Zhu Zhaoyi
Executive Director of the Institute of Middle East Studies, Peking University HSBC Business School.

Jun 05, 2026
Two and a half years of war have depleted much of the moral capital Israel accumulated over the past half-century. Meanwhile, the lobbying machinery in America has a resilience that no fleeting surge of public emotion is likely to overturn.

May 19, 2026
Israel is using its wealth—accumulated through technology—to prop up a new vision of territory. But there’s a price to pay. Ultimately, land obsession is harder to remove than politicians expect. It resides not on maps, but in the deepest fissures of national memory.

Mar 19, 2026
Each has three core national objectives that are internally contradictory. Any two can be pursued simultaneously, but never all three. Until these triangles are broken, there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East—only the same fire burning in different forms.

Mar 05, 2026
The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes has created leadership uncertainty in Tehran, weakened Iran’s regional network of allies, and accelerated shifts in Middle Eastern power dynamics. For China, the conflict threatens energy supplies and Belt and Road investments while potentially expanding Beijing’s diplomatic role if it maintains neutrality and engagement with all sides.
