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Coming up, the annual session of China's top political advisory body is set to open.
China releases the country's first humanoid robot standard system to support long-term growth.
Macron says France will allow deployment of nuclear-armed fighter jets to European allies.
Iran vows to attack any oil shipment trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
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China's top political advisory body, CPPCC, is set to open its annual session on Wednesday.
During the session, national political advisors will deliberate a report on the work of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a report on the handling of proposals.
Political advisors will also sit in on the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
They will discuss key documents, including the highly anticipated government work report.
So for more, joining us now on the line is Professor Yao Shujie, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Sciences, West Chongqing University.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Hi.
So, first of all Professor, what do you make of the main functions of CPCC in China's political system?
The CPCC is a major component of the Chinese political system, apart from the Chinese Communist Party Congress.
The National People's Congress, then the Political Consultative Committee of China, which stands for CPPCC, is the major consultative political organ for the countries.
It attracted a lot of allies from different fields in the country, particularly academia scientists, and also non-party member allies and the representatives of the country along the whole system at different levels.
Now they provide very important political advisory services to the People's Congress and to the Communist Party Central Committee.
It not only represents the political power of a particular organization, but it also provides a fairly conducive road in shaping China's political direction and also social economic development services in all parts of the social economy system.
So it is one of the most influential political organizations in China.
Now, according to a spokesperson of the CPCC's annual session in 2025.
Last year, national political advisors in China conducted more than 6000 specific campaigns aimed at serving the people.
They have also, over the course of 2025, filed more than 3000 pieces of public opinion feedback to Chinese authorities in areas ranging from employment, social security, health care education, to elderly care, etc.
How do you look at those numbers?
Yes, this number is very impressive.
To some extent it's very massive because it covers every aspect of the Chinese economy and society and people's likelihood.
Are the members of the consultative committee?
They travel around the whole country.
They live in every corner of the country, so they have a very direct feeling and also understanding of the local conditions, what people need and what are the key problems in public services and also some sort of bureaucratic issues.
So they basically collect public opinions and plus, with the wrong investigation and field work they lie, report to the relatively close organization up to the national, the central level of the People's Congress and the party committees.
Now, these kinds of services provide very important input for policy direction, policy reform.
The basic purpose is to serve the people better, make the people happier as the economy evolves into a stronger position.
Now this number is actually increasing year by year because the Chinese society is getting more sophisticated and the demand from different parts of the country is getting more and more complicated, especially the education, social services, people's aging issue and also the environment, public services and people's happiness all kinds of issues.
They are channeled to the consultative committee at different level and they could be provided from different layers of the bureaucracy up to the central committee in Beijing.
Now this is making sure that the central policy is more effectively implemented and more efficiently providing services to the people.
This is part of a very important government and administrative issue for the stability of the Chinese society and the likelihood and happiness of the general people in all parts of the nation.
Yeah, stability is really a very much cherished luxury.
If we take a look at global landscape nowadays, that's for sure.
So Professor, in your opinion, in what ways has consultative politics enhanced the democracy here in China?
And what can be done to further improve the effectiveness of the consultative politics here in China.
Yes, I think the existence, the bare existence, of the Political Consultative Committee is also a very important demonstration of the Chinese democracy.
Democracy means that you know the political organization have more representation for the general public and also the desire, the requirement, the need of the public could be channeled to political and policy systems.
Now the political consultation committee plays a very pivotal role in this aspect.
So this is not only the organization itself, but also what the organization is doing.
Representing democracy could be realized at the local and the central level.
Now what can be done to strengthen this kind of democracy and also the representation of the political consultative committee on the main issue of debate.
As China is getting more and more complicated, the society is getting more prosperous.
People as their income increases, their living standard increases and also the population structure changes, the environmental changes.
It requires more and more laws and regulations to make the country in a more orderly way.
Particularly, for example, the Political Consultative Committee.
Once their political advisory work is tested at a level, I think it should be channeled to the People's Congress and the Party Committee.
So the first way of enhancing the influence of the Political Consultative Committee is to have this effective dialogue and mutual understanding between different policy and political organizations, such as CPPCC and also the People's Congress and, more likely, to the other political organizations at the local and central level.
And secondly, I think the the, the member of the committee, got to be more selectively.
You know personally which can represent different part of the country, different segment of the population, different industry, different enterprises, particularly the private and small-sized enterprises, and also the rural farmers and also intellectuals and likewise.
