Tag: Belt and Road

Is China Truly a Neutral Development Actor? 

China presents itself as a different kind of development actor compared to Western donors — more equal and with less imposition and interference in national affairs, based on the belief that economic development leads to peace. However, many doubt this is the case. A look at Pakistan shows that local conditions and conflicts challenge this… Read more »

Putin and Xi Meet as Hidden Differences Mount

Foreign trips are now rare occasions for Russian President Vladimir Putin. As such, it was highly important to him to hold a position above that of the other participants at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on October 17 and 18. Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping obliged by making Putin the guest… Read more »

China’s Digital Silk Road and Malaysia’s Technological Neutrality

Like other nations in Asia and Africa, Malaysia has shown considerable agency in navigating the tech war between the United States and China. The ongoing tech war between the United States and China is increasingly driven by ideological, normative, and political tensions. The development of 5G technologies and the strategic hedging of third countries represent… Read more »

Russia and China Ambiguity Alliance in Africa

As the war in Ukraine continues in Europe, a new Cold War dynamic of the East and West tensions and strategic geopolitical alignment between powerful nations have heightened. As global proxy wars intensify, so does the competition over control of Africa’s vast natural resources and strategic trade routes, which is likely to shape Africa’s future… Read more »