A substantial shift in China’s foreign approach may be underway, although it is still unclear where it will lead. Within a few hours, President Xi Jinping promoted a new Minister of Defense, Dong Jun, sacked nine senior generals, and set a new path for foreign politics. Xi vowed to “seize strategic opportunities and further enhance […]
Looking at it from the outside, it is like a contest of bodies and minds. Donald Trump is big, has dyed, fake hair, and his statements are often prejudiced according to some present sensitivities and always glib. He seems to want to cheat age and reality, trying to look young and cocksure. He harks back […]
The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, even if they end soon, have set in motion dynamics from which there is no turning back. The EU and US must prepare for struggles extended in time and space. Beijing’s choices in the coming months will be crucial. A view from China is important because the tensions around […]
There is undoubtedly a personal element to this, so it is only fair to start here: I do not believe that international political issues between states can be reduced to a zero-sum game in which, as realists say, only national interests are eternal. All the rest is subject to the convenience of the moment. For […]
United States’ fabric is reaching a point of no return that resembles what happened less than 200 years ago with the Civil War. The reason for contention has changed, but its structure didn’t. The other side of the Nation is no longer a partner with whom political understandings may be negotiated but an enemy to […]
In a recent report,[1] Chinese President Xi Jinping recommended studying the influence of international law on Chinese internal and external affairs. Professor Huang Huikang presented an extensive report on the subject.[2] Xi underlined the importance of international law: «Strengthening the rule of law about foreign affairs is a top priority in responding to the challenges […]
By September, it was clear that while the much-expected Ukrainian offensive didn’t create a breakthrough, neither did the ensuing Russian counteroffensive. Neither side has a decisive advantage over the other. Lawrence Freedman argued[1] convincingly that we must think about the definition of victory for Ukraine, as Kyiv is not set on marching on Moscow. The […]
