scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Sunday, April 12, 2026
HomeOpinionEye On China

Eye On China

Chinese analysts say military expansion is necessary—and it’s about deterrence, not hegemony

By portraying growth as somewhat defensive, Chinese commentary downplays how a defence budget of 1.91 trillion yuan may influence global strategic calculations.

How China sees Iran’s post-Khamenei trajectory. It depends on four factors

Chinese discourse places particular emphasis on the role of the US, evaluating both the strategic feasibility of deeper American involvement and the broader geopolitical consequences.

Beijing’s losing patience with Pakistan. Attacks on Chinese nationals raising CPEC stakes

A rare, stern voice in China warned Pakistan that while China-Pakistan relations run deep, they are not one-sided or endlessly tolerant.

How China sees Delhi AI Summit—India’s attempt at visibility, not a breakthrough

India is not yet seen by China as a peer competitor, but rather as an emerging variable in the US–China AI equation.

A secret nuclear test by China? It’s a Hollywood-style conspiracy, Chinese say

The core question, Chinese analysts argue, is not whether a test had occurred, but why the US is reviving a six-year-old allegation now.

China’s manufacturing isn’t declining, it is moving from scale to value creation

Within Chinese discourse, manufacturing is portrayed as facing real but manageable challenges.

Xi’s military purges are less about China’s strategic goals, more about party control

Xi Jinping appears to be executing a modern version of Mao Zedong’s dictum of “cleaning the house before inviting guests”.

China is using Op Sindoor as an advertisement for its fighter jets

A commentator attributed the supposed surge in demand for Chinese arms to three factors: Pakistan’s self-declared May 2025 victory, rising geopolitical uncertainty, and China’s price advantage.

Chinese commentary on Iran protests — serious but not regime-threatening

The views of analysts reflect a wider Chinese tendency to emphasise regime resilience and caution against overstating the impact of what they are calling as ‘street mobilisation’.

‘Curbing China and Russia’s influence’—how the Chinese view the US invasion of Venezuela

China’s long-standing loans and investments, usually repaid through oil exports and settled in RMB, are now at risk, while US control threatens Beijing’s influence in Latin America.

On Camera

Congress was committed to alcohol ban law without being practical: MA Venkata Rao

Since the bulk of citizens did not regard drinking as a crime, they had no respect for the prohibition laws and did not cooperate with the police, wrote MV Venkata Rao in 1962.

Fuel shock hits Asia’s rice bowl as farmers cut planting

War-driven surge in fuel and fertilizer costs forces farmers across Southeast Asia to delay harvests, scale back sowing and risk lower output.

Iran’s Shahed vs US’s LUCAS—The drone arithmetic reshaping the West Asia war

From Kyiv to the Gulf, Iran’s Shahed rewrote the rules of aerial warfare. Now, the US has its own copy of the cheap drones, LUCAS.

The world’s in a flux. India must reform, consolidate & build a strong economy

We now live in a world order that will keep shifting. India must use this window. This also means we remain disciplined enough not to be knee-jerked into reacting to what Pakistan sees as its moment in the sun.