Good News and Challenges for the ANC as South Africa Heads into Election Season
The standing of the ruling African National Congress has improved since the change of leadership from scandal-plagued former president Jacob Zuma to Cyril Ramaphosa in February 2018. But a solid electoral victory is not yet a certainty because many of the measures that are needed to restore the economy are likely to provoke labour unrest and cost votes.
China’s Agricultural Development Path is Unlikely to Combat Population Pressures and Dangerous Farming Practices
China released its latest “No. 1 Central Document” this month, which has suggested that rural development and agriculture would again be policy priorities this year. While Chinese agriculture is in need of reform, the policy document does not indicate that it will do much to combat the biggest stresses on the agricultural sector.
What Will More Submarines Mean for South-East Asia?
It is likely that South-East Asian countries will continue to expand their submarine arsenal as far as economic and staff limitations allow. The introduction of more submarines, however, could also contribute to greater regional friction.
Food and Fuel Self-Sufficiency Policies Debated in Indonesian Presidential Race
If Indonesia adopts food and fuel self-sufficiency policies, its deforestation rate and carbon dioxide emissions are likely to increase.
China in Central Asia: How to Contain India
China’s presence in Central Asia is, in large part, due to India’s own lacklustre approach to that region, which epitomises its foreign policy in general.
India and Pakistan: Pulwama and the Continuation of War by Other Means
In the wake of the suicide bombing of an Indian paramilitary convoy by a Pakistan-based militant group, the two nuclear-armed neighbours face competing pressures to act against the other. Pakistan fears India and its overwhelming conventional military force as an existential threat, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing serious domestic pressure, just months before a general election, to take military action against Pakistan.
Indonesia: Threats and Challenges to Domestic Security
Indonesia faces a range of internal security challenges including terrorism, separatism, religious and ethnic violence, and piracy. Of those challenges, terrorism and piracy are the more immediate threats, while separatism and religious violence have the potential to present significant challenges in the long-term future.
China’s “3 + 1 Project”: Should India Worry?
While India has cause to be concerned, China’s 3 + 1 project in South Tibet could potentially backfire, force India closer to the United States and draw the US closer to Asia.
Conflicts over Access to Land will Remain a Major Problem for the Nigerian Government
A failure to reduce tensions between farmers and herders in the Middle Belt will likely weaken efforts to attract the agricultural investment necessary to increase food production in Nigeria.
Offshore Gas Condensate Discovery Could be a “Game-Changer” for South Africa
The discovery of gas condensate equivalent to up to one billion barrels of oil, has the potential to significantly enhance the South African energy mix and boost the economy.