Via Al Arabiya, a report on Iran’s business engagement in Syria: Iran will be granted a license to become a mobile service operator in Syria under agreements to expand economic ties between the countries. Five memorandums of understanding were signed at a ceremony attended by Syrian Prime Minister Emad Khamis and Iranian Vice President Eshaq […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Gulf News, commentary on how some senior economists in Pakistan are now increasingly voicing their concern over the terms ?of financing from China for CPEC initiatives: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) launched formally during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Islamabad in 2015 symbolises the enduring China-Pakistan friendship. The implementation of the […]
Read more »Via the Chicago Tribune, commentary on China’s OBOR initiative: With the future of U.S.-China relations an open question for the incoming Donald Trump administration, many have focused on whether the president-elect’s promise to withdraw from negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will enhance Beijing’s growing influence in East Asia. But rather than hand-wringing over TPP’s […]
Read more »Via The New York Times, commentary on Afghanistan’s private sector: In early December Afghan fashion found a place in the Middle Eastern edition of Vogue magazine, lithe models posed in colorful, high-end gowns and accessories made by craftsmen from Afghanistan. The couture in Vogue’s pages was also featured in a United States-sponsored exhibition I visited here in […]
Read more »Via China Daily, an overview of China’s One Belt and Road plan: More than three years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Looking back at 2016, the Belt and Road Initiative has gained fruitful early achievements, promoting connectivity and opening up possibilities […]
Read more »Via The Iran Project, an interesting look at the potential of Kish island in Iran: Iranian investors are pouring money into Kish island in the Persian Gulf, hoping its white sand beaches, coral reefs and more relaxed Islamic rules, could make it a major tourism destination. From the pristine beaches of Kish, it is only […]
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