Events on the Sidelines of the Annual Shangri-La Dialogue
At the end of May and beginning of June this year, another annual forum on the generalized theme of ensuring regional security was held in the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. A number of notable events took place, both in the plenary sessions and “on the sidelines”.
The PRC-Japan-Republic of Korea Summit was held in Seoul
After a hiatus of more than three years, the PRC-Japan-Republic of Korea trilateral configuration resumed its work in Seoul at the end of May this year. However, its prospects remain unclear due to the extremely complex political environment in the East Asian region. On 26-27 May, the capital of the Republic of Korea, Seoul, hosted a series of summit meetings with the participation of Chinese Prime Ministers Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida…
Some events that arose immediately after the resumption of the China-Japan-South Korea negotiation platform
After more than a 3-year hiatus, Seoul hosted the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral summit on May 26-27, which became a remarkable event in the overall transformation process taking place in East Asia. This event organically fit into a series of previous and subsequent equally significant developments occurring in this region…
Taiwan Problem: First "Post-Inaugural" Developments
The inauguration of the new president on 20 May in Taiwan was accompanied by increased political turbulence on the island itself, had a notable international resonance and caused an expectedly negative reaction in the PRC.
Taiwan's new president takes office
Taiwan’s new chief executive, William Lai, who was elected in January, officially took office on 20 May. However, Lai’s hold on power could be complicated by the fact that his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has lost its majority in parliament to the more mainland-friendly opposition Kuomintang…
The Meeting of China’s and South Korea’s Foreign Ministers — Political Background and Perspective of the China–Japan–South Korea summit
On May 13-14, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Cho Tae-yul came with an official visit to China, the first such visit in six years. The main event during this trip was his talks with Wang Yi, his Chinese counterpart. The guest also had a meeting with representatives of Chinese business circles and South Korean businessmen operating in China…
The Dostyk-Moyinty railroad: a second line, and two routes
According to data for 2023, up to 50% of rail freight on the China-Russia-Europe route was carried along the railroad leading from PRC to Russia via Kazakhstan. This proportion is equal to the total volume of freight carried along the routes across the Russian-Chinese border and Mongolia. Moreover, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev estimates that the total volume of freight carried through Kazakhstan in 2023 was 29 million tons…
On the geopolitical background of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's trip to Europe
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s trip to Europe from 5 to 9 May this year was remarkable in many ways. It was the first since his last trip to Europe five years ago, which included a visit to France. However, President Xi has already travelled to the continent twice since assuming top positions in the Chinese government and party, and before the aforementioned (2019) trip…
Once again about sanctions, or where to see social constructs and the day before yesterday
Another European visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again highlighted the problem of unprecedented Western pressure on the rest of the world, on the global majority, to destroy its relations with Russia. For the umpteenth time, both the leaders of individual EU countries and the pan-European Union authorities are trying to put pressure on Beijing. And even after the leader of a powerful China…
Balikatan Exercise in the South China Sea
The annual US-Philippine military exercise Balikatan began on 22 April and will continue until 10 May. Originally planned as a relatively small and bilateral exercise, in recent years it has become the largest of those conducted by the United States in the Indo-Pacific region with the participation of one or more of its allies…
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the People's Republic of China: Has he "restored" Angela Merkel's policy?
From 15 to 17 April, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz led a delegation of three ministers and business representatives on a working visit to China. Since taking office as head of the German government in December 2021, this is his second visit to the leading power of the Asian continent, where the focus of all global processes is constantly shifting. This is a continuation of the tradition of regular contacts with the Chinese leadership established under his predecessor, Angela Merkel. Incidentally, of all Western politicians, she has always received the most praise in China…
China-Kazakhstan-2024: Building on the best features of the past year
Last year saw a number of significant developments in China-Kazakhstan relations, including two official visits to China by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, multi-billion dollar contracts, the promotion of transport and infrastructure initiatives, and an unprecedented 30 per cent growth in bilateral trade. Kazakhstan accounts for half of China’s trade and investment in the region, with trade turnover between Kazakhstan and China reaching an impressive $31 billion. By 2023, the volume of cargo between the two countries will have increased by 22 per cent to nearly 30 million tonnes…