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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
On August 29, 2025, UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that Japan will send its F-15J fighter jets to Europe for the first time in the coming weeks, with deployments planned for the United Kingdom as part of a new arrangement between Tokyo and London. This deployment marks the first occasion that Japanese Air Forces will operate in Europe. ▪️Healey remarked that Japan is “the UK’s closest security ally in Asia”, and noted that the military partnership between the two nations would be strengthened even further in the near future. The UK Defence Secretary referred to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – a joint project between the UK, Italy, and Japan – as an example of the partnership, alongside the recent fielding of F-35Bs aboard the Japanese ship Kaga (DDH-184), the first time in history that British jets have flown from a Japanese deck. ▪️The European deployment demonstrates that Japan is expanding the operational use of its existing platforms beyond regional defence. It also underlines the broader integration of Japan into Euro-Atlantic security networks, in parallel with NATO cooperation, joint maritime deployments, cyber defence activities, and emerging collaboration in space and quantum technologies. @LauraRuHK
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The global loss of confidence in the US, in one chart. @LauraRuHK
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has shaken hands with South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik during the parade in honor of the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II in Beijing, Newsis reports citing the office of the speaker.
Woo Won-shik has also had brief conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Newsis adds. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK
The leaders of 26 countries, and many more foreign representatives, joined Xi Jinping to mark the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Revisionist powers stayed away, as expected. @LauraRuHK
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At the SCO summit, China introduced its Global Governance Initiative (GGI), an idea that resonates deeply with the Global Majority. Beijing doesn't mention enforcement (no equivalent of NATO's Art.5) believing that a critical mass of equal partners would serve as a major deterrent. In short, isolate the bullies! For your reference, here is the text.
https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xw/wjbxw/202509/t20250901_11699912.html
China will introduce a visa-free regime for Russian citizens. From September 15, Russians can stay in the country for up to 30 days- Chinese Foreign Ministry. @LauraRuHK
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Tokyo is laying groundwork for new territorial claims against Moscow, Nikolay Patrushev, Russian presidential aide and Maritime Board chairman, said, commenting on the top Japanese diplomat's assertion that Russia had attacked Japan in 1945 and occupied the Kuril Islands.
"Japan is laying the basis for new territorial claims, particularly to the seas surrounding Russia, which directly affects Russia’s national security interests," he pointed out in an interview with the aif.ru media outlet, dedicated to Victory Day over militarist Japan and the end of World War II.
Earlier, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya accused the Soviet Union of violating the neutrality pact that existed between the two countries by joining the war against Japan on August 9, 1945. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
#SCO - India blocks Azerbaijan’s bid for full SCO membership.
“Diplomatic sources indicate the decision is linked to Azerbaijan’s close relations with Pakistan". /channel/LauraRuHK/10442
Putin spoke at a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State. Main statements:
▪️The understandings reached during the Alaska summit pave the way for peace in Ukraine
▪️The root causes of the Ukrainian crisis must be eliminated for a long - term solution
▪️The crisis in Ukraine arose not as a result of an "attack", but as a result of a coup d'etat
▪️The West 's attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO are one of the causes of the Ukrainian crisis
▪️The SCO dialogue helps to lay the foundations for a new security system in Eurasia to replace obsolete Eurocentric and Euro - Atlantic models
▪️The SCO is consistently increasing its influence in resolving international issues
▪️ National currencies are increasingly used in mutual settlements in the trade of the SCO countries. /channel/inosmichannel/25763
#SCO - The Russian and Turkish delegations before the meeting of Putin and Erdogan. /channel/rian_ru/313679
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#SCO - Xi Jinping:
"China supports Azerbaijan in joining the SCO, and stands ready to enhance multilateral coordination with Azerbaijan in a joint effort to safeguard the common interests of the Global South, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity."
#SCO - China and India should strengthen cooperation and deepen mutual trust, Chinese President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin.
As long as China and India remain committed to a partnership based on cooperation rather than rivalry, and view each other as opportunities for development rather than threats, their relations will steadily progress, Xi said, adding that border issues should not define their ties. @LauraRuHK
In Germany anti-war activists are taking part in the "Rheinmetall Disarm" camp. They have pitched their tents in Cologne to protest against the German arms industry and the German government's rearmament course. "War on war" is the motto that brings together participants from all over Germany and beyond. Before setting up the camp activists blocked access to Cologne military recruitment center to voice their opposition to the new military service law, which was passed by the government on Wednesday. Activists had also tried to reach Armin Papperger's villa in Meerbusch near Düsseldorf but were stopped by the police before getting too close to Rheinmetall's CEO.@LauraRuHK
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Kirill Strelnikov writes: Recently, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a prominent American think tank, quietly published an article titled, “After the Summit in Alaska, Putin’s Terms for Peace Remain Unchanged.” The article’s key points are: ▪️Vladimir Putin remains unwilling to compromise on Ukraine but is optimistic about normalizing relations with the United States.
