https://www.scmp.com/rss/514882/feed Zohaib Altaf is a research officer at the Center for International Strategic Studies, Azad Jammu & Kashmir. He is working on nuclear politics and strategies, and emerging technologies. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zohaib Altaf Zohaib Altaf On July 21, reports confirmed that militant groups in Pakistan have begun using small quadcopter drones to target security forces. While this may appear to be a mere tactical shift, it reflects a deeper and more alarming transformation in South Asia’s strategic arena. The growing convergence of non-state actors, emerging technologies and external enablers is eroding traditional conflict thresholds and obscuring accountability. Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel conflicts,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320101/drone-use-signals-india-and-pakistan-need-new-norms-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3320101/drone-use-signals-india-and-pakistan-need-new-norms-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Earlier this month, a research team from China’s University of Science and Technology officially published findings on Zuchongzhi 3.0, a 105-qubit quantum computer that performed benchmark tasks one million times faster than Google’s latest published quantum computing results. Just months earlier, Google’s Willow processor had completed a problem in five minutes that would take today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years. These breakthroughs aren’t just engineering triumphs – they signal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3303736/why-major-powers-race-quantum-supremacy-inspires-awe-and-fear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3303736/why-major-powers-race-quantum-supremacy-inspires-awe-and-fear?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Incoming US President Donald Trump has vowed to repeal Joe Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence (AI), designed to balance innovation with safeguards for civil rights, privacy and ethical AI use. Trump’s promise to revoke it signals a shift towards deregulation even as it prioritises national security and economic competition. US policies to solidify its AI dominance will inevitably ripple across the Global South, which has historically struggled to access the benefits of advanced... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3293645/how-global-south-can-defend-against-trumps-ai-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3293645/how-global-south-can-defend-against-trumps-ai-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 21:30:07 +0000 The United States Department of Defence’s new commercial space integration strategy represents a transformative approach towards leveraging the commercial space sector to enhance the country’s national security. The document articulates a vision where the divide between private-sector innovation and defence needs is not just bridged but integrated. The strategy aims to incorporate commercial space solutions into the American national defence framework, ensuring the US remains at the forefront of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3258807/stronger-international-laws-outer-space-can-help-avoid-new-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3258807/stronger-international-laws-outer-space-can-help-avoid-new-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Apr 2024 17:30:18 +0000 Central Asia is becoming a battleground for competing interests once again. Nations in the region are important members of China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative, and Beijing has invested heavily in Central Asia. During last month’s UN General Assembly, meanwhile, US President Joe Biden held meetings with heads of state from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which are all members of the C5 group. These meetings have set the agenda for future relationships,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237056/battle-influence-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237056/battle-influence-central-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Oct 2023 21:30:15 +0000 India and the United States are launching a series of ambitious technological initiatives. Both countries are strengthening their partnerships in space and emerging technologies through these initiatives. Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval met in Washington to discuss quantum technology, artificial intelligence, 5G technology and semiconductors. They also developed a mechanism for joint weapon production. The Initiative on Critical and Emerging... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3209801/why-indian-militarys-embrace-ai-risks-sparking-nuclear-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3209801/why-indian-militarys-embrace-ai-risks-sparking-nuclear-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Feb 2023 01:30:16 +0000