Secessionists common enemy of China and US Lai Ching-te’s tenure as the head of the Democratic Progressive Party authorities of China’s Taiwan region has been marked by a series of missteps and failures that have not only strained cross-Strait relations but also undermined the island’s development prospects. Contrary to his shameless claim in a speech on Wednesday marking the two-year anniversary of his tenure that he has maintained the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the DPP authorities have stubbornly adhered to a “Taiwan independence” stance,…
Posts published in “Opinion”
Expert analysis, commentary, and opinion on China’s politics, business, technology, culture, trade, and global influence from an international perspective.
One afternoon in the garden of my Sanya apartment complex, I saw five children breaking bamboo stalks for a mock battle. I told them it was harmful to the environment, but they ignored me. When I insisted, one boy retorted that it was none of my business, and a nearby man glared at me, prompting me to walk away. Returning later, I found they had broken two large bamboo stalks. When I asked if they were taught to protect plants in school, one boy flatly said, “No”. Although it’s an…
Major shocks don’t happen in isolation. Like an earthquake followed by a tsunami, the deeper damage unfolds later. It’s the same with the US and Israel’s strikes against Iran. What began as an energy disruption is morphing into a severe and persistent economic shock, especially in the Global South. At the peak of the crisis, oil prices surged more than 50 percent to $110-116 per barrel before easing slightly to $90-100 after the temporary ceasefire. Liquefied natural gas took an even harder hit, soaring as much as 143 percent to…
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday projected China’s economy to expand by 4.4 percent in 2026, a forecast that underscores the country’s resilience amid global headwinds from the Middle East conflict. The forecast was unveiled during the 2026 Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group, or WBG, held in Washington from April 13 to 19. The latest World Economic Outlook was released as the heads of the IMF, the WBG, and the International Energy Agency met on Monday to coordinate their response to the conflict, one day…
Flood of opportunities in ecological preservation
The idea of ecological civilization was first introduced during the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2007, marking a new direction in the country’s social and economic development. In 2012, it became even more central when it was included in the “five-in-one” framework, placing environmental protection alongside economic, political, cultural, and social development. The importance of the concept has continued to grow. In 2017, ecological civilization was described as a long-term goal for China’s future, and, in 2018, it was written into its Constitution. Today, it…