2021 was the year of Chinese ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy and what observers have characterised as the ‘bullying’ of countries unwilling to toe Beijing’s many lines. While this has led to souring ties between China and others within its immediate neighbourhood, Europe too found itself on the wrong side of Beijing’s new muscular diplomacy.
Read MoreWritten by Anuttama Banerji
Overt criticism of Bangladesh within Indian quarters has provided ammunition to ultra-right religious groups in Bangladesh who have been fanning anti-India sentiment.
Read MoreWritten by Liberty Chee
As Southeast Asia, and indeed most other world regions age, without an increase in public spending on welfare, more and more migrant women will likely be called on for providing caring services.
Read MoreWritten by Meghan Shoop
Future cooperation could include Taiwanese and EU think tanks working with one another to study authoritarian regimes’ current disinformation strategies and the effectiveness of various efforts to combat disinformation.
Read MoreWritten by Jeppe Mulich
Too many young people have been politicised by the events of the past two years, and many of them now bear physical and mental scars, forming an embodied communal archive that will be hard to control. Commemoration, like dissent, is going underground.
Read MoreWritten by Mirela Petkova
If China is to rightfully claim environmental leadership, the conduct of Chinese companies going abroad should be guided by stricter environmental domestic standards, rather than merely the one's host states provide.
Read MoreWritten by Florentine Koppenborg
There is a striking disconnect between Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on the one hand and the energy strategy adopted to achieve them. An important step would be to reduce Japan’s reliance on coal, the single biggest cause of climate change.
Read MoreBy Claudia Schildknecht
Due to a lack of political intervention, researchers currently expect the reefs to disappear worldwide by the middle of the century. If we lose coral reefs, we lose the rainforest of the sea. We would lose 25 per cent of the fish that live in this ‘underwater rainforest’, leaving large marine animals without food.
Read MoreWritten by Barbara Pongratz and Nis Grünberg
Calculations have shown that China needs to peak earlier than 2030 to keep global warming below 1.5°C. At this point, a degree of climate competition might be even more useful than cooperation. The EU needs to overtake China in its commitments and lead by example.
Read MoreWritten by Richard Johnson
As Biden preaches his commitment to being “ethical, straight, telling the truth, supporting our allies, all those good things”, observers might wish to jot in the corner “France, Afghanistan, tariffs”. The list will likely grow.
Read MoreWritten by Julia Teebken
We must understand how social routines and changed daily practices interrelate with population vulnerability, how they can foster resilience and be supported by state institutions (e.g., flexible adjustment of working hours and clothes during periods of extreme heat).
Read MoreWritten by Dhanasree Jayaram and Radhika Ajayan
It is high time that militaries, especially major ones, are brought under the ambit of the Paris Agreement. Without making these massive institutions accountable, the window for preventing the worst effects of climate change will likely close.
Read MoreWritten by Ilya Yablokov
This portrait of Muratov does not fully capture the scope of his important role in Russian media. Muratov uses his influence and connections not to enrich himself, but to sustain the powerhouse last shelter of investigative journalism inside Russia.
Read MoreWritten by Wichuta Teeratanabodee
Events, such as the ROK reversing its decision to end the military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan due to threats from the North, have shown that the two countries can put aside their bitter relations to focus on regional threats.
Read MoreWritten by Jabin T Jacob
Under the circumstances, third countries with no skin in the game but possessing a crucial vote in the UN General Assembly or asked to make a choice might be forgiven for not taking India seriously when it complains about China.
Read MoreWritten by Divyanshu Jindal
While the delivery of the first batch of S-400 systems is still a few months away, in future, new dynamics in Afghanistan and increasing cooperation between India and the US in the Indo-Pacific through the Quad will surely be important factors affecting the decision to impose or waive CAATSA sanctions against India.
Read MoreWritten by Christiane Heidbrink
The CDU/CSU, the SPD, the Greens and the FDP warn against digital competition with China. As these are the four parties with the largest predicted vote shares, their ideas for reinforcing the digital economy, critical infrastructure, and network security will shape Germany's relations with China as well as the US.
Read MoreWritten by Farlina Said
Southeast Asian states aim to uphold the principle of ‘technological neutrality’ which ensures the right to choose technology most appropriate for a specific need. Thus, when oversight initiatives such as the Blue Dot Network or Trump’s Clean Network Initiative are pushed, ASEAN member states can avoid choosing sides or technology.
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