New threats to European security and the expansion of new world powers have set a different tone for NATO cooperation since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, many of the fears and divisions that led to the creation of NATO in the first place–such as the spread of communism and the ideological differences separating the West from the East–remain.
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The UN’s annual climate summit, COP27, began on November 6, and after decades of climate debate, the agenda will finally include discussion of whether developed nations should pay “loss and damages” to developing nations, according to Reuters.
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China has been forcibly moving much of its Uyghur population to concentration camps, which it calls “re-education camps,” to combat “terrorism” in the ethnic Muslim minority community. According to the UN, the commission’s report stated that the deprivation of fundamental human rights, arbitrary detention, and credible reports of torture, ill-treatment, forced medical treatment, and sexual violence may amount to crimes against humanity.
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A recent leaked report reveals that the Solomon Islands has drafted a security agreement with China, reports CBS News. This agreement would allow China to deploy military personnel and armed police in the islands, as well as permit Chinese warships to visit the nation, according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Though the leaked document has yet to be formalized, it has generated significant international concern and criticism.
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Considering the strategic and symbolic significance of Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China, several experts have argued that China’s invasion of the island is a matter of when and not if. Many have questioned Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, given that Russia’s actions are in direct contradiction to China’s century-long foreign policy tenet of non-interference.
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Amidst the ease of pandemic restrictions around the globe, Hong Kong is facing a devastating surge in COVID-19 cases, reports The Guardian. Hong Kong, following in the footsteps of mainland China, has maintained a zero-tolerance COVID-19 restriction policy over the course of the pandemic. This approach proved to be largely effective up until the recent emergence of the Omicron variant.
Read moreThose who follow sports in some way will know that politics always get involved no matter how much fans wish otherwise. As has been shown this year, domestic and international politics have characterized the Olympic Games, as the most international and inherently political non-political event there is. With the 2022 Beijing games ongoing, it is worth remembering that the Olympics’ thrust into political spotlights isn’t new.
Read moreIn a recent interview with L’Equipe, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai announced her retirement and retracted her sexual assault allegation against a high ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The interview marked Peng’s first contact with a foreign publication since posting her initial accusation against Zhang Gaoli on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform.
Read moreSalami tactics, or conquering an enemy piece-by-piece, is a well-known strategy in international relations used to overcome opposition and weaken enemy states. The People’s Republic of China and India faced tensions earlier this year in what was their second faceoff since 2020. In May 2020, a clash between the troops of both countries along the Sino-Indian border resulted from India’s infrastructure plan in the bordering region near Ladakh. Both the countries engaged in cross-border-firing on September 7, 2020, the first time in 45 years.
Read moreOn Monday, December 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss the maintenance and growth of relations between the two states. In just his second international trip since the global emergence of COVID-19, Putin’s arrival comes amid complex geopolitical developments throughout Asia.
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