John Gittings

John Gittings is a former TNI fellow, long time Guardian foreign editor and an independent journalist specialised on China and nuclear weapon issues.

Recent content by John Gittings

China's Uighur conundrum (8 Jul 2009)

For years, Beijing has talked up the threat of ethnic separatism in Xinjiang. Is reality finally catching up with the story?

Until now, it has been Beijing that talked up the threat of ethnic separatism in its far north-west region of Xinjiang, while the attitude of most of the Muslim Uighur population has been one of quiet – though unhappy – acceptance of Chinese rule. But the latest outbreak of violence in the regional capital of Urumqi is unprecedented and suggests that Uighur resentment at heavy-handed Chinese policies has begun to boil over.

Shock tactics (16 May 2008)

The Chinese authorities will be wondering whether the vast dams currently under construction can stand up to a major earthquake

China will need all the expertise that it has acquired in recent years to tackle the Sichuan earthquake: the rescue services have moved in very fast and they are facing a huge task. The road from Dujiangyan into the mountains of western Sichuan clings to the side of steep gorges as it follows the Min river up to Wenchuan at the epicentre, and parts of it are still under construction.

Bordering on deceit (21 Apr 2008)

Last year we were told that British naval officers were indisputably in Iraqi waters. If only we had been more sceptical

Are we so used to dodgy dossiers that the new evidence about the Iranian capture last year of British sailors and marines doesn't really matter?

Musharraf's missiles (6 Feb 2008)

Western leaders lecture Pakistan's president on democracy, while ignoring a much greater threat: the country's nuclear arsenal

Three days after President Musharraf returned to the continuing political crisis in Pakistan, he found time to travel to an undisclosed location (on Friday) to witness the test of a nuclear-capable missile.

Suharto: an obituary (27 Jan 2008)

Obituary for Suharto, the former Indonesian dictator whose 30-year rule was based on ruthless repression, cronyism and manipulation of the world's rival superpowers

The death of the former Indonesian president Suharto at the age of 86 reminds us that even the most stubborn of dictatorships come to an end.

The nuclear culprits (20 Sep 2007)

Contradictions of a client state (13 Sep 2007)

Thinking beyond the radar (16 Apr 2007)

Back from the brink (13 Feb 2007)

The not-so-great interruption (2 Feb 2007)