World – Sure A Not

Before the missiles: How disinformation could spark Asia’s next war – Asia Times

On: April 26, 2025

” The issue with false information is not that citizens believe it. The issue is that they no longer assume anything.
— Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Training for the 21st Century

The largest Western issue since World War II was sparked by Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, this conflict is more than just being won with tanks and missiles; it is also a constant struggle between reality and understanding.

Propaganda, propaganda, and media exploitation have become essential tools of contemporary war from Kyiv to Moscow, and from Washington to Beijing.

The battle for tale dominance is fundamentally influencing the war’s course even though the focus is still largely on natural battlegrounds. The fight against details is occurring all over the world, and Asia is carefully watching.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict teaches somber lessons about how disinformation can be used to destroy, separate, and rule as geopolitical tensions increase throughout the Indo-Pacific, especially in Taiwan, the South China Sea, and as always the Korean Peninsula.

Propaganda as a means of corporate warfare

Propaganda has long been used to stifle opposition, support anger, and elicit acceptance. However, thanks to digital platforms, analytic synthesis, and a squabbling media environment, its scope and scale have grown rapidly in the 21st century.

Russian position advertising sources like RT and Sputnik have become a key component of the Kremlin’s tale planning. These platforms condition reality rather than just broadcasting information.

Moscow has swung local support and soiled international waters by portraying Russia’s actions as “defensive” and portraying Ukraine as a European marionette state.

However, each country’s narrative is unique. The issue is described by US and Western media as an unprovoked war of a royal state, a view that NATO, EU institutions, and international human rights organizations have reinforced.

The outcome? Competing experiences where viewers watch vastly various adaptations of the same function.

” Misinformation and disinformation” are among the biggest threats to global security, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024. This danger is even greater in conflict areas.

False stories, elaborated theories, and coordinated promotions blur the line between fact and fiction, lowering public confidence in journalism, governance, and yet democracy itself.

This distrust is way beyond Ukraine. Governments in Asia have faced and used disinformation campaigns, both domestically and internationally, that polarize cultures and misrepresent votes.

China’s online advertising in Taiwan aims to denigrate and divide the country. These aren’t just isolated incidents; they represent a vision of the unseen war that will shape the world.

Russia and the West internet conflict

How people interpret fight in the media is a crucial part of the equation. How how information is presented, in Erving Goffman’s Framing Theory, affects how people perceive truth.

Consider the missile attack launched by 2022 against a shopping mall in Kremenchuk, an Ukrainian capital. According to the Western press, it was a deliberate Russian invasion on citizens, citing satellite imagery and Russian sources. Russian media accused American media of fabricating information and claimed the destination was a military installation.

The incident demonstrates how the same event can lead to two contradictory conclusions, one for the West and the country’s private audience.

Propaganda produces compromise rather than just manipulating information. State media claimed 95 % of people supported the proceed during Russia’s 2014 annexation, despite reports of persuasion and a lack of international spectators.

The purpose of the conquest was to silence opposition by presenting unification as fact rather than just to justify it.

Similar strategies have been employed in Asia to window contentious activities. How institutions use internet control to create the illusion of national compromise while marginalizing opposition voices are shown by China’s management of the protests in Hong Kong, India’s narrative surrounding Kashmir, or Myanmar’s protection of the Rohingya crisis.

International fragmentation and horizontal realities

The design of horizontal realities is one of the most disturbing outcomes of information warfare.

The invasion of Ukraine is widely regarded as a” special military operation” by Russia to defend ethnic Russians from NATO anger. It is viewed as a flagrant violation of international law in the West.

This fragmentation makes political exchange almost unattainable. When people are fed jointly exclusive philosophies, settlement turns out to be a sign of weakness rather than development.

This style is present in Asia as well, from China and Taiwan’s cross-Strait ties to domestic disagreements over international legislation in Japan and South Korea.

Ukrainian public opinion has remained mostly pro-Western despite Russian media’s and its allies ‘ constant pushback. 89 % of Ukrainians support joining NATO, according to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in 2023. Support for Russian independence is rising even in previously pro-Russian regions.

However, the stress of battle is beginning to percolate. Gallup reported that the percentage of people who supported fighting until they won the battle dropped from 73 % in 2022 to 38 % in 2023. These shifting sentiments identify the psychological impact of persistent issue, which authoritarian governments frequently exploit through info adjustment.

Asia’s conundrum of propaganda

Unregulated disinformation can do harm, not just to countries at war, but also to the international system as a whole, with the Russia-Ukraine war providing a terrible forecast for what unregulated disinformation can do.

The implications for Asia are clear: if disinformation persists, it may continue to undermine public trust, undermine political institutions, and aggravate local tensions.

The Indo-Pacific is now a location for narrative conflicts. A potential where electric influence operations become the norm, as evidenced by China’s growing media coverage, North Korea’s growing private disinformation, and Southeast Asians ‘ growing private disinformation.

To combat this unknown war, Asia may engage in media education, cybersecurity, and cross-border collaboration. Then, Asia might be the front line, and the next major conflict might be won with words rather than weapons.

The Russia-Ukraine issue redefines how wars are fought and understood, not just by reinventing Eastern Europe. The greatest danger, as Harari suggests, may not be that people stop believing everything, but rather that they do so in spite of what Harari suggests.

The stakes don’t get higher for Asia. The region has take decisive action to safeguard truth, transparency, and trust as information becomes more and more a weapon.

Zaheer Ahmed Baloch is a professor of international relations with a focus on media dynamics in world affairs and security.

IMF: Economic uncertainty is now higher than it was during Covid – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 23, 2025

In: Asia, World

Even among some of the world’s leading economic thinkers, confident predictions are currently hard to come by, according to the International Monetary Fund ( IMF)’s ( IMF) just released its World Economic Outlook.

A fortnight of seminars, presentations, and press events focusing on the worldwide economy, foreign growth, and world financial markets are held each flower in Washington, DC. The IMF releases its global economic growth prediction at both the flower discussions and the annual meetings, which are held each fall.

The IMF has released a foundation estimates and an clause analyzing the tax events that occurred between April 9 and April 14 for its spring meeting in 2025. According to the fund’s report, world GDP will grow by 2.8 % in 2025 and 3.0 % in 2026. For the euro area, growth will be 0.8 % and 1.2 % for 2025 and 2026 respectively.

These projections are significantly revised from IMF data that was released just three months ago. Growth in the euro area is down 0.2 % compared to the fund’s January update, and growth globally is down by 0.5 %.

We live in a much more ambiguous world than we did three months ago, so understanding the most recent IMF document and its negative estimates is essential.

Trump, taxes, and doubt

The term “unpredictable” may be sufficient if one had to total up the new US tax scheme in one word. The largest price increase in modern history occurred on April 2, 2025, referred to as” Liberation Day.”

The US leader next made two more presentations only one year later. Second, a 90-day ban on tax increases, which he allegedly did in search of bilateral treaties with the nations to which he had applied levies above 10 %. Next, that China would not be subject to this restriction, with the price increases on its goods increasing to 145 %.

This freeze means that until July, EU products that are sold to the US will be subject to a 10 % tariff rather than the 20 % that was announced on April 2. The new US administration’s 10 % application is still significantly higher than the standard tariff of 1.34 % that was in effect before April 5th, though.