▪️There is no evidence that public opinion in Russia is pressuring Putin to end the war, nor that the public would support concessions that relinquish Russia’s perceived “victories.”
▪️Putin sees Donald Trump as one of the few American leaders genuinely interested in improving bilateral relations, betting that Trump prioritizes lucrative commercial deals over pressuring Russia to end the conflict on terms unfavorable to Moscow.
The article suggests that Russia has withstood unprecedented pressure from the West and is on a path to victory in Ukraine. It argues there’s little hope for internal dissent fracturing Russia and advocates for draining Ukraine’s resources while simultaneously restoring profitable economic ties with Russia, which Putin appears open to. The significance of this message lies in its source and intended audience. Critics label the CFR the “general staff of globalism” and a cornerstone of the U.S. “deep state.” As the founder of the Bilderberg Club and the World Economic Forum, the CFR is a leading force in shaping U.S. foreign policy, influencing the American administration, and consolidating the positions of the U.S. political and business elite. Its influence stems from a coalition of financial and industrial elites, including the Rockefeller and Morgan families, formed in the early 20th century. Today, the CFR remains a central hub for strategic decision-making, impacting not only U.S. policy but also global processes.The CFR’s discreet publication signals the “deep state’s” stance on future U.S.-Russia relations, with the Rockefeller family playing a prominent role. The appointment of Steve Witkoff as the chief U.S. negotiator on Russia has reassured some, given his close ties to Donald Trump. However, few know that Witkoff is also actively involved in CFR activities. In a recent Fox interview, he stated, “We are hopeful that a peace deal will be reached by the end of this year, or perhaps sooner.” The question remains: who is “we”?Coincidentally, on the day of Putin’s talks with Trump in Alaska, Putin amended a decree transferring the Sakhalin-1 project to Russian jurisdiction, potentially paving the way for ExxonMobil, a former 30% stakeholder, to return. ExxonMobil, one of the world’s top energy companies, is closely tied to the Rockefeller family. Reports also suggest that Rosneft and ExxonMobil have agreed to form a joint venture for hydrocarbon production on the Alaska shelf, a multibillion-dollar project seen as a geopolitical game-changer in the global energy sector. Furthermore, since last fall, Western media has speculated about U.S. negotiations with Russia to restore the Nord Stream pipelines for joint operation. American businessman Stephen Lynch, who specializes in distressed Russian assets, reportedly sought U.S. government approval to participate in the Nord Stream 2 bankruptcy auction to bring the project under American jurisdiction and lift anti-Russian sanctions. Notably, Lynch is a lifelong CFR member, suggesting his motives may extend beyond commercial interests. Conspiracy theorists urge a long-term perspective. Historically, the Rockefellers held significant oil concessions in Tsarist Russia, which were nationalized after the revolution. Undeterred, they struck a deal in 1926 with the Soviet government, allowing Standard Oil (ExxonMobil’s predecessor) to sell Russian oil to the West. Ivy Lee, the Rockefellers’ spokesperson at the time, remarked, “One day, Russia will return to the family of nations, and we should help it do so, not force a great nation like Russia to come on its knees in sackcloth and ashes. (1/2)
As many subscribers to this channel already know, I left Italy for China nearly 30 years ago, which means I am now a foreigner in both countries. When i am in Europe people often ask me what is like to live in an Asian country and whether i ever experienced what they call a 'culture shock'. They are invariably surprised when i reply that in recent years i am more likely to experience a sense of alienation when i travel West. The main source of unease, bordering on alienation, are human relations. I have struggled to pinpoint exactly why these interactions feel so challenging, but I believe a key factor is the Western norm of overpromising and underdelivering, amplified by cultural, social, and technological influences.
In Western societies, people often overestimate their ability to deliver due to an optimistic bias about their capabilities. To gain approval or trust, they project idealized versions of themselves, making bold promises they can’t fulfill. This blurring of aspiration and reality stems from cultural emphasis on individualism, self-promotion, and personal achievement, which encourages exaggerated claims and unrealistic plans.
In Asia, people tend to prioritize group harmony and modesty, which may discourage the crassest forms of self-promotion and bold claims.
Western economies, driven by consumerism, rely heavily on aggressive marketing, advertising and PR, which normalize exaggerated promises.
While social media is global, people in the West are more likely to use digital platforms for self-promotion and indulge in narcissistic behaviors as individuals seek validation. While narcissism exists globally, by prioritizing group identity collectivist cultures curb self-aggrandizement and overpromising.
