The Belt and Road Initiative, launched by China in 2013, is a transformative foreign policy project aimed at enhancing China’s global influence through trade routes reminiscent of the Silk Road. While it has received mixed responses, particularly from Western nations, it offers countries alternatives to Western hegemony, promoting economic development but also raising geopolitical tensions, especially with rival powers like India and Russia.
The content outlines China’s historical journey from the late Ming dynasty to the modern era under President Xi Jinping. It emphasizes key events such as the Qing dynasty, opium wars, rise of communism, and China’s transformation into a global superpower. The book serves as an accessible introduction to understanding China’s contemporary significance.
View More Review: The Oxford History of Modern China – by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom
This Chatham House roundtable discussion is chaired by Hugo Dixon, Reuters. On the panel are: Galip Dalay, Turkey Initiative, MENA Programme and Natalie Sabanadze, Russia and Eurasia Programme. Galip and Natalie have done a report on ‘Russia’s Black Sea Strategy’. The entire European security architecture is under scrutiny in the…
View More Chatham House: What does Russia want in the Black Sea region?
Chatham House is the Royal Institute of International Affairs. It is based in St. James’ Square, Mayfair, London, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. I have been a member of Chatham House for several months but with me being based in Wales all of my interactions thus far have…
View More Chatham House: How Effective Are The United States’ Sanctions? 19.06.2023
‘Kim’ is recognised as the greatest work of famous author Rudyard Kipling. This is a cult novel especially in espionage circles. It is fiction but documents the widely popular Great Game between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia, a clandestine cat and mouse conflict between the two powers fought out…
View More Review: Kim – by Rudyard Kipling
The Great Game, as immortalised by Rudyard Kipling in ‘Kim’ was the nineteenth century adventures in espionage between Russia and the U.K. across Central Asia. Both sides were on the verge of a full on military confrontation and sought advantage. The Russian Tsars sought territorial expansion across Asia and always…
View More Review: The Great Game – On Secret Service in High Asia – by Peter Hopkirk
Only a short volume, this well-written work documents the weakening of the West in the geopolitical arena. The book first focuses on the reductions in military power of Western nations, both in terms of their military budgets and also their matériel. Despite modern weapons being produced, the volume of forces…
View More Review: The Edge – Is the Military Dominance of the West Coming to an End – by Mark Urban