Articles by Hao Nan

Before Trump arrives, Beijing’s room to manoeuvre is expanding

With recent developments in the Middle East helping China to access separate sources of leverage at the same time, the delay in Trump’s visit to China has actually given Beijing more room to shape the atmosphere before Trump arrives, contends academic Hao Nan.

Hao Nan

The rise of Pakistan in the emerging diplomacy over Iran

​Pakistan, the only Muslim-majority nuclear-armed state, is now a key conduit of the Iran war. Its security ties with Saudi Arabia boost its regional clout, while its links to both the US and China show that in crises, the most important states are not the strongest, but those that other actors can still use.

Hao Nan

Who decides when the Iran war ends?

In the Iran war, the US, China and Russia each pursue their own objectives, while Iran and Israel follow separate agendas, creating a complex web of interests. No clear path to a ceasefire has emerged, and the conflict’s endgame remains uncertain. Academic Hao Nan examines the possible scenarios.

Hao Nan

How the Iran war is stretching America thin against China

A prolonged Iran war is draining US munitions, critical minerals and industrial capacity, and weakening the country’s defence base and military presence in Asia as rivalry with China intensifies, observes academic Hao Nan. 

Hao Nan

Hormuz closed: East Asia’s energy shock and strategic shift

East Asia stands to be massively affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, given its reliance on just-in-time liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries. Critical will be the way governments diversify their energy resources and maintain power-sector reliability and industrial continuity. Academic Hao Nan looks into the variables.

Hao Nan

The costs of quick power: America’s Iran strike

US-Israel attacks on Iran may achieve short-term gains but do long-term harm to the bargaining environment needed to prevent endless war. Instead of victory, Washington may have caused ripple effects that will have compounding costs for the US and for the Middle East region. Academic Hao Nan gives his assessment.

Hao Nan

Shocks to shields: How India fortifies itself against a turbulent world

Hedging comes at a cost, but it is a price India may have to pay as it gets constricted by US transactionalism, two-front security pressure, Pakistan’s strategic rehabilitation and China’s institutional penetration of South Asia. Academic Hao Nan analyses the situation. 

Hao Nan

Takaichi’s supermajority: Power without brakes?

Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party supermajority accelerates decisive policy while triggering three reinforcing cycles: the “Takaichi-isation” of governance, rightward policy drift, and rising strategic risks at home and abroad, says academic Hao Nan.

Hao Nan

Four ways the US could take Greenland — and what it means for China and Russia

Greenland’s attributes as an elevated platform for early warning, space tracking and North Atlantic control explain the naked truth behind the US’s desire to get Greenland. Out of the possible scenarios that this could happen, academic Hao Nan thinks that expanded access under Danish sovereignty, i.e. the Okinawa Model, is the most realistic option.

Hao Nan

When Washington tests the Fed, it tests the dollar

In the face of US President Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell, major central bankers around the world showed their solidarity. This is out of their own interest to see the dollar-centric system preserved and a warning not to engage in self-sabotage. Academic Hao Nan explains.

Hao Nan

Don’t turn to China in every crisis

From Iran to Venezuela, everyone expects China to act. But Beijing moves with a single aim: safeguard its own long-term plans, stepping in overseas only when stakes hit home, says academic Hao Nan.

Hao Nan

How the US holds the military escalation dial in Asia

In Asia, the US holds the power to decide when — and how — to act. Treaties and laws give Washington control over escalation, letting it protect allies while ensuring no one can drag America into a war it does not choose, says academic Hao Nan.

Hao Nan