The geopolitical importance of the Arctic region – China-Russia interplay and position of U.S
The Arctic region is significant for its natural resources such as minerals or fish stocks and substantial oil reserves. The Arctic region is witnessing an ongoing conflict between China and Russia because both the powers want to exert their influence over the Arctic. Most of the Arctic region falls under Russian territories, and as a result, Russia has an upper-hand in this matter. Military influence of Russia over the Arctic is greater as well. On the other hand, Beijing continues to exert its influence over the Arctic due to interactions between significant components. Hence, both China and Russia have their own economic and political interests. Thus, both competition and cooperation exist between Russia and China. Notably, intra-regional cooperation has flourished, and arguments were only issue-specific. Similarly, another emerging power, the U.S. has also targeted the rich Arctic zone in order to fulfil its economic interests. This has created strategic concerns in the Arctic. Moreover, intra-regional competition has also occurred. Hence, generalisation is not possible. Engagement with direct conflict over territory and resources might have a negative impact on the existing relations. Hence, cooperation for fulfilling the mere economic interests has been witnessed. The economic and security concerns of the Arctic could be met by attracting the interests of major emerging powers like the U.S., Russia and China. Therefore, the political leaders in the Arctic have prioritised the interests of these nations because it is a win-win situation for all.
Geopolitical importance of Kashmir and analysis of the impact of Chinese investment in Pakistan
The partition of India and Pakistan has created conflict and chaos in one of its common borders, Kashmir. The state continued to be the object of war even after 65 years of independence. Citizens suffered huge losses because poverty, illiteracy as well as unemployment continued to linger in Kashmir due to constant war between Pakistan and India. The Kashmir issue is not yet resolved, and it has created deep-rooted animosity between Pakistan and India. Moreover, India and China have been undergoing political tensions because of India’s rivalry with China since the Sino-Indian war (1962). The reason behind the war was the disputed Himalayan border. The rivalry of India with one of the major South Asian power, China, continued. It had severe economic and political implications. On the other hand, Pakistan managed to receive constant economic support from one of the most powerful South Asian nations, China. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC was announced in November 2016 and China invested around $8.5 billion additionally in order to upgrade Pakistan’s railway lines, airlines and other infrastructures. Previously, China received consistent support from Pakistan during the Sino-Indian War (1962), and therefore, China has been supportive of Pakistan. CPEC has the potential to uplift Pakistan’s economy. Continuous investment in Pakistan can become a threat to India because uplifting Pakistan’s economy implies that the nation will no longer depend on China and might misuse their economic independence to plan severe terrorist attacks on India due to the Kashmir issue.
USA-Japan-South Korea alliance- Analysis of the triangular relationship
The two major allies of the U.S. are South Korea and Japan in Asia, and the tripartite alliance has been formed in order to exert military control in exchange of protection from attacks. Alternatively, the relationship is regarded as “trilateral defence cooperation.” In the backdrop, rising tensions have been witnessed between Japan and South Korea; however, the U.S. is committed towards building a “trilateral security partnership” as it is positive about the future possibilities. In the National Defence Strategy of the U.S., both Japan and South Korea can play an active role and give stiff competition to China and Russia. Hence, the alliances are like force multipliers. With this trilateral relationship, both burdens and opportunities can be shared as partners, and it would contribute towards the collective security of all the three powers. In the Indo-Pacific region, Japan is a promising security partner of the U.S. However, the relationship with Korea has been formed in order to maintain stability. Earlier, the Republic of Korea or ROK was a major security recipient of the U.S. Now, it has turned into a security provider. Amidst that, the tension between Japan and South Korea has not yet been resolved. The conflict between the nations started due to Imperial rule of Japan over Korea and the forceful method employed by Japan to meet the needs of their soldiers during wartime. Korean women were sent to the soldiers forcefully, and that incident was one of the darkest incidents in history. Therefore, Korea has now adopted the tit-for-tat strategy and refused to cooperate with Japan over trade affairs. It can severely affect the stock market and the global economy.
Latin America- Geographical issues and reasons behind the stagnation
Geography of a region influences its politics and based on the complexity of the topography, the region will be economically affected. Latin America is characterised by deserts and rain-forests, and accessibility to the region can be challenging for most neighbouring nations. Post-independence from the Imperial European rule, the countries in Latin America such as Argentina, Venezuela and Brazil received opportunities; however, due to lack of political instability, the nations lagged behind its European counterparts. Natural resources could have been exploited for ensuring economic growth in the continent. However, due to major geographical barriers, communication and contact became challenging. A geopolitical approach resulting into interactions between geography, politics and territory could have been beneficial for the continent. Moreover, the presence of fertile land could have been the source of development. The existence of raw materials can make a country rich or poor. However, despite the presence of enough raw materials, a lack of constructive thinking led to the stagnation of the economy. Even in the 21st century, the nations within the continent are facing tremendous environmental challenges. Persistent inequality and ongoing violence creates uncertainty in the atmosphere. Moreover, fragmentation of the region into smaller regions has also backfired due to lack of cooperation among the smaller parts. “The politics of inequality” is still prevalent and it also implies the existence of corruption. Therefore, Latin America lags behind with Venezuela considered as the poorest nation with GDP of only $3,374. Moreover, Latin America’s colonial past makes it a “Third World” country.