The war below

Whoever controls the production and processing of lithium, copper and other critical minerals could dominate the 21st century economy, much as producers of fossil fuels defined the 20th century.

Economic warfare

A new book envisions the world economy splitting into two blocs, led by the US and China or descending into autarky as business reverts to investing at home in response to Trump’s tariffs.

A memoir of freedom

Cheng Lei’s “A Memoir of Freedom” details her harrowing detention of more than three years by the Chinese Communist Party and offers a first hand account of the bullying and brutality of its tyrannical regime.

The age of revolutions

Fareed Zakaria’s new book explores how periods of rapid economic and technological change often unleash cultural anxiety and political backlash.

Saving the technological republic

A new book explains how the USA outsourced its productive economy to communist China to maximise profits by reducing costs, but is now reaping the whirlwind as China uses that power to challenge US technological dominance, having long since surpassed its manufacturing capacity, while Silicon Valley amuses itself with AI slop and social media apps.

Waste land

Robert Kaplan’s new book Waste Land explores the world’s current state of ‘permacrisis’ in which a deadly mix of authoritarianism, war, climate change, great power rivalry, rapid technological advancement and countless other dangers cast an ever darkening pall.

Tales of Taiwan

Taiwan has evolved from its autocratic origins to rank as the most democratic nation in Asia, as well as the most economically dynamic, but these attributes have increased China’s determination to crush the former and absorb the latter, the same motivations as Russia’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine.

Enter the dragon

Kevin Rudd’s new book, “On Xi Jinping,” offers insightful analysis of the transformation of Chinese politics, economics, and foreign policy under Xi Jinping’s leadership, highlighting the renewed role of ideology in shaping policy.

Who will defend Europe?

Keir Giles’ “Who Will Defend Europe?” is a well-written and insightful examination of Europe’s parlous security situation, threatened by Putin’s aggression to the East and Trump’s ill-considered isolationism from the West.

Ukraine belongs in NATO

Apologists for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine point to Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO as justification, but this argument is as fallacious as Putin’s war is brutal.

Taiwan lives

Niki Alsford’s recent book, “Taiwan Lives,” explores how the Taiwanese people have created one of the world’s most high-tech economies, a successful and vibrant democracy, and a distinctive cultural identity.

The political thought of Xi Jinping

Like Vladimir Putin in Russia, Xi Jinping has established himself as China’s absolute dictator but his policies of internal repression and external aggression are motivated by ideology as well as personal power and nationalism.