So they got to be more representative and these people got to have more direct feeling of what's really going on in the society, so that their political advice could be more effectively and efficiently conducted and channel to different relative authority in the countries.
So global attention is now being paid to China's upcoming annual political season for what the country plans to do, not only for this year, but also over the next five years, because this year marks the official launch of China's next five-year plan.
So, at a time when China aims to more profoundly pursue high-quality development and a high standard opening up, how do you, as an economist, expect the country's political advisors to play a role in those economic directions?
I think the most important thing issue is that China got to have a fairly clear vision of what's going to be achieved in the next five year plan.
This is particularly reflected in the in the 15th five year plan, which already lay out the basic national goals for development.
And the People's Consultative Committee has to fully understand what this plan aims to be and what are the obstacles of achieving this national plan, and come up with effective policy advisory, policy recommendations to different sectors, different parts of the society, so that they can help to implement all kinds of policies which are supportive and conducive to fulfilling the national plan.
I'm sure the 15th Five-Year Plan is the first stage of making China a modernised society, modernised socialism in the economic system.
So it is a very big challenge and also a great opportunity, in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, to have this consultative committee and thousands of Thank you very much for joining us.
Professor Yao Shujie, Deputy Director with the Department of Social Sciences at Chongqing University.
This is World Today.
Stay tuned.
You're listening to World Today, I'm Ding Hen in Beijing.
China has released the country's first national standard system covering the entire industrial chain and a full life circle of humanoid robots and embodied artificial intelligence.
The system includes six key areas, ranging from basic technologies and intelligent computing to applications, safety and ethics.
The system was developed by more than 120 research institutions and enterprises under the guidance of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
China's humanoid robots industry expanded rapidly in 2025, with last year marking the country's first phase of mass production.
With more.
My colleague Zhao Yang spoke with Andy Mauck, a technology analyst and a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University.
So Andy China has released its first national standard system covering the full industrial chain of humanoid robots and embodied AI.
How significant is it for the industry's long-term development and why is it now?
Well, Zhao Yang, I think the short answer is that it is incredibly important, not only for the future of the embodied AI or smart robotics industry, but even for the future of mankind.
And let me explain briefly why.
So I actually just wrote a book about this called The Innovation Machine China's Governance-Based Approach to Technology.
And what it argues is that you really have to follow a step-by-step roadmap, what I call the I-5 framework.
So ideas, institutions, instruments, infrastructure, and then finally impact.
So if we look at what's going on here, what China is doing is really saying, here's the idea.
Robots, especially intelligent robots, can change the world in very, very profound ways.
So how do we go about doing this that is in an orderly, safe, but very efficient fashion?
And I think what we're witnessing right now is really the next step, where really standards and policies are being released or introduced to make sure there is alignment and standardization, which is incredibly important, not just for adoption but for cost-effective manufacturing.
And tell us what's the latest advancements in China's humanoid robots.
So which sectors are we now seeing the adoption?
Is that manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, or public services?
Give us some examples.
Sure.
Well, when we think about what are the hard things about building and deploying smart robots, I think there's really three broad areas.
So the first is real world intelligence.
So the ability to think, react in real time in the physical world.
So very, very challenging.
The second is the hand or something that functions like the human hand.
And, you know, that obviously lets robots do things that humans can do.
They can draw, they can pick up fragile objects like an egg, et cetera, as well as do tasks that require greater physical strength.
And then finally is scale.
So, you know, if we think about a world where again, if these cost efficiencies are realized, that we could have maybe billions of robots throughout the world, these are the big challenges.
And I think the world and China in particular is making really exciting advances.
And obviously I think China's current strength is in scale.
So we think about what are the order in which this is adopted.
You know, I think manufacturing is much easier because the tasks are mostly repetitive.
The environment is more controlled.
So again, as we move towards a world where the, the intelligence models are real world, can adapt to unpredictability, et cetera, that manufacturing already is a very important area.
Related to that is logistics again, a more structured environment, more repetitive tasks, so that makes it easier to manage the risk.
And I think then finally, although there's tremendous demand for these applications, are working with consumers, whether that's elderly care with children, et cetera, because these are the most unpredictable environments, but also The risks not only the actual risks, but I think the optics as well require very mature technology as well as, I think, sufficient experience before I think this really becomes mainstream.