But what will the price get after these 90 time? What will happen in December? What will happen in two centuries? What products will not be subject to the exemption? How far will China’s trade war with the US come? Nobody knows the answer to all of these issues. The IMF’s flower forecast for this uncertainty is clear.

Confusion is unstoppable.

The world industry doubt index from the IMF is now seven times higher than it was in October 2024, which is significantly higher than the pandemic.

This uncertainty affects the economy more severely than a large but clear tariff. Companies can at least restructure their manufacturing processes with a price, and customers can look for alternative goods. There is a charge, but at least businesses and consumers can make plans.

No one can determine these expenses now, though, because no one is aware of the impact of tariff changes. A US company might choose to purchase a particular product from the EU immediately assuming the price will be 10 %, but it turns out that the price has increased to 100 % once the product has arrived in the US because a political advisor predicted raising tariffs on that product would benefit the US economy.

Although it may seem incredible, the levies are being decided and put into effect in reality. According to one theory, Peter Navarro, the government’s financial advisor and tax idealist, was in another room at the time, so they were only able to persuade Trump to stop new tax increases.

Silence is ultimately the best course of action for both consumers and businesses because of this volatility.

Anxiety and turbulence

It should come as no surprise that financial markets are so unstable because of these regular plan changes. Financial areas are now experiencing levels of uncertainty and anxiety comparable to those seen during Covid-19, despite Trump’s proudly humblingly praising rising share prices soon after the price freeze was announced.

Five years ago, uncertainty was linked to a rise in the demand for US government bonds as a result of the “flight to health” effect, which forces investors to sell higher-risk investments and purchase safer assets like gold and government bonds in times of doubt.

We are now seeing the exact same. Since” Liberation Day,” the price of US bonds has decreased, which indicates that investors are selling them. In other words, the US government’s bill is no longer viewed as a protected asset. This paradigm shift may lead to even more financial volatility in the future given the impact of the money and US bill on global industry.

Supply stores are suddenly bridging.

One thing shares the recent situation with Covid-19, the next big global economic crisis, with the upheaval of global supply chains. Production was compelled to cease during the pandemic due to confinement. It is the imposition of tariffs as of right now.

There is, nevertheless, a second significant change. People were aware that there would only be so long before vaccines would be accessible and normal would return during Covid. Today, President Trump’s own advisors sell him all kinds of plans to protect US economical interests, hardly any disease, but rather instability in financial markets.

At the Universitat de Barcelona, Sergi Basco is the head of economics.

This content was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original content.

Choosing the next Pope Francis – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 23, 2025

In: Asia, World

He was a tower, a pillar, and a beacon for the typical people, the underprivileged, the have-nots, and those who faced discrimination in any way who wanted to live in harmony, love, and unity with other people and the natural world. Regardless of their faith, Francisco ( Jorge Bergoglio ) was not just the head of the Catholic Church. He was also a voice for the eight billion people who lived on Earth.

Every bishop has attempted to live up to this part, but probably never has a pope put so much effort into it and succeeded in it since early Christianity. So, the first question for his successor is clear: May he chose to change his course or continue on this path? Many in the Church thing, arguing that too much effort to engage non-Christians affects the Church’s integrity.

Francis’s mentoring to Muslims, Hindus, and agnostics did not increase the number of people attending Mass. Temples remained empty, especially in the traditional Catholic regions of Latin America and Europe. His opponents contend that attracting people outside the Church will be futile if they don’t care for the people who currently exist, leaving the organization as a barrel.

The second pope may try to strike a balance between these two trends, but it’s not clear how that will be achieved. The task facing the future pope could be enormous because of such an overall and enormous reach to every person on the planet. The difficulties are possibly more sobering than previously.

Conservatives and Disciples are expanding their influence wherever Catholics again had hold in history, not just in Latin America but also in developing nations like Africa, India, and China. For example, there may be ten million Christians in China, but there could be hundreds of millions of pseudo-Christians or self-proclaimed Christians.

The Church hasn’t been unified on how to process this phenomenon so much. Some claim that it presents a problem and that the faithful may be resurrected with the true faith. Some claim that it is useless; instead, people are more in tune with pastors and communities who have much needs. As more people convert to Christianity and distance themselves from their initial non-Christian beliefs, this conflict grows.

Additionally, there is the complicated problem of mega-states, which hold 40 % of the country’s population, namely, China and India. Francis requested an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but Francis was not invited, citing concerns raised by the nearby Catholic Church.

In this context, it is obvious that India is more successful in fostering ties with the upcoming bishop. If Modi and the nearby Catholics come to terms, India might be able to ally itself more with the Church, which could have significant political benefits. Modi aims to build a new American identification that is rooted in Hindu nationalism, which frequently contrasts with Christian and Islamic beliefs.

Catholicism has been a part of the subcontinent’s personality since the first century AD, with legends claiming that Jesus traveled to India to study with regional specialists before coming back to Israel at the age of 30.

Christianity is woven into the fabric of American personality, and it might encourage Modi and his friends to accept this reality. India might gain a competitive advantage over China if it practices Catholicism.

Regarding China, the Church might put relations with Beijing on the back burner unless some strong initiatives from China are taken, though such a growth seems implausible. This circumstance may have an effect on China’s standing globally.

As the UN waned and major power engaged in arm-wrestling over several problems, the Church became a centre for speech and covert intervention under Francis. Beijing might find it uncomfortable to be kept out of Vatican conversations.

The cardinal may then choose the next pope to manage these decisions. They are incredibly diverse, with Iran, Pakistan, and Mongolia among the more diverse nations there are than previously. Franciss hoped for a more diverse audience worldwide.

Many of these cardinal have not met and scarcely understand one another, making it challenging to come to a compromise. With 19 chiefs out of 138, with two of them stationed overseas in Jerusalem and Ulaanbaatar, the largest one union is made up of the Italians. They may assist in organizing the conference, but it’s still not clear whether they will fit their preferred prospect in the white robe.

Americans, who have ten chiefs, make up the second-largest party. They were key in choosing Francis, but they are now divided into liberal and conservative parties, making it unclear whether they can exert the same influence.

18 American chiefs are present. The Church’s immediate future is shaped by a number of conversions, pressing issues, and competing political interests between emerging powers like China and historic colonial powers, as well as by migration and other pressing issues.

But, it’s not certain whether a powerful, global-minded number will join this group because the Pope needs to serve as a pastor to the entire world. Secondly, it’s not clear whether the next pope will use traditional criteria when choosing him.

A bishop was traditionally expected to have significant experience in a big Catholic bishop, which would reduce individuals like Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State, who has never served as a catholic priest, or Cardinal Bo from Myanmar, whose Christian population is in the minority. Both are viewed as personable and socially knowledgeable, which makes them attractive candidates.

These classic standards may no longer apply because there are more cardinal from nations where Catholics frequently make up small groups and in a world where the majority is in the minority.

Finally, the new pope will have to understand the delicate relationship with the Vatican, which is the world’s greatest superpower, the bulwark of the West, and the one-time biggest donor.

The second bishop must not blindly follow American principles, which may alienate the rest of the world. In contrast, being aggressive might turn off thousands of honest.

The terrible conflict within the American Catholic Church, which traditionalists oppose Francis and liberals back him, all contributes to the state itself, which is racked up by President Donald Trump.

The second bishop may also have to perform a difficult task of bringing America together again.

This content was originally published on Appia Institute, and it has since been republished with authority. Read the original right below.

