China

Since the start of the year, civil–military relations have taken a nosedive in Pakistan, with no recovery in sight, and with each side threatening serious consequences. What are the chances of a coup?

The Indian youth delegation to Beijing was highly impressed with China and its people.

Beijing is concerned by Washington's more assertive regional policy in Asia. But here as elsewhere the Chinese leadership's inability to talk to the rest of the world in a natural way blunts its capacity to respond, says Kerry Brown.

Taiwan's presidential election saw the incumbent Ma Ying-jeou win another four-year term in office over his opponent Tsai Ing-wen. But the interpretation of this outcome by Washington and Beijing misses an important dimension of Taiwan's political reality. Their flawed understanding could have damaging consequences over the next four years, say LC Russell Hsiao & Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao.

After the failure of Durban, a promising plan B to reducing carbon emissions rests upon green development industrial strategies being pursued by individual countries. And here China is in the vanguard.

With increasing geopolitical instability in oil producing states and the barriers that stand in the way of reaching a multilateral policy, the threat of sanctions in Iran only serves to intensify uncertainty surrounding oil price forecasts for 2012

The riots that erupted in the southern Chinese village in December, following the death in custody of a peaceful protester, are representative of a wider trend – and not the unique uprising the story is being sold as

Despite its strained relationship with North Korea in recent years, China has so far supported the ascendancy of Kim Jong-un. Francis Grove-White assesses China's prime economic and domestic reasons for backing the inexperienced leader

The tsunami and nuclear accident made 2011 an especially hard year for Japan. But the questions raised by the experience are similar to those being asked across the world, says Takashi Inoguchi.

Unfortunately Niall Ferguson has managed to distract Pankaj Mishra from the main theatre of empire-building today which is more than just western superiority or domination. Both reify ‘western domination’, crediting it with an unmerited force and power.

Ten years into the Look East policy, Zimbabwe is showing itself to be a not-so-satisfied customer of Chinese investment.

This article assesses the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya in terms of their legality, their consequences - local, regional and global - and their impact. It describes the growing impotence of western powers in reshaping global politics by force. Rather, it argues, the flawed application of organised violence as a tool in the defence and projection of western power has dissolved the grandiose project of the ‘American century.’

India’s demand for resource security, potential trade and investment opportunities and a strategic partnership with the African Union is similar to that of China; but the approach that each nation has taken is rather different.

The Sino-American competition for allies within Asia Pacific could be an opportunity for these countries to compel China to narrow conflicting issues, especially India who should focus its foreign policy into engaging China in a proactive way.

India and China postpone talks on border disputes at last minute. NATO forces clash with local Serbs in northern Kosovo. Afghan forces take over security in new areas, and a Maoist rebel leader is killed in eastern India. All this in today's security briefing.

A string of self-immolations in China has alarmed the authorities. Chris Wilkins looks at the motivations and effects of this extreme form of protest.

China has been soul searching after the release of video footage showing two van drivers running over the two year-old Yueyue and eighteen pedestrians nonchalantly leaving her for dead.

The presidents of Vietnam and Myanmar visit New Delhi to strengthen cooperation with India. Kenya launches military operations against al-Shabab in Somalia following the kidnapping of aid workers. The US sends advisors to help fight the Lord's Resistance Army, and a recent poll reveals the Afghan population's perception of the situation in its country. All this in today's security briefing.

India and Afghanistan sign a strategic partnership agreement during Karzai's visit to New Delhi. Nepal's new prime minister says constitution to be drafted by November. Pakistan reiterates support to China in fighting terrorism, and a Bangladeshi war tribunal files its first charges. All this in today's security briefing...

China is moving towards a major leadership transition in 2012. A process that looks opaque is governed by clear if unwritten rules, says Kerry Brown.