China’s cautious quest to draw Afghanistan back into the fold

Written by Sarah Godek

By increasing relations at a slower pace, China’s government makes a safer long-term bet on Afghanistan that forgoes short-run gains to ensure greater security that could protect longer-term benefits in the future.

Emerging Issues9DLAugust 23, 20249DASHLINE, China’s cautious quest to draw Afghanistan back into the fold, Sarah Godek, Afghanistan, China, Taliban, United Nations, UN, interconnectivity, connectivity, Taliban-led Afghanistan, trade, 2023 Amu Darya oil basin contract, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Chinese government, United States, US, agriculture, critical materials, copper, lithium, Taliban ambassador, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Taliban’s political commissar, 20th Party Congress, Kabul, terror, terror attacks, Zhao Xing, Hamid Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, peace, US withdrawal, US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Central Asia, peace through engagement, mining, Mes Aynak mine, mineral reserves, cotton, pine nut, Xi Jinping, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, China-Tajikistan-Afghanistan corridor, Kazakhstan, trans-Afghan railway project, cargo, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Vice Chairman of Tibet, Tibet, SCO, UNSC travel bans, Taliban officials, dialogue, sanctions, noninterference, internal affairs, China-Afghanistan ties, Wakhan Corridor, CPEC, suicide bombings, Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), Al Qaeda, Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement

China sees a chance in Nepal with Left Alliance

Written by Dr Rishi Gupta

Nepal has reportedly conveyed that it would prefer to receive more grants from China instead of taking high-interest loans under the development partnership, including for BRI projects.

Editor's Picks9DLMay 2, 2024China sees a chance in Nepal with Left Alliance, 9dashline, Rishi Gupta, Asia Society Policy Institute, Nepal, China, Left Alliance, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Wang Yi, India, South Asia, Tibet, Kathmandu, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Global Security Initiative

Under the guise of environmental protection, China tightens its grip on Tibet

Written by Victoria Jones

Tibet is extremely important in terms of its natural resources, so much so that former leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile Lobsang Sangay has called Tibet the blueprint for the Belt and Road Initiative.

Editor's Picks9DLNovember 27, 20239dashline, Victoria Jones, Under The Guise Of Environmental Protection, China Tightens Its Grip On Tibet, The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), extremely high-altitude ecological resettlement, poverty alleviation, Mao Zedong, 1950, spiritual leader of Tibet, Dharamsala, relocation policies, New Socialist Village, Qinghai, Human Rights Watch, nearly three-quarters of the cost of constructing their new houses, Tibetan nomads are not fluent in Mandarin, state-engineered destruction of a culture and way of life, 2021 report on International Religious Freedom in China, US State Department, system of surveillance, tibetan community, Tibet to assimilate the herders into society, new teams of party cadres, blueprint for the Belt and Road Initiative, protect the sources of the Yellow, Yangtze, and Mekong Rivers, Third Pole, the largest repository of fresh water outside the North and South Poles, Tibetan herders, forced relocation policy, environmental damage, United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee (UN ECOSOC), very high-altitude, China’s Tibetan relocation policy, Human Rights Watch’s China director, Tibetan pastoralists, INTERZINE, government control over Tibetan land resource, preserving ecosystem, Tibetan identity, pastoralists, Tibetan rural population, post-Mao era, eco-friendly, well-being, over 17, 000 Tibetans would be relocated, tibetan herders, “state-engineered destruction of a culture and way of life, Tibetan government-in-exile, tibet today, Tibet

In Conversation with Sumit Ganguly, Manjeet Pardesi, and William Thompson

9DASHLINE recently sat down with Sumit Ganguly, Manjeet Pardesi, and William Thompson to discuss their highly relevant new book The Sino-Indian Rivalry: Implications for Global Order.

Showing how the Sino-Indian rivalry has evolved from the late 1940s to the present day, the authors underscore its significance for global politics and highlight how the asymmetries between India and China have the potential to escalate conflict in the future.

In Conversation9DLSeptember 20, 20239dashline, In Conversation with Šumit Ganguly, Manjeet Pardesi, and William Thompson: The Sino-Indian Rivalry, The Sino-Indian Rivalry, Šumit Ganguly, William Thompson, India, PRC, China, People's Republic of China, Indian colonial troops, British colonialism, colonial era, Boxer Rebellion, Nehru, hegemony, Tibet, Mao, Zhou Enlai, Tibetan Khampa rebels, US, Sino-American rapprochement, New Delhi, Dalai Lama, government-in-exile, territorial disputes, Quad, indo-pacific strategy, Obama, Trump, Biden, Himalayas, Indian Ocean, South China Sea, East China Sea, civil society, non-state actors, Modi, Manmohan Singh, economic interdependence, summits, Rajiv Gandhi, Deng Xiaoping, economic cooperation, Galwan, multilateral formats, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, strategic rivalry, South Asia, Pakistan, BRICS, positional rivalry, In Conversation with Sumit Ganguly Manjeet Pardesi and William Thompson

Beijing uses border villages to secure territorial claims

Written by Harry Thursby-Pelham

With India constructing roads and border villages leading up to the LAC in response to China’s construction, it looks like tensions on the border will continue in the foreseeable future.

