On April 23, 2026, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) commemorated the 77th founding anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), celebrating nearly eight decades of technological innovation and strategic reach that have defined its naval history since 1949. In the late 1970s, Deng Xiaoping’s reforms transformed China’s coast into an export- driven economic engine, making maritime security vital for national survival. Illustration by The Geostrata Following the

China’s revival of its Mao-era “Third Front” strategy represents one of the most consequential shifts in contemporary geopolitics. Originally conceptualised by Mao Zedong in 1964, the Third Front aimed to relocate critical defence industries deep into China’s mountainous interior, particularly in provinces such as Sichuan, Gansu, and Ningxia, to shield them from external attack. Over 15 million people were mobilised to build secret factories in remote terrains, forming what w

Jimmy Lai, the newspaper tycoon of Hong Kong, has been found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. This has once again brought the complex and contentious legal and political system of Hong Kong into the forefront. The fact that Lai was granted bail in the early stages of his trial, when the Hong Kong court granted him temporary bail, was seen as a display of the autonomy of the legal system in Hong Kong despite the political pressure from mainland China. Illustration

Why did China, which has achieved great profitable growth, not open up its society? The U.S. regularised trade relations with China in...

Since the 1950s, the South China Sea has been an extremely political and volatile source of conflict in maritime security. Occasionally,...

What's common between Qing Emperor Yongzheng (1722-35) and President Jiang-Hu (1990-2010)? Their reigns were bookended by two great...

In his impactful address during the concluding session of the meeting in 2012, newly-elected Chinese President Xi Jinping provided a...