The key evidence here is that all major statements have been met with silence from the PLA (even after 17 major commanders were picked up at the same time and then let go, a common scare tactic).
So, the focus on Taiwan is way off. The question is if Xi will face an open challenge from the PLA 2/2
04.02.2026 12:56 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The PLA purge story is dominated by concerns about Taiwan and talk of Xi’s exclusive power within the CMC. Both are mistaken.
Xi lacks control over the military. He had to take Zhang Youxia down on shaky accusations because Zhang could act as a competing power centre after earlier CMC purges. 1/2
04.02.2026 12:56 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
The sensible response, the one that makes “reciprocal tariffs” an unviable policy option, is to follow China’s approach of maximum pressure during negotiations. This may send markets down in the short run, but also make Trump’s programme unviable and leaves a lasting impression on his base (2/2).
11.04.2025 10:11 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
EU leaders should learn two things from the tariff mess:
1. Trump backs down in the face of pressure from financiers first and political allies second
2. His plutocrat allies love market turmoil, but, like everyone else, hate unpredictability (hence the bond-selloff induced pause).
(1/2)
11.04.2025 10:06 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
The cover image of The Journal of Global Security Studies appears on the left. At the bottom, the journal’s homepage URL (https://academic.oup.com/jogss) and Bluesky handle (@journalofgss.bsky.social) are displayed in white text on a navy blue background. The main section of the image features a background of medieval monuments in Kosovo. Overlaid on this is the article title and authors’ names: “Securitization between Narrative and Practice: A Praxis Perspective on the Multilateral Securitization of Orthodox Heritage in Kosovo between 1999 and 2011” by Steven Langendonk & Edith Drieskens.
🚨 New article alert! @stevenlangendonk.bsky.social & Edith Driessens rethink securitization with a new model of multilateral securitization. Learn how their model applies to the case of Orthodox heritage in Kosovo between 1999 and 2011.
🔍 Explore it more: doi.org/10.1093/jogs...
11.04.2025 08:17 — 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
At this point it should be clear that US conservatives and their Silicon Valley enablers are taking us all down a slippery slope to military confrontation with China.
09.04.2025 18:00 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
a historical analysis of the narratives, practices and agents that played a role in the securitization of Othodox heritage in Kosovo. Our analysis has implications beyond securitization, notably for the functioning of the (World) heritage regime and multilateral security governance (2/2).
08.04.2025 11:18 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Tusk announces plan to train all Polish men for military service
Poland aims to build up its military to half a million men to face Russia.
Tusk said, adding: “It’s striking but it’s true. Right now, 500 million Europeans are begging 300 million Americans for protection from 140 million Russians who have been unable to overcome 50 million Ukrainians for three years."
www.politico.eu/article/dona...
07.03.2025 16:28 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Surprise! Who knew that the great short term threat to international order would come from its guarantor (the US) and not China? Europe’s leaders missed it, as did many IR scholars.
Good to remember that imperial orders will fray at the edges due to outside pressure, but they implode at the core.
16.02.2025 17:10 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Prof of IPE @ Helmut Schmidt Uni Hamburg, IR stuff, 🇳🇿, 🇩🇪, DFG Heisenberg Fellow, formerly WZB Berlin, rando
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=k0d0H2QAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
sites.google.com/view/matthewstephen
https://www.china-hegemony.com/
A not-for-profit scholarly press based at the University of Bristol. Home of Policy Press. Publishing on the global social challenges.
https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/linktree
A journal of the International Studies Association (ISA). Publishes cutting-edge research on global security and global aspects of debates in security studies.
official Bluesky account (check username👆)
Bugs, feature requests, feedback: support@bsky.app
