Via The Jamestown Foundation, an article on the Caspian region: Geopolitical competition in the Caspian Sea region over oil and natural gas fields, pipelines carrying these hydrocarbons across that body of water, and security measures intended to protect both have attracted the bulk of the attention of the littoral states as well as outside powers […]
Read more »Via Oil and Gas Daily, a report on a recently announced Sino-French African pipeline deal: French green groups on Monday denounced a newly inked multi-national accord to build a massive crude oil pipeline in East Africa, warning of huge environmental risks. The Ugandan and Tanzanian governments joined oil companies Total of France and China’s CNOOC […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, an article on China’s Digital Silk Road and what it may mean for digital governance: China’s Digital Silk Road (DSR) was launched in 2015 as a component of Beijing’s vast vision for global connectivity, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Like the BRI, the DSR is not monolithic and involves many actors at all levels […]
Read more »Via The East Asia Forum, a report on North Korea’s economy: In North Korea, many enjoy making money for themselves by selling products in private markets. Under Kim Jong-un, expanding these markets became a source of tax revenue for the regime. But this changed in the past year with the outbreak of COVID-19. The closure […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, a report on a Chinese casino magnate’s interest in expanding into Laos: A secretive, sanctioned Chinese casino mogul is looking to expand his economic empire in Laos, unfurling plans to develop tourism projects and other business ventures in remote corners of the country. According to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA)’s Lao service, an indispensable […]
Read more »Via Foreign Policy, an article on Pakistan’s geoeconomic dreams/delusions: In recent weeks, senior Pakistani officials, including the country’s powerful army chief, have signaled or outright said that, from now on, their country’s foreign policy will emphasize geoeconomics. This is a welcome rhetorical shift. Decades of bartering Pakistan’s geostrategic value—including as a “front-line state” in the Cold War and […]
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