China
The future of the New Silk Roads, part 3: Beijing plans to make its money the new king of currencies

China, Italy
How China recruits private security guards for overseas missions

High demands, low wages, must be available for overseas placements and constantly changing missions: individuals sought after to provide private security to Chinese companies at home and abroad have a tough brief. Intelligence Online explores the recruitment processes used to find the right hires.

The Intelligence Gazette
Russia using Hawala payments, Vietnam's new Paris defence attaché, ISC renewal, Silk Roads into Europe, Kremlin/Vatican's parallel diplomacy

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

Russia/UKRussian embassy uses Hawala payments to dodge sanctions

Vietnam/France Hanoi appoints new defence attaché to Paris embassy

United KingdomNew Westminster intelligence committee crew take over

ChinaSecond New Silk Road phase turns towards Europe

Vatican/RussiaKremlin sends back-channel message it is open to Christmas ceasefire

China
The future of the New Silk Roads, part 2: CCP prepares industrialisation plan

With the support of private companies and the Chinese diaspora, the Chinese Communist Party is identifying the industries and countries it wants to focus on for the next stage of the New Silk Roads project.

China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
Central Asian rail megaproject set to further China's mining and security objectives

A much postponed rail project to link China to Turkey via Central Asia is taking form. For Beijing, it will open the way to lucrative new mining activities and enable it to consolidate the influence of the Silk Road "militias".

China, South America
The CCP steps up its presence in South America ahead of Xi Jinping's expected trip to Peru

Beijing's ambassador to Lima, Song Yang, is using three diplomatic meetings in Peru to support the Chinese Communist Party in implementing Xi Jinping's plan for the region.

China, Hungary
CCP takes BRI a step further with Global Security Initiative

China has asked some countries with which it enjoys strong bilateral relations to subscribe to Xi Jinping's vision of world order, as laid out in his Global Security Initiative. It is a new China-centric geopolitical viewpoint that goes further than Beijing's Belt & Road Initiative goals.