Category: Strategy
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U.S. Slaps Port Fees on China-Linked Ships
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiated an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into China’s practices aimed at dominating the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. This probe, prompted by a petition from U.S. labor unions in April 2024, concluded that China’s subsidies, non-market practices, and dual-use infrastructure (supporting both commercial and…
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Turkey Inks 20-Year, $43B Deal with Mercuria
On September 24, 2025, Turkey’s state-owned energy company BOTAŞ (Petroleum Pipeline Corporation) signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement with Swiss-based energy trading firm Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. The deal, announced by Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, secures approximately 4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of US-sourced LNG annually, starting in 2026 and running…
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Taiwan Secures Reaffirmation
The 2025 Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting, held from September 8–12 in Honiara, Solomon Islands, concluded with leaders reaffirming Taiwan’s status as a “development partner” under a 1992 agreement. This allows Taiwan to participate in side events and dialogues alongside the main summit, despite not being a full member. The decision came amid pressure…
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Saudi-Pakistan Alliance
On September 17, 2025, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a landmark mutual defense pact in Riyadh, formalizing a decades-long security partnership between the two nations. The agreement, described as a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” (SMDA), declares that any aggression against one country will be treated as an attack on both, committing them to joint deterrence…
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NATO Hardens East
On September 12, 2025, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the immediate launch of Operation Eastern Sentry, a flexible mission to reinforce defenses along the alliance’s eastern flank (from the Arctic to the Black Sea). Rutte described the incursion as “reckless and unacceptable,” emphasizing that “Russia’s recklessness in the air along our eastern flank is…