https://www.scmp.com/rss/317614/feed Kent Harrington, a former senior CIA analyst, served as national intelligence officer for East Asia, chief of station in Asia, and the CIA’s director of public affairs. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com With vaccinations raising hopes for an end to the pandemic, predictions about the post-Covid-19 world are multiplying fast. From envisioning a reordered economy to forecasting how people will live, work and play, experts are doing their best to extrapolate from developments the coronavirus has put into motion. In the United States, most forecasters are fixated on the likelihood of higher US economic growth following mass vaccination and a new US$1.9 trillion recovery package. Fortunately,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127114/upbeat-post-pandemic-forecasts-mask-real-dangers-political-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127114/upbeat-post-pandemic-forecasts-mask-real-dangers-political-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Mar 2021 17:30:14 +0000 Ever since the reports of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, European officials have been on the lookout for similar attacks. But Europeans aren’t the only ones paying attention. So, too, are China’s leaders, who are considering what they might learn from the Kremlin’s successes. For President Xi Jinping, maintaining domestic stability is a top priority, a point underscored by China’s annual budget for internal security. At well over US$100 billion, the official number is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/2132222/how-russian-cyber-meddling-can-inspire-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/2132222/how-russian-cyber-meddling-can-inspire-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2018 09:30:30 +0000 With preparations for President Xi Jinping's September visit to Washington, DC, under way, officials in both countries are predictably playing down their differences over China's outsized territorial claims in the South China Sea, backed by the construction of military facilities on previously uninhabited islands and atolls. And this diplomatic de-escalation, after months of veiled threats and recriminations, suits Southeast Asian leaders just fine. Of course, no one in Southeast Asia is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1847021/chinas-confidence-asean-economies-turns-out-be-winning-bet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1847021/chinas-confidence-asean-economies-turns-out-be-winning-bet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2015 06:08:38 +0000 In the past few months, North Korea has again displayed remarkable temerity. First, the regime threatened to conduct more nuclear tests if the UN does not withdraw its recommendation to prosecute the country's leaders for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Moreover, US officials claim that the regime mounted a clandestine cyberattack on Sony Pictures, allegedly over objections to The Interview, a slapstick movie premised on an assassination attempt against North... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1688448/if-kim-regime-falls-north-korea-who-will-pick-pieces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1688448/if-kim-regime-falls-north-korea-who-will-pick-pieces?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:28:11 +0000