From confrontation to cooperation Jan Oberg  08.07.2025 This is an article, re-published with the approval of the authors of “If You Want To Understand China” – Foreword, Intro and Content of a TFF anthology. In July 2020, former US Secretary of Sta ...

The immense cultural differences between China and the West make the discussion about the technology competition pointless. Peter Peverelli • 3 juli 2025 Chinese vs American application of AI; cartoon RedNote (disclaimer) Culture What most Westerners fail to understand is that the r ...

China’s long term strategy paid off. The West never saw it coming    Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  08.07.2025 Since the turn of the 21st century, China has not merely participated in global systems shaped by Western powers; it has decisively reconfigured them. From trade gove ...

The devastating influence of having no future.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  01.07.2025 Losing faith in the future In many western societies, the erosion of faith in the future has become one of the defining psychological and political crises of the 21st century. E ...

How truth decays in a world of tribal narrative.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  23.06.2025 Trust, but verify, lessons in healthy scepticism When my father-in-law boasted of shooting 23 German soldiers in World War II, I didn’t take his word for it. Digging into archives ...

Short-term politics, media puppets, and the death of innovation.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  07.06.2025 The short term vision Western political and economic systems are collapsing under the weight of short-termism, media dependency, and the marginalisation of eng ...

It was high time to cut the cord and to end a toxic dependency.     Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  02.06.2025 Chinese brands, media, financial institutions and apps The Western grip: an uneasy dependence For more than two decades, I have been acutely aware of the growing ...

A plea for a fundamental rethink of Europe’s approach to the conflict in Ukraine. Guestauthor: Steven Arrazola de Oñate 09/05/2025 Steven Arrazola de Oñate served his country in the Belgian army.He was stationed in Kandahar (Afghanistan),an experience about which he wrote his most r ...

Quantitative rigor vs. ideological echo chambers in higher education   Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  14.05.2025 STEM versus sociology To render the discussion more transparent, it is first necessary to define the concept of sociology and to delineate the precise scope of the STE ...

One constructed by the west, one lived by the Chinese   Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波  12.05.2025 A mirror divided A friend asked me last week: “Are there two Chinas then ?” His question, while simple, struck at the heart of a deeper truth: our view of China is often not shaped by e ...

While we graduate activists, China builds EVs Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 21.04.2025 Two futures, One choice: While Europe’s lecture halls burn through their past, China’s assembly lines build the future. Talent, capital, and ambition cross the divide—one microchip, one electric vehicle at a ...

National identity as a catalyst for collective progress Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 11.04.2025 A synthesis of cultural heritage and modern nationalism Introduction The interplay of peace (和平, hépíng), harmony (和谐, héxié), and happiness (幸福, xìngfú) in China is deeply rooted in its ...

Chinese students, scientists, professors and researchers leaving the US en masse. Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 06.04.2025 China’s scientific rise: a new era of Chinese talent returning home In recent years, a growing number of Chinese scientists, researchers, and students have made the si ...

Whistle-blowers, dissidents, and exiles fighting for free speech Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 26.03.2025 Bo Phut Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand The outcasts of the West In an era where Western governments claim to uphold free speech and human rights, an increasing number of dissidents find th ...

The Silent Triumph Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 06.03.2025 A Conflict of Shadows and Light In recent years, the world has witnessed an evolving battle, one that few predicted would change the course of history so dramatically. Images of fraying supply chains, rising tariffs, and the splin ...