Emerging Issues9DLMarch 30, 20239DashLine, Beijing uses border villages to secure territorial claims, Harry Thursby-Pelham, Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, India, China, LAC, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, 19th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress, India-China border, India-China border dispute, Plan for the Construction of Well-off Villages in the Border Areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (2017-2020), xiaokang, 'xiaokang’ villages, People’s Republic of China, fortification, permanent infrastructure, disputed Tibetan border region, Tibet’s history, Mongols, British India, Qing Dynasty, Simla Convention, McMahon Line, Tibetan-Indian Border, Line of Actual Control (LAC), Arunachal Pradesh, suzerain, independence, 1962 Sino-Indian War, South Tibet, occupation, sovereignty, nuclear weapons, military, modern warfare, globalisation, international community, United Nations, uti possidetis, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Deng Xiaoping, ‘biding one’s time’ (tao guang yang hui), hard power, infrastructure, ethnic minority, rural revitalisation, Shigatse, Lhokha, Nyingchi, Ngari, Indian Foreign Ministry, Tibetans, Han Chinese, Global Times, South China Sea, Philippines, 2015 Hague Tribunal, Exclusive Economic Zone, judicial legitimacy, Woody Island, New Delhi, Beijing, international law, Indian Union Cabinet, Vibrant Village Programme, Galwan Valley, BEIJING USES BORDER VILLAGES TO SECURE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS

Italy-China relations under Meloni: Less hard-line than expected

Written by Lorenzo Lamperti

Unable to presently guarantee total alignment when it comes to sharing the American point of view on Russia and the current war in Ukraine, Meloni has chosen to present herself as fully aligned with Washington on the Chinese front.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLFebruary 16, 20239dashline, Italy-China relations under Meloni: less hard-line than expected, Lorenzo Lamperti, Italy, Giorgia Meloni, Taiwan, China, Xi Jinping, Andrea Sing-Ying Lee, Brothers of Italy, right-wing, Taipei, United States, US, People's Republic of China, Forza Italia, the League, Lega, Silvio Berlusconi, Matteo Salvini, Putin, Ukraine, Russia, Russia-Ukraine war, Conte government, memorandum of understanding, MoU, Beijing, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Huawei, 5G, Mario Draghi, elections, 2022, Tibet, military action, democracy, Autocracy, Central News Agency, Lucio Malan, Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Tsai Ing-wen, G20 summit, Bali, Italian government, sanctions battle, Xinjiang conflict, Antonio Tajani, Wang Yi, bilateral dialogue, economic relations, crucial sectors, Chinese businesses, Golden Power, LPE, semiconductor equipment, Atlanticism, Guido Crosetto, Australia, Lithuania, foreign policy, ruling coalition, 15th Conference of Italian Ambassadors, Indo-Pacific

Best of 2022: In Conversation

In 2022, 9DASHLINE had the pleasure of speaking with the authors of several insightful books, with topics ranging from the current US-China strategic competition to the history of mountain communities in Nepal. Here we present some of our most thought-provoking In Conversation interviews of the past year.

Editor's Picks9DLJanuary 6, 2023In conversation: Nicola Nymalm on From Japan Problem to China Threat, Nicola Nymalm, US, China, United States, Japan, In conversation: Julia Gurol on 'The EU-China Security Paradox', Julia Gurol, European Union, In Conversation: James Borton on 'Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground', James Borton, SCS, South China Sea, Mekong River, Antarctica Treaty, In Conversation: Amish Mulmi on 'All Roads Lead North', Amish Mulmi, Nepal, Beijing, Tibet, In conversation: Ramon Pacheco Pardo on 'Shrimp to Whale: South Korea From The Forgotten War to K-Pop', Korea, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, In Conversation: Katie Stallard on ‘Dancing on Bones’, Wilson Center, Russia, North Korea, Putin, In conversation: Ali Wyne, Eurasia Group, America’s Great Power Opportunity, Cold War, In Conversation: Salvador Santino Fulo Regilme Jr., Southeast Asia, Global South, Philippines, Marcos Jr.

The world needs Sino-American climate cooperation

Written by Taylah Bland

If the world’s two rivalling superpowers can cooperate on climate change, the rest of the world has no excuse but to join in the effort.

