NATO

People walk outside Brixton Underground Station, in London, Britain, 6 May 2023. (Emilie Madi/Reuters)

The UK's ambiguity in dealing with China: Ingenuity amid diminishing influence?

While the UK has deftly tried to protect its economic relationship with China while aligning with the US on certain policies, this is a difficult tightrope to balance, especially post-Brexit. Being no longer able to play the role of a political bridge between the US and Brussels, the UK could find its policy of ambiguity leading it closer to isolation.
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures during the North Sea summit in Ostend, Belgium, on 24 April 2023. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP)

EU strategic autonomy: Easier said than done

Academic Ye Shengzhou explains why French President Emmanuel Macron has been aggressively pushing for EU strategic autonomy, more so after his visit to China. But even if France puts its weight behind the concept, the path of achieving strategic autonomy is paved with obstacles.
French President Emmanuel Macron meets students at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou on 7 April 2023. (Ludovic Marin/AFP)

Chinese commentator: Macron wants to be different, but does he understand China and the world?

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.
This picture taken on 14 April 2023 shows people walking down a street at the Ximen district in Taipei, Taiwan. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Why Taiwan’s future is no longer just a dispute of sovereignty

Wei Da explains why issues such as Taiwan’s chosen civilisational path, great power competition and geostrategic rivalry are critical in the Taiwan issue. In the end, the question of the superiority and inferiority of civilisational development will determine Taiwan's future.
A local resident walks past a building destroyed by shelling, in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on 13 February 2023. (Sergey Bobok/AFP)

Is China’s peace plan without merit?

Despite China’s proposal for peace talks amid the Russia-Ukraine war, the US continues to be wary of China's intentions. Nonetheless, Russia, Ukraine and Europe have expressed support for China’s proposal to varying degrees, which signals positive progress. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan notes that eventually, peace talks will take place.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is seen ahead of the Global Fund Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York on 21 September 2022. (Ludovic Marin/AFP)

Germany and Europe a pawn of the US?

Analysing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent visit to China, former journalist Goh Choon Kang offers the view that Germany — along with much of Europe — has been “weaponised” by the US for its own aims, whether in terms of China policy or the war in Ukraine. This is a clear lesson for other countries, those in Southeast Asia included.
New British Prime Minister Liz Truss walks outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, 7 September 2022. (John Sibley/File Photo/Reuters)

UK-China policy under Liz Truss likely to align with US outlook

While the UK’s China policy would largely be business as usual with new Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss at the helm, China may be in for a tougher time where it counts as the UK finds a renewed opportunity to influence European partners to work in concert with the US against China.
A vintage doll is pictured near a damaged kindergarten following recent Russian shelling in the city of Slovyansk, Ukraine, as Russia's attack in Ukraine continues, on 2 September 2022 (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

In the China-US-Russia confrontation, it is military power that counts in the end

The Russia-Ukraine war has turned into a stage for the US and Russian militaries to flex their muscles, and so too in the case of the Taiwan Strait for the People’s Liberation Army and the US military. Against this backdrop, says political commentator Jin Jian Guo, the arms race in East Asia is quickening its pace, with Japan seeking to revise its constitution, Taiwan aiming to raise military spending next year, and North Korea holding firm to its nuclear programme. How will these developments affect geopolitics and security in the region?
A screen shows a CCTV state media news broadcast of Chinese President Xi Jinping, addressing the BRICS Business Forum via video link, at a shopping center in Beijing, China, 23 June 2022. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

China’s Global Security Initiative stoking regional tensions

China has doubled down on its alignment with Russia against the West. This has led to a proliferation of minilaterals and security partnerships aligned with the US. China's launch of its Global Security Initiative is not helping to assuage Western worries of Chinese ambitions and countries in the region are also wary. What will this mean for Southeast Asia?