Opinion
Britain already at war with Russia warns Fiona Hill - The Guardian
Britain is already at war with Russia and can no longer rely on the United States as a stable ally, the former top US Russia expert Fiona Hill told The Guardian in an interview.
COMMENT: Full speed ahead with reforms in the Western Balkans rail sector
The region must continue to transform its rail sector to become more eco-friendly, accessible and digitalised.
COMMENT: Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb strategic strikes will harden, not soften, the Kremlin’s line on Ukraine
Ukraine’s spectacular Operation Spiderweb drone strikes on Russian strategic bombers on June 1 will harden, not soften, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s resolve to continue fighting in Ukraine, says Tatiana Stanovaya.
COMMENT: Asian unity in a fragmenting world boosted by the RCEP
In the face of renewed US protectionism and the use of tariffs as economic weapons, RCEP offers the Indo-Pacific region something far more strategic: a framework for resilience, integration and independence.
COMMENT: Poland’s presidential elections to derail reforms, but not the economy
Poland’s divided electorate has delivered a blow to the governing coalition, but not yet to the country’s economic momentum - for now.
COMMENT: Asia's team lists in the Washington VS Beijing bout
While fewer in number, some Asian nations have displayed clear signs of alignment or strategic proximity to China.
COMMENT: All three leaders in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary under pressure
All three of the leaders in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary are under pressure and looking at ways to shore up their hold on power.
COMMENT: US military sales to Taiwan – a necessary shield or forced purchases by an economic bully?
Amid growing concern over the cross-Strait balance of power therefore, the US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth recently drew headlines for his stark warning of an “imminent” Chinese move against Taiwan.
COMMENT: US Defence Secretary Hegseth tells Asian countries war with China “could be imminent”
US Secretary for Defence Pete Hegseth put the cat amongst the pigeons during a speech at the at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, by telling the leading Asian countries they should join with the US and get ready for war with China.
COMMENT: Chinese firms carving up Tesla's once solid brand recognition
While Tesla remains a powerful player in the EV market, its star has dimmed, particularly in China, today the world’s largest EV market and increasingly its most competitive.
Erdogan’s “missteps” have doomed him, argues Council on Foreign Relations analyst
Henri J Barkey describes the “flailing of a threatened, insecure, and imperiled man” who is “confronting mounting public fatigue” in Turkey with his presidency.
BERTRAND: ASEAN, GCC countries and China come together, forming the world’s largest economic bloc
China, the countries of South-East Asia (ASEAN) and the Arab states (GCC) just held a summit in Kuala Lumpur to forge what could become the world's largest economic bloc, covering everything from free trade agreements to de-dollarisation.
COMMENT: The Philippines – an Asian nation closer to the US than its regional neighbours
The Philippines is a bit of an oddball in Southeast Asia: a country economically tethered to the United States through deep-rooted historical, political and financial ties, yet it consistently ranks as one of the least democratic nations in Asia.
COMMENT: How Nepal and Bhutan navigate the India-China rivalry
While New Delhi flexes its military posture to signal resolve both to Beijing and Islamabad, neighbouring microstates like Nepal and Bhutan find themselves compelled to recalibrate their security interests and economic alignments.
BERTRAND: China, leading Asian countries, set up rival to International Court of Justice
China and a group of about 20 other countries (including Indonesia, Pakistan, Algeria and Serbia) are launching this week the "International Organization for Mediation" to rival the International Court of Justice.
COMMENT: Falling oil revenues and rising costs triple Russia’s budget deficit, but to a manageable 1.7% GDP
Russia has already spent more than a third of the planned budget expenditures for this year as costs in all three of the major spending categories – housing, social, and military – are up y/y.
BERTRAND: Indonesian President Prabowo hails China as the new moral leader of geopolitics
President Prabowo Subianto has hailed Indonesia’s deepening ties with China, calling it a “pillar of peace and prosperity” in the Southeast Asia region, in an implicit rebuke of Western “imperialism and colonialism.”
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BLOG: Efforts to tackle methane emissions continue, despite Trump’s regulatory rollback
Momentum behind improved methane monitoring, quantification and mitigation continues to build in the US – even without the same regulatory pressure.
COMMENT: Ranking the top 60 economies’ exposure to US tariffs
US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 50% tariff hike on the EU has put the cat amongst the pigeons again. If he follows through then Europe, which is highly dependent on US trade, will be amongst the most damaged economies in the world.
MACRO ADVISORY: Mongolia rising, but critically linked to China
Three years ago, Mongolia was broke and facing a possible debt default. It suffered a big drop in the volume and value of copper and coal exports to China during 2020-2021. Now it is doing better, but its fate is tied to China.