Category: The Diplomat

Advertisement There are reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will announce an agreement to build the Power of Siberia-2 natural gas pipeline as early as October, during Putin’s planned visit to China. Construction of the pipeline appears unlikely but can’t be ruled out.  The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline faces daunting financing, technical, and economic challenges. Over the long term, China’s natural gas demand will face severe pressure from renewables and heat pumps, especially in the wind- and solar-rich north. If the pipeline is built,…

Advertisement Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has just returned home from almost a week in China, during September 10-16. Prior to the visit, journalists speculated that debt resolution must be the main priority for the visit, but that reflects a very shallow understanding of the dynamics in China-Zambia (and indeed China-Africa) relations. Hichilema is the fifth African head of state to visit a post-pandemic China, following top leaders from Tanzania, Algeria, Eritrea, and Benin. In the past, research by Development Reimagined has found a long-term positive correlation between visits from African…

Advertisement Taiwan will be holding its presidential elections in January 2024. The outcome has been further complicated by Terry Gou’s decision on August 28 to run as an “independent.” For now, William Lai (the incumbent Vice President) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) remains the leading candidate. However, Lai’s approval rating has been below 50 percent, and if other candidates were to join forces, they may have a chance of an upset win. Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) enjoys the support of younger voters. Meanwhile, Hou Yu-ih…

Advertisement Rome plans to exit China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as made clear by several declarations from Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni over the last year – most recently during her meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G-20 summit in India. Meloni has repeatedly indicated that Italy will cancel the March 2019 memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which the previous government led by Giuseppe Conte joined Beijing’s connectivity project. According to the agreement, an official decision as to whether to renew or cancel the MoU must be taken…

Advertisement There is very little doubt that the Chinese economy is currently in dire straits. Not only have property prices fallen for two years now, but there are also concerns about the economy entering a period of deflation (or persistently falling prices). A deflationary spiral works in the same way as an inflationary one, except in reverse. As prices fall, households cut back on spending in anticipation of prices falling further; firms cut back on hiring and investments in expectation of future reductions in wages and other costs. Such decisions…

Advertisement On August 29, Meta reported that it had recently taken down thousands of accounts and Facebook pages that “were part of the largest known cross-platform covert operation in the world,” run by “geographically dispersed operators across China.” The announcement and its detailed analysis made headlines around the world, garnering attention for the type of information that is often mainly of interest to cybersecurity firms and digital policy wonks. But such revelations are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Beijing’s evolving campaign to feed targeted disinformation…

Advertisement While U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly expressed his willingness to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, there has been no definitive response from Beijing. On September 4, however, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) published an article laying out the conditions for a Biden-Xi meeting. In part, the MSS stated that in order “to truly achieve ‘from Bali to San Francisco,’” the United States must “show enough sincerity.” (“Bali” refers to the meeting between Biden and Xi that took place on the Indonesian island during last October’s APEC…

Advertisement “It’s morning again in America.” The ghostly voice of Ronald Reagan blends into the busy milieu of the wood-paneled sales center in Jackson Hole, China – a replica of the Wyoming town built among the mountains north of Beijing. It’s a poignant moment copy and pasted from the late president’s 1984 re-election campaign into Jackson Hole’s sales pitch video, playing on repeat to potential homebuyers. Indeed, on the first day of my production trip in June 2015, Reagan’s past assertion was a metaphor for the optimism of the town’s…

Advertisement Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen visited Eswatini from September 5 to September 8, in what will likely be one of her last trips abroad as president. The four-day trip was intended to mark 55 years of independence for Eswatini, Taiwan’s last remaining diplomatic ally in Africa. Eswatini has maintained ties with Taiwan continuously since its independence in 1968. This was Tsai’s ninth trip abroad since taking office in 2016 and her second visit to Eswatini during her two terms in office. Tsai was accompanied by Minister of Economic Affairs Wang…

Advertisement China is promoting new economic opportunities for Taiwanese people while at the same time ramping up military activity around the island it claims as its own. Experts say the “carrots and sticks” approach, which Beijing has employed for years, signals a choice between peaceful “reunification” and military aggression ahead of a Taiwanese presidential election next year. This week, China unveiled a plan for an “integrated development demonstration zone” in its southeastern Fujian province, the closest to self-governed, democratic Taiwan. Taipei strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims. As part of the…