Expert Comment — East Asia Programme 2026-07-09 TThe Taiwan Strait is the most dangerous flashpoint in the international system. The combination of unresolved territorial claims, military build up on both sides, and nationalist sentiment on both sides of the strait creates a volatile mix that could easily escalate into armed conflict. In October 2025, the
Expert Comment — Eurasia Programme 2026-05-18 TBefore February 2022, Russia sold approximately 150 billion cubic metres of natural gas to Europe annually at prices indexed to oil, generating over $50 billion in annual revenue. By early 2026, pipeline gas exports to Europe had fallen to near zero. The loss of the European market has forced
Expert Comment — South Asia Programme 2026-03-10 TWhen the Indian government announced the India Semiconductor Mission in 2022 with a $10 billion incentive package, the response from global chip companies was initially enthusiastic. Micron committed $2.75 billion for an assembly and test facility in Gujarat. The Tata Group partnered with Taiwan’s PSMC for a $3
Expert Comment — East Asia Programme 9 March 2026 China’s property crisis is not a financial event. It is a structural transformation that is reshaping the economic model that has driven Chinese growth for two decades. The collapse of Evergrande in late 2021 was not the beginning of the crisis but a symptom of a
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 5 February 2026 Italy has long been Europe’s most enigmatic major economy — a country with immense potential constrained by structural weaknesses, political instability and the highest public debt in the eurozone after Greece. In 2026, Italy faces a familiar set of challenges but in a new and more difficult
Italy’s Political Economy: Between Fiscal Constraints and Reform Imperatives Read More »
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 15 January 2026 France has long been the most vocal advocate of European “strategic autonomy” — the idea that Europe must develop the capacity to defend itself independent of the United States. Under President Macron, this concept has moved from a fringe aspiration to a central pillar of French and
France’s Defence Transformation: European Strategic Autonomy and the Test of Credibility Read More »
Introduction: The Ideological Heir Sanae Takaichi is not merely a high-ranking official in Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP); she is the standard-bearer for the rigorous, unapologetic conservatism formerly led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. While she currently serves as a powerful figure within the party rather than the Prime Minister, her “Takaichi Doctrine”
Beyond the Yoshida Doctrine: The Rise of Unapologetic Conservatism in Japan Read More »
Introduction: Continuity with Steel President Lai Ching-te (William Lai) assumed office during one of the most perilous moments in the history of the Taiwan Strait. His diplomatic strategy is a sophisticated evolution of his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen’s approach. However, while Tsai was viewed as a cautious academic, Lai brings the background of a fervent activist
The Pragmatic Guardian: Continuity and Innovation in Taiwan’s Struggle for Survival Read More »
