East Asia

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 […]

China

The Current Iran War will Likely end Soon, but the Arms Race will Heat Up

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Al Jazeera bureau chief in Tehran, Abdul Qader Fayez, reports from “informed sources” in Tehran that Iran’s clerical Leader, Ali Khamenei, and his National Security Council have still not decided how to respond to the US attack on Iranian civilian nuclear facilities, though they want the response to be […]

China

Trump’s Middle East Pivot aims to counter China’s rising Influence

The Conversation

By Maria Papageorgiou, Newcastle University (The Conversation) – The US president, Donald Trump, claimed he was able to secure deals totalling more than US$2 trillion (£1.5 trillion) for the US on his tour of the Gulf states in May. Trump said “there has never been anything like” the amount of jobs and money these agreements […]

China

Ukraine, Gaza, Iran and Trump: Is the World on the Brink of a Major Disaster?

Farhang Jahanpour

Oxford (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The reports of the past few days are extremely worrying. The acrimonious and open split between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk will have major repercussions for US politics and for the rest of Trump’s presidential term. Consequently, it will also have a negative impact on international politics, […]

China

China, the ASEAN Nations of S.E. Asia, and the Gulf take up Palestine at Summit

Middle East Monitor

( Middle East Monitor ) – At the 2025 ASEAN-GCC-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur, leaders from Asia and the Arab world gathered under the glow of diplomatic language and cautious optimism. The joint statement from the summit acknowledged key developments — including the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion deeming Israel’s occupation unlawful, and praised […]

China

China’s Power Sector Emissions fall 5.8% in Q1, as Renewables rapidly Replace Coal

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Lauri Myllyvirta writes at Carbon Brief that China’s CO2 emissions over-all fell by 1% in the past 12 months, and by 1.6% in the first quarter of this year compared to Q1 of 2024. In the first quarter of this year, moreover, power sector emissions fell a dramatic 5.8 percent. […]

China

Even as it Strikes Deals with Trump, the Gulf Embraces Chinese Tech Giants

Neil Thompson

Chinese technology firms are increasingly competing with US ones in major Middle Eastern markets, escalating technology-related US national security concerns. London (Special to Informed Comment; feature) – Chinese technology companies are poised to play a growing role in the Middle East’s digitalization process, amid expanding ties between Chinese entities and local regional partners. Firms including […]

China

China Displaces the U.S. as Global Leader in Research, with 9 of top 10 Institutions

Foreign Policy in Focus

Nine of the world’s top 10 research institutions are now Chinese. By Imran Khalid ( Foreign Policy in Focus) – In the last decade, a profound shift has taken place in global academia that has fundamentally altered the hierarchy of scientific research. China, once considered a peripheral player in cutting-edge science, has now ascended to […]

China

Can Trump’s Plan to Target China for its Oil Imports from Iran Succeed?

Neil Thompson

London (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has reinstated the maximum pressure campaign of his first administration on Iran. Trump wants to push Iran into ending its nuclear programme, and the White House has tried to severely curtail Iran’s oil exports as way of putting […]