And the national standards include six key areas from intelligent computing to safety and ethics.
So tell us more about that.
And why are these six key areas?
Sure.
So we look at these areas. six sections.
It's basic commonalities, brain-like and intelligent computing, limbs and components, complete machines and systems, applications.
And then, last but of course not least, is safety and ethics.
So why is it organized this way?
So without a common language industry society, the legal field cannot really be effective and productive.
So we first have to define the terms, create the language, as it were, that we're all going to use before we can do all of these other things like again, create smart enough computers to do things that are valuable enough to substitute for or effectively complement human effort.
Again, we have to have Standards around the limbs and components, the entire machines, the applications and, of course, safety in the sense of safety built in to the machines, but also what happens when there's a problem.
So these are really, again, I think a holistic top-down approach. preemptive approach, you know, I think, which is very, very different than what we might see, we could say, say, in the United States, where it's let it rip, right, put the technology out there.
And when the problems happen, we will solve it through the legal system.
So I think China's approach, we can say, is maybe more prudent, more forward looking and and perhaps better off from a comprehensive perspective.
And as you mentioned, safety and ethics is included.
So what kind of risks are people most concerned about?
Is that privacy, data security, or what else?
What can be done to regulate it?
Well, Zhang, I would say all of the above, right?
So you know, we have to recognize first of all.
These kind of robots are really computers on feet right.
So they're gathering tremendous amounts of data.
I mean.
Some estimates I've seen are, for example, 15 gigabits per second is how much data is being collected by a robot.
And this is being output in like maybe 2K per second in terms of controlling the movement of the robot.
So when you're gathering that much data, I think of course data security, data privacy is important.
Related to that, of course, is cybersecurity.
How do you update these robots, their software or control what they do?
You only want authorized entities to be able to do that.
So cybersecurity, of course, is very, very important.
And then, when we think about the real world, what happens if a robot does cause some sort of damage inadvertently or, perhaps in a very rare case, deliberately?
Who is responsible?
How are the affected parties protected or, if possible, made whole?
So I think these are all again.
It's a very wide set of questions, and I'm sure there are some issues that will only be discovered as robots become increasingly deployed throughout society.
And Andy, so do you think the humanoid robots and embodied AI can become a new growth engine comparable to EVs or solar panels in China?
And how to strike a balance between the industrial development and the regulation of safety and ethics issues.
Yeah, that's a great question, Zhao Yang.
So I think In some ways, the development that we're witnessing right now of embodied intelligence or smart robots is following exactly the path of electric vehicles in that without coordinated scale manufacturing, none of these benefits would be possible.
But I would say that the impact will be far, far greater than that of EVs and EVs as they turn into autonomous vehicles, in that humanoid robots can do everything that humans can do.
Ultimately,
I mean, that's the goal or the end point.
So what this means is that it can do everything again, from cook your dinner to work in a factory to manufacture an EV and also, perhaps most importantly, create even more, even cheaper, even better smart robots, right.
So then again, we could be in a world where the world is completely transformed.
There's unlimited abundance of material goods.
This will require a complete rethink of the political structure, perhaps even the foundational assumptions of economics.
So there's really a lot that I think is on the table here.
And I think you're absolutely right that the key is how to balance and coordinate the technological advances, the economic benefits and perhaps risks they bring, and the legal, the policy and the ethical implications of this.
And I think this really is the big question.
And I think, as we can see, you know again China's top down holistic approach, where it's not only that you know, these guidelines or policies are coming from the top to be implemented throughout society.
But I think it's also important to point out that these are not just made in some, you know, government officials office, but it's really through the process of extensive consultation, I believe with more than 100 robotics companies, in terms of what these policies and standards should look like.
So again, I think that this is, I think, why many people believe China really is ground zero for this embodied AI or smart robotics.
Andy Mauck, a technology analyst and a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, talking with my colleague Zhao Yang.
More to come.
Macron says France will allow deployment of nuclear-armed fighter jets to European allies.
You are listening to World Today.
I'm Ding Han in Beijing.
We'll be back after a very short break.
You're back with World Today, I'm Ding Hen in Beijing.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, has ordered to increase the number of the country's nuclear warheads.
Speaking at a military base on Monday, Macron discussed how French nuclear weapons fit into the security of Europe.
He said the new posture could allow the temporary deployment of nuclear-armed French fighter jets to allied countries.
