Via Lowy Interpreter, commentary on how Gwadar – the Chinese-run port in Pakistan – may have found a path to success: On a sunny Tuesday in the third week of January, a cargo ship named Diyala docked at Gwadar seaport, in south-west Pakistan. The enthusiastic port staff quickly unloaded the cargo. When the unloading was finished, Chinese […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, an article on how TAPI’s “progress” remains slow across Afghanistan: Not that the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline needs any more delays, but Afghan officials say laws on land acquisition for the project as it crosses Afghanistan have not been signed, meaning the project’s timeline remains as foggy as ever. According to a TOLO News report, the […]
Read more »Via VoA News, a report on the newly opened Gwadar port: Pakistan’s newly opened southwestern Gwadar seaport has begun handling transit cargo headed to and from landlocked Afghanistan, marking a significant outcome of Islamabad’s multi-billion-dollar collaboration with China. Officials said the first ship full of Afghan cargo containers reached Gwadar on Tuesday. The containers […]
Read more »Via Harvard International Review, an article on the Wakhan Corridor: Afghanistan is the very definition of a geopolitical pivot. Long called the “Graveyard of Empires,” the country still lures larger powers keen on exerting influence in Central Asia, and the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land protruding out of Afghanistan like the handle of […]
Read more »Via China-US focus, an interesting look at China’s unexpected decision to include Iran in its BRI initiative: In an unexpected move, China has decided to include Iran in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In September, China announced an investment of $400 billion into the struggling economy of Iran. Proposed investments in Iran would be […]
Read more »Via the Middle East Institute, commentary on the position and potential of Balochistan: For the millions of Americans watching the 2018 New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, a curious sign could be seen flashing in bright yellow throughout the night that referred to a place and a situation very few had ever heard of: “#Free Balochistan […]
Read more »