Diplomacy in the Middle East is Difficult, But Essential

Diplomacy in the Middle East is difficult, but essential - CapX: Just over a week ago, mourners from across the globe came to commemorate the life of the UK’s greatest diplomat, Queen Elizabeth II. Amongst those who paid their respects at the funeral were leaders from Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The attendance of these leaders, hailing from countries where UK diplomacy […]

The Geopolitics of India’s Refugee Policy

The Geopolitics of India's Refugee Policy – South Asian Voices: India's lack of a formal refugee policy allows the state to deal with refugee groups on an ad hoc and arbitrary basis.

At 50, Japan-China Friendship Remains a Pipe Dream

EDITORIAL | At 50, Japan-China Friendship Remains a Pipe Dream | JAPAN Forward: Amicable relations with a stable Beijing has proved a fantasy. In fact, Tokyo needs to conduct a wholesale reframing of our relations with that country.

The Great Game in Ukraine is Spinning Out of Control

The Great Game in Ukraine is Spinning out of Control - IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters

Why Sri Lanka’s Default Was Not Caused by China

Why Sri Lanka's Default was not Caused by China – South Asian Voices: Sri Lanka's debt default cannot only be attributed to China's debt-trap diplomacy.

China-Bhutan Engagement: Worries for India?

IP22054 | China-Bhutan Engagement: Worries for India? - RSIS

Europe and the New Non-Alignment

Europe and the New Non-Alignment | by Laurence Tubiana - Project Syndicate: Laurence Tubiana sees both challenges and opportunities for climate policy in an era of geopolitical fragmentation.

The Crisis of Elite Capture in Pakistan and Sri Lanka

The Crisis of Elite Capture in Pakistan and Sri Lanka – South Asian Voices: In July, Pakistan and Sri Lanka met on the cricket pitch for a match that had been quietly moved from Colombo to Galle. While international broadcasters aired visuals of ocean waves crashing onto Galle Fort’s once tourist-frequented beaches, Sri Lankans stormed the Presidential Palace in Colombo during a state of emergency to protest the worst […]

Why Small Island States Are Vulnerable but Not Powerless

Why Small Island States Are Vulnerable but Not Powerless: “The continued stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region is heavily influenced by the actions of small island states,” says Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shadid.

What to Expect From Biden’s Summit with Pacific Island Leaders

What to expect from Biden’s summit with Pacific island leaders | The Strategist: When the White House announced that President Joe Biden will host the US – Pacific Island Country Summit on 28–29 September, it noted that it’s the ‘first ever’ such meeting. This both focused attention on ...

The China Factor in Vietnam’s View of India

IP22053 | The China Factor in Vietnam’s View of India - RSIS

NATO’s Nordic Enlargement and Turkey’s Reservations

NATO’s Nordic enlargement and Turkey’s reservations | FIIA: Turkey’s reservations about the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden need to be conceptualized within its determined search for strategic autonomy.

The Fate of Alliances in the Modern World

The Fate of Alliances in the Modern World: We see that over the past 100 years, the phenomenon of permanent alliances has come to look very archaic. In cases where the leading power is not ready to play the role of a dictator — due to subjective or objective reasons — an alliance no longer becomes an instrument for ensuring the collective interests of its participants, but a factor in diplomatic interaction between them, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.

Is the Iran Nuclear Agreement Dead?

Is the Iran nuclear agreement dead? | The Strategist: The Vienna negotiations to revive the July 2015 Iran nuclear agreement—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA—are once again in danger of fizzling out. Tehran and Washington, along with fellow signatories Britain, France, Germany, ...

A Ground Plan for India’s Reformed Multilateralism

A ground plan for India’s reformed multilateralism | ORF: Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to the United States (September 18-28) has set the stage for an expansive range

Enlarging and Deepening: Giving Substance to the European Political Community

Enlarging and deepening: giving substance to the European Political Community: The EPC would not be, and should not be, regarded as a substitute for EU accession, but should be designed to work as an accelerator.

Gorbachev’s Other Legacy: Normalizing Sino-Soviet Ties

Gorbachev’s Other Legacy: Normalizing Sino-Soviet Ties: Mikhail Gorbachev left an important and often underappreciated geostrategic legacy for Sino-Russian relations.

Creating Building Blocks for Cooperative Security in the Middle East

Creating Building Blocks for Cooperative Security in the Middle East - RSIS

The UN Isn’t Working. The World Needs the DN

The UN Isn't Working. The World Needs the DN: The world has entered a new Cold War. China and Russia have agreed to a new “no limits” alliance. The West is uniting around an expanded NATO, the Five Eyes alliance, and the U.S.-centered

Regime Change in Russia?