France will also allow partners to participate in deterrence exercises and allow allies' non-nuclear forces to participate in the country's nuclear activities.
France has been the only nuclear power in the European Union since Britain's exit from the EU in 2020.
So for more.
Joining us now on the line is Dr George Zagopoulos, senior fellow with CIFE, a French-based European research organization.
So thank you very much for joining us today, George.
The current number of France's nuclear warheads is fewer than 300, around 290.
Now as Macron's order.
It will be the first time that France has increased its nuclear arsenal since at least 1992.
What do you think has prompted the French leader to make this decision?
To start with, there is continuity in the French approach, more precisely in the approach of President Emmanuel Macron, because even before the outbreak of the pandemic, he had spoken about the necessity of the European Union to be stronger at the military level.
And certainly as France is the only country of the European Union to possess nuclear weapons, its role is of high significance.
So the recent speech made by the French president is placed in this context.
And, more importantly, it is highlighting the vision of France to be a strong power, a strong power at the national level at first, which can have an impact also at the European one, although the French nuclear program is mainly a national one and not a European one.
So Macron's idea is that nuclear-armed French aircrafts could be temporarily deployed to other allied countries, but there will be no sharing of decision-making with any other country regarding the use of nuclear weapons.
In other words, in the near future we will not see a scenario where, for example, a German Air Force plane is used to carry French nuclear bombs.
So why is this strategy on the part of France still welcomed by many other European countries?
Well, the national character of the French nuclear program is evident.
And, more importantly, as Lessons from History suggests, it's very difficult for this to change, mainly because of the French political culture and the French strategic vision.
So other European countries are welcoming the initiative in the context of the interest of the European Union to play a stronger role at the military and defense level.
But from the moment it is France having the upper hand, there is not much they can do in that regard, because it is France the country which is deciding.
So their final commitment to collaborate with France in joint exercises is practically what they can do in order to contribute to the joint interest of several EU member states to become stronger at the military level in a changing world.
For other European NATO members?
Do you see the nuclear deterrence provided by France as a supplement to or as a as a replacement for NATO's collective defense and nuclear deterrence capabilities?
Right now, the European Union is in no position to replace the United States.
So the France decision and all European initiatives are complementing, I would say, the NATO umbrella.
Certainly this does not mean that the European Union disagrees agrees on everything with the United States, but take into account that the American power is much stronger and the American security umbrella is much stronger.
I would say that only complementing the American presence and the NATO umbrella is a realistic goal for the European Union and for France.
Hmm.
To what extent do you think this strategy laid out by the French leader is relevant?
Was what is going on between Iran, on one side, and Israel in the United States, on the other side.
Well, I would say that there is continuity in the France approach.
So if we look back into the recent history, it is clear that President Emmanuel Macron has a vision for the European Union to become strategically autonomous.
Perhaps the coincidence of his recent speech goes together with the outbreak of the new Middle East war, but I would rather see some roots in the general attitude of the president of France, and I would not necessarily link that to the recent war.
Europe, in the opinion of President of France, Emmanuel Macron, needs to be stronger, and that's why he is so enthusiastic and motivated for his country to play a role within this context.
Actually, last year, Britain and France adopted a joint declaration that allows both countries' nuclear forces to be coordinated, although they are independent of each other.
At a time when France is trying to create its own nuclear umbrella for the European continent.
How should the UK position itself when it comes to nuclear deterrence?
The two countries, the United Kingdom and France, agreed last summer in the so-called Northwood Declaration, to better coordination as far as nuclear weapons are concerned.
And it is through this coordination that they proceed together.
So I would differentiate the French from the British nuclear program because the second one is a national one and not placed under the umbrella of NATO.
But at the same time, as both countries are member states of NATO, I would say that this cooperation exists and is expected to flourish further in the future.
And this is also the message that both leaders, Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, recently sent during the Munich Security Conference.
So, after Emmanuel Macron leaves office in 2027, is it possible that the next French president might reverse Macron's nuclear deterrence policy?
Well, the next French presidential election of 2027 is one of the most important ones in the recent history of the European Union.
And it is currently very difficult to speculate who might be the next president of France, as a lot can change in the next 14 months.
What I could certainly say is that the decision of President Emmanuel Macron to make The recent speech has sparked political debate in France, and this is indicative of disagreements which are existing in the French political scheme.
