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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

China Signals Willingness to Deepen Canada Ties as Leaders Seek Reset in Relations

China has expressed a willingness to deepen cooperation with Canada while working to eliminate what it describes as interference, signaling a potential reset in bilateral relations after years of strain. The message was...

Asian Currencies Trade Flat as Yen Weakens on Election Fears and Won Retreats After U.S. Support

Most Asian currencies traded near flat levels on Thursday as investors remained cautious amid mixed political and monetary signals from both the region and the United States. The Japanese yen hovered near 18-month lows,...

Bank of Japan Likely to Delay Rate Hike Until July as Economists Eye 1% by September

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is expected to hold off on raising interest rates until at least July, according to a majority of economists, as policymakers assess the impact of recent tightening on Japans fragile economic...

Trump Delays Tariffs on Critical Minerals, Seeks Global Supply Deals to Protect U.S. Security

U.S. President Donald Trump has decided, for now, not to impose tariffs on rare earths, lithium, and other critical minerals, choosing instead to pursue international negotiations aimed at securing stable supplies. The...

U.S. Oil Prices Slide After Trump Comments Ease Iran Supply Fears

U.S. oil prices declined sharply in early Asian trading on Thursday, falling by more than $1 per barrel as easing geopolitical tensions involving Iran reduced market fears of supply disruptions. The pullback came after...

Politics

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Cutting $80 Million in Minnesota SNAP Funding

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from withholding roughly $80 million in federal funding used to administer Minnesotas Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly...

Japan Firms Warn Economic Risks as China Ties Fray and BOJ Tightens Policy

More than two-thirds of Japanese companies believe the domestic economy will suffer as relations with China continue to deteriorate, according to a recent Reuters survey conducted by Nikkei Research. Nearly half of the...

Chevron Set to Expand Venezuela Operations as U.S. Signals Shift on Oil Sanctions

Chevron is expected to receive an expanded Venezuela license from the U.S. government this week, a move that could significantly increase oil production and exports from the South American nation, according to multiple oil...

U.S. Schools Set to Bring Back Whole Milk After 15-Year Ban

U.S. children may soon see whole milk return to school cafeterias for the first time in nearly 15 years after President Donald Trump signed new legislation allowing schools to serve whole and reduced-fat milk alongside...

Trump Signs Executive Order to Prevent Long Island Rail Road Strike Affecting 300,000 Daily Commuters

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order establishing a second emergency board aimed at preventing a potential work stoppage at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), a critical transportation system...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

xAI Restricts Grok Image Editing After Sexualized AI Images Trigger Global Scrutiny

Elon Musks artificial intelligence company xAI announced new restrictions on its Grok AI chatbot after the platform generated sexualized and manipulated images that raised alarms among regulators worldwide. The move comes...

TSMC Set to Post Record Q4 Profit as AI Chip Demand Accelerates

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the worlds largest contract chipmaker and a critical supplier to Nvidia and Apple, is expected to deliver a record-breaking fourth-quarter profit, driven by surging global...

U.S. Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over Trump Approval of Nvidia AI Chip Sales to China

U.S. lawmakers and former national security officials are voicing strong concerns over President Donald Trumps decision to allow Nvidia to resume sales of its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, warning...

Taiwan Issues Arrest Warrant for OnePlus CEO Over Alleged Illegal Recruitment Activities

Title: Taiwanese prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for Pete Lau, the chief executive officer of Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus, accusing him of involvement in illegal business operations and recruitment...

Zhipu AI Launches GLM-Image Model Trained on Huawei Chips, Boosting China’s AI Self-Reliance Drive

Chinese artificial intelligence startup Zhipu AI has unveiled a new open-source image generation model, marking a significant milestone in Chinas push for technological self-reliance. The model, called GLM-Image, was...