Water security: What China's hydro plan to secure Tibetan water resources means for its neighbours

Written by Fabrizia Candido

For India, the priority should be to maintain an open channel of communication and data sharing, while pushing for a water-sharing treaty between China and other South Asian neighbours, like Bangladesh.

What will the Czech Republic’s EU presidency mean for China?

Written by Filip Šebok

In July, the Czech Republic takes over the reins of the EU presidency from France. While Ukraine will most likely dominate the agenda, Prague is still set up to offer new impulses on the bloc’s China policy, especially within the larger framework of the Indo-Pacific.

Pacific9DLMay 31, 20229DashLine, Czech Republic, Czechia, France, Ukraine, EU, European Union, FILIP ŠEBOK, China, Prague, Beijing, Brussels, Andrej Babiš, Taiwan, Human Rights, Václav Havel, Beijing Olympics, Miloš Zeman, Vladimír Tomšík, Jan Lipavský, Lithuania, CEE, Tibetan Government in Exile, Tibet, Badiucao, Uyghurs, Czech Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Affairs Committee, 16+1, Indo-Pacific, Libor Sečka, The Netherlands, Germany, 5G, Prague Proposals, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Washington, US, climate change, Japan, South Korea, India, ASEAN, EU Commission, Russia, Huo Yuzhen, What will the Czech Republic’s EU presidency mean for China?, Czechoslovakia, indo-pacific, Beijing Winter Olympics, Olympics, Central and Eastern Europe, President Zeman, Uyghur, Netherlands, United States, China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe, Association for International Affairs, MapInfluenCE

In Conversation: Amish Mulmi on ‘All Roads Lead North’

9DASHLINE recently sat down with Amish Raj Mulmi to discuss his new book All Roads Lead North: China, Nepal and the Contest for the Himalayas.

Russia, China and their search for great power identity

Written by Anisa Heritage

A consequence of Putin’s actions against Ukraine is the strengthening of Taiwanese identity and the intensification of their already strong desire to be separate from mainland China.

Faultlines9DLMarch 21, 2022Russia, China, and their search for great power identity, 9DASHLINE, ANISA HERITAGE, John Mearsheimer, NATO, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Ukraine, War, Crimea, Belarus, Eurasia, European, Europe, EU, European Union, Moscow, Beijing, Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan, Belt and Road Initiative, oil, Sino-Russian, Western, Cold War, nationhood, 1945, Post war, Russian Empire, Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact, Georgia, Yalta, Poland, Baltics, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Japan, Qing, Opium Wars, Sino-Japanese, Sino-Japanese War, South China Sea, East China Sea, Cairo Conference, Chiang Kai-Shek, Treaty of San Francisco, American, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, identity, Chinese Communist Party’s centennial celebration in 2021, irredentist, disinformation, propaganda, Brookings, Donetsk, Luhansk, empire, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK

Human Rights, China and the Winter Olympics — can democratic unity prevail?

Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

After Taiwan opened a representative office in Lithuania under its own name, Beijing didn’t only retaliate bilaterally, but it went after Lithuania’s trading partners in Europe, undermining the integrity of the European single market.

Bhutan and India: The importance of subnational diplomacy

Written by Nitasha Kaul and Dechen Rabgyal

While the challenges are significant, the intertwined nature of regional trade, livelihood, resources, and security management means that paradiplomacy can be given much greater attention to bring local concerns to the forefront.

Bhutan’s coming border crisis with China

Written by John Pollock

Should it transpire in the coming years that Chinese villages or roads are being constructed in Sakteng, alongside those on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is conceivable that Indian mountain troops from IV Corps would intervene as at Doklam in 2017, thus placing Bhutan at the centre of a future Sino-Indian standoff.

South Asia9DLSeptember 13, 20219DASHLINE, John Pollock, China, Bhutan, India, Doklam, PLA, Tibet, Gyalaphug, CCP, Beijing, Council of the Global Environment Facility, Arunachal Pradesh, Sakteng, South China Sea, Thimphu, New Delhi, Modi, COVID19, COVID

In Brief: Dr Eva Seiwert, our new Associate Editor

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Eva Seiwert as our new Associate Editor. Dr Seiwert brings a wealth of experience to the role and we look forward to her work in continuing to showcase the next generation of leading thinkers while also working to connect Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

What does China want in Nepal?

Written by Bindesh Dahal

The NCP split has come as a rare shock to China’s foreign policy. Its efforts to build an ideological force with a strong financial backing to counter New Delhi’s influence, which enjoys excellent political, social and cultural ties with Nepal have fallen flat.

The Galwan Valley one year on: What's changed with China and the PLA ?

Written by Suyash Desai

As visible from the ongoing stand-off, it’s difficult to restore the status quo ante once it is changed by force as the two sides evenly match up. Thus India needs to be cautious about the changing nature of China’s military operations and its manifestation on the Sino-Indian border.