Next in our series on strategic commodities we examine tantalum, a conflict mineral with complex geopolitical ramifications for East Africa and beyond.

While media focus fixates on other BRI infrastructure projects in Malaysia and Laos, Indonesia is quietly nearing completion of a $6 billion high-speed rail link between Jakarta and Bandung.

A Joe Biden presidency will impact some of India’s core interests more than others. But overall, recent progress in US-India relations is set to continue.

Already heavily indebted to Beijing over Belt and Road infrastructure projects, the economic hit from COVID-19 has pushed Laos further into China’s sphere of influence.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has vowed to go ahead with large-scale Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, notably the renegotiated East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), to boost Malaysia’ COVID19-hit economy.

Recent events seem to suggest that Bangladesh is moving closer to China and Pakistan, potentially furthering the geopolitical encirclement of India.