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COMMENTARY: Taiwan Strait, the questions few outlets are asking
Since the start of 2026, a quiet number has been circulating in specialized analyses of the Taiwan Strait: an average of five Chinese fighter…
EDITORIAL: China's budget slowdown, what the numbers actually confirm
Beware of numbers that reassure too quickly. The 6.9% increase in China's 2026 defense budget, the weakest since 2021 according to Reuters, has been…
COMMENTARY: The American MATCH Act targets China's chipmaking machines, a cold read a month later
On April 3, 2026, Reuters reported that the United States proposed the MATCH Act to restrict exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China.
EDITORIAL: Scarborough in five numbers
Some territorial disputes are told better through their numbers than through their speeches. Scarborough Shoal, disputed between China and the Philippines for more than…
COMMENTARY: 282 billion dollars, what China's military budget reveals
One number, two readings. China's defense budget for 2026 reaches 1.94 trillion yuan, or roughly 282 billion dollars, according to Reuters, in a March…
EDITORIAL: Xi Jinping shifts tactics on Taiwan, a strategic reading
Fewer jets, more calculated silence. The daily average of Chinese air incursions into the Taiwan Strait has fallen by half compared to 2025, according…
COMMENTARY: Taiwan Strait, one week later — the tally
On average, five Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait daily through May 2026, according to the Straits Times of June…
EDITORIAL: China's budget slowdown — economic prudence or strategic reorientation
China set its 2026 defense budget at 1.94 trillion yuan, roughly 282 billion US dollars, according to Reuters. This figure, imposing on its face,…
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…