The historical interest of Central Asia lies in its location at the crossroads of East and West, nestled between empires and bordering areas of conflict and insecurity (such as Afghanistan, China’s Xinjiang province, and Iran). While the region was largely ignored throughout the Cold War, its vitality and importance were quickly rediscovered, writes Derya Soysal….
It is 33 years since the Berlin Wall was torn down, in November 1989. It heralded the break-up of the old Soviet empire and a new hope for the fledgling democracies which would spring up across Central and Eastern Europe, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. Some walls stayed firmly fixed: the ‘Peace Walls’ in Belfast and the…
Despite the gravity of the war in Ukraine, the focus of the new US National Security Strategy is China. The document says plenty about the importance of technology, but ignores the relevance of trade to national security, writes Carl Bildt. The National Security Strategy (NSS) issued by each US administration is always a key document. It…
Lula was elected president with a tight result in a divided and polarised Brazil, along with the most centre-right Congress since 1988. The economy is stagnant and expectations are high. His challenge will now be to stabilise democracy, build economic credibility, put Brazil back at the international stage and reconstruct the environmental and social agenda…
What are the advantages and disadvantages of possible future scenarios for Russia, proposed by various communities. Over the past couple of months, several large-scale discussions about the possible future of Russia have taken place in the information space. All these discussions are united by a single vision of where this future begins. Almost everyone who…
Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the EU already has a long history. Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the EU has been developing especially dynamically in recent years, writes Obid Khakimov. In April 2020, August 2021 and July 2022, telephone talks were held between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the President of the European Council…
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s upcoming visit to Beijing has aroused harsh criticism in Germany and the global community, writes Jianli Yang. A year ago, in early November 2021, on a visit to Taiwan, a member of a European Parliament delegation claimed that Europe “stands with you” on,” reminding the world of where EU-China relations stood in light of China’s…
EU colleagues must be bewildered by the current antics in the UK Conservative party. They are not the only ones, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. Liz Truss finally resigned, not just becoming our shortest ever Prime Minister but also securing the title of the country’s worst PM despite stiff competition from her immediate predecessors. She said the reason for her going was that she was no longer able to…
Taiwan’s participation can strengthen international cooperation to fight transnational telecommunication fraud in the postpandemic era, writes Li, Hsi-ho The internet is very much part of daily life in the postpandemic world. Working, studying, shopping, and conducting other transactions online have become commonplace. But the digital financial services that have developed from these activities are an…
Thirty-two years ago, after some 4000 days as Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher was ousted by her own MPs. At the time this seemed exceptional: sacking Tory leaders is now the new normal, with Liz Truss’s premiership breaking a new record by being doomed within her first 40 days. Exactly ten years ago in a lengthy…
