Spotlight on Analysis: COVID-19
Problems in the Ukrainian Military Food-Supply System: Coronavirus or Symptom of Slowdown in Reforms?
Hot Issue – Is This the Beginning of the End of the War in Yemen?
Belarus’s Relations With the Baltic States: Strategic Economic Links and Pragmatic Foreign Policy Calculations
Executive Summary Historically, Belarus has always had close relations with the three Baltic States—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia—and cumulatively spent centuries together with them in several larger shared state entities. The strategic importance of the Baltic... MORE
Russian Influence Grows in Central Asia
The Russian Federation is strengthening its economic integration with several Central Asian states. At the beginning of April, the authorities of Uzbekistan and Russia agreed to set up an economic cooperation program in May that... MORE
Ukraine Qualifies for New IMF Loan, but at the Expense of the Oligarchs
It has again taken Ukraine many months to break down the domestic opposition of vested interests in order to qualify for much-needed international assistance. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently signed into law two key bills: one... MORE
Poland Updates Its Security Strategy
On May 12, 2020, President Andrzej Duda approved the new Security Strategy of the Republic of Poland (“Strategia Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego”—SBN) (Bbn.gov.pl, May 12), which replaces long-outdated version from 2014 (Bbn.gov.pl, November 5, 2014). The SBN... MORE
Themes from the CPPCC Signal the End of Hong Kong Autonomy—and the Effective End of the “One Country, Two Systems” Framework
Introduction The annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known collectively as the “Two Sessions” (两会, Liang Hui), are the biggest official events on the annual... MORE
Under a COVID-19 Cloud, China’s Gig Economy Comes of Age
Introduction In late April, as residents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) began to adjust to a new normal in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, Ele.me—one of the country’s biggest food delivery platforms—unveiled... MORE
The Belt and Road Initiative: A Domestically-Motivated Program Fueling Global Competition
Introduction The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s ambitious overseas economic and infrastructure program, is having a significant impact on the world economy. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has pledged $1 trillion in investment;... MORE
Chinese Incursions Into Vietnamese Waters, Security Implications for the Region, and the Potential Role of India
Introduction: China Renews Its Maritime Sovereignty Claims at the Expense of Vietnam The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan has not deterred the People’s Republic of China... MORE
Bessarabia’s ‘Ethnographic Harlequin’ in a Regional Perspective
Ukraine’s ethnic-Bulgarian minority is concentrated in the southwestern part of Ukraine’s Odesa province, an area often if somewhat inaccurately referenced as “Bessarabia.” It forms a triangle between the Dnister/Nistru River, the Danube Estuary and the... MORE