Our Blog

25
Mar

The Flight from (Over-)Regulation to and From China?

Time and time again, public discourse ends up being dominated by headlines revolving around government intervention, more specifically what is expected by the government when it comes to a wide range of public interest topics. For example: What should governments do to tackle global warming? What should governments do to tackle inequality? What should governments

24
Mar

Can China Represent an Alternative to Excessive Western Regulation?

As shocking as the concept may seem, China can indeed end up representing a better jurisdiction from a regulatory perspective in quite a few cases but right off the bat, we want to make it clear this doesn’t mean it can be considered a perfect one, not by a long shot. Instead, we would like

23
Mar

(Why) Is China a Peaceful Soft Power?

An alternative title for this article could have also been “Is China (still) a peaceful soft power?” or “Why is China (still) a peaceful soft power?” for those who are more convinced, because the key to understanding the message we are trying to get across revolves around realizing that despite China’s impressive GDP, it is

22
Mar

China’s Persian Gulf Interests or Why China Wants (Needs?) Peace

China wants peace in the Persian Gulf. It does sound like a rather amusing statement in light of the fact that, especially when it comes to the Donald Trump administration, China tends to be portrayed as the #1 adversary of the West, of human rights, of freedom or yes, even ultimately peace. While it is

21
Mar

China in the Context of a US-Iran-Centered Global Military Conflict

The assassination of Quassem Soleimani represents yet another piece in a (complex but coherent once you make sense of it) regional puzzle and the more pieces are added, the more we realize that a picture of a conflict between the US and Iran is being painted, with the many ramifications this brings about when other

20
Mar

China’s Interest(s) in the Strait of Hormuz from a 2020 US-Iran Conflict Perspective

It should come as no surprise that our readers are seeking clarity when it comes to many Iran-related aspects in light of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani and its consequences, with questions on their mind such as: How is Iran likely to retaliate? Will this retaliation be a calculated, tactical one, or something asymmetrical? How

19
Mar

China’s Relationship with Afghanistan, Iraq and Other Volatile Nations in the Context of US-Iran Tensions

This much is certain: after 9/11, the United States has embarked on a very aggressive geopolitical journey, one with a remarkably high price tag attached to it, a price which did result in geopolitical benefits but… well, highly volatile ones. For the most part, these benefits revolve around the dominance of the petrodollar or, to

18
Mar

The Chinese Implications of Qasem Soleimani’s Death: Geopolitical Black Swan Event?

On more than one occasion here at ChinaFund.com, we have made it clear that while let’s call it linear (economic) threat analysis certainly has its merits and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with looking at the most obvious threats, black swan events deserve our attention as well and Qasem Soleimani’s death is an example

17
Mar

The United States – Iran (Economic and Military) Conflict from the Perspective of China

Please note that that this article refers strictly to the recent US – Iran conflict, a conflict which followed the assassination of Quasem Soleimani. Before getting started, it would be recommended to familiarize yourself with the economic relationship between the China and the United States on the one hand (covered through a dedicated ChinaFund article

16
Mar

China and Iran: From Silk Road Partners to Modern-Day Geopolitical Considerations

Normally, this post would have been scheduled for later this year (most likely toward the end of 2020) but for obvious reasons, Iran is in the spotlight and as such, it makes sense to put the economic (and otherwise) relationships between China and Iran under the microscope sooner rather than later. Right off the bat,