These days it is easy to fall into a bad – or even a hopeless – mood. One just has to open a newspaper to be immediately reminded of the desperate state our world is in. Michail Schwanetzkij, a Russian satirist, famously coined the phrase “Crisis is our normal state”,
Tag: China
The Battle of the Grandmasters
Whilst reading a newspaper, one will often stumble upon catchy headlines such as “What Is the End Game of US-China Competition?” (The Diplomat), “Russian lawmaker on US-China power game: Don’t play us ‘as a card’” (Nikkei Asia) or “Erdogan’s great game: The Turkish problem on the EU’s doorstep” (The Financial
Vaccine Diplomacy Clouds Over Southeast Asia
On January 20th, Thailand’s government filed criminal charges against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a 42-year old politician, for alleged violations of a draconian lèse-majesté law which protects the monarchy from insult or defamation. The offense carries harsh penalties of up to 15 years in prison. What, then, did Mr. Thanathorn do to prompt such heavy-handed
A Vision for the World with Chinese Characteristics
When Xi Jinping, leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), began to speak of ‘the China dream’ in 2013, many were unsure as to what exactly this dream encompassed. Some understood it to be anything that comes to mind. Studying hard, working hard, doing something good for the country. The
Death and Moving On: Dictating the Afterlife
Everybody will die at some point. Some people die young and others manage to live through a whole century. Some people die naturally, and others have their lives taken by force. The essence is, and I think all of you will agree, that our days are counted and that sooner
The Umbrella Revolution
About some revolutions we are informed quite well, others I have rarely heard about. The French Revolution was perceived a theme every year at school. The spirit of civil disobedience seems to still be with the French, but yellow is not only the signal colour of the current Gilets Jaunes
China and all things ungood
China has taken a step beyond social media.
Falun Gong: No End in Sight
Followers of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement, have been persecuted by the Chinese government ever since a large-scale crackdown in 1999, yet there is seemingly neither an end to the persecution nor to the resources of the movement.