China
Which countries have fertility rates above the replacement level - OWID
Fertility rates — which measure the average number of children per woman — have been falling worldwide. Since 1950, global fertility rates have halved, from almost 5 children per woman to 2.2, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
Pakistan playing both sides in US-Iran negotiation is a high-risk balancing act
Pakistan is not undertaking the facilitation of negotiations purely as an act of international statecraft, but rather as a nation with a vested interest in avoiding more of the economic fallout from the continuation of hostilities in the Gulf.
Trump’s Iran gambit leaves APAC region ‘Quad’ dead in the water
The European Union has already, for all intents and purposes broken away from the US. It is only a matter of time before the Quad either ceases to function or decides to go its own way, without the US.
Snow leopard habitat threatened by China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan rail project, argues research paper
Concerns raised are an awkward matter for Bishkek – it lately made the big cat a national symbol.
Renewables overtake coal in global electricity mix – Statista
Ten years after the Paris Agreement was opened for signature by member states at the UN Headquarters in New York on April 22, 2016, the global energy transition is beginning to reshape the electricity mix, Statista reports.
China quietly tightens its regional grip across Southeast Asia
Beijing and Hanoi are stepping up co-operation centred on internal security, in the process offering a preview of how China may deepen ties across south-east Asia despite longstanding differences with several countries in the region.
CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: There are those who swear Tokayev just auditioned for the UN top job
Rumours have swirled for months that Kazakhstan’s president wants to succeed Antonio Guterres. An appearance at an event in Turkey did his chances no harm at all.
COMMENT: Why China is hedging for now in the Middle East
As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its second month, one of the most consequential geopolitical actors has been conspicuous by its silence. China has not intervened, has not condemned, and has not chosen sides in any meaningful public way.
Europeans fear Washington more than Beijing for the first time, Politico reports
For the first time in the history of transatlantic polling, more Europeans view the United States as a threat to their continent than view China in the same light — a seismic shift in public sentiment.
India’s renewable surge hits critical mass as solar drives structural shift
Much of this has been underpinned by falling technology costs and a hard fought push for energy security in which the pace of expansion over the past 12–18 months has been particularly notable.
Middle Corridor in play
Squeezed by a sanctioned Russia to the north and a war prone Middle East to the south, the Middle Corridor that runs through Central Asia and the Caucasus is back in play as the main route connecting Europe to Asia by land.
COMMENT: Chinese claims on arms transfers to Iran raise doubts
With a ceasefire in place, recent intelligence points to Tehran once more looking to replenish its depleted air defences and China potentially preparing more shipments of offensive systems including shoulder-fired missiles.
Indonesia, US forge defence partnership
The MDCP is a clear signal that when it comes to regional deterrence and technological modernisation, Indonesia views the US as its primary partner, but it will continue to deal with Russia and China to ensure the lights stay on at home.
China backs US-Iran ceasefire and talks
China's Wang Yi has told Iran's foreign minister Araghchi that Beijing supports the ceasefire and ongoing US-Iran talks, saying a window for peace is opening amid the war.
US taps Gulf allies, warns Chinese banks in stepped-up Iran sanctions push
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on April 15 in Washington that the US is working with Persian Gulf allies to obtain data on bank accounts linked to members of the Iranian government and is contacting international lenders, including in China
Trump says China agreed to stop arming Iran in exchange for reopening of Strait of Hormuz
Trump claims China agreed to halt arms supplies to Iran in exchange for US efforts to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with a Xi Jinping meeting planned in coming weeks.
Where elections are seen as fair or flawed - OWID
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this month directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to compile lists of US citizens eligible to vote in each state, Statista reports.
Developing countries skip landlines and go straight to mobile phones - OWID
The concept of “leapfrogging” is popular in development. It suggests that, as they develop, lower-income countries can skip intermediate technologies or systems and go straight to the modern equivalent, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
China denies arms sales to Iran, warns US of countermeasures
China has denied accusations of providing military support to Iran, calling the reports fabricated and warning the US of countermeasures if tariffs are imposed on Beijing over the claims.
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Quality matters: how the Hormuz crisis tests refinery flexibility
The disruption highlights a key reality often overlooked in the oil market: while volumes may be globally fungible, crude quality is not.