East Asia

( Tomdispatch.com ) – That was President Trump’s blunt assessment of global power politics when it came to the United States and Russia following his inconclusive “summit” meeting with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15th. Of all his comments about the meeting, that numerical assessment — made during a post-summit interview with Sean […]

China

Iran Seeks China’s help to Install 7 gigs of new Solar Capacity in “4th Industrial Revolution”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – With the prospect of new Iranian nuclear power plants looking dim after Israeli and American bombing of its civilian nuclear enrichment sites, and with a need to export its fossil gas rather than consuming it domestically, the Tehran leadership is at last turning to renewables for electricity generation. President Masoud […]

Asia

While Trump Fiddles, China declares Eurasia Open for Business at At Shanghai Cooperation Org. Summit

Neil Thompson

Beijing raised its profile at the annual Shanghai Cooperation Council summit of non-Western countries just by providing a forum. London (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – China hosted the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) last week at its port of Tianjin, drawing a crowd of world leaders from 20 non-Western countries. The […]

China

The Shanghai Cooperation Org. Summit and the Middle East in a Multipolar World

Middle East Monitor

By ‏Peiman Salehi | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – The recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Beijing was accompanied by a striking military parade and a series of ambitious economic proposals. Much of the global commentary presented the event as further evidence of a transition from US dominance to a new Chinese […]

China

Under the Sea: China’s Digital Silk Road and the Middle East

Neil Thompson

London (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – China-US geopolitical rivalries have manifested in many arenas from esoteric ones like export controls over semiconductor chips, to high profile trade wars and confrontations over Taiwan. The outcome of the two sides’ efforts to entrench their control over the physical infrastructure that underlies the digital world of the […]

China

Trump to Xi: ‘Hold our Beer’ – EVs majority of Chinese New Car Sales, as Exports rocket 74%

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Car News China reports that in the first half of 2025, consumers in that country bought 10,891,000 passenger vehicles. But here’s the catch. They bought 5,458,000 EVs and 5,433,000 gasoline cars. Look carefully at those numbers. They bought more EVs than internal combustion engine cars. To be precise, 50.1% of […]

China

Trump never saw a Wind Farm in China, but Beijing has half of all Installed Wind Capacity and will Eat America’s Lunch in this Industry

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The dufus-in-chief perorated on Friday once again on wind power, complaining that the components are made in China but that “I have never seen a wind farm in China. Why is that? Somebody check that out.” His just-passed tax bill eliminates federal incentives for the industry, ensuring a vast slow-down […]

China

Why China’s Inaction on Palestine and Iran Weakens its Global Standing

Hamdullah Baycar

Karadeniz, Turkiye (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – If China wants to rival the United States, it must stop watching and start acting. Beijing wants the world to believe that a new multipolar is possible, one in which U.S. dominance is giving way to a more balanced international order. However, if China truly wishes to […]

China

America’s worsening Solar Gap with China, which installs 100 Panels per Second

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – According to Asia Society Policy Institute Senior Fellow Lauri Myllyvirta, China installed 93 gigawatts of solar in May, along with 27 gigawatts of wind. She points out that this is equivalent to 100 solar panels being put in every second. China has passed the 1 terrawatt milestone for installed solar […]