Of course, in order to be sure how a next president could respond to that, we have to be sure about the name of the next president, and it's too early to suggest that.
But political debate on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron already exists.
Thank you very much for joining us and for your perspective.
Dr. George Zagopoulos, Senior Fellow of CIFE, a France-based research organization.
Coming up, Iran vows to attack any oil shipment trying to pass through the Straits of Hormuz.
This is World Today.
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Welcome.
I am Chuchu Zhang.
Deputy Director at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University.
On the World Today program.
We will dive beyond the headlines to uncover the stories, trends and impacts that connect states across the globe.
Join me on World Today.
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I'm Ding Hen in Beijing.
The United States and Israel's war against Iran has spilled over into the Strait of Hormuz.
A senior Iranian military official says Iran will not let any oil shipments pass through the strait, vowing to take military action against any oil tanker in the region.
The strait carries 20 of the oil consumed globally, as well as 20 of the global supply of liquefied natural gas.
Some 30% of European continent's supply of jet fuel originates from or transits via the waterway.
In the meantime, Iranian Foreign Minister Saeed Abbas Arachi has told regional countries that Tehran's retaliation is only targeting American forces that are stationed at bases across the Middle East, saying Tehran will not regionalize this particular conflict.
So for more.
Joining us now.
On the line are Dr Joseph Siracusa, Professor of Global Futures with Curtin University in Western Australia, as well as Dr Zhou Mi, Senior Research Fellow with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Thank you very much for joining us, gentlemen.
So, Professor Siracusa, to start with you, we have already seen a surge in oil prices.
What could be this particular military conflict's impact on global trade and the global economy, if we are talking about a situation where it will continue in the foreseeable future?
Well, I think it's going to continue in the unforeseeable future, for reasons I'll get into a little later.
This is going to have enormous impact.
Historically, it always does.
In 1973, the OPEC oil embargo increased the price of gasoline or petrol three or four times.
Same thing happened with the Iranian revolution in 1979.
Same thing happened again during the first Gulf War in Kuwait in 1990.
I mean, this has an automatic flow-on effect.
It affects, you know, not only 20% of the world's oil and gas, but...
You know, with these kinds of things, you have trouble producing fertilizer and the rest of it.
And do not forget this evening, while we're concentrating on energy sources, when the Iranians say they're going after everybody in the strait, the other enemies of the United States are making it very clear that going through the Gulf of the Suez Canal is going to be troublesome too.
So you know you're going to have all these container ships and all these energy ships looking for the long way around the Cape to get to their sources, adding inflationary pressure, cost of everything going up, etc.
I mean this particular interdiction or intervention in Iran, has absolutely not considered The economic consequences.
Okay.
So Dr Zhongmi going to you, we understand.
The majority of the crude oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz actually goes to Asia, with a few major Asian economies actually accounting for nearly 70 of the shipments.
How can they cope with the situation here?
Well, in my understanding, I totally agree with the professor that when they are doing this, they didn't even consider about the economic consequence.
But I think that there may be some differences because for the United States the situation has been changed a lot compared with almost 50 years ago.
So they depend not too much from the oil coming from the Middle East but to the Asian countries they are really having many dependence on the crude oil from these areas.
But I need to say that for different Asian countries maybe they are coping with that situation in different ways.
We are saying that maybe...
Japan has depended a lot from the import of the crude oil from Middle East, while India has introduced some of the channels from Russia.
Maybe they are trying to reduce the import from Russia in the recent months, but they still have many more choices.
As for China, I think that China has a lot of oil from more diversified areas, including the Middle East.
So the impacts, not only you know directly, will come from the crude oil, because there are still some procedures from the crude oil to the refined oil, to the gasoline.
But it's indeed, there will have a lot of impact on the balance of the energy supply and demand.
I hope that all these countries have some reserves before they anticipated that this kind of a strike will happen.
So, Professor Syracuse, as Dr Jomi was indicating this earlier, I guess many people would agree that the United States is nowadays no longer dependent on oil shipments from the Middle Eastern region.
But do you think the United States can be somehow immune to disruptions?
Oh, no, not at all.
I mean, if this war is extended and energy prices start to lift, this would sow inflation around the world.
This would cause central banks everywhere, particularly in the United States, to raise interest rates affecting loans for houses automobiles, business investments, the rest of it.
