Ruairidh Brown
The US capture and extraction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026 was an act without precedent. But Ruairidh Brown argues that recent events in Caracas were only the second Act in an unfolding post-exceptionalist world order Read more
Mariam Mumladze
From F-35 jets to Tesla batteries, Washington’s reliance on rare earth elements (REEs) runs deep. China, which refines more than 99% of the world’s heavy REEs and supplies 70% of US imports, has repeatedly played this ace in times of tension. Yet, writes Mariam Mumladze, deep interdependence and limited alternatives complicate the standoff Read more
Mariam Mumladze
China and Russia march in unison on the global stage. Behind the choreography, however, lies a partnership of limits and unequal leverage. United in criticising Washington and trading weapons, the two countries diverge sharply on nuclear doctrine. Mariam Mumladze shows how shared opposition to the West conceals deeper strategic differences, exposing the limits of their so-called 'no-limits' partnership Read more
Ruairidh Brown
The view that DeepSeek is a tool of Chinese censorship is, Ruairidh Brown argues, mistaken. The AI is not censoring but self-censoring, a crucial distinction for understanding its role in shaping political norms Read more
Stefan Messingschlager
Western governments have armies of Mandarin speakers and AI translators, yet they keep misreading Beijing. What’s missing, as Stefan Messingschlager argues, is independent, context-rich expertise – people able to decode China’s history-laden signals and puncture bureaucratic groupthink. This kind of knowledge is strategic insurance every democracy needs before the next crisis hits Read more
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