The China-Russia partnership is a highly consequential geopolitical alignment driven by a shared goal of countering U.S. hegemony and reshaping the international order into a multipolar system. While not a formal alliance, this relationship is strengthened by Russia's increasing economic reliance on China following Western sanctions, which allows Beijing to leverage its influence. Policymakers should note that while the partnership projects deep solidarity (as seen in high-level summits), it remains complex and limited by mutual mistrust and competing strategic interests. This enduring alignment poses a significant challenge to U.S. interests and requires continued diplomatic vigilance.
Same engine, new fuel? China's economic model and the AI bet
English Summary
China's established investment-and-export-led economic growth model is encountering severe systemic pressures, marked by diminishing investment returns and a deflationary domestic market. To address these issues, China is implementing an "AI Plus" Initiative, aiming to integrate artificial intelligence across its economy for modernization by 2035. However, significant internal challenges like an aging population, low productivity growth, and high youth unemployment raise doubts about the sustainability of this model and AI's capacity to fulfill the state's ambitious economic and political objectives.
中文摘要
中國既定的投資和出口導向型經濟增長模式正遭遇嚴峻的系統性壓力，其特點是投資回報遞減和國內市場通貨緊縮。為了解決這些問題，中國正在實施「AI Plus」倡議，目標是在2035年前將人工智能整合到其經濟的各個領域，以實現現代化。然而，諸如人口老化、生產力增長緩緩以及青年失業率高企等重大的內部挑戰，使人們對這種模式的可持續性以及人工智能能否實現國家宏大經濟和政治目標的能力產生疑慮。
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