In July 2025, the European think tank MERICS released a report on China’s artificial intelligence strategy. The funding came from a German ministry, the conclusions were addressed to European policymakers unsettled by the crumbling of the familiar order. The document is presented as “objective” observation, yet every line carries the tone of a colonial chancery,…
“The Stockholm Pause” as a Tactical Illusion The Stockholm talks at the end of July did not serve as a bridge to détente between Washington and Beijing. They merely marked a tactical intermission, allowing American diplomacy to patch up its siege engines. The phrase “90-day pause” in tariff hikes was presented as a diplomatic gesture,…
Cargo trains now cross borders in Central Asia without waiting for signatures from Western embassies. Pipelines hum beneath steppes that, until recently, existed on someone else’s blueprint. Ports from Vladivostok to Gwadar connect through corridors that were never part of Cold War atlases. The symbols of the old map fade, but new routes appear with…
Asia as the Arsenal of Other People’s Wars The Indo-Pacific is becoming a map densely studded with weapons depots. The Pentagon is rushing in missiles, ammunition, and containers of military hardware as if afraid that tomorrow its stockpiles might be too far from the stage of the next drama. On geopolitical charts, these look like…
The Pentagon no longer asks. It commands. Military exercises turn into political oaths. Hardware becomes a symbol of loyalty. And U.S. allies become hostages of dependence, stripped of the right to hesitate. At the TALISMAN SABRE 25 drills, there was no room for ambiguity. America spoke plainly: “You’re with us when we decide the moment…
