Archive
2021
China Snubs India, Backs Pakistan in Dueling Afghanistan Meetings
By Shannon Tiezzi
China bowed out of security talks on Afghan in New Delhi, but will join a similar meeting in Pakistan held the next day.
As Other Countries Try Living With COVID-19, China Keeps up Zero Tolerance
By Huizhong Wu
Despite the advent of vaccines, China is sticking to its approach of strict lockdowns, multiple rounds of mass testing, and centralized quarantine wherever an outbreak is found.
Seoul Rejects Refugee Claims by Chinese North Korean Defectors
By Hyung-jin Kim
Some experts say 3,000-5,000 ethnic Chinese live in North Korea and are the only foreigners with permanent residency rights.
Previewing India-Japan Ties Under PM Kishida
By Titli Basu
Back in 2015, then-Foreign Minister Kishida helped shaped the India-Japan Indo-Pacific Vision 2025. Where do ties stand today?
Afghan Pilots Held in Tajikistan Finally Out
By Catherine Putz
After nearly three months in limbo in a Tajik sanitorium, a group of 191 Afghans, many U.S.-trained pilots, have been flown out of the region.
Can China’s Singles’ Day Go Green?
By Tang Damin
For e-commerce giants to reach sustainability, they first need to be transparent about their climate footprints.
‘Battle Royale’ Begins for Melaka State Voters
By Alifah Zainuddin
The outcomes of the state polls will allow political parties to chart a clearer course ahead of the 15th General Election, including forming new alliances.
EU-Central Asia Economic Forum: Is Central Asia Ready for More Assertive EU Policy?
By Katrina Keegan
At the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum, the EU kept its rhetoric uncontroversial. However, Central Asian countries signaled they may respond well to more ambitious EU goals.
In India, Muslim Claims to Public Spaces Meet Protests and Disruption
By Tarushi Aswani
Hindu right-wing outfits have been disrupting the Friday prayers of Muslims at sites in Gurugram allotted to them by the local administration.
South Asian Politics Takes the Field at the Cricket World Cup
By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
From the India-Pakistan match to Afghanistan’s run and even New Zealand-Pakistan tensions, the T20 World Cup has been brimming with geopolitical implications.
COVID-19 Complicates China’s ‘Football Dream’
By Shannon Tiezzi
China’s men’s national team has remained firmly stuck in the lower echelons of international football, as evidenced by its current long-shot quest to reach the World Cup.
German Navy Chief Vows Long-term Commitment to Indo-Pacific
By Mari Yamaguchi
In Tokyo for a port call by the frigate Bayern, the German navy chief underscored his country's concerns about freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific.