
Past: The Promise of Reform Almost fifty years ago, I arrived in Shanghai as a member of the Fudan University class of ’77. I was the first foreign student admitted to the Philosophy Department’s History of Ancient Chinese Thought Program since the Sino-Soviet split of 1961. My thesis advisor, Yan Beiming—a prominent figure on the
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Since 28 February 2026, the Middle East has experienced sustained hostilities following United States and Israeli strikes against Iran and subsequent retaliation by Iran. Iranian missile and drone attacks have been reported across several countries in the region. Leaders across Africa have already expressed alarm. Statements from the African Union and some of its member
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The new episode in the war against Iran is unlike the previous ones, which were either conducted directly or mainly through proxies. We are witnessing a large-scale aggression that is a turning point not only in the history of the Middle East but also in the history of the world. With this war, the world
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Early Saturday morning, the United States and Israel initiated a second round of aerial attacks against Iran following the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites of last June. The justifications for this latest illegal military action by the Trump administration — which has killed Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — are as unconvincing as were those
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