Last week, Nicaragua canceled its deal with a Chinese company to build and manage a canal that stretches across Central America, ending a decade-long saga. Despite this development, China’s influence in Nicaragua has never been greater, in large part due to the diplomatic isolation of President Daniel Ortega’s autocratic government.
An international effort to create a rail and maritime transport corridor to connect Asia to Europe while avoiding Russian territory has gained momentum in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The success or failure of the trade route, known as the Middle Corridor, depends on solid relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Cambodia’s government can’t get to grips with the cyber-slavery compounds run by Chinese mafia gangs on its territory, as the government’s official response has veered between minimization of the problem and denial. This failure is putting pressure on foreign governments to protect their nationals from falling victim to the scams.
