global influence

China’s involvement and investment in Africa have intensified in the past few years eliciting a lot of focus and research on China-Africa relations.  While this can be written off by some as simply investment [...] China’s growing involvement in the media industry in Africa and South Africa has been seen by Trans-Atlantic nations to be a challenge to their influence in Africa.

January 6, 2017

This new rail route, which will traverse Kazakhstan, a part of Russia, Belarus, and the EU before entering the UK via the Channel Tunnel, is part of a rapidly growing network that now consists of 39 rail lines, which directly connect 16 cities in China with 15 cities in Europe. What is now a paradigm-shifting international trade network, arose from humble beginnings in Chongqing in 2012. 

The U.N.’s second secretary-general Dag Hammarskjold defined the job’s role as a diplomat who has the ability and courage to navigate a course independent of the major powers and in defense of the world’s population. [...] Once Ban was installed at the U.N. in 2007, he broke with tradition by naming Americans — two former State Department diplomats — to be his chief political officers during his ten-year tenure. 

It has been suggested that Donald Trump will be a president who will focus on "hard power" to underpin his foreign policy goals rather than focusing on "soft power," which was Obama's preference. The United States cannot just use this or that; it needs to use both. Hard or soft, it's about power, period. [...] While taking a strong stance on security and defense, Trump needs deploy American soft power institutionally in his foreign policy.

The end of Cold war and dismantling of mighty Soviet Union along with dissolution of Socialist system in East Europe, Russia, having lost the Cold War to USA, was forced to lay down for years as its allies began dropping the Kremlin and joining the USA and Europe through NATO and EU. Further, dismantling of anti-West military alliance Warsaw Pact increasingly weakened Russia as it gradually lost its influence globally.

For much of the past two decades, progressive foreign policy has been defined by what it is against—[...]  But it is much less clear what a progressive foreign policy stands for, and what it would look like in practice. It is especially important to try to define one now, after the election of Donald Trump.

[S]everal factors have contributed to China’s presence in Latin America. First, even though Latin America is not as strategically important to China as East Asia and South Asia, its outreach has resulted in increased social and economic cooperation. In the words of Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping; “lie low and bide your time.” Second, the balance of power has changed in the region, where U.S. influence is dwindling and China has proven to be a reliable economic partner for developing countries. [...] Third, China has commercial and geopolitical interests in Latin America.

Under the threat of violating international law and hurting its global reputation, Japan will submit its long overdue annual contribution to UNESCO by the year-end, according to government sources. The government's decision also reflects concerns that its continued refusal to pay could allow China to hold more sway in UNESCO, while eroding Japan’s standing in the organization.

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