Redefining the Belt and Road Initiative in a Post-Pandemic World

A Critical Approach

As discussed in the article “China’s Belt and Road Initiative“, the Silk Road has been brought again to life under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, also known as BRI in short. This plan falls under China’s wider scope to become a leading Asian power at the global level.

In the wake of the pandemic, the world experienced multiple side effects from the imposed lockdowns; global trade suffered from cross-border restrictions, recession and an anti-Chinese movement owing to the virus originating from China.

Despite these challenges, China tackled the virus crisis faster than other countries. The global demand for health supplies and the unforeseen rise in digital commerce accelerated the Health and Digital Silk Road. This new trend allowed the Chinese expertise to export its innovation and knowledge abroad through the Belt Road Initiative. Read more

19 February 2022/0 Comments/by Athina

US Sanctions On China

The US-China relations and the role of economic sanctions

The strife between the United States and China for global dominance – whether that be on the Innovation & Technology or Financial sector – reflects also on the imposition of sanctions among the two countries. Read more

20 September 2020/0 Comments/by Athina

Conflict and Security

Rising Tension in the Arctic Circle

A revival of the Cold War era?

By the end of the Cold War, regional claims in the Arctic Circle had started to fall apart. First of all, the Western World did not have to compete anymore with the Soviet Union over military presence in geostrategic locations all over the world including the Far North. Another important parameter was the cold weather that was making vast areas of ice covering the North Pole difficult to reach, which had put off potential investment plans.

This period of idleness and the absence of military activity in the Arctic was yet to be interrupted by the latest global warmth. With the Arctic ice melting at a much more accelerating pace compared to the rest of the world, a previously inaccessible region is now becoming easier to reach and explore. According to NASA, the Arctic sea ice is dropping by nearly 13% per decade, reaching its lowest point in 2012.

As expected, more countries have started to reconsider their national strategy in the Far North; aiming to exert control over the Arctic natural resources including hydrocarbon reserves, fish and minerals.

A denuclearisation game

North Korea intertwined with the US plans

For a long time, North Korea has remained a secretive state. By the end of the World War, the already divided South and North Korea under Japan’s rule resulted in Soviet Union to take over the control of the North and US of the South respectively. Since then, two separate regimes have emerged, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the North under the communist rule of the Kim dynasty, with its first Great Leader Kim ll-sung, second Kim Jong-il and its current Great Leader Kim Jong-Un.

Meanwhile, the announcement of South Korea’s independence in 1948 under the name of Republic of Korea, sparked North Korea’s invasion, leading to the 1950-1953 Korean War¹. Two decades later, a peaceful reunification will be signed between the two separate entities.

Russia back in the global arena

Putin’s popularity on the rise as populists take over Europe and the US

Global order as known within the last three decades is changing. With more global players emerging, the US hegemony comes to an end; soon, new rivalries and alliances will dominate. The current article discusses the systemic changes in the US-Russian relations after Trump’s election, the rise of populism and the spread of the Russian propaganda in the West. Read more

12 December 2016/0 Comments/by Athina