https://www.scmp.com/rss/502894/feed Dr Jon Yuan Jiang is an analyst who holds a PhD in media and communication from Queensland University of Technology, a master’s in political economy from MGIMO University in Moscow, and a bachelor’s in law from Shanghai University. Fluent in Chinese, English and Russian, he specialises in the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s relations with the world, and global political narratives. He is the author of The Belt and Road Initiative and Australian Mainstream Media, and has published widely in... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jon Yuan Jiang Jon Yuan Jiang When countries committed to supporting Ukraine met in Paris earlier this month to discuss Ukraine’s post-war security, Russia answered with fire. Just days after the summit, Moscow launched a strike that killed civilians and plunged Kyiv into darkness and cold, while also firing its nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile towards Ukraine’s Lviv region, attacks widely seen as intimidation rather than a battlefield necessity. The world wants peace. So why does Russia keep firing? Moscow is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3339359/why-russia-gambling-protracted-war-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3339359/why-russia-gambling-protracted-war-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:30:14 +0000 When five Chinese citizens were unfairly treated at the Russian border late last month, the Chinese embassy in Russia took the unusual step of publicly lashing out at Moscow. China-Russia relations are no longer what they were a few years ago. The shift in the Sino-Russian relationship after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s clumsy aggression against Ukraine has made Beijing more willing to give voice to its displeasure, echoing the Chinese people’s outrage against Russia’s treatment of their... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231078/chinese-citizens-mistreatment-reminder-sino-russian-ties-arent-all-wine-and-roses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231078/chinese-citizens-mistreatment-reminder-sino-russian-ties-arent-all-wine-and-roses?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2023 19:30:13 +0000 There are at least two things the Russians and the Chinese didn’t expect with the war in Ukraine. The Russian army, once a globally respected military force, has been bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine and is looking more like a paper bear. Also, the anticipated split in the West didn’t materialise. On the contrary, whether on the political left or right, the Europeans and the Americans have never been as united since World War II. However, one thing the Russians and the Chinese can be sure... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3172925/why-beijing-should-be-wary-having-weakened-china-dependent-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3172925/why-beijing-should-be-wary-having-weakened-china-dependent-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2022 14:00:17 +0000 For the longest time, Australia refused to choose between China, its largest trade partner, and the United States, its strongest security ally. But with Sino-Australian diplomatic relations strained, Australia has revealed a change of strategy in choosing to defend its national security by aligning with the US. However, does Australia’s security-centred rhetoric really serve its national interest? Defence hawks see themselves on the moral high ground, protecting Australian values and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3096191/unlike-us-australia-cannot-afford-decouple-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3096191/unlike-us-australia-cannot-afford-decouple-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2020 21:15:06 +0000 The Hong Kong protests have lasted for six months now. There are various ways to interpret the protests, depending on one’s position. Some scholars argue that this is an ideological battle between democracy and authoritarianism, while others believe that, owing to the distinct identity of Hongkongers, the protests have evolved into a call for separatism and a pushback on Beijing’s grandest task: unification of China. While there is something to be said for both views, it seems a more profound... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3040960/western-democracy-and-chinese-model-have-one-thing-common-both-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3040960/western-democracy-and-chinese-model-have-one-thing-common-both-are?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Dec 2019 04:00:11 +0000 Since the Victorian state government in Australia released news of the signing of a second memorandum of understanding on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, state premier Daniel Andrews has been criticised for not aligning with Canberra and neglecting the potential strategic and security risks the belt and road plan may bring. Michael Shoebridge, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, clarified the Victorian government’s decision by highlighting how “the federal government’s areas of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039103/what-china-has-common-australia-taiwan-and-us-local-and-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039103/what-china-has-common-australia-taiwan-and-us-local-and-national?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2019 03:00:13 +0000