China – Belt and Road Initiative
Belt and Road 2.0
The third Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing last month was a closely watched affair. Marking a decade since the launch of the trillion-dollar initiative, it was also the first…
Geopolitics and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway
The long-delayed, China-backed Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway opened to the public on 2 October, with the journey of its first bullet train bringing to a conclusion the…
India doubles down on regional connectivity to counter China
India’s recent hosting of leaders from Nepal and Sri Lanka highlights the growing prominence of infrastructure in India’s regional strategy. Elemental geographical realities mean…
China’s big gamble in Pakistan: A 10-year scorecard for CPEC
A flagship for China’s much-vaunted Belt and Road Initiative, the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been underway for a decade. Signed by Pakistan’s…
Reset in US–Philippines relations tells of yet another China fumble
The Philippines recently granted the United States access to four more military bases, reportedly including at least one strategic location facing Taiwan. It’s an…
Chinese aid to the Pacific: decreasing, but not disappearing
Chinese engagement in the Pacific regularly hit the headlines in 2022, sometimes with dire warnings. The recent China–Solomon Islands security agreement sent shock waves across…
Development finance in Asia: a memoir
Book review: Takehiko Nakao, The Rise of Asia: Perspectives and Beyond. Memoir of the President of the Asian Development Bank 2013–2020 (Asian Development Bank, 2022)
In April…
Economic diplomacy: Names trump numbers in the new BRI debt battle
Back to basics
In the end, it seems, former prime minister Scott Morrison was on to something with his negative globalist scepticism about building a better world.
If one…
Proceed with caution: high-speed rail for Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur
With pandemic restrictions easing, especially for travel, some Southeast Asian countries have resumed the pursuit of enhanced intra-regional connectivity. The Malaysian and Thai…
Mapping Southeast Asian development assistance
Over the past two years, the global pandemic has had staggering economic and social impacts in Southeast Asia, pushing millions into extreme poverty. As economies slowly emerge…