Tag "geopolitics"
The Geopolitical Dynamics of Extraterritorial Detention
The Biden administration is undertaking a formal assessment of Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay military prison. Former President George W. Bush created the detention center in 2002 to hold foreign terrorist suspects in the aftermath of 9/11. President Biden wants to shut down the prison by the conclusion of his first term in 2024, resurrecting an Obama-era objective that was never realized.
Top 11 Geopolitical Risks for 2022
Let’s take a butchers at some of the obvious risks – after which we’ll explore some of those that might not be on your risk radar. In total there are 11 – enough for a questionable football team.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: How Delhi is losing the Indian-Chinese soft power game in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has increasingly become a focus of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the last decade. The Hambantota port development project is a notable example, an ambitious but costly endeavour by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which was in the end handed over by the government to a Chinese enterprise on a 99-year lease in 2017 to reduce its spiralling debt burden.
Russia and the Arctic Council in 2021: a New Security Dilemma
Coming May, Russia will assume chairmanship of the Arctic Council until 2023. In a region so strategically significant, the challenge for Russia lies with rhyming its military build-up in the arctic with the cooperative nature of the council, whilst not letting the council jeopardize its freedom of movement in any way.
Rebuilding the Port of Beirut: a competition for geopolitical influence
In the wake of the explosion that devastated the Lebanese capital on 4 August 2020, multiple countries made offers to participate in the reconstruction of the Port of Beirut alongside sending their condolences. Far from being disinterested acts of solidarity, these propositions constitute strategic moves in a geopolitical game for greater influence over the Eastern Mediterranean. France is likely to stand out from the rest of the competition due to its historical and cultural ties to Lebanon, its current involvement in pushing for reforms in the country and its geopolitical position.
Geopolitics and the Energy Transition: Competition or Cooperation?
Energy transitions have always represented watershed historical moments with profound and far-reaching geopolitical ramifications. Similarly, the climate change propelled shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, is likely to have transformative effects on the geopolitical landscape of the twenty-first century.
China’s international partnerships: Beyond One Belt, One Road
China is redrawing the global security map beyond Asia-Pacific. This article, the first in a four-part series, examines the background of China’s geopolitical restructuring efforts and how they have unfolded within the context of relations with a critical security partner, Bangladesh.
2017 Preview: The lira and Turkey’s risky debt
The economic and political problems that Turkey faced over the past year are unlikely to disappear, and may become more acute.
Why the Mekong River is Asia’s next big investment locale
Japan’s $7 billion infrastructure investment deal is a move to expand markets and offset China’s growing economic influence in the Mekong River region.
Weekly Risk Outlook
Greece begins sending back migrants to Turkey. Peruvians head to the polls. Reserve Bank of Australia reacts to changes in AUD. Netherlands votes on EU-Ukraine agreement. All in the Weekly Risk Outlook.
