Military Power

How China sustains the illusion of equality with Russia

Amid its meetings with US and Russian leaders, academic Marcin Kaczmarski observes that China holds a firm upper hand in its relations with Russia, while continuing to massage Russia’s great-power ego.

Marcin Kaczmarski

22 May 2026

China is arming the Global South — and expanding its influence

China has turned its defence industry into a formidable exporter, reshaping security across the Global South. As researcher Tahir Mahmood Azad argues, its weapons come bundled with ties that draw states into Beijing’s strategic orbit.

Tahir Mahmood Azad

05 May 2026

How civilisational politics fuels today’s wars

Academic Ma Haiyun traces the history of civilisational conflict narratives in Western strategic thinking, built on Jewish intellectual foundations, long before the rise of Samuel P. Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Such approaches have had a profound effect on influencing the US’s behaviour in the Middle East and spillover effects in the region.

Ma Haiyun

22 Apr 2026

Why China’s firepower fails to translate into sales

Is China poised to capture a greater share of the rapidly expanding global arms market? Academic Ghulam Ali looks into China’s arms export policy, the quantity and quality of its previously exported arms, and the challenges associated with expanding arms trade to evaluate this.

Ghulam Ali

13 Apr 2026

[Video] Is the world entering a more dangerous nuclear era?

The collapse of the last US-Russia nuclear constraints under New START leaves the world’s nuclear guardrails in tatters, raising fears of great power friction and a renewed arms race. As limits fall away, states from Iran to North Korea are reassessing their options. With extended deterrence under strain, ThinkChina’s Lu Lingming and Yi Jina examine how this unravelling nuclear order is reshaping global and regional security.

Lu Lingming, Yi Jina

10 Apr 2026

How China and Russia keep Iran fighting — without firing a shot

The Iran war is exposing how great powers wage proxy conflict at arm’s length. China sustains Tehran’s missile and drone industry with dual‑use components, chip tools and BeiDou access, while Russia boosts its punch with satellite imagery, upgraded drones and electronic‑warfare know‑how. Together they keep a heavily sanctioned state in the fight, as researcher Tahir Mahmood Azad explains.

Tahir Mahmood Azad

10 Apr 2026

Control the oil, shape the world: Trump’s disruptive diplomacy and the risks for Taiwan

More than a year into his presidency, US President Donald Trump has played a disruptor role, leaving his mark on every aspect of diplomacy, from military strategy to economic tariffs. A lot of this has to do with Trump’s personality and style. What impact does this have on the Taiwan Strait issues? Academic Ying-yu Lin gives an analysis.

Ying-yu Lin

08 Apr 2026

Taiwan in the shadow of a Trump-China deal

While Trump 2.0 has shown that the US may not sway towards Taiwan as readily as before, Trump’s actions in Venezuela and Iran may be good for Taiwan, by tempering China’s ambitions. Taiwanese academic Ho Ming-sho weights the pros and cons. 

Ho Ming-sho

31 Mar 2026

Planes, missiles, submarines: Southeast Asia’s quiet arms race?

A slew of arms procurement deals in Southeast Asia has raised eyebrows on whether the region is engaged in an arms race. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Claudia Liao finds out from academics that these military upgrades may have more to do with prestige than capability.

Claudia Liao

25 Mar 2026

China’s nuclear submarines and bombers could shift Asia’s balance

China’s military capabilities are back in the spotlight, as the US reports on the PLA Navy’s growing submarine fleet, and observers take notice of signals of the launch of new submarine types and strategic bombers. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan takes a look at the recent developments that have caught the world’s attention.

Yu Zeyuan

24 Mar 2026

Trump’s global agenda flies into domestic headwinds

Even as US President Donald Trump calls for international support for the war in Iran, within the US there are dissenting voices, as not everyone is convinced that war is the answer. What is clear is that domestic factors will increasingly limit Trump’s foreign policy and diplomatic engagement. Academic Derek Grossman discusses the issue.

Derek Grossman

20 Mar 2026

History won’t wait — Trump is at the door

In the Year of the Horse, US President Donald Trump has charged in first to occupy Venezuela — although whether he’s mounted a noble steed or a stubborn donkey remains an open question. Hong Kong commentator Chip Tsao takes a satirical look at what Venezuela’s upheaval reveals about China, imperial ambition and the world ahead.

Chip Tsao

07 Jan 2026