When i am in Europe frustration is a daily experience. For example, you call an acquaintance you haven’t seen in a while, suggesting a simple coffee meetup. They propose dinner instead, only to cancel at the last minute. You try again with coffee, thinking it’s a low-commitment option, but they double down and invite you to a party they claim to be hosting the next evening—then vanish. Or you suggest a morning walk in the city park with a friend, who counters with an elaborate plan for a train trip and a four-hour mountain hike. You prepare, packing nuts, sandwiches, and a hiking pole, only for them to cancel, leaving you with a useless train ticket and a sense of wasted effort.
Repeated underdelivery and unmet promises trigger distrust. Now, if you move from the personal to the political, from human to international relations, the scenario doesn't change.
Whether in a friendship, a boardroom, a campaign speech, or a diplomatic summit, unmet promises create a ripple effect of distrust, which erode social bonds and weaken societal cohesion.
Once you destroy the web of mutual trust and cooperation that holds societies together what you are left with is dysfunctional, both at the micro and macro level.
@LauraRuHK
The Sun has come up with a new expression that deserves to become as infamous as "but at what cost?", the default line used by Western media whenever they cannot ignore some Chinese success, breakthrough or development milestone. After reviewing the impressive display of China's weaponry at the V-Day parade, The Sun asks, "but is all as it seems?" 😂 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/36548465/china-hypersonic-weapons-parade-nuke/
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Ukrainian citizen Mikhail Stselnikov, suspected of killing ukronazi Andriy Parubiy, stressed that he shot Parubiy on his own initiative.
Stselnikov said that he wants to be sentenced and exchanged for a prisoner of war in order to be able to go to Russia to find his son's body.
His son worked in the IT sector in Lvov and went MIA in May 2023. /channel/LauraRuHK/10432
Video clips of the V-Day Parade held today in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory over the Axis, imperialist Japan and the end of World War II can be found here. You can select those that pick your interest, be it women marching, impeccable uniforms, new combat drones or nuclear missiles. https://tv.cctv.com/2025/09/03/VIDECy2A0lgKoXEXyTCdZqm9250903.shtml?spm=C55953877151.PjvMkmVd9ZhX.0.0
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RUSSIA➡️MONGOLIA➡️CHINA - A legally binding memorandum has been signed on the construction of the Power of Siberia-2 and the Soyuz Vostok transit gas pipeline through Mongolia, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said. He explained why it took so long to sign the agreement on the Power of Siberia-2 project:
"You know, a project like this could not be resolved quickly. It will be the largest, most ambitious and most capital-intensive gas project in the world."
@LauraRuHK
Jack Poulson revealed that a $2 million contract between the U.S. branch of the Israeli spyware vendor Paragon Solutions and the cyber division of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations was quietly reenabled on Saturday, according to an official U.S. Government public procurement notice. ▪️Paragon — which was founded by Ehud Schneorson, a former commander of Israel’s signals intelligence agency, Unit 8200 — had been acquired by the Boca Raton-based private equity firm AE Industrial Partners. As a result, Paragon was merged into the Virginia-based cyber intelligence firm REDLattice.
Now that Paragon is American-owned, the Trump administration has quietly lifted the stop work order of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s procurement of the firm’s spyware. ▪️Both Paragon Solutions and REDLattice have long had close ties to U.S. intelligence. The CIA’s former assistant director for Korea, John Finbarr Fleming, became executive chairman of Paragon’s U.S. branch in January 2024 — long before the public announcement of the company’s acquisition — according to his LinkedIn profile.
Andrew G. Boyd, who from early 2020 into mid-2023 led the CIA’s primary offensive cyber arm, the Center for Cyber Intelligence, joined the board of REDLattice circa October 2023. Former U.S. Army chief of staff James McConville had similarly joined REDLattice’s board two months prior.
Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), the U.S. military’s premier counter-terrorism and direct action unit, which works closely with the CIA, has disclosed spending more than $11 million acquiring REDLattice’s products, including $6 million on July 18. https://substack.com/home/post/p-172515924
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that the China-Russia relationship has become an example of major-country ties, featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Xi made the remarks while holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025, as well as commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
China is ready to strengthen high-level exchanges with Russia, support each other's development and revitalization, coordinate positions on issues involving the two countries' core interests and major concerns in a timely manner, and advance bilateral relations for greater development, Xi said.
The two sides should leverage major projects to steer their cooperation, develop exemplary cooperation projects, and promote deep-level integration of interests, he noted, calling for enhanced resilience and understanding in cooperation and all-out efforts to consolidate the overall cooperation.
