The pace of the Taliban’s military advancement on the eve of the U.S. pullout not only stokes worries of regional spillover, but also shines a spotlight on China. As the United States approaches the final deadline to withdraw its last troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban are rapidly overrunning districts and gaining control of large swaths… Continue reading China’s Afghanistan Gambit
We may never know what prompted the power grab by the Myanmar military, but the chaos that followed suggests that its architect – General Min Aung Hlaing – did not foresee the consequences and wrongly assessed people’s reactions. This is the first article from the series MYANMAR INSIDER UPDATES which focuses on the events unfolding… Continue reading Myanmar Insider Updates: The coup d’état four months on
As the country’s crisis deepens, the lines between attack and defense are beginning to blur. Observing the events unfolding in Myanmar on February 1 from my desk far away in Bratislava, I immediately texted a friend of mine in the country: “Did you expect this?” I asked. “Nobody did,” he responded. “Are you protesting?” “Yes.”… Continue reading Bereft of International Support, Myanmar’s Protesters Turn to Violent Resistance
Time for rapprochement in the Taiwan Strait? Taiwan has been considered one of the most successful countries in dealing with COVID-19. However, over the past two months, the island has seen a sudden rise in domestic cases prompting the authorities to heighten restrictions to the third level for the first time since the pandemic has… Continue reading Chinese Media Watch: COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan
Welcome to the 18th issue of the #CEEasia Briefing. In this issue, we dissect the following topics: Protests in Hungary: anti-China backlash? China willing to defer repayment of Montenegro’s loan Slovenia announces embassy in Seoul EU-Japan summit If you like what you see, please forward this message to your friends and colleagues who can subscribe here. Do… Continue reading CEEasia Briefing #18: Protests in Hungary, Repayment of Montenegro’s loan to China, Slovenia’s embassy in Seoul, EU-Japan summit
