Strategic Ambiguity, China, and Taiwan: The US-Taiwan Quagmire
As China increases its forceful pressure for unification with Taiwan, can America’s strategic ambiguity maintain peace and prosperity across the Strait?
As China increases its forceful pressure for unification with Taiwan, can America’s strategic ambiguity maintain peace and prosperity across the Strait?
Central Asia countries (CAC) are located in a competitive neighbourhood and have had to become adept at realpolitik since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. CAC have been compelled to leverage their respective ties with China to counterbalance Russia as well as develop linkages with the Western power centres to balance against both local hegemons, Russia, and China. This has attracted the attention and interest of Middle Powers as well.
As America deals with the realization of China’s great power rise, can the US avoid confrontation when competing against China?
The increasing importance of Chinese movie market to Hollywood studios’ bottom-line has led to a culture of appeasement and provided space for the CPC to promote its propaganda movies.
Elon Musk withdrew his support for Bitcoin, leading to a crash in the price of the asset.
How does this relate to the US-China trade war? And is Musk really in trouble, or is he “hedging his bets”?
With rising diplomatic and political tensions in the Indo-Pacific, can the QUAD realistically function against the backdrop of Chinese regional hegemonic aggression?
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, China has developed a ‘mask diplomacy’ aimed at the Western Balkans; later evolved into the so-called vaccine diplomacy.
Can the European Union counter China’s ambitions in its eastern neighbourhood?
Expanding details about China’s re-education camps for minorities reveal that mass human rights abuses are taking place in Xinjiang. Although world powers are aware, they are not taking action.
The European Union and the Western Balkans share the same history and future. Therefore, the Chinese interest in the Balkans has long been perceived as an intrusion. Yet, on December 30, 2020, the European Union and China reached an historic Agreement on investment and trade. What does this rapprochement between the two rival suitors mean for the Western Balkans? For sure, the EU-China Agreement is controversial. But it may show a promising opening, by China, to a rules-based economic system. In Eastern Europe, this means that China could be brought to respect the EU 2030 agenda, especially for what concerns the green transition and digitalization.
While the world is still dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, the Russian and Chinese militaries seem to be growing closer than ever. On December 22nd, 2020, Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol mission over an area of the Western Pacific that is dangerously close to disputed territories between China, South Korea, and Japan. This mission succeeds a first one in 2019 which had already shaken up peace in East Asia.