On April 1, 2025, Finland’s Prime Minister announced the country’s intention to withdraw from the international treaty banning anti-personnel land mines. Contrary to the date’s association with pranks, this declaration is no April Fool’s joke. Historically, wars have compelled states to suspend, derogate from, or even terminate treaty obligations. In many cases, the erosion of treaty commitments becomes visible first on the battlefield before formal withdrawals are announced.

This is the second (and last) part of the article delves into China’s strategic patience, training methodologies, and information warfare. It broadly examines how Beijing is positioning itself for long-term dominance while controlling global perceptions

Cautious Approach and Strategic Patience

This is a two part article. The first part focuses on the current state of China's military capabilities while also exposing the vulnerabilities undermining its strategic ambitions. 

The age-old adage coined by Deng Xiaoping, "hide your capabilities, bide your time," appears to have subtly evolved into a contemporary mantra: "show your capabilities, let everyone speculate." This paradigm shift was strikingly evident in the recent alleged unveiling of China’s elusive sixth-generation fighter jet, purportedly the first of its kind in the world.

Since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel, West Asia has become the epicentre of geopolitical strife. Each day brings new sensational developments that quickly overshadow previous events. However, amidst the ongoing war in Gaza, a notable development has garnered the attention of geopolitical analysts, security experts, and Middle East observers. Fourteen distinct Palestinian political factions, including Hamas and Fatah, united to sign a pact aimed at bolstering unity to put an end to their yearslong ongoing rivalry.

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC), a global umbrella organisation of the Uyghur people headquartered in Munich (Germany), completed two decades of its creation in April 2024.

On May 30, 2024, China successfully deployed a communications satellite destined for Pakistan. The PakSat MM1, a versatile communication satellite, was launched atop a Long March 3 B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province. The satellite is positioned in a geosynchronous orbit and is slated to commence operations by August 2024.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China is in the news again. In the fourth week of December last year (2023), Chinese authorities in the strategic northwestern region of Xinjiang brought about a set of new Chinese rules, norms and regulations on religious affairs. These measures, duly approved by the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Xinjiang on  December 22, have subsequently come into effect on  February 1, 2024.