Articles by Deng Yuwen

Jensen Huang: Security risk or witch hunt?

An extramarital affair involving an alleged Chinese spy puts Nvidia’s founder Jensen Huang under intense political scrutiny, testing whether legitimate security fears risk becoming an ethnic loyalty test. Commentator Deng Yuwen looks into the matter.

Deng Yuwen

10 Nov 2026

Time to ‘pace’ AI development?

Even as US tech leaders warn of losing control over AI, China makes the point that AI risks should not slow development down. This is an example of other factors that could decide the US-China AI race, more than technology alone, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

15 Sep 2026

Zhu Rongji’s death triggers China’s ‘superpolitics’

The close proximity in timing of the death of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, the commemoration of former President Jiang Zemin’s 100th birth anniversary and the upcoming fifth plenum may give Zhongnanhai some cause for worry, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

13 Aug 2026

Ten years after the South China Sea ruling: Is China’s position better or worse?

The reality of the South China Sea is increasingly being shaped by Chinese power. This is the outcome that could matter more than 2016’s arbitral ruling and the countries rallying around it, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

16 Jul 2026

What China really wants from global governance

Behind China’s new global governance white paper lies a broader ambition: to reshape international rules and institutions to reflect Beijing’s growing power and influence, says commentator Deng Yuwen.

Deng Yuwen

07 Jul 2026

Did Japan and the Philippines expand Beijing’s reach in Taiwan’s eastern waters?

Taiwan seems to be the biggest loser, whatever the outcome of Japan-Philippines maritime delimitation talks, since this gives Beijing greater cause to regularise patrols in Taiwan’s eastern waters. Commentator Deng Yuwen shares his views.

Deng Yuwen

19 Jun 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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