Articles

Guest: Pan Xuezhi, Research Director of the Minsi Policy Research Institute

A think tank on Tuesday suggested the government set up a unit dedicated to helping owners' corporations, in particular those at old buildings, to protect homeowners from bid-rigging.

Today is International Day of Migrants. In my talk show, "# People's Avenue Central," I discussed how immigration impacts culture and development, sharing two key themes: the challenges of Nordic welfare states and the real stories of Hong Kong people living overseas. Sweden, which has a relatively lenient approach to immigration, is now facing social pressures that have led the government to examine its capacity to accommodate immigrants. Denmark, on the other hand, is strictly controlling immigration and promoting overseas refugee processing centers, sparking integration and human rights controversies, reflecting the complex choices Europe faces in the face of the influx of immigrants. Meanwhile, in recent years, a large number of Hong Kong people have emigrated to the UK and Canada, facing challenges such as job demotion, declining income, and cultural adaptation, while also seeking educational and employment opportunities to start new chapters in their lives. The United Nations has chosen "My Story: Culture and Development" as this year's theme, reminding us that immigration is not only a national issue, but also, for individuals, a journey full of resilience and hope.

The US and Ukraine reached a consensus on "90%" in Berlin, but this largely consists of institutional arrangements such as security guarantees, military aid coordination, and reconstruction. The truly intractable issue is the territorial status, which cannot be technically addressed. The West attempted to stabilize the controllable 80% with a "like Article 5" agreement, but Kyiv insisted on not ceding territory or recognizing aggression, while Moscow insisted on legal recognition as a prerequisite for peace, leading to a structural confrontation. Therefore, "90%" signifies the initial formation of an institutional framework, but not a peaceful approach; the remaining 10%, the sovereignty issue, is the core factor determining whether the agreement can be implemented. The next step will test whether the international community can build sustainable security and economic support for Ukraine without recognizing the use of force to change borders, and will also be a stress test for the European security order.

Kaohsiung City's statement that "a contingency in Taiwan" should be included in the National Security Law's provisions for crisis situations implies that Japan can invoke its collective self-defense rights to support US military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, ending strategic ambiguity. Two weeks later, the US finally publicly supported this, placing orders for Japan to export Patriot missiles to replenish US military inventory, validating the integration of the defense industry into the US supply chain. While this increases deterrence, it may also exacerbate coordination between China and Russia, leading to the birth of a new regional "cold peace." Beijing's postponement of the China-Japan-South Korea cultural conference and the imposition of travel warnings and seafood bans demonstrate its strategy of using economic penalties to deter security threats. Northeast Asia is entering a new normal of high risk and low mutual trust; what will be the next sanction? Crisis management may be more urgent than increasing arms purchases.

Amidst a turbulent international situation, Sino-Russian relations continue to warm. Xi Jinping's meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mishustin demonstrates a comprehensive deepening of bilateral cooperation in high-level interactions, economic and trade cooperation, and institutional alignment. Emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and green development are becoming new engines for bilateral cooperation, promoting the alignment of the 15th Five-Year Plan with Russia's development strategy and strengthening institutionalized cooperation. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Hergesse visited South Korea, emphasizing that the core of the US-ROK alliance remains deterring North Korea and promoting "strategic flexibility" for US troops stationed in South Korea to counter the challenge from China. South Korea, however, is responding cautiously, concerned about the impact on its homeland defense capabilities. South Korea has also increased its defense and AI budgets, promoted the construction of nuclear submarines and the transfer of operational control, demonstrating its determination for military self-reliance. The deepening strategic cooperation between China and Russia, and the adjustment of the US-ROK alliance structure, are quietly reshaping the Indo-Pacific region.

The national "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes to enhance the effectiveness of governance in Hong Kong and Macao in accordance with the law, and promote their economic and social development. The Macao Scholars Alliance held a symposium to discuss how Hong Kong and Macao can […] within the Greater Bay Area.

International law clearly defines Russia as an aggressor, and the United Nations has repeatedly demanded its withdrawal. NATO and the US and Europe are merely supporters, not belligerents. NATO cooperated with Russia after the Cold War until the Crimean War and the 2022 invasion. After ceasefire negotiations stalled, Trump shifted his focus to attacking Russia's energy revenues, demonstrating a "carrot and stick" strategy rather than replacing the parties involved as arbitrators. Ukraine has been able to hold out for four years thanks to a long chain of support from the US and Europe: Patriot air defense, HIMARS, ATACMS, and over €300 billion in aid, forming the structural pillars of its resistance against Russian forces. Without this chain, Ukraine would have struggled to withstand multiple waves of airstrikes and ground attacks. The Eastern European conflict remains a stalemate; true peace requires security barriers and multilateral coordination, not a single summit.

Sanae Takaichi has finally been appointed Prime Minister, becoming Japan's first female Prime Minister. I delve into the power dynamics behind her political dealings with the Restoration Party. Can the new cabinet maintain a balance within the party? […]

Earlier, the Minsi Policy Research Institute collaborated with the Shanghai-Hong Kong Joint Institute of Development of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to co-organize the "Building Bridges and Achieving Across Boundaries" seminar, allowing over a hundred participants from different generations and professional backgrounds to form groups and put forward more than 30 proposals covering areas such as governance reform, elderly living, educational innovation, industrial upgrading, and cultural creativity.