Maxime Marquette
MadMax is an independent bilingual news outlet based in Québec, publishing analysis on geopolitics, technology, democracy, and culture.
Our mission: rigorous, source-cited analysis carried out with full editorial independence — no sponsorship, no party line.
Our editorial standards: sources are cited inline, corrections are fixed and logged publicly, and any use of artificial intelligence is disclosed.
“Burn rather than rot. Write rather than stay silent.”
Fire first. Sentences after. No lukewarm takes.
Always answer the strongest version of the opposing point. No strawmen.
No commissioned pieces. No editorial masters. No compromise.
Columns by Maxime Marquette
4,540 columns published
PORTRAIT: Starved of Silicon, China Builds Its Own Supply Chain
China added ten American companies to its export control list on June 22, 2026, according to Modern Diplomacy on July 12, 2026, a retaliatory…
COMMENTARY: The US MATCH Act Takes Aim at China's Chipmaking Machines
The United States proposed the MATCH Act to restrict exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, according to Reuters on April 3, 2026, legislation…
COLUMN: Balikatan 2026, Japan Steps to the Front Line Since 1945
The Balikatan 2026 exercise mobilized 17,000 troops from seven countries, according to Asialink, including Japan's first combat deployment since 1945, a historic marker that…
EDITORIAL: Scarborough, Ten Years On, the Tensions Refuse to Fade
Ten years after the 2016 international arbitration ruling that rejected Chinese claims at Scarborough Shoal, Philippine fishermen report being driven away from waters the…
INVESTIGATION: Manila Sanctioned, Beijing Bars a Philippine Minister
China barred Philippine defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro from entry, according to Al Jazeera on June 11, 2026, a diplomatic escalation that arrives a full…
REPORT: China's Coast Guard Opens a New Front East of Taiwan
China announced new coast guard patrols along Taiwan's east coast, according to the New York Times on July 5, 2026, a development that reshapes…
DECODING: Taiwan Strait Incursions Fall, But the Real Story Is Elsewhere
The average daily rate of Chinese air incursions into the Taiwan Strait fell by half compared with 2025, according to the Straits Times on…
ANALYSIS: China's Military Budget Growth Slows, Yet Crosses a New Threshold
China's 2026 defense budget has been set at roughly 282 billion dollars, according to Reuters on March 10, 2026, a rise of 6.9% that…
COLUMN: The 5% of GDP Goal, a Number That Says a Lot About Our Priorities
Nine years. That is the gap between the collective 5% of GDP defense spending goal confirmed at the Ankara summit for 2035, and the…