On China’s October 1 National Day holiday, while real-life People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets and other military planes sortied into the Taiwan Straits in record numbers, many Chinese celebrated by flocking to screenings of “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” breaking all box-office records. The 3-hour war epic commissioned by China’s propaganda department depicts a battle from the Korean War, where Chinese soldiers fought against the United States in what China calls the “War to Resist American Aggression and Aid Korea” (generally known abroad as the Korean War)

The film’s massive popularity arguably stems from China’s new view of war. Entering into military combat was formerly seen as a threat to the Communist Party’s hold on power. China’s military was not in a position to win. Going to battle and losing Chinese lives, even if it resulted in a territorial gain, was seen as potentially provoking a level of domestic unrest that could undermine China’s leadership. With the potential to topple the ruling party, war was off the table. Now it is perceived as a way to strengthen CCP’s position.

China's relations with the Middle East have long revolved around securing the energy it needs to fuel its economic development. But in recent years, Beijing has been securing another critical resource from the region: data. 

China's leadership understands that data is the oil that fuels the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the key to achieving technological supremacy, and a source of power in the digital age. China's 2015 'Action Plan to Promote the Development of Big Data' even designated data "a fundamental strategic national resource," calling for the country to “comprehensively advance the development and application of big data” and "accelerate the construction of a strong data country." 

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As the world continues to battle against a pandemic of epic proportions, upgrading healthcare systems, developing MedTech innovations, and improving emergency response capabilities have become critical endeavors for countries worldwide. For developing nations that lack the resources to realize these goals, the stakes are higher than ever. Israel, ranked fifth among the 20 "most innovative countries" during the coronavirus crisis, is well-positioned to come to their aid. But launching such a project on a global scale would require significant capital. This raises a question: who would fund it?

The People’s Republic of China does not seem to want people to think that its digital yuan holds any potential to influence global power dynamics. 

In March this year, China’s state-run Global Times ran a piece titled “China’s digital yuan trials completely irrelevant to geopolitics.” Nevertheless, analysts on the other side of the Pacific seem to harbor a different view.