Politics

Whether China can prove naysayers wrong and keep up its good national fortunes depends on solving old problems associated with restarting the mechanisms of the Soviet Union model, and tackling new problems arising from successful development.

Japan’s discharge of treated nuclear wastewater into the sea has dealt another blow to the political, economic and trade relations between China and Japan. Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan elaborates.

With more attacks on Chinese nationals threatened by Baloch separatists in Pakistan, Beijing has pressured Islamabad to take foolproof security measures to protect its nationals and interests in the South Asian country. Columnist Syed Fazl-e-Haider explains.

The world's map of global governance and security architecture is shifting, and BRICS is heeding the call for change, says academic Alessandro Arduino. Countries like Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, who have just been invited to join BRICS, seek to diversify their strategic options. This is in line with China's outreach to the global south and Russia’s need to combat international isolation, but the other BRICS members may have some hesitation.

The world appears to be getting more fractured and polarised, with the US and its allies meeting at Camp David recently, and the BRICS summit in Johannesburg issuing invitations for admission to six countries. While both the US and China are building their own alliances and partnerships, now more than ever, they need to improve their direct communication with each other, says US academic Zhu Zhiqun.

It would be a mistake to think that the soon-to-be 11-member BRICS would unite to become a formidable coordinating force at the international level, says Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong.

India’s recent high-profile attendance at a security forum in Taiwan suggests it is ready to deepen ties with Taiwan to safeguard its future interests, despite expected pushback from China.

While the extent of Japan's role in the event of a Taiwan emergency has not been thoroughly discussed and decided domestically, it appears that Japan’s involvement in some way is expected in most of the scenarios. Japanese academic Rira Momma goes over the possibilities.

Academic Chen Hongbin looks at the different scenarios of mainland China engaging in military reunification with Taiwan, and argues that Japan would do well to remain neutral in order to protect its land and people, rather than suffer serious consequences.