https://www.scmp.com/rss/513500/feed Ruqiya Anwar is a PhD scholar of media and communication studies, researcher and socio-political analyst from Pakistan. She focuses on the nexus between domestic and global politics and the intersection of politics and security. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ruqiya Anwar Ruqiya Anwar While the United States and Iran exchange peace proposals in Islamabad, the Middle East remains trapped in a cycle of escalation. Ships burn in the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon absorbs strikes by Israel and the nuclear gap remains unbridgeable. Calling this moment a ceasefire might be in line with diplomatic language, but on the ground it has the familiar look of war, just repackaged. While US President Donald Trump might have negotiated some sort of ceasefire agreement, the American naval blockade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3351561/us-iran-ceasefire-cant-paper-over-fires-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3351561/us-iran-ceasefire-cant-paper-over-fires-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Imagine a world where encrypted data is no longer secure, medical advancements are accelerating and governments compete for power in an unseen realm. The race for quantum supremacy is not science fiction but rather the most critical battleground of our time. At the heart of this contest are China and the United States, which are investing billions to secure quantum supremacy. The stakes extend far beyond scientific innovation, dictating the future of national security, economic power and global... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3294055/why-us-china-quantum-race-most-critical-contest-our-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3294055/why-us-china-quantum-race-most-critical-contest-our-time?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:30:09 +0000 In the intricate realm of global geopolitics, Huawei Technologies, the world’s leading telecoms equipment manufacturer, finds itself at the centre of an escalating conflict between the US and China as they vie for global technological leadership. This protracted conflict has dragged Huawei into a complex narrative: is it a technological powerhouse devoted to global norms or, as US intelligence authorities believe, a potential conduit for espionage? Both countries employ these narratives to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247262/huawei-quandary-shows-how-tech-firms-are-vulnerable-us-china-crossfire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247262/huawei-quandary-shows-how-tech-firms-are-vulnerable-us-china-crossfire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jan 2024 07:15:17 +0000 Adapting to a changing climate is one of the world’s biggest challenges. China has made addressing the effects of climate change a priority in its Belt and Road Initiative, the multi-decade, continent-spanning policy and investment programme designed to accelerate the economic integration of countries along the ancient Silk Road trade route through increased infrastructure development. This is important as many countries along the route are climate and ecological hotspots. Extreme weather has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194119/how-china-climate-proofing-belt-and-road-starting-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194119/how-china-climate-proofing-belt-and-road-starting-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Oct 2022 01:15:10 +0000 Last week, China accused the US of being behind a cyberattack on Northwestern Polytechnical University and stealing core technical data. In March, a state-owned cybersecurity company said hackers backed by the US government had attacked China’s leading companies, research institutes and infrastructure. Beijing has demanded the US immediately cease these activities. However, the US has also accused China of stealing trade secrets and has filed criminal charges against Chinese military members. In... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192188/why-us-and-china-need-detente-cyberspace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3192188/why-us-and-china-need-detente-cyberspace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Sep 2022 16:30:21 +0000 The Taliban took control of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul in August 2021, completing a swift takeover of the country that shocked many around the world. With the withdrawal of American troops on August 30, 2021, the military and diplomatic evacuation of the United States ended. Since the final US military aircraft left Afghanistan, the country has faced an uncertain future because of the Taliban’s efforts to establish control over a country torn apart by two decades of war and whose economy has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3190824/afghanistan-needs-urgent-global-action-avert-economic-humanitarian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3190824/afghanistan-needs-urgent-global-action-avert-economic-humanitarian?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2022 19:30:19 +0000