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Opinion

Is Hong Kong one of the world’s most engaging cities – or a spooky-dooky police state?

The contrast between joyful, buzzy Hong Kong, and its absurdly grim image overseas is startling - especially in the light of the brutal restrictions on free speech emerging in numerous western countries. Richard Cullen reports. THE RUGBY SEVENS, a combined sports tournament and a huge international party, is underway in front of massive crowds at…

May 1, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

How horrible is nuclear war: lessons from a 1957 novel

According to the Website, Geodata and Rankings, the US and Israel rank within the top five most disliked countries, worldwide, keeping company with China, Russia and North Korea (link). This is despite America and Israel maintaining by far the strongest marketing-propaganda presence globally, insisting to the world that they are beacons of democratic righteousness. Much more…

March 24, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

China news Opinion

Behind the China EV advance, there’s a network of issues to consider

O THE IRONY. As the illegal US-Israel attack on Iran sent petrol prices soaring, there was celebration in China this week as BYD launched an electric car battery that can be “refueled” for 400 km in just five minutes—in other words, as quickly as a petrol car. Final barrier gone. Given the bargain prices of…

March 10, 20260Comments ByNury Vittachi

China news Chinese history Opinion

Japan election: Recycling the past to ruin the future

Nostalgia for your country's past military adventures is a common tool used by politicians. But when those adventures included the killing of tens of millions of people in neighboring countries and the use of rape as a weapon, that's different. And when you propose reviving that army, that's a serious concern for the world. A…

March 7, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

Features News Opinion

Saving what’s left of Western liberalism

The geopolitical editor at the Economist, David Rennie, recently interviewed Alexander Stubb, the President of Finland, where they discussed Mr Stubb’s “plan to save the liberal world order” (link). Richard Cullen pens a brief report card highlighting some of the challenges facing this worthy rescue mission. WE KNOW THAT the enduring heartland of liberalism is…

March 2, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

Features News Opinion

Truth trumps fiction, as Donald trumps expectations

Evelyn Waugh was an exceptional English novelist. His best political satires were very good. Truth, though, can still outwit the best fiction, says Richard Cullen A LIVELY SHORT STORY published by Evelyn Waugh in late 1932, entitled “Incident in Azania” discussed events that unfolded on an imaginary, colonial island off the East Coast of Africa. …

February 3, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

News Opinion

The U.S. openly threatens judges around the world: sorry, but you just can’t do that

Threatening judges for simply doing their jobs is an extremely serious crime. Unfortunately, one nation is doing exactly that, and is getting away with it. Top legal mind Grenville Cross reports. THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JUDGES (IAJ) was founded in Salzburg, Austria, in 1953. It is a professional, nonpolitical organization that promotes judicial independence worldwide.…

January 29, 20260Comments ByGrenville Cross

Hong Kong News News Opinion

David Webb and the Quiet Power of an Unbought Voice

WHEN NEWS BROKE that David Webb had passed away, the reaction in Hong Kong’s financial circles was strikingly divided. Some felt genuine loss. Others fell into an uneasy silence. That contrast alone says much about his place in the city’s capital markets. Webb was never a celebrity investor in the conventional sense. He did not…

January 22, 20260Comments ByKen Ip

News Opinion

Decoding ‘Trump QE’ – a stealth liquidity injection bypassing the Fed

LATE INTO THE NIGHT on January 9, 2026, global financial markets witnessed a seismic moment. U.S. President Trump posted a seemingly routine but ultimately explosive tweet: he ordered the Federal Housing Finance Agency to make use of the balance sheets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to immediately purchase US$200 billion in Mortgage-Backed Securities. This…

January 16, 20260Comments ByAaron Lai

News Opinion

Transcendental banditry

The Cambridge Dictionary explains that to transcend means, “to rise above or be more important” (link). It is a concept commonly associated with positive transcendence. But some find that violently imposing one’s will can also deliver a transcendental experience. Introduction We typically associate transcendence with rising above the daily grind to achieve enhanced, positive inner…

January 14, 20260Comments ByRichard Cullen

Opinion

Is Hong Kong one of the world’s most engaging cities – or a spooky-dooky police state?

How horrible is nuclear war: lessons from a 1957 novel

Behind the China EV advance, there’s a network of issues to consider

Japan election: Recycling the past to ruin the future

Saving what’s left of Western liberalism

Truth trumps fiction, as Donald trumps expectations

The U.S. openly threatens judges around the world: sorry, but you just can’t do that

David Webb and the Quiet Power of an Unbought Voice

Decoding ‘Trump QE’ – a stealth liquidity injection bypassing the Fed

Transcendental banditry

China says NO to US ‘orders’ to stop buying Iranian oil

Is Hong Kong one of the world’s most engaging cities – or a spooky-dooky police state?

China moving faster, with three major laws reviewed at Two Sessions