Gazprom Feeling the Competition in Europe—Even From Russian Rivals
Hot Issue – War Without End in Yemen: The Saudi-UAE Rivalry to Prolong the Conflict
The “16+1” Initiative and Poland’s Disengagement from China
The Communist Youth League Announces Plans to Send a New Generation “Down to the Countryside”
Introduction In late March, the China Communist Youth League (Gongchan Zhuyi Qingnian Tuan, 共产主义青年团), or CCYL, released an official document that detailed plans to recruit large numbers of young people for work programs in rural... MORE
Italy Joins the Belt and Road Initiative: Context, Interests, and Drivers
Introduction In March 2019, Italy and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) signed a broad and comprehensive, albeit not legally binding, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Italy to join the Chinese-led Belt and Road Initiative... MORE
The Role of State-Owned Infrastructure Companies in the Development of China’s Latin America Policy
Introduction: “Operation Car Wash” and Infrastructure Projects in Latin America Brazil’s “Operation Car Wash” bribery probe, which began in 2014, has caused major upheavals in both Latin American politics and the region’s infrastructure sector. Operation... MORE
The Standoff Over the Myitsone Dam Project in Myanmar: Advantage China
Introduction—China’s Stalled Dam Project in Myanmar On January 12th, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Myanmar issued a statement warning Myanmar that if it failed to resolve the dispute over the... MORE
Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide: Whither Jihadism in China?
Introduction—Ethnic Conflict in Xinjiang and the Government’s Response Over the past year, political re-education camps in the western Xinjiang Province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have attracted much international attention due to allegations... MORE
Gazprom Restarts Imports From Turkmenistan After a Long Halt (Part Two)
*To read Part One, please click here. Ashgabat undoubtedly sees Russia’s decision to restart the procurement of Turkmenistani natural gas as a welcome opportunity to diversify Turkmenistan’s gas export markets. At present, China holds... MORE
Moscow Wants to Have It Both Ways on Montreux Convention
Moscow wants to have it both ways on the Montreux Convention, which governs naval passage through the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and the Dardanelles), casting itself as a supporter of this agreement when it works... MORE
Ukrainian President-Elect Zelensky’s Team Emerges From the Shadows
Popular comedian Volodymyr Zelensky won the Ukrainian runoff presidential election hands down on April 21. More than 73 percent of those who came to the polling stations cast their ballots for him. For the first... MORE
Russia Undecided and Apprehensive About Elections in Ukraine
The second round of the presidential elections in Ukraine, held last Sunday (April 21), was a rather unconventional democratic exercise. And for millions of keen followers in Russia, who looked at it through the distorting... MORE