Mutual interests often bring culturally distinct states together, and the China-Pakistan friendship is a major testament to this, as it is strongly defined by a common strategic goal of managing India’s influence in South Asia. This relationship, often described as that between “iron brothers» has largely revolved around military and economic cooperation, notably through defense agreements and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Yet for all its famous depth, this relationship has hardly developed a cultural life of its own. The release of the Pakistani film “The Legend of Maula Jatt” on May 21 in China therefore constitutes a major step…
Author: Frank M. Everett
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet China’s top leader Xi Jinping in Beijing shortly after the May 14-15 China-US summit. Do these consecutive visits indicate a new phase of triangular diplomacy? Contrary to Sino-American summits of the Nixon eraAs U.S. and Chinese leaders sought to use their rapprochement to further isolate the Soviet Union, the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi is unlikely to pressure Russia over Iran or Ukraine. Trump is no stranger to triangular diplomacy. In April 2017, while hosting Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, Trump revealed that the United States had just bombed…
Since 2023, Australia has committed to updating its defense strategy documents every two years to assess changes in the strategic environment and adjust its strategic thinking accordingly. On April 16, 2026, Australia released the National Defense Strategy (NDS) for 2026 and the Integrated Investment Program (IIP) for 2026. In this year’s defense strategy, Australia placed particular emphasis on the threat posed by China. Australia’s NDS explicitly identifies China’s national power and military capabilities as the main factors shaping the Indo-Pacific region. It also highlights the risks posed by the activities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese Coast…
With the economy teetering on the brink of a presidential-induced collapse, Donald Trump arrived in China in a weakened position, seeking Chinese investment in the United States that he could sell as a victory to his dwindling political support base. PoliticusUSA provides 100% independent news and opinions. Support us by becoming a subscriber.The problem is that the nearly 80-year-old president barely made it down the steps of Air Force One.Video:Look at the disheveled president barely making his way down the steps, as if he has projected all his personal damage onto the United States and turned the country into a…
Japan’s recent wave of defense diplomacy Manila has Jakarta, Canberra has Wellington – has raised familiar concerns about the country’s peace commitments. Critics warn of a slippery slope toward remilitarization. Yet this framework gives a fundamentally misinterpretation of what Tokyo is actually doing. Seen clearly, Japan’s defense equipment transfers represent something more modest in military terms and more significant in strategic terms: the deliberate construction of a network of cooperation among middle powers anchored in shared weapons supply chains. The scale of Japan’s defense buildup, while remarkable by its own postwar standards, remains far short of what would qualify as…
Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers from around the world for their diverse perspectives on U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Xiaobing Li – professor of history and Don Betz Chair of International Studies at the University of Central Oklahoma and author of “The Chinese Mahan: Admiral Liu Huaqing and the rise of the modern Chinese navy” (Naval Institute Press 2026) – is the 508th in “The Trans-Pacific View Insight Series.” Describe the influence of 19th-century U.S. naval strategist Alfred Mahan on Admiral Liu Huaqing, commander of the Chinese Navy from…
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Growing pressure from Washington to restrict Chinese travel to the Northern Mariana Islands could dent economic recovery in the U.S. territory as it rebuilds after the devastation caused last month by super typhoon Sinlaku, analysts and residents told Radio Free Asia.Supporters of the Economic Vitality and Security Travel Authorization Program, or EVS-TAP, say ending the 14-day visa-free travel allowance for Chinese would seriously hurt the economy of the islands, officially a Commonwealth and abbreviated to CNMI, where, according to a 2025 economic study, tourism accounts for more than two-thirds of GDP.Although the program was introduced…
More than forty years ago, Chinese leaders strategized that a radical opening on one island could lead to reunification with another. Now, while relations between the two shores shake up both politicians in Taipei And the Sino-American relationshipBeijing has revived a decades-old dream: an island-sized free trade zone on the island of Hainan. Senior Communist Party officials and intellectuals have long hoped that such a zone could transform “China’s second-largest island” into a mainland-controlled version of Hong Kong and draw Taiwan back into the fold. Hainan is today engaged in what could be It is China’s most radical economic experiment…
Two weeks after Kamchybek Tashiev, the former head of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, confirmed that a criminal case had been opened against him, his lawyer announced that the Prosecutor General’s Office had approved an indictment and transferred the case to the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek for trial. There are seven other defendants in the case, but their names have not been made public. Additionally, the case was closed. “This means that all court hearings will be closed to the public and no one is allowed to disclose information regarding the investigation or legal proceedings,” Ikramidin…
A surge in global fuel prices following disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz has revealed how Southeast Asia still relies heavily on imported fossil fuels for its energy security. Across the region, governments have worked to stabilize supply. Coal-fired power plants are operating at greater capacity and emergency measures have been announced to protect economies from price shocks. Beyond the immediate term, perhaps the most pressing question is whether the crisis will slow or accelerate the region’s transition to renewable energy. Short-term solution, long-term risks In the Philippines, the government’s response highlighted the tension between short- and long-term imperatives. In…