Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan accepted an invitation from his Chinese colleague Li Keqiang to visit China from 2 to 5 November. The official trip and its outcomes are noteworthy for a number of different reasons, but especially when viewed from the perspective of assessing the political puzzle shaping itself in the Indo-Pacific at the moment.
Today it’s clear that fascist-turned Brazil is out – so we are at RICS. There is not much to argue about. The world’s fifth largest economy, Brazil, has failed and betrayed the concept of the BRICS and the world at large. Whether you consider South Africa as a valid member of the BRICS is also questionable. Much of SA’s social injustice has actually become worse since the end of apartheid. Ending apartheid was a mere political and legal exercise.
The US — Indian negotiations held in New Delhi on September 6 this year with the participation of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence (in the so-called 2+2 format) represent one of the most significant events of late in the region of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
As September 6, the date of the first ever 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the U.S. and India (with the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of both countries) slowly recedes into the past, its importance for the overall development of the situation in the entire region of the Indian and Pacific oceans and the sub-region of South Asia becomes more clear.
The Iranian Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to Islamabad in late August 2018 was the first meeting conducted by the new Pakistani leadership headed by the Prime Minister Imran Khan and high-ranking foreign guests. The agreements reached confirmed the trend towards consolidating the forces in the region.
The talks between American and Indian foreign and defense ministers, loosely described as the 2+2 dialogue were held on September 6 in New Delhi. These talks constitute yet another major step in the regional game driven by its two major players. It is only logical to assume that all the other players have been closely following the meeting that took place in India’s capital.
It’s unlikely that anyone today may still have doubts about the fact that India in recent years has been playing a pivotal role in Washington’s strategic plans for the Asia-Pacific region. Former American presidents, namely Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama would all visit India to underline the growing importance of New Delhi for the United States, while the latter of them has boldly described India as one of the principal allies of the United States in the 21st century.