Australians hate Trump’s policies and distrust US: poll – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 22, 2025

In: Asia, World

Australians strongly disagree with important procedures of US President Donald Trump, and have largely lost faith in the United States to behave appropriately in the world, according to the Lowy Institute’s 2025 surveys.

Despite this, 80 % of people say the alliance is “very ” or “fairly ” important for Australia’s security, only fractionally down on last year’s 83 %.

The poll also found people nearly evenly divided on whether Peter Dutton ( 35 % ) or Anthony Albanese ( 34 % ) would be the better leader to manage Australia’s relations with Trump.

But Albanese rated much more strongly than Dutton as better able to manage Australia’s relationship with China and President Xi Jinping ( 45 % to 25 % ).

Albanese was also well ahead ( 41%-29 % ) when people were asked who would be more competent at handling Australia’s foreign policy over the next three years.

The surveys comes as the “Trump impact” has overshadowed the battle and exceedingly worked against Dutton.

Labor has cast Dutton as having looked to the US for procedures, such as his proposed cuts to the public support. It has labelled him “DOGEy Dutton”, a reference to Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ).

The Lowy surveys of 2,117 folks was taken between March 3 and 16. This was after Trump had announced plans for a 25 % tariff on steel and aluminium imports, and other tariffs, but before his “Liberation Day ” regime, which saw a 10 % general tariff hitting all countries.

Trust in the US has plummeted since the last Lowy poll in 2024, with nearly two-thirds of respondents ( 64 % ) having little or no trust in the US to act responsibly in the world, compared with 44 % a year before.

This is a new lower in the poll’s two-decade past. Trust fell drastically among older citizens. Trust was now comparatively small among younger citizens, and fell by a smaller percentage.

On various Trump stances, the poll found Australians most disapproving (89 % ) of Trump’s pressure on Denmark to sell or hand over its self-governing territory of Greenland to the US.

More than eight in ten ( 81 % ) disapproved of Trump’s use of tariffs to pressure other countries to comply with his administration ’s objectives. Three-quarters disapproved of the US withdrawing from the World Health Organization ( 76 % ) and from international climate change agreements ( 74 % ).

In addition, three-quarters ( 74 % ) disapproved of Trump negotiating a deal on the future of Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin that might require Ukraine to accept a loss of territory.

The extraordinary Oval Office battle between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice President JD Vance took place just before the review.

Australians also disapproved of the US cutting spending on foreign aid ( 64 % ) and undertaking mass deportations of undocumented migrants ( 56 % ).

On Trump’s demand that US allies spend more on defense, people were, however, evenly divided ( 49 % approved/disapproved ).

Michelle Grattan is academic brother, University of Canberra

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original content.

When Pope Francis spoke to Asia Times on China – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 22, 2025

In: Asia, World

Pope Francis gave his first-ever meeting on China and the Chinese people on January 28, 2016, to then-Asia Times journalist and China Renmin University senior scientist Francesco Sisci. The Pope urged the world not to worry China ’s rapid rise in a traditional one-hour appointment at the Vatican.

He said the Taiwanese people are in a good time and delivered a message of hope, peace and reconciliation as an alternative to battle, hot or cold. The pope even sent Foreign New Year’s welcome to the Chinese people and President Xi Jinping, the first extended by a Pope to a Chinese president for the Lunar New Year in 2,000 years.

Sisci’s special interview took place in a Vatican house decorated with a mural of the Holy Mary Undoer of Knots, in which she performs the mystery of untying difficult twists. It is republished here on the situation of the Pope’s departure.

ROME– He felt it quickly, or but I sensed, and he tried to put me at ease. He was best. I was in fact frightened. I had spent long periods hammering down every aspect of the questions I was going to ask, and he had wanted time to think and churned them over.

I asked for an appointment on broad social and intellectual issues concerning all Taiwanese, of which over 99 % are no Catholic. I did n’t like to touch on religious or political concerns, of which another Popes, at other times had spoken.

I hoped he could present to frequent Chinese his enormous animal emotion by speaking for the first time ever on issues that worry them regularly – the rupture of the classic relatives, their difficulties in being understood and understanding the western world, their sense of guilt from earlier experiences such as the Cultural Revolution, etc. He did it and gave the Chinese and citizens concerned about China ’s hard fall motives for hope, peace and mediation with each other.

The Pope believes the Chinese are in a good action. He says they should not be scared of this, nor does the rest of the world. He also believes the Chinese have a wonderful legacy of knowledge that will strengthen them and everyone and will support all to find a quiet way ahead. This appointment is, in some respect, the Pope’s manner of blessing China.

Sisci: What is China for you? How did you think China to become as a young man, given that China, for Argentina, is not the East but the far West? What does Matteo Ricci mean to you?

Pope Francis : For me, China has always been a research point of glory. A wonderful country. But more than a state, a wonderful culture, with an unlimited wisdom. For me, as a child, whenever I read something about China, it had the ability to persuade my enthusiasm. I have enthusiasm for China.

Eventually, I looked into Matteo Ricci’s career and I saw how this man felt the same thing in the specific method I did, admiration, and how he was able to enter into speech with this wonderful society, with this age-old knowledge. He was able to “encounter ” it.

When I was young, and China was spoken of, we thought of the Great Wall. The rest was not known in my homeland. But as I looked more and more into the matter, I had an experience of encounter which was very different, in time and manner, to that experienced by Ricci.

Yet I came across something I had not expected. Ricci’s experience teaches us that it is necessary to enter into dialogue with China, because it is an accumulation of wisdom and history. It is a land blessed with many things. And the Catholic Church, one of whose duties is to respect all civilizations, before this civilization, I would say, has the duty to respect it with a capital “R. ” The Church has great potential to receive culture.

The other day I had the opportunity to see the paintings of another great Jesuit, Giuseppe Castiglione– who also had the Jesuit virus ( laughs ). Castiglione knew how to express beauty, the experience of openness in dialogue: receiving from others and giving of one’s self on a wavelength that is “civilized ” of civilizations.

When I say “civilized”, I do not mean only “educated ” civilizations, but also civilizations that encounter one another. Also, I don’t know whether it is true but they say that Marco Polo was the one who brought pasta noodles to Italy ( laughs ). So it was the Chinese who invented them. I don’t know if this is true. But I say this in passing.

This is the impression I have, great respect. And more than this, when I crossed China for the first time, I was told in the aircraft: “Within ten minutes we will enter Chinese airspace, and send your greeting”. I confess that I felt very emotional, something that does not usually happen to me. I was moved to be flying over this great richness of culture and wisdom.

Sisci: China, for the first time in its thousands of years of history, is emerging from its own environment and opening to the world, creating unprecedented challenges for itself and for the world. You have spoken of a third world war that is furtively advancing: what challenges does this present in the quest for peace?

Pope Francis : Being afraid is never a good counselor. Fear is not a good counselor. If a father and a mother are fearful when they have an adolescent son, they will not know how to deal with him well.

In other words, we must not fear challenges of any kind, since everyone, male and female, has within them the capacity to find ways of co-existing, of respect and mutual admiration. And it is obvious that so much culture and so much wisdom, and in addition, so much technical knowledge – we have only to think of age-old medicinal techniques– cannot remain enclosed within a country; they tend to expand, to spread, to communicate.

