Articles by Alessandro Arduino

Private guns for China’s shipping lanes as chokepoint risks mount

China’s private security companies are rapidly expanding their capabilities and projecting power precisely where it counts most: the sea lanes of communication. This is especially significant when recent global conflicts are centred on the Strait of Hormuz and other maritime chokepoints of the world. Academic Alessandro Arduino analyses the situation.

Alessandro Arduino

14 May 2026

New START expired: A riskier nuclear era?

With the expiration of New START, the last agreement curtailing the nuclear powers of the US and Russia is no more, ratcheting up a nuclear race that gives China a chance to catch up. Academic Alessandro Arduino explains.

Alessandro Arduino

12 Feb 2026

No one has a plan for Iran

With protests engulfing Iran, the US considers its next move, China holds back and the population has no clear path forward. Could this unrest quietly reshape the regime? Academic Alessandro Arduino analyses the issue.

Alessandro Arduino

14 Jan 2026

Whoever strikes hardest wins? Trump’s big stick returns to the Americas

The US captured Maduro in a dramatic raid, signalling it will act unilaterally to protect its interests in the western hemisphere. Some Latin American governments, however, may now move closer to Beijing. Academic Alex Arduino explains.

Alessandro Arduino

06 Jan 2026

China just shifted gears in the Middle East

As war, rivalry and realignment grip the Middle East, China is abandoning its patient, low-risk approach. Beijing is accelerating diplomacy, security engagement and economic planning — raising both its influence and its exposure. Academic Alessandro Arduino explores the situation.

Alessandro Arduino

19 Dec 2025

Damascus calling: Can China afford to sit out Syria’s reconstruction?

Syria’s long isolation is ending. As the US eyes a military foothold and foreign investment pours in, Beijing faces a delicate balance: protect its strategic interests, counter extremist threats, and avoid being sidelined in Syria’s reconstruction. Academic Alessandro Arduino tells us more.

Alessandro Arduino

07 Nov 2025

Beijing’s western anxiety: Afghanistan’s turmoil and Trump’s return to Bagram

Rising border violence and Trump’s push for a US foothold in Afghanistan are unsettling Beijing. As the region’s fault lines reopen, China’s western frontier could become a weak link in its global ambitions. Academic Alessandro Arduino examines the implications for China’s regional stability and strategic ambition.

Alessandro Arduino

22 Oct 2025

Xi’s world is already here

China’s 3 September military parade was more than a mere display of might, says academic Alessandro Arduino. It was a carefully orchestrated affirmation of Xi Jinping’s power, and a signal to global rivals that China is a force to be reckoned with.

Alessandro Arduino

04 Sep 2025

As Israel strikes Iran, China’s diplomatic leverage wanes

Beijing does not have the strategic clout to tip the balance in the escalating military confrontation between Israel and Iran, says academic Alessandro Arduino. At the same time, the prospect of war in the region threatens to undermine Beijing’s efforts to position itself as a credible alternative to Western diplomacy, particularly among the global south.

Alessandro Arduino

16 Jun 2025

Turkey’s peacekeeping gambit in Ukraine and China’s strategic dilemma

Academic Alessandro Arduino observes that in the Middle East and Africa, the security vacuum left by the US — and China’s reluctance to fill it — has opened the door for Turkey, giving Ankara the space to manoeuvre and assert its influence.

Alessandro Arduino

20 Mar 2025

Trump’s Gaza plans: A Middle East headache for China?

Amid Trump’s plans to “take over” Gaza and as China navigates the shifting landscape in the region, the latter needs to balance its ambitions in the Middle East with the risks of alienating Israel, says academic Alessandro Arduino.

Alessandro Arduino

17 Feb 2025

China’s Middle East strategy in the Trump era: Navigating uncertainty

Though initially vocal in its support for the Palestinian cause, Beijing has tempered its stance in a calculated shift of geopolitical priorities. However, says academic Alessandro Arduino, this does not mean that China will see easy advancements in the Middle East. 

Alessandro Arduino

03 Feb 2025