foreign policy

Diplomats from the relatively small number of states which maintain missions in the country were asked to the Foreign Ministry and told that they would be given help to move out by next Wednesday because of the threat of conflict with the United States and South Korea.

Taiwanese subcontractors working on the American Institute in Taiwan's new office compound in Taipei said Saturday they will stage a protest at the construction site next week to demand payment of money owed to them by the project's American contractor.

Experts said China and Zambia are expanding the scope of their cooperation and their ties are a symbol of the deepening win-win cooperation between China and Africa. Sata is among the more than 10 foreign leaders in China to visit the new leaders and attend the Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan province. Meeting with Xi in the coastal city of Sanya, the Zambian president said China's development provides important opportunities for Zambia and Africa.

eInterns (American students working virtually) are an initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Virtual Student Foreign Service. The goal, according to the State Department website, is "to harness technology and a commitment to global service among young people to facilitate new forms of diplomatic engagement." The eInterns work from their own campuses in the U.S. and are partnered with our U.S. diplomatic posts and other organizations on "digital diplomacy." The program began in 2011

After taking office, Chinese President Xi Jinping chose Russia for his first stop abroad, met with his counterpart Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and signed a series of treaties. This demonstrates the close strategic relations the two countries enjoy.

During his recent unannounced visit to Afghanistan, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with prominent female entrepreneurs and the captain of the women’s soccer team to discuss the hard-won progress of Afghan women and their uncertain future. Like his predecessor, Secretary Kerry has admirably pledged to prioritize women’s rights in his foreign policy agenda.

Several people sent in questions to Alex de Waal in response to his article, "African Roles in the Libyan Conflict of 2011″ available in the March 2013 edition of International Affairs. Below are de Waal's responses.

The United States has played a significant role in Yemen’s transition, which ushered out former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in exchange for immunity, and inaugurated a unity government and consensus president that are overseeing a national dialogue launched last month. The United States has pledged support for the dialogue, which will lead to a constitutional referendum and new elections.

Pages