Geo Political Risk

[GTM 3442]

Gas war with Russia drives Turkey in the Caucasus


Ankara says EU allies seeking to diversify from Russian gas should see Karabakh hostilities as a wake-up call

https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/gas-wa...-the-caucasus/

Given the state of play with the gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, I suspect that neither Russia nor Turkey would be averse to a "frozen conflict" or some mayhem and madness (or even both in the Caucasus.

[Davexl]

Finally some excellent local appearing commentary simply summarising for New Zealanders
what has been going on in North East Asia, from someone who knows what he's talking about...

The shifting sands of China's world view

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/123172810/the-shifting-sands-of-chinas-world-view

[Marilyn Munroe]

Link to article on Stuff about NZ's policy stance towards China's belligerence in view of increasing Western push-back.

I suspect the rice christians in New Zealand politics are keeping their heads down and hoping it all goes away.

Boop boop de do
Marilyn

[Davexl]

Whether the following is true or not, the US election & its aftermath represents a critical period of heightened risk re Taiwan...

US ratchets up China overflights: report

https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/us-rat...lights-report/

[Davexl]

China shocked to discover the developed world views it in a negative light (for those with VPNs anyway...)

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/10/27/commentary/world-commentary/china-developed-world-negative-sentiment/

[Davexl]

A more nuanced view on approaching Chinese relations (of which Trump is incapable of...)

China’s Inexorable Rise to Superpower Is History Repeating Itself

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-not-an-ascent

[Davexl]

U.S. and India to sign defense pact amid China border standoff

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...se-pact-china/

[Davexl]

In Indonesia, Trump envoy presses case against China

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/in...29-p569qq.html

[Davexl]

More on non-aligned Indonesia...

Vaccines, not spy planes: U.S. misfires in Indonesia

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...virus-vaccine/

[Davexl]

Opinion 1: China PRC viewpoint as relatively benign:

"China is not a threat to US liberty or democracy"

China is no friend to liberal ideology but beyond empty slogans it has no real ambition to export its authoritarian model

https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/china-...-or-democracy/