The pause before the storm? US and China test control of the seas
The US and China have suspended their maritime feud — for now. Beneath the calm, both are manoeuvring for long-term control of the global commons, using trade rules, technology and statecraft to shape the next era of oceanic power, writes researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May.
Popular this Month
In Heihe, a Chinese city across the river from Russia, dental clinics outnumber cafes — and Russian visitors fill their chairs. As Moscow leans closer to Beijing, this small border town tells a larger story of shifting power, dependence, and quiet cooperation. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting reports from the border city of Heihe in China’s Heilongjiang province.
READ MORELatest Articles
Tech for market: How China’s tech exports force a global compromise
China’s tech tide has turned. Once a sponge for foreign know-how, it’s now an exporter facing strict “tech-for-market” rules abroad. From TikTok to AI, both sides are charting a cautious middle path between full access and total lockdown. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting reports.
Censored but unstoppable: How male desire and grievances go viral in China
Chinese authorities have set out another campaign to stamp out online negativity, now with the men from the lower rungs of society its target. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui takes a look at why talk of “Android”, “Apple”, “sexual repression” and “ligong (力工) show hand” has come under the authorities’ cross hairs.
Trump’s whirlwind ASEAN visit: Any substance behind the show?
Beyond the pomp and pageantry of Trump’s visit to Southeast Asia, some aspects of America’s policies towards the region have become clearer.
Ambassador Cao Zhongming: Why leaders and people alike are key to China-Singapore ties
Chinese Ambassador to Singapore Cao Zhongming says the heart of 35 years of China-Singapore ties lies in trust among leaders and warmth between peoples. In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao’s Chua Eng Wee, he reflects on the enduring patterns and evolving changes that have shaped the partnership.
Ambassador Peter Tan: How Lee Kuan Yew and Deng Xiaoping shaped Singapore–China ties
A small gesture between Lee Kuan Yew and Deng Xiaoping still shapes Singapore–China ties 35 years on. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Sim Tze Wei speaks with Singapore’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Peter Tan, about diplomacy, respect and life beyond protocol.
India courts the Taliban — but has China taken the lead?
Delhi welcomed Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister in a high-profile visit, signalling cautious outreach, but China’s early engagement, Belt and Road projects, and strategic timing pose a pressing question: has China already won the race in Kabul? Academic Rishi Gupta explores India’s diplomatic approach and timing.
Busan summit: Trump, Xi and America’s fight to stay on top
The Busan summit eased trade tensions but solved little. Behind the smiles, Washington still faces its defining challenge — how to contain China without conceding America’s global leadership. Professor Robert S. Ross analyses what the Busan summit tells us about US–China rivalry.
‘I don’t want to work; I want to join the party’: China’s viral cry for stability
On Douyin, millions joke about quitting work to “serve the people”. But the humour masks real exhaustion — and a growing belief that life inside the system is safer than life outside it. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks into this trend.
China’s thorium breakthrough could power ships for ten years on a single charge
China’s recent breakthrough in converting thorium to uranium could potentially free it from reliance on imported uranium. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan takes a look at the advantages of thorium as a nuclear fuel and how it could change China’s position in the global energy landscape.
A pause before the split? Reading the US-China truce
The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping yielded at least one outcome: a truce in the ongoing trade war. Yet far from signalling a thaw, it is better understood as a managed decoupling — a pause that allows both powers to retool, limit exposure, and prepare for the next phase of economic rivalry, argues researcher Bo Chen.
From screen to sand: Why Chinese tourists are flocking to the Middle East
Once an exotic and faraway destination for Chinese travellers, the Middle East has become China’s new travel fascination. Driven by the combination of popular reality shows and formal tourism expos, curiosity turns into connectivity, pointing to a new phase of China-Middle East engagement, notes Middle East Institute-NUS research fellow Jing Lin.
Xi-Trump meeting: Has China won?
The long-awaited Xi–Trump meeting in Busan ended with smiles but few deals. Yet beneath the calm surface, China may have quietly emerged stronger — ready to play the long game in a shifting global order. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong gives her take.
Busan diplomacy: When Xi and Trump met as equals
Behind the smiles in Busan, both Washington and Beijing came seeking results. Taiwan stayed off the table but loomed in the background, as a rising China now stands as a peer the US can no longer afford to ignore. US academic Zhiqun Zhu lays out takeaways from the session.
How to read the Xi–Trump meeting: It’s not about winning
The Busan meeting wasn’t about who won or lost — it was about whether the world can still count on China and the US to act as responsible powers. Their cooperation, not confrontation, will define the next phase of global governance, says academic Gu Qingyang.
The reunification roadmap: How Beijing plans to win Taiwan without war
Beijing’s messaging on Taiwan has evolved from rhetoric to roadmap. By adapting Hong Kong’s “patriots governing” model and testing US resolve, the 2028 Taiwan presidential election could become a defining moment for the future of the Taiwan Strait. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Sim Tze Wei gives an analysis.
US and Chinese chipmakers tread different paths in AI gold rush
As the global AI race heats up, US chipmakers are ramping up spending while China’s tech giants race to overcome sanctions with a self-sufficiency playbook — two divergent strategies chasing the same prize. Which path will define the future of artificial intelligence?
Xi’s next mission: Make reunification real
A single line in China’s latest plenum communique marks a new stage in President Xi Jinping’s Taiwan strategy — tying reunification to national modernisation and setting a five-year goal for progress. Commentator Deng Yuwen examines this shift, highlighted by Beijing’s move to make 25 October the Commemoration Day of Taiwan’s Restoration.
Beijing’s new favourite: A Green camp rebel leads the Kuomintang
Once a pro-independence pundit, Cheng Li-wun’s rise to lead Taiwan’s Kuomintang has stunned both sides of the Strait — and given Beijing unexpected hope that a Green camp outsider might revive its dream of peaceful reunification. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Sim Tze Wei examines the issue.