Man tends to communicate, a civilization tends to communicate. It is evident that when communication happens in an aggressive tone to defend oneself, then wars result. But I would not be fearful. It is a great challenge to keep the balance of peace. Here we have Grandmother Europe, as I said in Strasbourg. It appears that she is no longer Mother Europe. I hope she will be able to reclaim that role again.

And she receives from this age-old country an increasingly rich contribution. And so it is necessary to accept the challenge and to run the risk of balancing this exchange for peace. The Western world, the Eastern world and China all have the capacity to maintain the balance of peace and the strength to do so. We must find the way, always through dialogue; there is no other way. ( He opens his arms as if extending an embrace. )

Encounter is achieved through dialogue. The true balance of peace is realized through dialogue. Dialogue does not mean that we end up with a compromise, half the cake for you and the other half for me. This is what happened in Yalta and we saw the results. No, dialogue means: look, we have got to this point, I may or may not agree, but let us walk together; this is what it means to build. And the cake stays whole, walking together.

The cake belongs to everyone, it is humanity, culture. Carving up the cake, as in Yalta, means dividing humanity and culture into small pieces. And culture and humanity cannot be carved into small pieces. When I speak about this large cake I mean it in a positive sense. Everyone has an influence to bear on the common good of all. ( The Pope smiles and asks: “ I don’t know if the example of the cake is clear for the Chinese? ”, I nod: “ I think so. ” )

Sisci: China has experienced over the last few decades tragedies without comparison. Since 1980, the Chinese have sacrificed that which has always been most dear to them, their children.

For the Chinese, these are very serious wounds. Among other things, this has left enormous emptiness in their consciences and, somehow, an extremely deep need to be reconciled with themselves and to forgive themselves. In the Year of Mercy, what message can you offer the Chinese people?

Francesco Sisci interviewing Pope Francis in a 2016 photo. Image: Author Supplied.

Pope Francis : The aging of a population and of humanity is happening in many places. Here in Italy the birth rate is almost below zero, and in Spain too, more or less. The situation in France, with its policy of assistance to families, is improving. And it is obvious that populations age.

They age and they do not have children. In Africa, for example, it was a pleasure to see children in the streets. Here in Rome, if you walk around, you will see very few children. Perhaps behind this there is the fear you are alluding to, the mistaken perception, not that we will simply fall behind, but that we will fall into misery, so therefore, let’s not have children.

There are other societies that have opted for the contrary. For example, during my trip to Albania, I was astonished to discover that the average age of the population is approximately 40 years. There exist young countries; I think Bosnia and Herzegovina is the same. Countries that have suffered and opt for youth. Then there is the problem of work. Something that China does not have, because it has the capacity to offer work both in the countryside and in the city.

And it is true, the problem for China of not having children must be very painful; because the pyramid is then inverted and a child has to bear the burden of his father, mother, grandfather and grandmother. And this is exhausting, demanding, disorientating. It is not the natural way. I understand that China has opened up possibilities on this front.

Sisci: How should these challenges of families in China be faced, given that they find themselves in a process of profound change and no longer correspond to the traditional Chinese model of the family?

Pope Francis : Taking up the theme, in the Year of Mercy, what message can I give to the Chinese people? The history of a people is always a path. A people at times walks more quickly, at times more slowly, at times it pauses, at times it makes a mistake and goes backwards a little, or takes the wrong path and has to retrace its steps to follow the right way.

But when a people moves forward, this does not worry me because it means they are making history. And I believe that the Chinese people are moving forward and this is their greatness. It walks, like all populations, through lights and shadows.

Looking at this past – and perhaps the fact of not having children creates a complex – it is healthy to take responsibility for one’s own path. Well, we have taken this route, something here did not work at all, so now other possibilities are opened up.

Other issues come into play: the selfishness of some of the wealthy sectors who prefer not to have children, and so forth. They have to take responsibility for their own path. And I would go further: do not be bitter, but be at peace with your own path, even if you have made mistakes. I cannot say my history was bad, that I hate my history. ( The Pope gives me a penetrating look. )

No, every people must be reconciled with its history as its own path, with its successes and its mistakes. And this reconciliation with one’s own history brings much maturity, much growth. Here I would use the word mentioned in the question: mercy. It is healthy for a person to have mercy towards himself, not to be sadistic or masochistic.

That is wrong. And I would say the same for a people: it is healthy for a population to be merciful towards itself. And this nobility of soul … I don’t know whether or not to use the word forgiveness, I don’t know.

But to accept that this was my path, to smile, and to keep going. If one gets tired and stops, one can become bitter and corrupt. And so, when one takes responsibility for one’s own path, accepting it for what it was, this allows one’s historical and cultural richness to emerge, even in difficult moments.

And how can it be allowed to emerge? Here we return to the first question: in dialogue with today’s world. To dialogue does not mean that I surrender myself, because at times there is the danger, in the dialogue between different countries, of hidden agendas, namely, cultural colonizations.

It is necessary to recognize the greatness of the Chinese people, who have always maintained their culture. And their culture – I am not speaking about ideologies that there may have been in the past – their culture was not imposed.

Sisci: The country ’s economic growth proceeded at an overwhelming pace but this has also brought with it human and environmental disasters, which Beijing is striving to confront and resolve.

At the same time, the pursuit of work efficiency is burdening families with new costs: sometimes children and parents are separated due to the demands of work. What message can you give them?

Pope Francis : I feel rather like a “mother-in-law ” giving advice on what should be done ( laughs ). I would suggest a healthy realism; reality must be accepted from wherever it comes. This is our reality; as in football, the goalkeeper must catch the ball from wherever it comes. Reality must be accepted for what it is. Be realistic. This is our reality.

First, I must be reconciled with reality. I don’t like it, I am against it, it makes me suffer, but if I don’t come to terms with it, I won’t be able to do anything. The second step is to work to improve reality and to change its direction.

Now, you see that these are simple suggestions, somewhat commonplace. But to be like an ostrich, that hides its head in the sand so as not to see reality, nor accept it, is no solution. Well then, let us discuss, let us keep searching, let us continue walking, always on the path, on the move. The water of a river is pure because it flows ahead; still water becomes stagnant. It is necessary to accept reality as it is, without disguising it, without refining it, and to find ways of improving it.

Well, here is something that is very important. If this happens to a company which has worked for twenty years and there is a business crisis, then there are few avenues of creativity to improve it. On the contrary, when it happens in an age-old country, with its age-old history, its age-old wisdom, its age-old creativity, then tension is created between the present problem and this past of ancient richness.

And this tension brings fruitfulness as it looks to the future. I believe that the great richness of China today lies in looking to the future from a present that is sustained by the memory of its cultural past. Living in tension, not in anguish, and the tension is between its very rich past and the challenge of the present which has to be carried forth into the future; that is, the story does n’t end here.

Sisci: On the occasion of the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Monkey, would you like to send a greeting to the Chinese people, to the Authorities and to President Xi Jinping?

Pope Francis : On the eve of the New Year, I wish to convey my best wishes and greetings to President Xi Jinping and to all the Chinese people. And I wish to express my hope that they never lose their historical awareness of being a great people, with a great history of wisdom, and that they have much to offer to the world.

The world looks to this great wisdom of yours. In this New Year, with this awareness, may you continue to go forward in order to help and cooperate with everyone in caring for our common home and our common peoples. Thank you!

Francesco Sisci is currently director of the Appia Institute think tank.

