Drum Tower The Economist

The Philippines could be the next big flashpoint in the South China Sea, the world’s most contested waters. China claims nearly the entire sea as its territory, asserting rights over waters and islands that South-East Asian countries consider their own. While most neighbouring countries avoid confronting China, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, the Philippines' president, is taking a stand.

David Rennie, The Economist's Beijing bureau chief, and Sue-Lin Wong, our South-East Asia correspondent, ask: what is China up to in the South China Sea? And can the Philippines do anything about it?

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In the past, Xi Jinping and Vladmir Putin have described their relationship as a “friendship with no limits”. Some in the West have dismissed it as more of a “marriage of convenience”.

Either way, it is undeniable that China and Russia are more aligned than they have ever been since the Cold war. David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, ask: how strong has the China-Russia relationship become? And what’s in it for China?

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Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democracy. 
A tea-seller’s son, Mr Modi began life an outsider. The man behind the political phenomenon remains hard to fathom. India has become an economic powerhouse during his ten years in charge. But he’s also the frontman for a chauvinistic Hindu nationalist dogma. 
Can Mr Modi continue to balance both parts of his agenda and finish the job of turning India into a superpower? The Economist’s Avantika Chilkoti finds out what makes him tick. 
Launching June 2024.
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While Washington worries about a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, China is deploying a set of tactics that could see it take its neighbour without firing a shot.

Day after day, Chinese planes and ships are going steadily closer to the island. Called “grey-zone” tactics, this intimidation is eroding Taiwan’s borders and undermining Taiwanese confidence.

Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent and Anton La Guardia, our diplomatic editor, travelled to hot spots of grey-zone aggression in Taiwan to find out if China’s strategy is working.

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At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan was a sanctuary for Chinese intellectuals, reformers and revolutionaries. Now, over 100 years later, Tokyo has once again become a hub for liberal-minded Chinese. And unlike others who have “run” from China, they still nurture hopes of returning to a better, freer homeland.

In the final episode of our series on why Chinese people are leaving their country, Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, ask: how is this new generation of exiles keeping hope alive?

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Fed up with a system they feel has let them down, blue-collar Chinese workers are moving to Japan. And they have bleak views about the society they’ve left behind.

In the second episode of our series on why Chinese people are leaving their country, Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, ask: how political is the “run” phenomenon?

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