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

Student revolutions, characterised by large-scale protests and activism led by young people in educational settings, have been a...

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