Military Power
Technology
China’s 582-tonne fusion magnet is not a weapon — yet
China’s 582-tonne superconducting magnet is not a weapon; it is a marker of integrated technological power. The real strategic weight lies in how its dual-use foundations could reshape energy, security and supply-chain leverage for generations to come, argues researcher Tahir Mahmood Azad.
Tahir Mahmood Azad
08 Sep 2026
Politics
Buying certainty: How Hormuz is redefining global shipping
As conflict reshapes the Strait of Hormuz, markets are placing a premium on geopolitical certainty. The shift could redefine not only global shipping but the future of maritime governance, says US academic John Calabrese.
John Calabrese
21 Jul 2026
Politics
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
Politics
What China’s submarine missile test reveals about its nuclear strategy
China’s submarine launch shows that Beijing intends to remove strategic vulnerability before accepting strategic constraint. But showing its ability for a second-strike capability does not guarantee stability in Asia, says academic Hao Nan.
Hao Nan
09 Jul 2026
Politics
Purged generals, flying missiles: China’s military paradox
As sweeping anti-corruption investigations continue to shake the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing has responded not with words but with high-profile missile tests, seeking to demonstrate that its strategic nuclear deterrent remains intact despite the ongoing purge. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei explains.
Sim Tze Wei
09 Jul 2026
Politics
Why the Pacific is filling with warships: China, RIMPAC and a new military contest
As the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise kicks off and China’s Liaoning wraps up its drills, the Western Pacific is witnessing a strategic shift from simple carrier standoffs to a complex battle of military systems. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han speaks with analysts to find out more.
Miao Zong-Han
25 Jun 2026
Politics
A tungsten mine exposes Myanmar’s China-Russia balancing act
Russia’s recent entry into tungsten mining in Myanmar reveals a three-way resource-security triangle: China controls much of the flow, Russia seeks a stake, while Myanmar’s military government is using access to resources as leverage. Academic Hao Nan gives his assessment.
Hao Nan
22 Jun 2026
Politics
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
Politics
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