The escalating tensions between China, the Philippines, and the United States in the South China Sea highlight how Southeast Asia is now the most dangerous frontline in the burgeoning Great Power competition between Beijing and Washington. But as this week's ASEAN summit in Australia highlights, there is no consensus in the region over how the Southeast Asian bloc's 11 member states are responding to the rapidly changing geopolitical environment. This week, Eric spoke with Prashanth Parameswaran, a highly regarded analyst on Southeast Asian affairs and founder of the widely-read ASEAN Wonk newsletter, for some perspective on how different countries across the region are positioning themselves in this new era. Show Notes: Subscribe to the ASEAN Wonk newsletter on Substack: https://www.aseanwonk.com Subscribe to the Sinica Podcast newsletter on Substack: https://sinica.substack.com JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @aseanwonk Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com | @SinSharqAwsat JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth

Exploring the environmental impact of EV batteries, focusing on labor and human rights issues in Indonesia's nickel sector dominated by Chinese companies. Discussion on accountability mechanisms, challenges in energy transition, and potential consequences of policy expansion in Indonesia.

The podcast explores the concept of the 'Global South' and its significance, with a focus on complexities in defining developing countries. Discussions highlight the historical context, geopolitical tensions, active non-alignment in global politics, Latin American foreign policies, and South-South cooperation. The episode touches on multilateral alliances and challenges Western power structures.

The podcast discusses China's swift engagement with the likely new Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, signaling strong ties. It explores the geopolitics surrounding Indonesia, including the delicate US-China balance. The conversation delves into Indonesia's nickel sector, worker safety concerns at Chinese facilities, and the impact of the US Inflation Reduction Act on Chinese entities in Indonesia.

The podcast discusses China's evolving investment priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on smaller projects aligned with the concept of 'smallest beautiful' and new infrastructure. It also explores the impact of China's economic slowdown on global trade, debunks US talking points on China's actions in the region, and analyzes the low priority and prevalence of mediocrity in the Africa-US relationship.

There was a lot of speculation in the U.S. last year that an upgrade of diplomatic ties with Vietnam would prompt Hanoi to be more aligned with Washington in its rivalry with China. While Vietnam did embark on a flurry of diplomatic upgrades with China's rivals in Japan, South Korea and the United States, among others, China nonetheless remains the Southeast Asian country's primary foreign policy priority. And that's never going to change regardless of what the U.S. and others offer Hanoi, according to Khang Vu, a doctoral candidate in Vietnamese foreign policy at Boston College. Khang joins Eric to explain why a combination of geography and history require the Vietnamese to always put China at the center of their international strategy. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque| @eric_olander | @khangxvu Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfr JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth

Chinese merchants, Traffickers of rosewood timber from the forests of Equatorial Guinea join the podcast to discuss the illegal Chinese timber trade in West Africa. They explore the challenges of tracking the origin of wood used in products and highlight the corruption it leads to. The discussion also delves into the global nature of the problem and potential US-China cooperation in addressing this issue. They further discuss the current state of China-US climate cooperation and potential solutions through international collaboration.

China's complex stance in climate politics at COP28 discussed by Anika Patel, a China analyst. China's evolving position in climate negotiations, push for weakened language, and self-defense against being labeled as the villain explored. The challenge of selling China's climate contributions, dilemma of joining loss and damage, and desire to position itself as a global leader discussed. China's role in the energy transition and challenges of renewable technologies explored. The failures of Western models, emergence of China as an alternative player, and concerns surrounding its industrialization model discussed. Importance of carbon pricing, controversy surrounding carbon border adjustment mechanism system, and the upcoming research hub launch highlighted.

Discussion on the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on the West's reputation in the global south, China's strategy and role in the conflict, understanding the Rohingya refugee crisis in Indonesia, and the importance of listening to the perspectives of the global South.

China's response to the Israel-Hamas war is explored in this podcast. The episode discusses China's diplomatic actions, its relationship with Iran, and its goals in the Middle East. The impact of the conflict on China-Israel trade relations and the potential advantages for Iran are also examined.