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The Yawning Gap of Understanding Leading to War

After spending two intensive weeks in Beijing, I now sense more than ever a yawning gap in understanding global affairs between China and the rest of the world. I am haunted by the images on Chinese TV of Zhao Leji, China’s number three top leader, visiting Pyongyang. Zhao and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hugged […]

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China’s Path Not Taken: Lost Global Leadership Opportunities

At the dawn of the 21st century, China encountered a series of decisive junctures that could have reshaped not just its destiny but that of the entire world. There was a striking series of missed opportunities and ‘what-ifs’ that could have turned the global events in a different direction. Perhaps the most significant was China’s […]

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Politics of Technology Between China and the West

China’s domestic imbalances and overcapacity, due to state subsidies, have for the first time taken center stage in trade talks with the USA, further complicating the already complex bilateral ties. In Beijing last week, American Secretary of Commerce Janet Yellen argued that Chinese internal overcapacity in crucial sectors such as electric cars, solar panels, and […]

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Where is the river to cross? China’s Predicament

Today, China is in a dramatic predicament for itself and others. What is the grand strategy to use to cope with the world? The big question hangs over the thousands of delegates convened in Beijing for the ritual plenary session of the National People’s Congress, the most important political appointment of the year due to […]

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China’s War Epidemic

After COVID, Beijing is grappling with a new challenge – an expanding war encircling its friends and neighbors. Is China a victim or a contributor to this new conflict? The country may or may not be aware, but suspicions are mounting about its role. War is spreading like a virus during an epidemic. Two years […]

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Taiwan to the polls: elections take centre stage in China-US international diplomacy

Taiwan heads to the polls. On Saturday 13 January, the de facto independent island, which China wants to ‘reunify’, will elect a new president and parliament. An estimated 19.3 million voters have been called to the polls. The election, which is being closely watched by the international community, could reshape relations between Taipei and Beijing, […]

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Xi Jinping’s military and foreign politics shifts

A substantial shift in China’s foreign approach may be underway, although it is still unclear where it will lead. Within a few hours, President Xi Jinping promoted a new Minister of Defense, Dong Jun, sacked nine senior generals, and set a new path for foreign politics. Xi vowed to “seize strategic opportunities and further enhance […]