Regime Change in Russia?: A careful strategy of strength and prudence has helped the West maintain security and manage relations with Moscow. The West may continue this course while upping the ante to help Ukraine defeat and expel Russian forces. In so doing, the West may also be advancing prospects for longer-term peace that might come only through liberalization in Russia.

International Relations and the Global System

International Relations and the Global System: International Relations examines everything that concerns how we have organised our world. In addition, it reflects upon our fate by unpacking our shared challenges and opportunities and opening those up to competing viewpoints.

The European Union’s Security Intervention in the Indo-Pacific: Between Multilateralism and Mercantile Interests

The European Union’s Security Intervention in the Indo-Pacific: Between Multilateralism and Mercantile Interests: Is the EU raising its political and security profile in the Indo-Pacific solely because of China’s assertiveness or US–China strategic competition, as often posited? On the basis of official documentation and elite interviews, this article advances a more nuanced view of the rationale behind the EU’s engagement there. Aside from increased European naval involvement the EU and its member states are fostering the capacity building of Indo-Pacific countries concerned with their maritime safety, maritime security and to uphold the rules-based multilateral order.

The ‘QuadFather’: The Legacy of Shinzo Abe and the Quad

The ‘QuadFather’: The Legacy of Shinzo Abe and the Quad | ORF: Given their acrimonious history, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Japanese government was never as enamored by the narrative surrounding

Creating Building Blocks for Cooperative Security in the Middle East

Creating Building Blocks for Cooperative Security in the Middle East - RSIS

Xi Doubles Down on Support for Putin

Xi doubles down on support for Putin | The Strategist: Moscow’s deepening reliance on Beijing is of long-term concern to Australia and its Indo-Pacific partners. In a sideline meeting at last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to cower in front ...

Russian Setbacks Lead India to Reconsider its Relationship with Moscow

IntelBrief: Russian Setbacks Lead India to Reconsider its Relationship with Moscow: Russia’s declining fortunes in its seven-month-long war against Ukraine pose an increasingly significant dilemma for India’s leaders and strategists who, to date, have sought to prioritize India’s national interests and downplay public criticism of Russia

What’s the World’s Oldest Civilization?

What's the world's oldest civilization?: Did the first civilization arise in Mesopotamia, or elsewhere?

While Xi Jinping Consolidates His Power, Apprehension Grows in India

While Xi Jinping consolidates his power, apprehension grows in India | The Strategist: There’s a sense of foreboding in New Delhi as Xi Jinping prepares to secure a third five-year term as China’s president. It’s expected that Xi’s appointment will be confirmed by the 20th congress of the Chinese Communist Party, ...

Could the US Military Really Defend Taiwan from an Invasion by China?

Could the U.S. Military Really Defend Taiwan from an Invasion by China?: The United States has maintained strategic ambiguity for years about what it would do if China attacked Taiwan. Now, U.S. President Joe Biden has brought new attention to the question. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Biden said on Sept. 18 that the United States would indeed fight to protect Taiwan against China. That follows […]

The Future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty

Opinion – The Future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty: It is high time that states took stock of the emerging threats and the unaddressed gaps that run the risk of further weakening the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

We Know Afghanistan’s Past but Where is it Headed?

We Know Afghanistan's Past but Where is it Headed?: Cipher Brief Expert and former senior member of the British Foreign Office Tim Willasey-Wilsey looks at Afghanistan's likely future

The Killing of Ayman al Zawahiri: Impact on al Qaeda-linked Terror Groups in Africa

POLICY BRIEF: The Killing of Ayman al Zawahiri: Impact on al Qaeda-linked Terror Groups in Africa | Mantraya

When Crises Collide: Energy, Security, Climate Change

When Crises Collide: Energy, Security, Climate Change

Russia’s Vostok 2022 Military Drills: Not Size or Tanks, but Context

Russia’s Vostok 2022 Military Drills: Not Size or Tanks, but Context: Recent exercises held in Russia’s Far East can be seen as the culmination of a series of events, as security cooperation between Russia and China continues to grow.

Dealing with Taiwan

Dealing with Taiwan: The de facto politically independent Taiwan is coming under increas­ing pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its claim to...

Keeping the Momentum Going on AUKUS

Keeping the momentum going on AUKUS | The Strategist: The AUKUS partnership is of profound importance for Australia’s military capabilities, as a broader strategic framework and as a practical reflection of the friendship among three democratic nations with shared values. Both the nuclear-powered submarine ...

