Geo Politics

State media stated on Wednesday, December 28, that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented new military plans for 2023 during a meeting of the governing Workers’ Party, suggesting another year of intense weapons testing and conflict. The report said that on the second day of the Sixth Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the party, Kim …

On Tuesday, December 27, Japanese Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He is the fourth minister to depart the government that Kishida constituted in August. In rapid succession, three other ministers have resigned as a result of scandals, some of which include money and relations with the Unification Church. The close ties that the …

President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview televised on December 25 that Russia is willing to discuss with all parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine, but Kyiv and its Western allies have refused to participate. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 precipitated the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II and the most significant confrontation between Moscow …

Since their announcement, the inaugural China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, which ushered in a new era in Chinese-Arab ties, have attracted global interest, and their successful convening has brought China-Arab and China-GCC relations to new heights. As the globe grapples with increased uncertainty and a potentially protracted economic slowdown, the partnership between China and Arab …

Malacaang stated on Friday, December 23, that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. nominated former Supreme Court associate judge Dante Tinga as interim chairman and member of the board of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). The government-owned bank is supervised by the Department of Finance, which processed the December 9 appointment. Tinga took his oath on Thursday, December 22 in …

On Thursday, December 22, Thailand convened regional consultations to discuss the situation in army-controlled Myanmar, including rare overseas appearances by junta ministers. However, despite invites, several prominent members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) did not participate. Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia’s foreign ministries, as well as Vietnam’s deputy foreign minister, participated in the meetings hosted by Thailand’s foreign …

The island’s defense ministry announced on Thursday, December 22 that Taiwan scrambled fighter planes to warn away 39 Chinese aircraft that had entered its southern air defense zone. Taiwan has complained about recurrent Chinese air force flights in the south of its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) during the past two years. The intrusion on Thursday included 21 fighters, four …

The United States joined the Philippines in urging Beijing to stay out of the West Philippine Sea and abide by international maritime law, less than a week after the defense department blew the whistle on Chinese warships loitering near the Spratly Islands. “The United States supports the Philippines’ continued calls on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to respect the …

Malaysia has been rated tenth on a list of 82 nations that are most impacted by China, according to a new research measuring Beijing’s growing worldwide influence. The China Index, a database released on December 8 by Taiwanese research firm DoubleThink Labs, focuses on nine categories to track China’s global influence, including higher education, domestic politics, economic ties, foreign policy, …

President Xi Jinping landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, December 7, according to Chinese official media. Beijing praised the visit as its largest diplomatic endeavor in the Arab world, as Riyadh widens its global alliances beyond its traditional relations with the West. The meeting takes place at a time when relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States are strained …