Politics

Rhetoric by the Chinese elite of an America in decline has US political circles guessing at China’s intentions. In truth, even if talk of “decoupling” or “de-risking” from China is on the rise, this is still insufficient cause for war. Echo chambers amplifying the issue is the last thing both countries need.

With North Korea declaring itself a nuclear state and indicating that it would only enter negotiations in its position as one, the situation in the Korean peninsula is getting more unstable. Among the global stakeholders in the issue, China is in a position to do more. Trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea and China is even possible if China changes its perceptions and long-held approaches.

Rather than the old “forced friendship” marked by “warm politics, cold economics”, China and Russia’s relationship has evolved to a new phase powered by strong internal dynamics manifesting political and economic warmth.

The geopolitical Russia-India-China (RIC) troika was conceptualised by Russian leader Yevgeny Primakov in 1996 to challenge the unipolar dominance of the US. With waxing and waning progress, though, the RIC today faces an existential dilemma. China and Russia are coordinating among themselves for a “new era”; India is autonomously making common cause with the US, Australia and Japan in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. However, the RIC could still explore geostrategic coordination and geoeconomic partnership. For this, the troika must seize the opportunity of India hosting the summits of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Group of Twenty later this year.

After more than a year since the war in Ukraine broke out, Chinese and Ukrainian presidents have finally spoken for the first time, and the outcome appears promising. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that while sceptics believe that China could still be leaning towards the side of Russia, China has shown that it is taking its role as a mediator seriously and is prepared for it.

Chinese ambassador to France and wolf warrior diplomat Lu Shaye recently sparked a furor with his claim that post-Soviet countries have no effective status as sovereign nations, putting both French President Emmanuel Macron as well as Beijing in difficult positions. How can China repair the damage?

Capitalist and socialist societies are faced with the same universal conflict between power and self-interest on the one hand, and fairness and justice on the other. As socialism seeks to reclaim the “better angels of our nature”, as mentioned by former US President Abraham Lincoln, the contemporary mass society that results may be a worthy alternative to a democratic system on the point of collapse. But can China achieve this goal?

French President Emmanuel Macron has integrated de Gaulle’s anti-US sentiments and Mao’s spirit of daring to fight against a major power into his comments during his recent China trip, says Chinese commentator Jin Jian Guo. However, a deeper analysis shows that Macron does not truly understand these various actors on the global stage, including China.

Washington and Beijing — like Indonesian voters — are getting to know more about Indonesia’s prospective presidential candidates. How are each of them likely to move in terms of relations with the US and China, and what support are they likely to get in return?