Via the South China Morning Post, an article on Chinese efforts to shore up belt-and-road deals with Middle East cash and partnerships as Western investment wanes: Beijing’s charm offensive to lure the capital from the Middle East appears to be paying off, as a Dubai-based chamber of commerce welcomes business cooperation with open arms and vows […]
Read more »Via the Lowy Institute, an article on India’s efforts to double down on regional connectivity where it has big advantages in its South Asia infrastructure push – even if outspending China isn’t one of them: India’s recent hosting of leaders from Nepal and Sri Lanka highlights the growing prominence of infrastructure in India’s regional strategy. […]
Read more »Via Semafor, a look at Africa’s global share of EV metals and minerals: The worldwide supply chain disruption caused by the global pandemic from 2020 through 2021 forced major organizations to rethink what they now realize was an overreliance on tried and tested systems. Until then African countries had not been prioritized as a supply chain […]
Read more »Via Panda Paw Dragon Claw, commentary on the real economic impact of CPEC in Pakistan: As the Belt and Road turns 10, it is a good time to assess the successes and failures of the initiative. Such a task is far from simple, however, complicated by the fact that the initiative has ballooned to 148 […]
Read more »Via The Economist, a look at Lebanon’s tourism boom: It could be any luxury hotspot on the Mediterranean. The four-hour flight from Dubai, the region’s financial hub, may cost $1,000 each way. Holidaymakers fork out over $450 for hotel rooms, $100 for plates of grilled fish. Day-passes to beach clubs can cost 25% of the […]
Read more »Courtesy of Foreign Policy, commentary that BRICS expansion is not a triumph for China, but rather a warning shot for the West to end its strategic slumber in the global south: Those who believe that the world is moving to a post-Western global order saw their belief confirmed last week. At its annual summit in […]
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