Security

Xi Assures Putin Of China's Support For Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping assured his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of Beijing's support for Moscow on "sovereignty and security" during a call Wednesday, according to state media.China is "willing to continue to offer mutual support (to Russia) on issues concerning core interests and major concerns such as sovereignty and security," Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi as saying.It was the second reported call between the two leaders since Putin launche

16 June 2022
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Can Nuclear Energy Make A Comeback?

Nuclear power has been in decline since the Fukushima disaster in Japan more than a decade ago, but it may be poised for a comeback. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and soaring natural-gas prices have led some to argue that nuclear energy can help solve the twin challenges of energy security and climate change. Is the industry back in business, or will this prove to be another false dawn? Until recently, nuclear power’s prospects seemed poor.

9 June 2022
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Have China's Pacific Ambitions Been Thwarted?

China's Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi has been on a marathon tour across the Pacific Islands – his visit was a sign of Beijing's willingness to close a sweeping trade and security deal with 10 countries in the region.The ambitious deal – which covered a wide range of issues, from cybersecurity to a Chinese-funded police training academy and setting up more Chinese cultural links across the Pacific nations – was meant to tie the region much closer to Beijing.But it was revealed th

2 June 2022
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China Offers South Pacific Nations Security, FTAs

China has put forward plans to dramatically expand security and economic cooperation with South Pacific nations, in what one regional leader called a thinly veiled effort to lock them into "Beijing's orbit".The wide-ranging draft agreement and a five-year plan, both obtained by AFP, will be the subject of discussion during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's tour of Pacific nations, which began Thursday.The package would offer 10 small island states millions of dollars in C

26 May 2022
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EU To Step Up Indo-Pacific Defence Presence

The European Union (EU) has resolved to step up its defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific region in light of fears about China’s growing presence and concerns for the international order sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“Our motto is always to cooperate whenever possible, but to defend whenever necessary as well,” said Gabriele Visentin, the EU’s special envoy to the Indo-Pacific.

18 May 2022
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Putin’s Missile To NATO May Be A Boomerang

It is conceivable that by the end of the year NATO’s land mass, gross domestic product (GDP) and territorial borders with Russia may expand by nearly as much as they would have if Ukraine had achieved its distant goal of eventual membership of the western defence alliance – if not more.The brutal manner in which Vladimir Putin has tried to foreclose Ukraine’s security options has led to a sudden change in thinking in Finland and Sweden that has been all the more powerful since it seems to hav

16 April 2022
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Taiwan's Fatal Attractions

In the same week that Taiwanese took to the streets to repudiate Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan’s leaders rolled out the red carpet for a visit by former United States (US) President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.

3 April 2022
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The Security Costs Of America's China Focus

During the Cold War, Europe was America’s strategic priority. East Asia was largely a sideshow, even though the United States (US) fought bloody wars in Korea and Vietnam, and also provided security for Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. But in the unfolding new cold war between the US and China, America’s strategic priorities have flipped.

4 January 2022
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Can Europe Stop A US-China War?

European countries are currently divided over whether to join United States (US) President Joe Biden’s diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. The episode underscores yet again that when it comes to dealing with China, Europe and the US truly are an ocean apart.

29 December 2021
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Will China Lead The Middle East?

United States (US) President Joe Biden has announced that he will withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by 11 September, finally ending his country’s longest war ever. The move was indicative of a broader shift by the US away from the Middle East – one that has been a long time coming. Will anyone take its place in the region?

20 April 2021
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ASEAN At The Centre Of EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy

Today, European Union (EU) Ministers launched the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. This strategy marks a major step in Europe’s steadily increasing engagement in a region that is the economic and strategic centre of gravity of today’s world.

19 April 2021
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