Russia plays it cool on Estonia’s ‘shadow fleet’ ship seizure – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 14, 2025

In: Asia, World

On Friday ( April 11 ), Estonia seized one of Russia’s” shadow fleet” vessels and, just two days later, approved a new law allowing it to use force to sink such ships if they pose a threat to national security.

The first was labeled as” state-sponsored piracy,” according to RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, while Nikolai Patrushev, the senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, speculated that Britain might be behind the second.

At the time of writing, Russia has not yet taken a significant stance against this most recent offense. The seizure occurred as part of Trump’s next meeting with Putin, which follows Soviet envoy Kirill Dmitriev’s efforts to break the impasse over Ukraine during his previous week in Washington, DC.

The political approach of the Russian-US discussions on correcting relationships and, consequently, ending their substitute war in Ukraine is back on a positive note, which upsets German warhawks like the UK. Therefore, it can be concluded that Patrushev is definitely correct because London does indeed have a desire to sabotage this.

In order to inspire Russia into a military response by seizing one of its alleged” dark ship,” mischievously timed as it was during Witkoff’s most recent trip to Russia, it makes perfect sense for the UK to encourage its German partner, in whose country it has little less than 1, 000 troops.

Russia’s reaction will likely remain physically restrained despite that fact, even if it quickly launches a political attack against Estonia and the UK. Moscow does this because it doesn’t want to slide into London’s pit.

Putin might hope that Trump can put pressure on the UK and Estonia to stop making any more provocative remarks, apparently by telling them (either informally or secretly ) that they won’t be able to defend NATO’s Article 5 security guarantees in the event of future seizure that lead to armed conflict of any kind with Russia.

The foundation for this plan is in what US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated in an early February statement about how the US won’t grant these same offers to NATO forces in Ukraine.

The US might even say that it will withdraw its troops from Estonia if this happens repeatedly, whether in parallel with or in its place, but that would have the opposite effect, causing the UK to lose its everlasting appearance there.

The result would be that, in the wake of Germany’s recent establishment of a continuous base in Lithuania, no profit to the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act could be made as Putin wants.

If France replicates its circular presence in Romania with similar results, Western Europe’s three standard Great Powers may basically be moving eastward to stop Trump from possible reaching a deal with Putin to restore the NATO-Russia Founding Act.

This is consistent with what was previously said in this evaluation: The US is unlikely to withdraw its troops from Central and Eastern Europe, making these improvements a part of their struggle for leadership in post-conflict Europe.

Russia and the US may not be able to stop this because the earliest didn’t use force in response to such low-level intra-NATO deployments, no matter how intimidating it may be, while the next has lost command over its rebel German, British, and European allies.

In any case, the relevance of this scenario to Estonia, which is supported by the British, is that a strong political reaction from Moscow could be used to justifiably justify the UK doing this.

Even if this most recent action doesn’t sabotage the Russian-US talks ‘ positive trajectory, the decision may have already been made to complicate the Russian-US rapprochement and put it in opposition to its traditional Western European Great Power counterparts.

Despite its extreme political bent, a militarily restrained response from Russia could make the UK’s potential establishment of a permanent military presence in Estonia appear provocative by removing the primary pretext.

Russia could at least be able to present it as a destabilizing move to the world public despite the fact that the outcome would remain unchanged, that is, that it could happen regardless of what.

That’s better than Moscow falling for London’s trap by issuing credible military threats against Tallinn that could lead to the reversal of recent advances in ties with Washington and even provoking a rally against NATO against Russia. If Putin doesn’t want to go to war over this, then it’s the best course of action right now, assuming there are other unfortunate events.

In that case, the US stance toward Article 5 in this regard would be crucial, as he might eventually overcome his innate reluctance to escalate&nbsp, just as he did when he did&nbsp in late November when authorizing the use of his nation’s top-secret medium-range hypersonic Oreshnik missiles.

Repeat incidents would only occur if the US were unable or unwilling to exert any influence over Estonia, which was supported by the United States. Therefore, it may either withhold or explicitly reaffirm these defense guarantees.

Trump’s choice will ultimately depend on whether he will eventually grow resentful toward Putin because he has been unwilling to significantly compromise andnbsp, on andnbsp, his highest goals.

He already, right before Dmitriev’s most recent trip, and once more posted about them during Witkoff’s visit on Friday in an effort to possibly support upcoming seizures as a form of pressure on Russia. That would be a very dangerous way to “escalate to de-escalate” on better terms for Ukraine.

Since Putin couldn’t step down and Russia reportedly lost the significant budgetary revenue it reportedly receives from its” shadow fleet’s” Baltic activities, as well as face-loss, it could very well escalate.

However, as of right now, everything is still manageable, but that could change. Even though Putin’s patience has its limits, Russia’s restrained response to Estonia’s provocative naval seizure is pragmatic.

This article was originally published on Andrew Korybko’s Substack and is republished with kind permission. Subscribe to the Andrew Korybko Newsletter here.

Estonia cribbing Ukraine’s script for provoking Russia – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 12, 2025

In: Asia, World

Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his family Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot and killed by Gavrilo Princeps, a Bosnian-Serb extreme, on June 28, 1914. Legate did not act by himself.

He was one of the group’s six principals known as Young Bosnia, and he and others were attempting to secede from the Austro-Hungarian kingdom. Additionally, he was helped by the Black Hand, a covert organization that provided arms like guns and bombs.

The murder of the Austrian Archduke, who was the immediate following king Franz Joseph I, was a offense that led to the so-called July crisis, which culminated in a Serbian ultimatum on July 23. By that point, Germany had pledged to support Austria, and Russia and France would organize to support Bosnian nationalism.

World War I might have been avoided, but it was not. Some of the crime’s perpetrators in Bosnia were tried, others were imprisoned ( including Princeps ), and others were put to death. The Austrians significantly overestimated their defense prowess. The Austro-Hungarian kingdom do vanish at the conclusion of the conflict for them.

Isabel and Franc Ferdinand in the murderous vehicle. In the back of the car, the king and his partner are seated. IWM picture

Are we currently in a similar position? Ukraine and some of its followers, including Joe Biden, who authorized long-range ATACMS hits deeply inside Russia, some of which targeted Russia’s early warning scanners and nuclear bomb foundations, have carried out numerous actions.

The Ukrainians launched aircraft attacks on the Kremlin on May 3, 2023, aiming specifically at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s business.

Without NATO’s professional assistance, such attacks are incomprehensible, particularly since long-range robots require spacecraft for tracking and communication. The White House has refuted claims that it just carried out attacks.

Ukraine and its supporters have also waged and waged a social conflict with Russia. Estonia is one of the best propagandists.

The most north of the European state is Estonia. It faces the Baltic Sea, where Tallinn, its country’s funds, is abut. Narva, the village in Estonia, is directly bordering Russia. About half of Narva’s people is Russian.

According to statistics from 2023, Estonia has a population of 1.37 million. Depending on how the matter is calculated, between 20 and 25 % of Estonia’s inhabitants are Russians.

Estonia has been fighting Russia for its culture for a while completely dependent on NATO for its stability for a while. Just 7, 700 active duty members of the German army are conscripts, of which 3, 500 are troops.