Change Underfoot in the Uneasy UK-China Relationship?

Change underfoot in the uneasy UK-China relationship? - Griffith Asia Insights

Taiwan is an Opportunity for Indian Foreign Policy

Taiwan is an opportunity for Indian foreign policy | East Asia Forum: India looks to trade and people-to-people ties to boost underperforming relations with Taiwan, write Narayanan (Hari) Gopalan Lakshmi and Yves Tiberghien (UBC).

Ideology and America’s View of the World

Ideology and America's View of the World - War on the Rocks: Ideologies help people understand the world around them. They provide a lens through which we arrange events and images into patterns, and they offer a

No Criticism Allowed: Xi and Putin Tighten their Sphere of Influence and Grasp on the Media

No Criticism Allowed: Xi and Putin Tighten their Sphere of Influence and Grasp on the Media | JAPAN Forward: Putin and Xi pick International Democracy Day for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as the UN raises an alarm on growing threats to democracy.

An Eye For an Eye Doesn’t Work in Disinformation War

An eye for an eye doesn’t work in disinformation war: In the struggle to win the ideological narrative wars, democracies are tempted to resort to disinformation to match the fabrications of their more autocratic enemies. It's a bad idea.

Balancing Geopolitics and Energy Security With Decarbonization

Balancing geopolitics and energy security with decarbonisation | East Asia Forum

Putin-Xi Meeting at Summit Marks the Rise of Eurasia

Putin-Xi Meeting at summit marks the rise of Eurasia - Responsible Statecraft: In contrast, Washington’s coalitions in the 'Indo-Pacific' and elsewhere are failing to gain new adherents.

Nepal’s Delicate Foreign Policy Balancing Act

Nepal's Delicate Foreign Policy Balancing Act – South Asian Voices: New Delhi and Washington can play to their strengths and maximize the developmental impact of their projects in Nepal.

Working from Home Around the World

Working from Home Around the World | BFI: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a huge, sudden uptake in working from home, as individuals and organizations responded to contagion fears and government restrictions on commercial and social activities. Over time, it has […]

The Diplomatic Rift in Outer Space

The diplomatic rift in outer space | The Strategist: The night sky may look calm and tranquil, but the domain of outer space is on red alert, with all indicators pointing towards a distressing future. Outer space affects all of us. It’s likely you ...

Cambodia Hedges

Cambodia hedges | East Asia Forum: Cambodia’s decision to co-sponsor the UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is one of many foreign policy moves aimed at promoting a principle-based and independent foreign policy

The Fate of the Commonwealth After Queen Elizabeth’s Death

The fate of the Commonwealth after Queen Elizabeth’s death: More than just a a relic of the old British Empire, where does the Commonwealth's future lie with its new king amid a rapidly transforming world.

India’s Long Infatuation With Russia Must End

India’s long infatuation with Russia must end | The Strategist: During a parliamentary debate in April, I expressed my concerns about India’s relationship with Russia. My words were met with grim-faced silence. But the events of the last five months have only strengthened my case. ...

International Relations at the End of the Second Elizabethan Age

Opinion – International Relations at the End of the Second Elizabethan Age: Elizabeth II was one of international relations’ strongest soft powers – not just in longevity, but also in her subtle influence on the global system.

The Humanization of Global Politics

The Humanisation of Global Politics: Who matters in global politics? For a long time, the answer the majority of International Relations (IR) scholarship gave was simple: states. Then, gradually new actors appeared on the stage of global politics, or those who always had been there received more attention: Civil society actors, multinational corporations, international organisations, international courts and tribunals, and Who matters in global politics? For a long time, the answer the majority of International Relations (IR) scholarship gave was simple: states.

Guantanamo Bay: Twenty Years of Counterterrorism and Controversy

Guantanamo Bay: Twenty Years of Counterterrorism and Controversy: The U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has generated intense debate for two decades, raising enduring questions about national security, human rights, and justice.

A Grand Bargain to Steer Through the European Union’s Energy Crisis

A grand bargain to steer through the European Union’s energy crisis: The current crisis looks set to leave behind it a radically different system, but what that system will look like remains an open question

Data Free Flow with Trust – and How That Trust Should be Built

Data Free Flow with Trust – and How That Trust Should be Built: The prospect for building a global architecture for cross-border data flows anytime soon is very limited.

Ukraine and the Failure of the Responsibility to Protect Norm

Ukraine and the Failure of the Responsibility to Protect Norm: The United Nations has lost its legitimacy to prevent wars of aggression that underlie the very foundation of its existence.

