 percentage points since T
Cambodia has razed a United States (US)-funded defence facility on its southern coast, the deputy prime minister confirmed Sunday, the latest move in the ongoing controversial expansion of a strategically crucial naval base being developed with Chinese aid.The Wall Street Journal reported last year on a secret draft deal allowing China to dock warships at the Ream naval base near the kingdom's coastal city of Sihanoukville. But Cambodia - awash in recent years with Chinese inves
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday opened a Himalayan tunnel that will drastically reduce the time needed to rush troops to the country's remote Chinese border as tensions grow between the Asian neighbours.The tunnel traverses India's northern Himachal Pradesh state and lies on one of two main routes for troops headed to border areas in Ladakh.20 Indian and an unspecified number of Chinese troops were killed in June during a deadly clash in Ladakh, which shares a
Xi Jinping's vow to snuff out emissions by 2060 completes a diplomatic pirouette that moves China to the heart of the global green agenda, wrong-foots the United States (US) and cuddles up to Europe's climate advocates in one nimble step.The Chinese leader last month chose the United Nations (UN) as the stage for his country's unexpected pledge to reach peak coal use by 2030 and go carbon neutral three decades later.The announcement gives China – the world's biggest pollut
Thailand will begin reopening its borders to outsiders in efforts to kickstart a tourism industry battered by the coronavirus with a flight from China later this month, authorities said Friday.The kingdom's economy is highly dependent on foreign visitors.The country is expecting a fraction of the nearly 40 million international arrivals it recorded last year, after the pandemic brought global air travel to a near standstill. Officials hope to portray the country as a safe holida
Thousands of riot police were stationed across Hong Kong on Thursday to stamp out any large democracy rallies as the restless financial hub marked China's National Day under the shadow of a growing crackdown on dissent.The People's Republic of China celebrates its founding on 1 October with a holiday and carefully choreographed festivities.But in Hong Kong, it has become a day of grievance for those worried about authoritarian Beijing's encroachment on freedoms.Helicop
When I was governor of Hong Kong, one of my noisiest critics was Sir Percy Cradock, a former British ambassador to China.
