The announcement that the UAE and India signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly invest in Africa will see Dubai greatly assisting New Delhi in its grand strategy of “multi-aligning” against China there, though Russia could play a stabilizing role by “balancing” many of the various actors engaged in this modern-day “Scramble for Africa”. “Scramble …
Continue reading The UAE will Help India “Multi-Align” Against China in Africa
Small countries with limited resources have been known to turn themselves into financial centers where dodgy banks and companies find a haven from international regulators as a means to reverse their national fortunes. Djibouti, the third smallest country on the African mainland, has found another way to thrive: hosting military bases. The tiny nation formerly …
When senior officials from the United States, India, Japan and Australia recently held a rare four-way dialogue in Singapore, the meeting did not produce a single joint statement. Instead, it resulted in four – one for each country. The outcome reflected the ambiguities surrounding the loose grouping that has been both hailed and scorned as …
Continue reading Billed as a Counter to a Rising China, the Quad has Yet to Find a Purpose
A tweet roared like announcing a blockbuster premiere and sanctions did engulf Iran on time – despite opposition from Russia, China and the EU-3 (France, Germany and the United Kingdom), who still support the United-Nations endorsed Iran nuclear treaty. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called this an economic war waged by a “bullying power”. The …
Continue reading Pakistan in the Middle of Saudi, Iran and Rival Pipeline Plans
The Indian Prime Minister had very productive visit to Japan, which came at a sensitive time where both Asian Great Powers are trying to delicately “balance” between the US and China. The two leaders agreed to a $75 billion currency swap and will begin preparing for their first-ever 2+2 talks between their Foreign and Defense …
Continue reading The Indo-Japanese Partnership Is “Balancing” Between the US & China
The current Russian – Japanese relations can be described as controversial. On one hand, there are no strong political contradictions between the 2 states. Russia and Japan are trying their best to develop their great potential for cooperation in various areas. On the other hand, the issue of the Kuril Islands stands in the way …
Continue reading The Kuril Islands Issue in the Russian – Japanese Relations
Despite being a far-flung and underdeveloped region, the Russian Far East might turn out to be the country’s most promising one if several visionary connectivity proposals are implemented. Russia has been prioritizing the development of its far-flung and long-neglected Far Eastern region for the past three years now ever since it commenced the now-annual Eastern …
Continue reading The Russian Far East Is the Next Frontier for Multipolarity
![China's President Xi Jinping, second left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, making bliny [Russian pancakes] as they visit the Far East Street exhibition on the sidelines of the 2018 Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Sept 11, 2018. Photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office handout / Anadolu Agency](https://astutenews.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/putin-xi-pancakes.jpg?w=900)
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin were involved in a joint cooking venture. Pancakes with caviar (blin, in Russian), chased down with a shot of vodka. It just happened at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Talk about a graphic (and edible) metaphor sealing the ever-evolving ‘Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership’. For a few years now the Vladivostok …
Continue reading Greater Eurasia Coming Together in the Russian Far East
Japan will probably remain one of the US’ “unsinkable aircraft carriers” for the foreseeable future, but its government has been making remarkable progress in its rapprochement with Russia in recent years, and the imposition of any serious tariffs by the Trump Administration might only accelerate this dimension of Tokyo’s “Eurasian Pivot”. The Russian-Japanese Rapprochement Many …
Continue reading Trump’s Tariffs Might Jumpstart Japan’s “Eurasian Pivot”
