Shikha Aggarwal, Indian Express
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) approaches the centenary of its establishment, it has emerged as the most successful, albeit ideologically incoherent, experiment of the Marxist paradigm. Its internal contradictions and aspirations of global leadership mean that this communist behemoth constantly seeks domestic legitimacy as well as external endorsement of its Orwellian moorings. These two determinants of the CCP's existence are linked through a state-sponsored project... Читать дальше...
Asif Ullah Khan, The Diplomat
To the outside world, the tiny Southeastern Asian monarchy of Brunei looks like a Shangri-La. The country, with a population of less than half million, has one of the highest levels of GDP per capita in the world. The benevolent Sultan, once the richest man in the world, has ensured free education and medical care, and highly subsidized food and housing for his subjects. Most Bruneians are employed by the government, which assures them a considerable degree of economic stability. Читать дальше...
Yang Chung-hsin, Taipei Times
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrates its 100th anniversary tomorrow. Among actions aimed at expanding the celebrations, officials have compiled "80 slogans for the party's centenary" and "100 quotes from party history."
Masaya Inoue, Japan Times
The first reference to Taiwan in a joint statement in half a century shows that Tokyo is under pressure to play an active role in diplomacy.
Yeh Young-june, JoongAng Daily
Tong xin ji shou is a Chinese phrase expressing extreme sorrow and rage. The four-character phrase filled the glaring white space of the editorial page of Wen Wei Po, a pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong on May 21, 1989, following the mainland government's declaration placing Beijing under martial law after weeks of mass demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. The newsroom had foreseen a bloody massacre in the square two weeks later as martial law meant the use of military force against demonstrators. Читать дальше...
Pavel Felgenhauer, Jamestown
A shooting skirmish or a deadly collision between Russian and Western warships or aircraft in the Black Sea would almost certainly cause a serious crisis, evolving into a military confrontation, a regional armed conflict and, perhaps eventually, a global war. Such a doomsday scenario appeared to be quickly developing on June 23, 2021—but a far more prosaic reality soon emerged. Namely, the United Kingdom's destroyer HMS Defender was sailing that day from the Ukrainian port of Odesa to Georgia... Читать дальше...
Michael Collins, Irish Times
The UK alone is in no position to judge what is best for the peace process
Eoin Drea, Politico
For Dublin, Brexit was always about damage limitation. But unfortunately, the Irish government has been focused on all the wrong threats.
Aly Verjee, Lowy Interpreter
But a fast-growing economy and a Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister won't solve its problems.
Bone & Nkwain, Afr. Arg.
The recent murder of three chiefs highlights traditional leaders' role in the Anglophone crisis and suggests the conflict is far from over.
Natasha Kassam & Alex Oliver, Lowy
In an opinion piece originally published in The Australian newspaper, Lowy Institute director of public opinion and foreign policy Natasha Kassam and research director Alex Oliver describe how the pandemic, China's behaviour, and a change in US leadership have catalysed some rapid shifts in Australians' views of the world.
Keir Giles, Chatham House
HMS Defender entered the Black Sea knowing it would be an eventful visit. Between friendly port stops in Ukraine and Georgia, passing by the tense region of Russian-occupied Crimea was bound to be a serious business.
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs
On his recent trip to Europe, President Joe Biden hammered home the defining theme of his foreign policy. The U.S.-Chinese rivalry, he said, is part of a larger "contest with autocrats" over "whether democracies can compete . . . in the rapidly changing twenty-first century." It wasn't a rhetorical flourish. Biden has repeatedly argued the world has reached an "inflection point" that will determine whether this century marks another era of democratic dominance or an age of autocratic ascendancy. Читать дальше...
Kristi Raik, Internationale Politik Quarterly
The German approach to Russia, of pursuing positive interdependence and friendly engagement, is simply out of kilter with the Kremlin's perception of Russia's interests.
Abby Bard, National Interest
The collapse of North Korea has been predicted on and off since the end of the Cold War, but North Korea persists despite these predictions.
Basil Germond, The Conversation
The naval incident in the sea off the Crimean peninsula on June 23 highlights the resurgence of British sea power. Accounts of what actually happened differ. Russia's defence ministry claimed that warning shots were fired at the British destroyer HMS Defender within their territorial waters off Sevastopol. The UK Ministry of Defence denied that this happened and added that: "The Royal Navy ship is conducting innocent...
Rajan Menon, Foreign Policy
The new grouping won't give the United States any more leverage over China than it already has—and it might raise tensions in the region higher than ever.
