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Tom Harper

Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

Tom Harper is a lecturer in international relations at the University of East London. Prior to 2014, he graduated from the University of Kent in 2012 and the University of Sussex in 2013. He received his PhD from the University of Surrey on the subject of China's international relations in Africa and has written on the subject of Chinese foreign policy in the developing world for several online platforms. Prior to coming to UEL, he taught at Neijiang Normal University in China and is currently studying for the HSK 5 Chinese proficiency exam.

His other works have covered Chinese foreign policy in Latin America and Central Asia as well as the rise of patriotic cinema in China, with his work on Wolf Warrior 2 being republished by the Independent and his most recent work was on the influence of Chinese Gen Z consumers. In addition, he speaks English, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.

What the spiralling trade war means for relations between the US and China

Apr 12, 2025 11:51 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics Economy

Donald Trump has partially walked back on his so-called liberation day tariffs on nearly all US imports after fears mounted that the move would result in a global recession and much higher borrowing costs for the US...

TikTok users migrate to RedNote in an unexpected success for Chinese soft power

Jan 21, 2025 12:52 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology Life Business

The new US president, Donald Trump, has given TikTok a reprieve one day after a law came into effect banning the Chinese-owned app in the US on national security grounds. Trump, who has previously expressed admiration for...

Global Geopolitics Series

What Xi got out of his meeting with Biden

Nov 19, 2023 05:44 am UTC| Politics

Chinas leader Xi Jinping flew into San Francisco to meet US president Joe Biden on November 15 for his first visit to the US since 2017. The meeting, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) conference, was...

Taliban: why China wants them as a friend and not as a foe

Oct 29, 2023 11:16 am UTC| Insights & Views

The Talibans presence at the massive October jamboree in Beijiing to celebrate the 10th year of Chinas ambitious trade plan, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is part of Beijings regional strategy. This was one of...

How 'Chollywood' blockbuster Wolf Warriors 2 echoes changes in China's foreign policy

Aug 28, 2017 14:21 pm UTC| Entertainment

When Hollywood is not being criticised for being a liberal mouthpiece, it is often viewed as a front for American foreign policy. The time-honoured example of this is the Rambo series wherein Sylvester Stallones invincible...

Economy

Gold Prices Surge as Moody’s Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating

Gold prices climbed sharply on Monday, driven by renewed safe-haven demand after Moodys downgraded the U.S. credit rating to Aa1 from Aaa, citing rising fiscal risks and soaring government debt. The downgrade triggered...

Asian Currencies Stay Flat Despite US Dollar Dip; Yen Rises on BOJ Rate Hike Hopes

Asian currencies remained largely flat on Monday, even as the U.S. dollar weakened following a credit rating downgrade by Moodys. The U.S. Dollar Index dropped 0.3% after the agency cut the governments credit rating by one...

China’s Economic Growth Slows Amid Tariff Tensions Despite Strong Q1

Chinas industrial output and retail sales growth slowed in April, reflecting mounting pressure from ongoing trade tensions with the United States. Industrial production rose 6.1% year-on-year, outperforming market...

China Property Investment Drops 10.3% Amid Prolonged Real Estate Slump

Chinas property sector continues to decline, with property investment falling 10.3% year-on-year in the first four months of 2025, deepening from a 9.9% drop in the first quarter, according to official data released...

Asian Stocks Slip as US Rating Downgrade and China Data Rattle Markets

Asian stock markets declined on Monday amid growing concerns over global economic health, following a surprise U.S. credit rating downgrade by Moodys and mixed economic data from China. SP 500 futures fell 0.8% in Asian...

Politics

Pope Leo XIV Meets U.S. VP JD Vance Amid Ongoing Immigration Policy Tensions

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican on May 19, 2025. The meeting marked the first high-level U.S.-Vatican encounter since Leos election on May 8....

Trump’s $500B “Golden Dome” Missile Shield Advances Amid Budget Concerns

The Pentagon has submitted multiple proposals to the White House for Golden Dome, a massive U.S. missile defense initiative backed by President Donald Trump. Designed as a space-based shield against advanced missile...

Poland Seizes Boeing Aircraft Tires in EU Sanctions Enforcement

Polish customs officials have seized five metric tons of aircraft tires intended for Boeing (NYSE:BA) civilian planes, citing a violation of European Union sanctions on Russia. The National Revenue Administration announced...

South Korea’s Kim Moon-soo Open to Higher U.S. Military Cost Share

South Koreas conservative presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo said he is open to increasing Seouls contribution toward the cost of stationing U.S. troops, aligning with demands made by U.S. President Donald Trump in recent...

Trump Administration Warns Tariffs Will Rise Without 'Good Faith' Trade Talks

President Donald Trump plans to reinstate higher tariffs on trading partners that fail to negotiate in good faith, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking on Sunday, Bessent said nations unwilling to...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

Nvidia Plans New AI Chips for China Amid U.S. Export Restrictions

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is preparing to launch a new AI chip for China in the coming months that complies with U.S. export controls, according to Nikkei Asia. The upcoming chip will be a downgraded version from its previous...

Alibaba Stock Falls as Trump Administration Scrutinizes Apple AI Deal in China

Alibaba shares dropped 3.8% to HK$118.60 on Monday, leading losses on the Hang Seng Index, which dipped 0.2%. The decline followed a New York Times report that the Trump administration is reviewing a major AI partnership...

Xiaomi Commits $6.9 Billion to Chip Design Over 10 Years

Xiaomi (OTC:XIACF), a leading Chinese smartphone and electric vehicle manufacturer, plans to invest over 50 billion yuan (approximately $6.93 billion) into semiconductor chip design by 2031. The strategic initiative,...

Nvidia Eyes Major Quantum Leap with Investment in PsiQuantum

Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is reportedly in advanced talks to invest in quantum computing startup PsiQuantum, signaling a major strategic move into next-gen computing, according to The Information. The deal would...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to Showcase AI Innovations at Computex 2025

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to headline Computex 2025 in Taipei, with a 90-minute keynote on Monday at 11 a.m. local time (0300 GMT). Known for transforming Nvidia from a gaming graphics card maker into a dominant force...