Indo-Pacific Vision That Promises Peace and Prosperity

Indo-Pacific vision that promises peace and prosperity | East Asia Forum: Japan must embark on a substantial foreign policy shift to realise its Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision.

Russia’s Climate Action and Geopolitics of Energy Transition

Russia’s Climate Action and Geopolitics of Energy Transition: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has profoundly altered the outlook for Russia’s energy transition and created uncertainties on the global path towards net zero. In response to global economic shifts, Russia had begun taking steps towards decarbonisation, albeit without plans to depart from its hydrocarbon-based economic model in any substantial way. The new political, trade and financial environment induced by Russia’s act of aggression has damaged its potential to maintain the once-emerging momentum.

How the World Is Overcoming the Divide Between Russia and the West

How the World Is Overcoming the Divide Between Russia and the West: The conflict in Europe will increasingly become local and of direct interest to its main participants. To the same extent, the rest of the world will move precisely towards non-participation in one way or another, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev.

The Best Way for US to Counter China in the Indo-Pacific

The Best Way for US to Counter China in the Indo-Pacific - by John Lee: Delegations from 14 nations will meet in Los Angeles this week to put some meat on the bones of Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. The gro...

Is There Any Strategy Left for Washington in Afghanistan?

Is There Any Strategy Left for Washington in Afghanistan? – South Asian Voices: The U.S. must move away from a security-centric foreign policy in Afghanistan and engage with non-violent civil society actors instead.

Is War Between the US and China Avoidable?

Is War Between the U.S. and China Avoidable?: The Cipher Brief's independent reviewer gives his take on The Avoidable War by former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

The Strategic BRICS

The Strategic BRICS - Foreign Policy Blogs: Ukraine has started its advance in the Kherson region in order to reclaim as much territory as possible in the south of Ukraine before Russia attempts to permanently annex large sections of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast. Taking sections of the east of Ukraine would give Russia extra control of Ukraine’s significant agricultural exports. Control in […]div style='margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;' class='sharethis-inline-share-buttons' data-url=https://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2022/09/07/the-strategic-brics//div

Re-invigorating the International Trade System

Re-invigorating the international trade system | East Asia Forum

From Trump to Biden, Continuity and Change in the US’s China Policy

From Trump to Biden, Continuity and Change in the US’s China Policy | ORF: The Donald Trump presidency will likely be remembered as the time when the United States (US) confronted China on various fronts.

Deciphering the West’s Strategic Goals in Ukraine War

Deciphering the West’s strategic goals in Ukraine war: While the outcome of the Ukraine war remains uncertain, the West’s strategic aims, particularly how it treats Russia in the event that Ukraine prevails, will have huge consequences.

Reclaiming Human Rights in a Changing World Order

Reclaiming Human Rights in a Changing World Order: Human rights protections must be reinforced against growing challenges from new global forces Human rights — and the international institutions that strive to protect them — are under increasing at…

The Era for Engagement with Russia and China is Over

The Era for Engagement with Russia and China is Over: This spring, the Biden Administration acknowledged that it must re-write its National Security Strategy, which guides the country’s overall security strategy, no doubt in recognition that the U.S. grand strategy must be fundamentally revised. The revision is necessary given the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and a failed three-decade attempt to entice China to become […]

Geography Lessons From the 9/11 Terrorist Network

Geography Lessons From the 9/11 Terrorist Network: The hijackers’ travel patterns before the attacks help reveal the terrorists’ organizational structure.

The Tories Talk the Talk on China

The Tories talk the talk on China | East Asia Forum: The United Kingdom’s incoming prime minister will have to come up with a strategy to deliver on toughening rhetoric on China.

Russia-China Strategic Partnership in the Context of the Crisis in Europe

Russia-China Strategic Partnership in the Context of the Crisis in Europe: The past achievements of Russia-China interaction became more prominent as the military-diplomatic crisis transitioned into the acute phase. These developments have revealed both the structural strength of their cooperation and the challenges they will have to deal with together.

Five Lessons on International Rule of Law Support

Five Lessons on International Rule of Law Support: The promotion of the rule of law across borders should be implemented based on clear and objective standards, and distinguished from state-building exercises.

