By Bhikkhu Sanghasena* LEH, Ladakh, India | 4 November 2024 (IDN) — It is with immense joy and relief that we welcome the long-anticipated news: the two great nations of Asia—India and China—have finally reached an agreement on military disengagement along their disputed border. This significant announcement brings hope to all those who have been […]
Improving Cities — from Space
By Ladislav Charouz and Kareff Rafisura* BANGKOK | 2 November 2024 (IDN) — Despite offering a range of opportunities, urbanisation poses a set of unique challenges to sustainable development. The rapid expansion of cities often results in the growth of informal settlements, with East and South-East Asia being home to 370 million people living in […]
A Look Back at 30 Years of US-China Climate Cooperation
By Betty Wang and Tylah Bland* This article was originally published in Dialogue Earth under Creative Commons license. NEW YORK | 26 October 2024 (IDN) — Over the past three decades, the United States and China have brokered several breakthrough climate agreements and policy innovations. From the establishment of the US-China Forum on Environment and […]
Poverty Is Rising and Inequality Widening in Asia and The Pacific
By Thalif Deen NEW YORK | 25 October 2024 (IDN) —The Asia-Pacific region, with over 4.8 billion people spread across 58 countries and territories, is home to about 60 percent of the world’s total population of 8.2 billion. The population of Asia, which include India and China, is expected to continue to grow, reaching 5.3 […]
Sri Lanka: Home-Grown ‘Colour Revolution’ Needs Support Both from India and China
Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK | 7 October 2024 (IDN) — At the height of Sri Lanka’s debt crisis two years ago, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar gave a talk at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University on India’s ‘Look East’ policy. I asked him during Q and A session whether India and China could cooperate […]
Latin America: The Tug of War Between Global Gateway and Belt-and-Road
By Javier Lewkowicz* BUENOS AIRES, Argentina | 6 October 2023 (IDN) — Last year, the European Union renewed its economic and strategic interest in Latin America by announcing investments of EUR 45 billion (USD 48.7 billion), seen by many as a way to regain influence in the face of China’s growing presence in the region. […]
Brazil and China Could Lead the Way on South-South Climate Cooperation
By Leo Horn-Phathanothai and Rogerio Studart* BANGKOK | NEW YORK | 30 September 2024 (IDN) — This August marked the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Brazil—two of the most consequential countries for global efforts to avert climate chaos. Their celebrations came against the backdrop of improved relations and strengthening climate cooperation. As […]
Chinese Financing for African Renewables Rebounds After Two-Year Lull
By Anika Patel* BEIJING | 13 September 2024 (IDN) — New data reveals a rebound in Chinese financing of renewable energy projects in Africa in 2023, following a lull over the past few years. Climate cooperation between China and Africa was a key focus of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which concluded on 6 […]
New Policing Agreement May Not Address Main Security Issue of the Pacific
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY | 8 September 2024 (IDN) — At the recent Pacific Island Forum (PIF) meeting in Tonga, the regional leaders adopted a controversial agreement known as the ‘Pacific Policing Initiative’ (PPI), which seems focused on blocking China from participating in any security arrangements in the vast South Pacific Ocean region. Typhoons and […]
Kazakhstan Proposes a Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development
By Aar Jay BERLIN | ASTANA | 6 September 2024 (IDN) — The Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan has proposed the establishment of a Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development at a high-level conference organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Government of Kazakhstan. The […]