Russia-China trade remains strong despite Western pressure

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This week European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are visiting China as part of an effort to influence Beijing’s foreign policy regarding Ukraine after Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow. China has positioned itself as a “neutral” player in the Russia-Ukraine conflict from the start, seeking to act as […]Continue Reading

Yoon’s risky Japan wager looking like a losing bet

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There are signs of a thawing in the frosty ties between South Korea and Japan. It began with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s controversial attempt to salvage the relationship, dropping demands for an apology and compensation from Japan over wartime forced labor. Though Japan’s response has been more tepid and skeptical, the countries’ leaders have […]Continue Reading

How nationalism destroyed Indonesia’s oil and gas

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An Indoensian oil worker opens a gauge near crude oil tanks on Bunyu island, Indonesia's East Kalimantan province. Photo: Reuters/Beawiharta

JAKARTA – Urged on by President Joko Widodo, the nationalist tide that has decimated Indonesia’s oil and gas industry over the past decade has left the nation on the bottom rung for prospective foreign investment and without the financial and technical means – or even the inclination – to find and develop new fields itself. […]Continue Reading

Anwar’s nonalignment pays off big in Beijing

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SINGAPORE – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has cast his recent maiden state visit to China as a major foreign policy win, securing a record 170 billion ringgit (US$38.6 billion) worth of investment commitments from Beijing all the while asserting his country is non-aligned in the escalating New Cold War pitting Washington versus Beijing. The […]Continue Reading