Thailand’s China submarine deal for relations, not defense, say experts
Voice of America
FILE - Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin talks to media during a news conference at the government house in Bangkok, April 10, 2024.
Thailand's government appears set to complete a deal for a Chinese-built diesel-electric attack submarine — a one-off purchase first negotiated under its previous military government — but experts say at this point, motivation for the deal may more political than military.
Girls in the Eid family eat lentils cooked by their mother, Yasmin, at their tent in a refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Nov. 19, 2024. Yasmin Eid cooks at her family's tent in a refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Nov. 19, 2024.
FILE - Anima Mangola eats rice and stewed cassava leaves in the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown, Sept. 25, 2024. FILE Alhaji Aboubacar Kowa, imam and farming leader, poses for a photo in a rice field near the Sierra Leone village of Fanima, Sept. 25, 2024.
Afghan school girls attend a class at an open air primary school in Khogyani district of Nangarhar province, May 14, 2023. The Taliban banned secondary education for girls after the 2021 takeover.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a summit discussion during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Lima, Peru, Nov. 15, 2024.
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