The Emergence of War in Plato’s Republic

The Emergence of War in Plato’s Republic: Plato’s Republic is endlessly rich. Broadly, it begins when Socrates and his friend Glaucon are compelled to stay at Cephalus’ house in the Piraeus. Remaining just outside Athens, the many—including Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, and Adeimantus, among others—debate questions of justice. When no satisf

A Tragedy in Xinjiang, a Tragedy for the UN

A tragedy in Xinjiang, a tragedy for the UN | Lowy Institute

Kashmir since 2019 and Indo-Pak Relations

Kashmir since 2019 and Indo-Pak Relations: The ‘Kashmir Conflict’ has been a source of constant tension between India and Pakistan from the time of their independence in 1947. Agnieszka Kuszewska summarises the big story and det…

Is the World’s Financial Firefighter Ready?

Is the world’s financial firefighter ready? | The Strategist: The world needs to prepare for a cascade of financial crises across emerging and developing economies. The writing is already on the wall, with Bangladesh, Ghana, Pakistan and Sri Lanka currently queuing at the International Monetary Fund’s ...

Japan Navigates Around Shinzo Abe’s Foreign Policy Legacy

Japan navigates around Shinzo Abe’s Japanese foreign policy legacy | East Asia Forum: Faced with a complex world order, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is leaning on the assertive foreign policy legacy of the late Shinzo Abe

The International Criminal Court at 20

The International Criminal Court at 20 | by Irwin Cotler, Allan Rock and Brandon Silver - Project Syndicate: Irwin Cotler, Allan Rock and Brandon Silver consider the institution's track record and how it could be improved after recent setbacks.

Five Trends Driving the Future of Terrorism

Five Trends Driving the Future of Terrorism - Foreign Policy Research Institute: Beyond the tragedy itself, the attack was noteworthy for another reason—it was the quintessential example of how terrorist ideologies have become more diverse

The New ’Non-Aligned Movement’ is an Improved Version of the Original Concept

The new 'non-aligned movement' is an improved version of the original concept: Much of the developing world is both less inclined to be bullied by major powers and less bulliable

The US–China ‘Standard-Off’ Over Technology

The US–China ‘standard-off’ over technology | East Asia Forum: The US–China rivalry over global standards risks further fragmenting the global economy and duplicating technology supply chains.

The Metaverse in a Fragmented World

The Metaverse in a Fragmented World: What would the metaverse – an interconnected network of virtual spaces – look like in a geopolitically fragmented world?

Talking Peace, Tearing Up Peace Pacts

TALKING PEACE, TEARING UP PEACE PACTS: Talking peace, tearing up peace pacts Despite Beijing and Delhi’s negotiations, since 2020, to resolve their border dispute, recent activities show that a truce is still a long way off, writes Amit Agnihotri China has been talking peace with India for over two years now to resolve the bitter border row along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, but relations between the two major Asian powers are far from normal.The reason? Continued Chinese belligerence and violation of the various bilateral peace pacts, which has resulted in a dangerous security situation in the Himalayas.Stressing that strained India-China relations are a roadblock towards the long-cherished goal of the Asian Century, India’s external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar minced no words as he described the reality.‘If you ask me, is our relationship normal today? My answer to you is no, it is not. And it cannot be normal, if the situation in the border areas is abnormal. And surely the presence of a large number of troops there, in contravention of agreements, is abnormal,’ Jaishankar said in response to a media query recently.‘So long as there are very large deployments in the border areas, which are violative of the 1993 and 1996 agreements, clearly the border area situation is not normal.’The minister was referring to the various peace pacts that were signed between 1993 and 2013 to allow the two countries to negotiate border disputes...

Can South Korea Maintain its Middle Power Status in the Indo-Pacific Century?

Can South Korea maintain its middle power status in the Indo-Pacific century? - Policy Forum: If South Korea wants to ensure its middle power status, it must depend less on the United States, Seung Hugh Shin writes.

India’s Leap of Faith in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

POLICY BRIEF: India’s Leap of Faith in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan | Mantraya

If There Had Been No Gorbachev

If There Had Been No Gorbachev: Was the USSR doomed to collapse under Gorbachev? Could anyone stop him? Alas, the “staff culture” of the Central Committee was such that “collective leadership” was a fiction. The principle “the boss is always right” dominated, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.

The Historical Evolution of al-Qaeda’s Positions on China

The Historical Evolution of al-Qaeda’s Positions on China - by Riccardo Valle Lucas Webber: The Historical Evolution of al-Qaeda’s Positions on China By Lucas Webber and Riccardo Valle...

Nineteenth Century Grand Strategy Wargaming May Explain the Twenty-First Century War in the Ukraine

Nineteenth Century Grand Strategy Wargaming May Explain the Twenty-First Century War in the Ukraine | Small Wars Journal