Opinion

The Mathematical Illusion of “Aiming Higher”: Why China’s Sub-5% Growth is a Structural Certainty

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The Mathematical Illusion of “Aiming Higher”: Why China’s Sub-5% Growth is a Structural Certainty The shift from demographic dividend to intelligent capital: Automation is the necessary macroeconomic response to a shrinking workforce. The Economist recently published a critique of the Chinese government’s 2026 Government Work Report, arguing that policymakers are “dangerously rooted in the past” … Read more

The Engine Room of a New Empire: How Hong Kong Financed China’s Motoring Revolution

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The Engine Room of a New Empire: How Hong Kong Financed China’s Motoring Revolution Three years ago, during the Chinese New Year, I stood in a remarkably quiet Hong Kong. The city was only just emerging from the long shadow of pandemic isolation. The streets were subdued, the entrepreneurial hum was muted, and the eerie … Read more

The Great Re-Coupling: Germany turns to China for robotics

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If you want to understand the shifting tectonic plates of the global economy, you could read the latest policy white papers out of Washington, or you could simply look at the photograph of Friedrich Merz in Hangzhou. There stood the German Chancellor—a politician whose brand is practically forged from stern Atlanticist rigour and conservative economic … Read more

Mark Carney’s Middle Powers Doctrine: A Maoist Strategy?

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The Chairman of the North Is Mark Carney Canada’s Mao Zedong? 2nd Feb  2026 | Jimmy Xiao Mark Carney delivering his “Middle Powers” address at the World Economic Forum. A surprising convergence of strategic thought between the Canadian Prime Minister and the Great Helmsman. When Mark Carney took the podium at the World Economic Forum … Read more

Is Hong Kong Dying? Rebirthing as the Brain of the Robot Belt

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Is Hong Kong Dying? Or is it Rebirthing in Silicon? Why the “Pearl of the Orient” is becoming the “Brain of the Robot Belt” Reports of the city’s demise are exaggerated. For a glimpse of the AI future, watch the 13-minute train. TO THE casual observer, Hong Kong’s recent narrative has been one of slow, … Read more

Demographics with Chinese characteristics

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Technology & Demographics The Automaton Dividend The population of China has begun to shrink. But does it matter? By Jimmy Xiao • January 30, 2026 IF DEMOGRAPHY IS DESTINY, then the recent headlines from Beijing read like a eulogy. China’s population has fallen for two consecutive years, shedding millions of citizens in a statistical retreat … Read more

Chinese Robotics Firms Dominate Global Humanoid Rankings as Shenzhen Supplier Sees 791% Order Surge

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Humanoid Robotics Production Accelerates Recent Omdia data reveals Chinese dominance in 2025 humanoid robot shipments: AGIBOT leads with 5,168 units, followed by Unitree (4,200 units) and Ubtech (1,000 units). Unitree later clarified its actual shipments exceeded 5,500 units, claiming the top position. Meanwhile, Elon Musk stated Optimus could handle complex tasks by late 2026, with … Read more

The Down Under Paradox: How Australia Became an Accidental AI Superpower—and Why It Might Squander It

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In the global arms race for Artificial Intelligence dominance, the headlines are predictable. The United States and China are the titans, trading blows in a high-stakes duel of silicon and software. But look past the giants, scan the data from the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings, and you will find an anomaly. It is … Read more