Its reserve force is considerably larger, but it lacks the necessary tools to support its reserves, making it mostly a paper force. Estonia only has two Czech-made ( Aero Vodochody ) L-39 trainers and two small M-28 Polish transports, with none of them active.

one of two L-39s from Estonia. Photo provided by artist

Estonia did appear to not want to cause trouble for itself, but it seems the opposite is true, in large part due to the German belief that NATO has the backing to support it and that Russia would not attack a NATO state.

Threats are not something new for Estonians, whose hatred for Russians is intense. Estonia has made it abundantly clear that it will do whatever it can to humiliate both Russia and Russia itself by nearly denying citizenship to its Russian citizens and through legislation to attack the Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia.

Tallinn’s iron soldier relocated following the 2024 Victory Day Celebrations. Photo provided by the publisher.

The Albanians made the decision to relocate the statue known as the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn that in April 2007. Additionally, that statue served as the location of a number of graves of Russian Russian troops who had died fighting the Nazis.

The graves were dug up, and their Russian people were informed that they could either relocate them along with the monument to the Estonian military cemetery or that they could be buried there.

We have yet another round of monument-busting in 2025 as the Estonians re-demolish Russian war shrines. This includes damaging and destroying battle memorials, as well as dishonoring Belarusian graves in the Estonian military cemetery.

Statues dedicated to Russian sailors, soldiers, and officials who liberated the nation from Nazi invasions have been destroyed by employees of the Estonian Military Museum in Tallinn Military Cemetery. Photo provided by the artist.

The tremendous significance given to Russia’s crucial role in the beat of Nazi forces in World War II is if there is one unifying principle in Russia today. Russia holds its quarterly Victory Day celebration on May 9 that emphasizes a display of military might.

The Immortal Regiment, a more melancholy but obviously significant individual’s protest, follows it. People will happily bring World War II-era banners and pictures of their loved ones during this march ( Russian terminology for World War II ).

Estonia’s contempt for Russia’s victory in World War II, along with its poor, some might say, compromised actions supporting the Nazis, is becoming more irksome to the Russians.

Additionally, efforts are being made to prevent Russians from becoming citizens of Estonia or even from casting ballots in votes. Estonia has increased that by by passing new legislation to make it even harder for Russian citizens to receive equal treatment.

Estonia is even attempting to block any connection between the Russian Orthodox Churches in Estonia and the Moscow Patriarchate. Estonia’s steps may have been inspired by Ukraine, which is also taking the exact course, but it’s not surprising that they are similar.

The Immortal Regiment holds a protest in Moscow. Author provided with the image.

If, for instance, European or American Catholics were not permitted to connect with the Pope in Rome, the German actions against the Moscow-led church had stoke resentment and horror abroad.

Estonia is at the vanguard of the pro-war movement in Europe. Kaja Kallas, the country’s former prime minister, is now the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

She is presently a significant advocate for sending troops to Ukraine and expanding Europe’s defenses. Estonia is in the top of the list of the six countries that have allegedly pledged to send soldiers to Ukraine, despite the fact that it does not have anyone to take forces.

Provokes may cause war, which is the issue with actions. The growing apprehension about how Ukraine will survive the Russian siege is now apparent in official channels in some of Europe ( for example, France, UK, Germany, and Estonia ).

The French and British, in particular, have tried their hardest to undermine US President Donald Trump’s efforts by finding a quiet solution to the conflict.

Although some of this can be explained as a rescue for Europe’s financial problems by substituting military output for human production, gap spending of this kind will never be sufficient to solve Europe’s economic and industrial problems.

In the meantime, little nations like Estonia can result in significant issues and a conflict-producing nation.

Stephen Bryen is a former US assistant secretary of defense for plan and a specific editor for Asia Times. Weapons and Strategy, his Substack newsletter, previously appeared in this article, and it has since been republished with permission.

Cable wars: what to do about deepening conflict beneath the seas – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 11, 2025

In: Asia, World

A Russian shadow-fleet oil ship dragged its outlet a hundred yards across the Baltic seabed the day before Christmas, causing damage to world cords and the Estonian Estlink-2 power line.

The Chinese large aircraft Yi Peng 3 nearly the same thing the fortnight before, rupturing Baltic Sea online cables.

The Trans-PacificExpress Cable, which connects South Korea, Japan, and the United States, was damaged by a Cameroon-registered Chinese vessel ( Shunxing-39 ), which broke up in January 2025. &nbsp,

Injuries at sea do occur. For years, ocean communications cables have been hacked by sharks, porpoises, and ostensibly thoughtless sailors. Yet in recent years, basically “accidental” undersea cable disruptions have suddenly increased, not only around Taiwan, but also in the Baltic, the Red Sea, and abroad while well.

What is causing this string of oceanic conflicts, and what does it mean for foreign affairs in general?

According to most experts, the Information Revolution is the greatest force behind cord wars. The internet is extremely in charge of almost every aspect of our lives as that terrible juggernaut progresses. And 95 percent of web traffic travels beneath the sea, largely outside of nation-state boundaries, which contributes to a rash of wire construction and the above-mentioned geopolitical tensions.

For a variety of reasons, web traffic travels beneath the sea. The most important aspect is that maritime transmission is dramatically less expensive and more effective than the main alternative, since satellite hardware costs more to produce than fiber-optic cable.

Cable transportation is also subject to a small amount of regulation across international waters, which gives operators more flexibility to adapt to changing demand patterns as technology develops. So, Seaborne traffic is best suited to the rapidly expanding multinational service trade.

Around 400 significant undersea wires, stretching for a million miles in total, mostly across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from the United States to Europe and Northeast Asia, lie mainly in global waters, making up the vast majority of the internet connections that travel across the globe at the speed of light.

With less powerful connectors connecting Latin America, Africa, and other parts of the world, lower capacity extensions connect Europe and Asia via the Indian Ocean. Nearly all of this complex network is located beneath the sea, with some of the most rapidly expanding portions being constructed in areas of severe US-China geopolitical conflict.

Thus, undersea cable traffic is both extremely important economically and economically for advanced societies, and also highly susceptible to disruption. The top international players, particularly the United States and China, are becoming more and more competitive as a result of their economic ( and geopolitical ) importance. And there are spoilers out there intent on asymmetrically challenging the main players, particularly Russia and a plethora of international terrorists.

For five fundamental reasons,” cable wars” have significantly accelerated over the past ten years as geopolitics has entered the picture. China’s rapidly expanding cable network, which is focused on developing countries stretching westward across the Indian Ocean to Europe and Africa, has been its main driver.

Development projects in China have received significant funding and have focused on establishing direct links between developing countries and underdeveloped information societies with strategic interests in China.

A similarly geostrategic American response to Chinese expansion across the Indo-Pacific has been a second driver of cable wars, using both legal and physical tools. The US’s objection to a trans-Pacific cable in the US to Hong Kong, which American regulators rejected in 2024, was the first one.

An alternate trans-Pacific cable connecting the US to Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Singapore via Palau was created in collaboration with Japan.

In competition with China’s Peace cable from Gwadar in Pakistan through the Red Sea and the Mediterranean to Marseilles, the US also initiated the Sea-We-6 Indian Ocean cable from Singapore westward.

Thus, the US re-entered the cable-laying game, which was inspired by geopolitical competition, as it used diplomatic means to stop the construction of Chinese cables. The US and China engaged in fierce combat in these and related projects to establish a binding relationship between East Asia and Arica in self-contained configurations.

Geopolitical conflict in crucial areas of the world has contributed to the deepening Eurasian cable wars, which has had three additional drivers.

