Deng Yuwen
Independent scholar and columnistArticles by Deng Yuwen
Politics
Can Trump survive a fourth political assassination attempt?
Reflecting on the assassination attempts against US President Trump, commentator Deng Yuwen argues that institutions once seen as sources of public confidence have weakened, while repeated gunfire in symbolic spaces of power shows external hatred increasingly penetrating the system’s boundaries. This is especially dangerous when the US president becomes a highly symbolic figure embodying political conflict.
Deng Yuwen
28 Apr 2026
Politics
The limits of courts against shameless power
The Supreme Court’s ruling on US President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” is not proof that American democracy is alive and well and that the system will self-correct. Instead, it shows that usual guardrails like Congress and the fourth estate have been breached, leaving the Court the last line of defence but a shaky one at that. Does that leave American democracy forever damaged under Trump? Commentator Deng Yuwen weighs in.
Deng Yuwen
25 Feb 2026
Politics
Why Chinese hawks cheer Takaichi's win
Takaichi’s landslide win and Japan’s hardline turn are not just Tokyo’s story. In Beijing, it gives hardliners moral cover, reframes tension as destiny and turns miscalculation into a dangerous new logic for East Asia. Commentator Deng Yuwen analyses the situation.
Deng Yuwen
19 Feb 2026
Politics
Zhang Youxia purged: Is Taiwan closer to conflict?
China’s latest military purge spills outwards and will reshape the structure and tempo of risk in the Taiwan Strait, says commentator Deng Yuwen. The major factor is not about the “removal of doves”, but the downgrading of professional judgment within decision-making.
Deng Yuwen
30 Jan 2026
Politics
Why 2026 won’t be a reset year for US-China relations
China’s live-fire drills around Taiwan at the end of 2025 were a statement of jurisdiction, a way for Beijing to reaffirm that deterrence is not passive — it is applied. Commentator Deng Yuwen analyses how China sees the Taiwan Strait as the architecture of US-China relations, and why dialogue should not be mistaken for progress.
Deng Yuwen
05 Jan 2026
Politics
When Trump says ‘G2’, does he mean US-China co-governance?
Trump’s recent enthusiasm for “G2” is likely less about sharing hegemony and more about direct engagement between strong powers — under an implicit assumption of continued US primacy. But even if the US were to genuinely offer equal governing authority, would Beijing accept a G2 framework? Commentator Deng Yuwen ponders the question.
Deng Yuwen
02 Jan 2026
Politics
What the new US national security strategy means for China
From the latest US National Security Strategy document released by the Trump administration, it is clear that the US is intent on excluding China, limiting its global influence, not least in its own backyard of the western hemisphere. Commentator Deng Yuwen gives his take.
Deng Yuwen
11 Dec 2025
Politics
How Sanae Takaichi crossed China’s four untouchable red lines
In the coming weeks, the intensity of Beijing’s countermeasures is unlikely to diminish and will likely continue to escalate, asserts commentator Deng Yuwen. In China’s view, Japan has just crossed too many of its red lines all at once.
Deng Yuwen
21 Nov 2025
Politics
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan: The five years that could rewrite US-China power
Mao once said that catching up to the US could take 75 years. With the Chinese Communist Party unveiling a major 15th Five-Year Plan at the recent fourth plenum, the next five years could see China achieving economic equivalence, technological autonomy and military near-equality with the US. Commentator Deng Yuwen discusses the issue.
Deng Yuwen
20 Nov 2025
Politics
How China saw through America’s bottom line in the trade war
Borrowing Mao’s logic of protracted struggle, China has shifted from defence to stalemate — countering US pressure with rare earth leverage and strategic patience — and in the process, uncovering the limits of America’s economic coercion. Commentator Deng Yuwen examines this subtle shift in power balance.
Deng Yuwen
10 Nov 2025
Politics
Xi’s next mission: Make reunification real
A single line in China’s latest plenum communique marks a new stage in President Xi Jinping’s Taiwan strategy — tying reunification to national modernisation and setting a five-year goal for progress. Commentator Deng Yuwen examines this shift, highlighted by Beijing’s move to make 25 October the Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration.
Deng Yuwen
30 Oct 2025
Politics
He Weidong: The general who tested Xi Jinping’s ultimate taboo
The abrupt removal of several top generals in China’s People’s Liberation Army — among them, Central Military Commission Vice Chairman He Weidong — points to deep unease within the ranks. Yet the cryptic language of official announcements offers few clues about what triggered the purge. Commentator Deng Yuwen unpacks the hidden logic behind He’s fall from power.
Deng Yuwen
21 Oct 2025