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
Peter Chai
In China do age, education, income, and urbanisation relate to attitudes to environmental protection? To find out, Peter Chai analyses survey data gathered from people on the mainland, between 2005 and 2022. Surprisingly, he finds no clear relationships between socio-demographic variables and concern about the environment Read more
James F. Downes
Political parties frame the UK’s British National (Overseas) visa scheme as historical humanitarian responsibility towards Hong Kong in the context of UK-China relations. But is that really the case? James F. Downes and Kenneth Lai analysed parliamentary speeches from 2019 to 2023. Their findings suggest the UK government uses BNO visas as a geopolitical tool Read more
Jonathan Roll
International Relations theory would predict strong opposition from China and Russia to Israel’s assault on Iranian military and nuclear sites. In practice, says Jonathan Roll, other considerations got in the way, and the role of both powers has been minimal. This suggests US influence may be more durable than expected Read more
Lakshmy Ramakrishnan
Global health diplomacy, once a cornerstone of soft power and international cooperation, stands at a crossroads. Recent upheavals – such as the US retreat from the World Health Organization – are challenging its role. Amid geopolitical tensions and biological threats, Lakshmy Ramakrishnan explores why global health diplomacy remains indispensable, and how rising powers like China and India can reshape the landscape Read more
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