The United States cannot escape the inflationary pressures that would generate from this halt to energy, energy deliveries.
And it couldn't, even if it increases its presence in the Middle East, these inflationary pressures to have more troops in the field, to keep things going.
I mean my goodness.
I read in the New York Times that to keep these American battle groups in place for two months cost 23 billion.
Can you imagine that?
Spending nearly 25 billion just to keep these forces in place to put pressure on the Iranian government.
So these inflationary pressures will come home to roost, and the United States will not be able to escape them.
So, Professor Syracuse, by the way, why do you think most Americans according to some of the initial or some of the latest opinion polls conducted in America, most people in America disapprove of the war with Iran.
Well, the American people right now and I say this as somebody who's experienced a great deal of American life experience 82 years old,
I've seen this movie before.
They have more common sense than the government, the Trump administration.
Americans don't want to get tangled up in other people's conflicts.
We wish people well, of course, but we can't get involved.
This idea that the President of the United States can single-handedly Remove the chief executive or the head of states without any consulting the American Constitution, the American people?
I mean, even paying for it.
If this is a war, it's a funny kind of a war because there are no war taxes or anything like that.
The American people don't want to get involved in it.
In fact, that's why they thought they elected this guy.
And now, after Trump President Trump removed Maduro from Venezuela, and after he got his little 12 day war with Iran last year, he decided to carry it further.
And you know, to me it looks like a punitive addition, punitive intervention.
You know he wanted.
He wanted to uh uh, kill the ayatollah, and whether you like the ayatollah or not, he's still the head of state.
I mean, it's not a good idea to go around the world and kill heads of state.
I mean it sets the wrong example and actually it's uh, it hobbles diplomacy completely.
And, of course uh, to prepare the white way for the rise of the iranian people.
Well, we've been looking at the arab spring now for the last 10, 20 years in the middle east.
They want to rise up, they can rise up.
But at the end of the day, this is the business of the Iranians.
So for the president to get involved here is a mistake in a long history of similar mistakes.
There's a reason why American presidents never got involved in the Middle East because they know that there's almost no way out.
Okay.
So, Dr Zhongmi.
According to some surveys, Americans largely already have a gloomy outlook for their US economy, largely because of this lingering effects due to the inflation over the past five years or so.
And President Donald Trump's attempt to portray the United States as in a golden age, as we have seen in his recent State of the Union speech, have had little impact on those public attitudes.
So I mean, if the Iran conflict becomes a protracted one, what kind of questions do you think that will raise for the US economy?
Well yeah, I still remember that when he delivered the speech in the Congress, he also mentioned that you know the gasoline prices will be lower and lower.
And he also bragged that, you know, the prices have been lowered a lot.
Even about 1.7 US dollars can buy a gallon of the gasoline.
But I don't think that will happen in the coming days because we are seeing that the supply has been blocked.
So I agree with the professor.
The world market is linked with each other.
In the international market, especially for the commodities, the price, the pressures will spread from one place to another.
So the price will change also the balance of the United States itself.
I mean, after several years, the United States also suffered a lot from the inflation.
Well, just in the recent one or two years, the inflation gradually dropped.
But I don't think that is what they can be proud of.
If there are not enough supply of the energy, it's a core part of the inflation, the impact.
I would say that will also introduce a lot of pressures for U.S. economy.
Well, we see that the US economy is suffering from so many impacts from the AI blooms, also from the competition from other countries.
So the uncertainties of the policies and also the changeable practices from the different issues will also introduce more uncertainty to the United States.
Maybe US government will say that when they are putting some triggers of the weapons in another region, the capital will flow to the US market.
I don't think that is always the truth, because they are really worried about whether their money can even get out from this market.
So, based on that kind of assumption and the conditions, I would say the economy of the United States will be more dependent on very limited resources and limited factors.
And that is not what they really want to have.
We still remember that President Donald Trump.
He wants to make the United States, make America, great again.
But he really wants to introduce more manufacturers instead of just some of the capital.
I think that is really our dangerous things if the world sees that the U.S. is a troublemaker.
And I believe that it also will have more spillover effects to the neighbors and to other what they call allies.
By the way, Dr Jomi, do you think a long-term closure of the Strait of Hormuz will end up encouraging Gulf states to join this conflict because of the economic stakes here?
Why or why not?
Well yeah, it's really an important engine in the Middle East, because the Middle East is not just a place for the crude oil.