The Ukraine war, which was sparked by Russia’s February 2022 attack on Ukraine, was of course the most dramatic. The Russians have reportedly found asymmetric undersea warfare, which involves frequent covert, deniable attacks on undersea cables, to be a low-cost yet high-impact form of response as the conflict has steadily grown and with Russian bombardment intensifying even as the West has provided more advanced weaponry to the Ukrainians.

The Russians have had special geopolitical incentives to target Baltic infrastructure as a result of the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO in 2023 and the fragile yet deteriorating Nordic infrastructure ties to the former Soviet Baltic republics.

The Middle East’s growing regional conflict has also been sparked by the Hamas attack in October 2023 and followed by Israel’s unwavering support of the Iranian” Axis of Resistance” ( Axis of Resistance ).

With over 10 % of global internet traffic passing through Egypt, the Red Sea has been a particularly vulnerable arena and proximate target. The Shiite Houthis of Yemen, who rule the Bab al-Mandab’s Arabian coast, have threatened undersea cable lines, particularly those that are connected to the US and Europe, as well as maritime commerce from the Indian Ocean to Europe.

Cables that are near Yemen. Submarine Cable Map is in the image.

The Taiwan Strait is the third Eurasian flashpoint, where cable disputes have already broken out and seem to be getting worse. Hybrid warfare serves a short-term Chinese geopolitical goal, similar to what happened with the Russians in the Baltic: to put pressure on the Taiwanese regime without provoking a kinetic response from the United States.

Two subsea internet cables that connect Matsu and Taiwan were damaged by Chinese ships in 2023, causing Matsu to experience internet blackouts. A similar incident occurred in January 2025, just the latest in a series of roughly thirty gray-zone undersea-cable incidents against Taiwan since 2017.

As I mentioned in my recently published book, Eurasian Maritime Geopolitics, the sea lanes of the Indo-Pacific and those of the Arctic seem likely candidates for a further escalation of cable wars.

The main conflict point is between the cable war leaders, the United States and China, and there are numerous flashpoints that could stoke a rift.

The sea lanes between Suez and Shanghai offer a number of flashpoints that are particularly attractive to disruptors because they involve less-developed infrastructure than those in the G-7, and because they cause high geopolitical tensions and littoral regions are less equipped to deal with disruptions.

In addition to Taiwan, chokepoints like the Strait of Malacca, where piracy has always been a problem, and Diego Garcia’s area offer the possibility of cable conflict over a cable building, surveillance, and cable interdiction.

The status of potential landing sites and information centers in nations like Sri Lanka will likely be a source of contention, especially since a lack of bases nearby makes it difficult for the US to respond to cable disruption.

The Arctic is turning into a region of deepening information infrastructure construction that could lead to cable conflict as well, and even natural factors like global warming are likely to accelerate the ongoing cable war.

Fortunately, the White House and the US Congress are beginning to understand the risks associated with cable conflict given the rising likelihood of it affecting national security. The Undersea Cable Security and Protection Act ( H. R. 9766 ), which was proposed in September 2024, is a significant first step.

America needs to collaborate with NATO and other allies to combat Chinese, Iranian, and Russian overt and gray-zone efforts in addition to improving the protection of undersea telecommunications cables and associated landing points in the United States.

Kent Calder is the director of Johns Hopkins University’s Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, a former US Ambassador to Japan, and the author of Eurasian Maritime Geopolitics ( Brookings, 2025 ).

Why many 2nd-generation Asian Canadians plan to vote Conservative – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 11, 2025

In: Asia, World

The Liberal Party of Canada is beginning to recover after months of social deterioration, which some claim is driven by a wave of national pride in response to Donald Trump’s price battle and threats to American sovereignty.

The Conservative Party of Canada’s ( CPC )’s ) growing appeal among immigrants and their children is obscured by this apparent rebound, which is more surprising.

The centrist Liberal Party has usually been supported by immigrants and members of apparent minority groups. Chinese and South Asian Canadians have long been a significant part of the Liberal base in the Greater Toronto Area ( GTA ), where over half of all residents identify as “visible minority” ( the category used by StatCan ).

However, recent polling reveal a unique perspective. According to a survey conducted in October 2024, 44 % of immigrants have changed their political affiliations since immigrating to Canada, with several then leaning Conservative.

In addition, another national survey from January 2025 found that the majority of East Asian ( 55 % ) and South Asian ( 56 % ) respondents voted in favor of the Conservative Party, far outpacing the Liberals or the NDP.

The two largest populations in Canada are South Asians and Chinese Canadians, accounting for more than 26 % of the country’s population.

The couple available data points suggest a significant shift, despite the rarity of detailed cultural breakdowns in American voting. This style also reflects a wider pattern: South Asian and Chinese Indians in the GTA are becoming more socially active, with a rise in voter participation and a broader political split.

Increasing awareness

For its part, the Conservative Party has taken see. Under Pierre Poilievre’s leadership, the CPC has constantly recruited racial candidates and increased awareness to residential swing ridings, specially through ethnic media ads and messages centered on family values and financial self-reliance.

This racial voter’s shift to the right perhaps seem counterintuitive. Under Stephen Harper’s leadership from 2006 to 2015, the Conservative Party has previously represented white, wealthy voters, and has implemented policies that have overwhelmingly harmed racial communities.

Why, then, do racialized Canadians extremely turn to the right?

In a study I just published, I spoke with 50 white, South Asian, and black children who were born in the Greater Toronto Area ( GTA ) through a study I recently conducted. This change, in my opinion, is not in contradiction with the previous one but provides a glass into how racial groups deal with inequality, isolation, and the research for belonging.

Although there are many reasons why second-generation racist Canadians may back the Conservative Party, this study provides one unexplored explanation. Second-generation South Asian and Chinese Canadians may seek approval when power is related to white by voting for a right-wing party that represents the interests of light, wealthy citizens.

the added costs associated with appropriate in

In other words, many of these racist Canadians don’t voting Traditional because they are ignorant of inequality. They choose to be Traditional because they are navigating it.

The younger people I interviewed watched their immigrant families face deskilling and upward mobility despite having professional certifications and growing up in dangerously middle-class families.

They were pressured by their families to” Canadianize” their titles and accents, only to be let down by companies who also supported white.

And they were raised in a society that frequently ignores structural racism while celebrating historical symbols.

In this environment, supporting the Conservatives reflects a way to overcome exclusion rather than ignorance of it. Having a proper alignment is a sign of belonging.

One younger South Asian American gentleman put it this way:

You’ve arrived, I tell you. You are a French. Thus, begin casting your ballot like a fool.”

This apprehension to relate doesn’t manifest in a pump. It is shaped by cultural scripts that compensation compliance and punish dissention, most notably the design minority stereotype.

Acceptance comes at a price.

Eastern Canadians are portrayed as diligent and silently effective by the model minority stereotype. It appears to be acclaim at first. In reality, it conceals inequality and needs silence in exchange for contingent belonging.

That tolerance is delicate. Some South Asians, especially those who were perceived as Muslims, were immediately recast as dangerous outsiders after Sept. 11, 2001.

Similar themes surfaced again during the Covid-19 pandemic, when racial harassment in Eastern People dramatically increased. In both instances, those who were once hailed as “model” residents were abruptly threatened.

Social caution, such as keeping silent or avoiding protest, can serve as a survival tactic in some situations. However, that’s not what I observed in this review.

