The Shangri-La Dialogue, held in Singapore from May 31 to June 2, 2024, is a prominent annual forum that brings together defence ministers, military chiefs, and security experts from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a leading think tank on international affairs, the event provides a platform for high-level discussions on pressing regional security issues. This year’s dialogue was particularly significant, as it took place against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflicts, and the evolving global security landscape.
Category: China Watch
China’s Big Tech Dream: The Digital Silk Road
Digital Silk Road (DSR) is a crucial component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), symbolising China’s strategy to expand information exchanges and digital cooperation with emerging markets and developing economies. Launched in 2015 as part of President Xi Jinping’s flagship transnational infrastructural project, the DSR has become a significant part of Beijing’s overall BRI strategy, providing aid, political support and assistance to recipient states. The DSR aims to enhance digital connectivity in developing economies, challenging the West’s tech dominance in the developing world.
Hong Kong’s National Security Law and its Potential Impact on Foreign Entities
The new national security law a legislation under Article 23 has been passed in Hong Kong Parliament. This is the second in a row of national security laws since 2020. The legal personnel has feared that the new law shall broaden the scope of defining sedition and state secrets, with tougher penalties for anyone under conviction. The new law encompasses treason, espionage and external interference is being closely watched by foreign businesses. Notably, the most serious offences are sometimes punishable with life imprisonment, convicted of involvement with ‘external forces’.
India’s Arunachal Pradesh or China’s Zangnan?
For a substantial period of time, the border conflicts between India and China have centred around the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China and administered by India. Reflecting the severity of the conflict, following the Sino-Indian War of 1962, both nations have been constantly in conflict with one another. Since then, Beijing has primarily concentrated on using covert warfare techniques to sabotage India’s sovereignty, renaming Indian land, intensifying military buildups in border regions and defying signed pacts, norms & procedures, while the dragon has never faltered in its will to put mounting pressure on New Delhi.
TikTok Conundrum: Fanning the Flames of the Second Cold War
The potential ban on TikTok in the US has triggered reactions both domestically and internationally, with discussions on social media platforms like Weibo reflecting mixed sentiments. The ban is a significant step in addressing perceived national security threats posed by Chinese-owned apps operating in the US, setting the stage for further debates on data privacy, surveillance, and trade dynamics.
Beijing Support Moscow’s Anti-American Campaigns
Russian and Chinese interests diverge in significant ways based on their number of key terms such as cooperation, mutual support, core interest and usage of those in different contexts. The two nations signed ‘no limits friendship’ which makes new era of anti-western world order
2024 Taiwanese Election: DPP’s Mandate and China’s Sovereignty Dilemma
In the 2024 Taiwan elections, where the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secured another victory with Vice President William Lai Ching-Te assuming the presidency, Beijing faces the challenge of navigating its relations with Taipei. It is imperative to analyse how Beijing can portray its dominant presence as a way forward in the Taiwan Strait and turn the scenario in its balance by considering voting patterns, factors influencing the election, and the international perspective involving Beijing, Taipei, and Washington, D.C.