They are also a place for many of the sovereign capitals from the different countries, who are oriented to have some money from the crude oils.
If the source is being blocked, I would say there will be a lot of other impacts to the world, from the virtual side to the real economy.
And if you look at the United Arab Emirates, that country is proud of the diversification of the development, but the airport are also attacked by some of the troops.
I think that is also introduced many of people's fear about whether their development space will still be there.
So I think that if you are going to try to make a wall around the Gulf region, I would say that is not just something to do with international trade and logistics, but also to introduce many of the uncertainties which is also important to you know, for other market, because the the so-and-so market, the capital will, will they have to change their basket?
They have to change their portfolio.
Well, many of them are coming or going to the United States, as they promised when Donald Trump visited the Middle East last year.
They promised to give many investments in the United States.
If they are not able to do that, where they can go?
So I think that the strategies of the United States and China in the military levels or economic level were not so helpful for the world to regain its strength of development.
Okay.
So, Professor Joseph Syracuse, how would you look at this message from Iran's foreign ministry, or from Iran's foreign minister, that Tehran is now going to regionalize this particular conflict?
Well, you know, that ship has already sailed.
Today, the United States issued warnings to Americans in 14 Middle Eastern countries to get out because the conflict is going to engulf them.
You know, you already have most of these Middle Eastern states involved.
I mean the Iranians are sending missiles and drones into downtown Abu Dhabi and Dubai and these American bases there.
And if there's an American base on their soil, then they're part of the problem, too.
OK, so, you know, the war has actually been regionalized.
I mean, you know, and Iran is a big country.
It's twice the size of Texas, almost the size of Europe.
It's got 92 million people.
I mean, you can't really.
You can kill the head of state and do a lot of other things, but you can't defeat these people.
And so they're going to make life as miserable for the American administration as they can, as Hezbollah has already attacked America's co-ally in the area Israel, which is trying to profit by this war too.
So, you know, in my eyes, it's already a regional war.
But I must say this, too.
It's a funny kind of a war.
Instead of armies marching off to fight each other, We have nations dropping bombs on each other every other day and missiles and drones killing civilians.
This idea of saying you're at war and then killing civilians all day doesn't make any sense to me.
It's not only immoral and unethical.
It's pretty hard to defend this to the American people that dropping bombs on a city that's already lost its a chief executive politician is a good idea.
I mean, this is just going in the wrong direction for me.
So U.S.
President Donald Trump says he would deploy ground troops to Iran if necessary.
Dr. Jomi, how would you assess the likelihood for that scenario?
Dr. Jomi?
Okay, maybe Professor Syracuse?
Yeah.
Well, you know, a couple of days ago I would have said there was a zero prospect of introducing ground troops, though I know it's very important if you want to finish a mission.
As you know, in the case of Vietnam, you needed ground troops and even that wasn't enough.
But you know, the president has gone out of his way to say that the war might be a little longer than he planned, not two weeks but four to five weeks.
And then he said it could even last longer than that.
And then somebody said, would you introduce ground troops?
And he said he had no problem with that.
So he's setting the stage now for a whole lot of things that will be challenged in Congress as soon as the Senate and the House of Representatives wake up.
And, mind you, if this is going on in November, I mean he's already going to lose the midterm elections.
He's going to have to fight for his political life after that.
I mean, he is providing his opposition with all the ammunition they need to drive him from office.
So very, very briefly, Professor Syracuse, what can the international community do right now to try to de-escalate the situation?
Well, I think they're going to have to reintroduce diplomacy.
You know, a couple of years ago 18 months ago I think the Chinese foreign ministry introduced a peace program for Ukraine.
Other people have introduced peace programs for Gaza.
We need some great powers to step up, along with the United Nations, to reintroduce Americans to the effectiveness, the efficacy of diplomacy.
We need a diplomatic solution.
You know, no war ever started.
No war.
War was ever prevented by anything except diplomacy, and no conflict comes to an end without diplomacy.
So I think the international community here has to get together and put pressure on the American administration.
No matter what they think of the world, they still need the great powers and to force Americans to go down the diplomatic route, because this has no happy ending.
Your point's well taken, but thank you very much for joining us.
Dr. Joseph Siracusa and Professor Zhou Mi joining us from different locations.
That's all the time for this edition of World Today.
I'm Dinghan in Beijing.
Bye for now.
