According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a middle power can be defined as “a state that holds a position in the international power spectrum that is in the ‘middle’ – below that of a superpower which wields vastly superior influence over all other states, or of a great power, but with significantContinue Reading
There has been a lot of diplomatic activity between Pakistan and the United States in recent weeks regarding cooperation in the area of critical minerals. At least two U.S. government delegations have visited Pakistan in April to discuss proposals to enhance economic collaboration. The first delegation was led by EricContinue Reading
China’s paramount leader Xi Jinping arrived in Malaysia on April 15 for talks with key leaders, once again attempting to capitalize on the negative regional reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s punitive tariff regime. Xi arrived in Malaysia yesterday evening from Vietnam, and was officially welcomed at the Istana NegaraContinue Reading
Eight months after the ouster of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met for the first time on April 4 on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok. The meeting was important. It was the first face-to-face meetingContinue Reading
After Vietnam and the United States upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023, China swiftly responded to avoid losing strategic influence in Hanoi. Three months later, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Vietnam – and this week, he returned with what is arguably theContinue Reading
An idyllic island in the Gulf of Thailand has recently become a subject of contention between nationalists in Thailand and Cambodia, derailing negotiations over the joint exploitation of offshore gas reserves. Koh Kood (or Koh Kut) is a popular holiday hotspot for foreign tourists to Thailand, attracting hundreds of thousandsContinue Reading
As the United States officially launched a tariff war against China, China convened an unusual Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries on April 8 and 9. All members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China’s top political body, attended. At the meeting, CCPContinue Reading
Last week, amid various domestic and international challenges, Germany’s conservative center-right Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), announced a coalition agreement with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). This coalition, unofficially known as the Grand Coalition, aims to revitalize Germany, the world’s fourth-largest economy andContinue Reading
At the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held on April 7 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev once again called on the international community to avoid isolating Afghanistan. He emphasized the importance of establishing constructive dialogue with the current government and recognizing Afghanistan as an integral part of CentralContinue Reading
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will meet with the head of Myanmar’s military junta in Bangkok this week, to push for the extension of a ceasefire and discuss earthquake relief efforts. During a monthly meeting of the Finance Ministry yesterday, Anwar announced that he would meet Senior Gen. Min AungContinue Reading