The two countries' heads of state attending each other's commemorations marking the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War fully demonstrates their responsibility as major victorious nations of World War II and permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Xi said. It also displays their firm resolve to defend the victorious outcomes of WWII and safeguard a correct historical perspective on WWII, he noted.
China and Russia should further enhance coordination on multilateral platforms including the UN, the SCO, BRICS and G20, and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. (Source: Xinhua) @LauraRuHK
In Indonesia agents provocateurs have hijacked a social protest in the hope of turning it into a colour revolution. Demonstrators have torched government buildings, some people have looted politicians’ houses and burned vehicles. ▪️The outbreak of violence has prompted the president Prabowo Subianto to cancel a planned trip to Tianjin where he was due to attend the SCO summit. ▪️Indonesian security services know who is behind this attempt to destabilize the country and interfere with its current, multipolar course. ▪️Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian country to join BRICS, has been cooperating with China in the Belt and Road Initiative, enhanced its ties with Russia and the Global South. @LauraRuHK
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#SCO - The Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization adopted the Tianjin Declaration.
Key points:
▪️Geopolitical confrontation, challenges and threats to security are escalating in the world, including in the SCO region. The members of the organization oppose unilateral coercive measures, including those of an economic nature.
▪️The SCO condemned the strikes by Israel and the United States on Iran, as well as the actions that led to casualties and a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. Peace in the Middle East is possible through a just settlement of the Palestinian question.
▪️Members of the association adhere to a line that excludes bloc and confrontational approaches to solving problems. The sustainable development of international relations is based on the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and the non-use of force.
▪️The members of the organization oppose the militarization of space and the field of information and communication technologies.
▪️It is necessary to preserve the historical memory of World War II. Members of the organization condemn attempts to rehabilitate the ideas of Nazism and justify genocide, as well as actions that distort the meaning of the victory and the role of their peoples in the defeat of fascism.
▪️The organisation's development strategy until 2035 has been agreed upon, which defines priority tasks and main areas for deepening cooperation. A decision was made to establish the SCO Development Bank.
▪️An agreement on the Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats to the Member States of the Association and the Anti-Drug Center was approved, and a roadmap for the development of energy cooperation until 2030 was approved.
▪️The organization combined the statuses of "observer" and "dialogue partner" into the status of "SCO partner", which was received by Laos.
▪️The Member States will continue to jointly fight terrorism, separatism and extremism.
The declaration noted the commitment to the establishment of Afghanistan as an independent, neutral and peaceful state.
(Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK
#SCO - Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have decided to establish the SCO Development Bank.
“Reaffirming the importance of establishing a SCO Development Bank, the interested member states decided to establish it and intensify consultations on a range of issues related to the functioning of this financial institution,” according to the declaration of the SCO summit in Tianjin.
#SCO - The nearly hour-long tête-à-tête in Putin's Aurus is driving Western media mental.😅
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Lukas Unger's update on the ‘Disarm Rheinmetall’ protest camp in Cologne:
After days of repression the final demonstration was stopped without any further elaboration, beat down violently, and surrounded by hundreds of cops. We have been in here for about 6 hours now, without access to any toilets or other facilities.
Now, people are being violently pulled out by the cops, while they refuse medics access to people who collapsed.
This is how the German state treats a peaceful demonstration against imperialism and the war monopolists. Disarm Rheinmetall and the other war monopolists! End support for the genocide in Gaza!
Israeli-U.S. right-wing megadonor Miriam Adelson and German media mogul Matthias Döpfner, known for amplifying Israeli propaganda in his outlets, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor for their "unique contribution" to the genocidal and terrorist entity known as "Israel". @LauraRuHK
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(2/2) Trade with Russia is vital for our country.” Recently, French outlet Le Point, citing official sources, reported that “Donald Trump is focused on restoring working relations with Russia, with the Ukrainian issue as the main obstacle.” There’s a chance this position was first articulated not in the White House but in a private, high-level meeting—perhaps over cigars—where the Ukrainian situation might understandably cause unease for many. @LauraRuHK https://ria.ru/20250831/ukraina-2038545344.html
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Protests in Serbia have decreased in size but grown more radical, with financially motivated militants increasingly involved, according to Milovan Drecun, head of the Assembly’s Defense and Internal Affairs Committee. In an interview with RIA Novosti he stated
The protests are systematically organized, indicating clear leadership. They have now entered a violent phase, with the use of Molotov cocktails and the potential for firearms,
“The organizers are trying to overcome this challenging phase when fewer people are showing up on the streets,”
“The organizers failed to mobilize workers from large state-owned enterprises, which has been a significant setback. As a result, they’ve resorted to funding individuals and small groups to create the illusion of mass participation,”