The second-generation Canadians I spoke with were not socially calm. They vehemently backed the Conservative Party. Voting Conservative was a way for them to show they were already there, not by requesting incorporation, but by demonstrating they did not need to. Conservative conservatism became a sign of success, independence, and connection to the people who were at the heart of American life.

This idea is reinforced by Canada’s established embrace of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is unclear how racism actually operates, despite being frequently praised as a regional strength. Behind feel-good stories of addition, architectural restrictions are hidden.

Reconsidering belonging

Race, school, and dignity are frequently the factors that influence who belongs in Canada. Racially divided folks must not only show that they are diligent and upholding the law, but also that they have “fit in.” Voting Conservative is a way for some to demonstrate that they have done the same, as saying,” I’m not like them. One of you is me.

However, this approach has a price. Racialized voters perhaps gain personal recognition while promoting the very structures that marginalize them while furthering social exclusion. And they might avoid the procedures that would contribute to the development of a more just community by rejecting equity-based platforms.

This fluid is not limited to the next generation. Four in five newcomers, according to a recent CBC study, think Canada has accepted to many immigrants and foreign students without appropriate planning.

Some newcomers are becoming more and more expressing their anti-social opinions, frequently toward those who have arrived more just. This also embodies ambitious politicians. And it demonstrates how vehemently intertwined are culture, precarity, and belonging today in Canada.

None of this imply that conservatives who are racialized are nave. Their choices frequently reflect a thorough knowledge of how electricity functions.

But if we want a fairer political future, we must consider how race, class, and nationalism affect belonging, not just at the polls but also in the narratives we tell about who qualifies as” Canadian.”

Inclusion shouldn’t be seen as an act of generosity, as sociology Ruha Benjamin reminds us. It’s not about “helping” the underprivileged; rather, it’s about acknowledging that we are all interconnected. Everyone suffers when fear is removed from public policy and commodities.

Emine Fidan Elcioglu is a University of Toronto associate professor of sociology.

This content was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Learn the article’s introduction.

Pikachu, Studio Ghibli memes and the subversive power of cuteness – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: April 11, 2025

In: Asia, World

Pikachu was spotted fleeing the authorities in Antalya, Turkey, as quickly as his quick, bright arms had wiggle.

The person who donned the well-known Pokémon figure had been protesting the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, whose social group afterward wrote on X:” Pepper spray, which also affects Pikachu, didn’t do anything to you or me! # ResistPikachu.

The web was having a field day at the same time as another renowned Japanese anime film, using conceptual AI to recast popular memes, family photos, and movie scenes in a manner appropriate for the Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli.

Never mind that Hayao Miyazaki, a chairman and founder of Studio Ghibli, reportedly criticized AI-generated arts as” an affront to life itself.” The charm of beauty is demonstrated by both the popular Pikachu activist and the popular Studio Ghibli-style animations.

There’s more to charming than that, in my opinion.

Use political language to describe beauty. It may draw attention to injustices committed to the underprivileged. And it can increase the underdog’s assistance.

In the truest sense of the word, it’s a form of sweet energy.

Asia embraces the adorable

As a Chinese American, I’ve always been a longtime fan of East Asian culture’s cuteness, including adorable cartoon characters, adorable stationery, and even cute-looking food.

Now that I’ve studied cuteness, I’m interested in understanding what constitutes a” cute” and how it functions in politics and culture.

Japan is a well-known, endearing country with a lot of common, well-known, and adorable pop culture figures and products, especially after World War II, when Japanese animation, or anime, and a Japanese comics style called manga gained popularity.

Their narratives and aesthetics reached out to a nation that is still reeling from the disgrace of US job and the destruction caused by the nuclear bombs.

Using stories that were cheerful, upsetting, or a combination of both, Anime and manga used both futuristic and idealistic futures to process shared trauma.

Through grief, shame, and loss, pretty characters frequently guided audiences and readers. For instance, the six-year-old Gen’s activities are described in the comic” Barefoot Gen,” which details his survival from the Hiroshima attack.

Similar to” Tomb of the Fireflies,” a film from Studio Ghibli tells the tale of Seita and Setsuko, two younger siblings who are starving following the bombing of Kobe in World War II’s waning years. They are drawn because of their expressive faces and large eyes, which symbolize ignorance and impotence.

In the latter half of the 20th century, Studio Ghibli and the Pokémon company, along with other titan of beauty like Hello Kitty, who merely celebrated her 50th birthday, Doraemon, and well-known Nintendo figures Kirby and Yoshi, emerged.

South Asian cultures are now predominate due to charm.

Popular cartoon characters adorn the sides of Chinese trains, as well as green bunnies and small rice cookers, which are cute mascots for the city of Taipei.

The word “kawaii” refers to the lovely and lovable in Japan. This includes clothing and even talk, such as talking in a pout or speaking in a childish voice, as well as cartoon characters and velvet dolls.

You can learn beauty in the way celebrities often speak with a baby voice, breath out their cheeks, or bird their eyelashes in Asia when they flash heart symbols with their fingers, a gesture that originated in South Korea.

softer the snags

American culture is rooted in charm. However, it lacks Asia’s equivalent historical clout.

But to me, the Studio Ghibli memes that dominated British social media platforms revealed a common desire for affection at a time when the world seems particularly harsh, aggressive, and uncertain.

According to Sianne Ngai, a theoreticalist, cuteness is typically determined by the power gap between the observer and the cute object: A small kitten, a stuffed animal, or a crying baby are all cute in part because they’re so vulnerable.

I believe that’s why the White House’s attempts to get involved in the Ghibli memes failed. A Dominican woman was handcuffed by an ICE agent while her Instagram account posted a Ghibli-like image:

The portrayal sparked outrage. The cartoon assumes that the audience would enjoy punching down. Celebrating the powerful – the ICE agent and the U.S. government, rather than the powerless, is a perversion of how cuteness works. Compare the White House’s appearance to the” Grave of the Fireflies,” which highlighted the vulnerability of children during war.

Rallying in circles of cuteness

But paradoxically, cute characters can have powerful effects: Most people can’t help but cheer for a furry, yellow cartoon animal fleeing from riot police. A cute character can appear helpless, but it can show up in the crowd to support the brave.

Pikachu may have been present at two other protests, one of which was an anti-Trump rally in Washington, DC, on April 5, 2025, and another that was held the same day.

Cuteness has been used in Asia as a political tool, which is surprising. The Milk Tea Alliance, which was established in 2020, is a pro-democracy, pan-Asian movement that brings together people in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, and other countries.

The effectiveness of cuteness and humor as a tool to condemn violence and denounce authoritarianism is pointedly highlighted by organizers. The movement’s online images feature cartoons of holding hands while holding Taiwan bubble tea, Thai cha, and Hong Kong milk tea in anime-style drawings of young student protestors.

Comedy can be obscene. Political cartoons and comedic performers, of course, have long tapped into this dynamic.

However, cuteness further defangs the power hungry by adding a whimsical absurdity. Is it any wonder that Chinese authorities forbade the release of a Winnie-the-Pooh movie after Xi Jinping-related memes went viral?

Despite having a cuddly, quaint, and endearing exterior, cuteness has hidden superpowers: it celebrates the vulnerable while sapping the authority figures they want to project.

At Yale University, Yii-Jan Lin is an associate professor of New Testament.

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