Other News

By Khedroob Thondup
When historians weigh the legacies of China’s rulers, Mao Zedong inevitably looms as the architect of both revolutionary triumph and catastrophic suffering. Yet in the decades after Mao, China’s leadership sought to avoid repeating his excesses by building collective governance, term limits, and a cautious balance of power. Xi Jinping has not only dismantled those safeguards — he has introduced new instruments of authoritarianism that make him arguably the worst Chinese leader since Mao. His so‑called Unity Law crystallises this regression, revealing the racial chauvinism and political absolutism at the heart of his rule.

By Khedroob Thondup

Introduction. India’s relationship with China is one of the most consequential in Asia, shaping the future of regional security, trade, and diplomacy. Yet trust between the two nations has remained elusive. From the 1962 war to the Galwan clashes of 2020, China has consistently undermined India’s sovereignty and security. This brief argues that India cannot trust China, not because of paranoia, but because of a demonstrable pattern of aggression, expansionism, and disregard for agreements.

By Khedroob Thondup
Taiwan’s democracy is noisy, divided, and often bruising. The two dominant parties—the KMT, which emphasises engagement with Beijing, and the DPP, which champions sovereignty and independence—represent starkly different visions of the island’s future. Yet despite this polarisation, elections work. Democracy survives. And in that survival lies Taiwan’s greatest strength.

By Khedroob Thondup
At the Seoul Defense Dialogue this Tuesday, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro delivered a moment that will echo across Asia’s contested waters. Asked about gray-zone coercion, Teodoro did not retreat into diplomatic platitudes. Instead, he reached for a note handed to him by the Chinese delegation — a note that baldly declared the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award “illegal, null and void.”

By Khedroob Thondup

When President Donald Trump meets Xi Jinping, the United States should prioritise environmental security in Tibet over human rights advocacy. Tibet’s ecological fragility directly impacts Asia’s water systems, regional stability, and global climate resilience. Framing Tibet as an environmental issue allows Washington to engage Beijing on shared interests, avoid predictable sovereignty disputes, and build coalitions with India and Southeast Asia around water security.

By Khedroob Thondup

The Qinghai–Lhasa Railway, celebrated as a symbol of China’s engineering prowess and political integration of Tibet, faces mounting risks as permafrost thaw accelerates under global warming. Built across fragile frozen ground, the railway is now sinking and destabilising, threatening infrastructure integrity, regional connectivity, and environmental security. This brief outlines the scientific basis of the problem, its geopolitical implications, and policy recommendations for international engagement.

By Khedroob Thondup
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek this week offered a revealing glimpse into Beijing’s delicate diplomatic choreography. On paper, the ten-country bloc stood united in condemning “military strikes” against fellow member Iran. Yet Xi Jinping’s decision to avoid a formal bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian underscored the careful tightrope China is walking: supporting Iran enough to preserve strategic ties, but not so visibly as to alienate Washington or Gulf partners.