How Manus went from AI superstar to a geopolitical problem
After months of review, Chinese authorities have decided to stop Meta’s acquisition of Manus, ordering the deal to be reversed over the next few weeks. Lianhe Zaobao China news editor Yang Danxu finds out what this development means and whether such a deal can be undone.
Popular this Month
![Hokkien roots, Brunei soil: My father’s journey across borders and spiritual planes [Eye on Fujian series]](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/71f359b221f9d122e33e939974a2a8159629f5990340bdf70135adfea2d6a086?w=800)
Amid global uncertainty, rising inflation and weak consumer confidence, gold has once again come into favour as a safe-haven asset, echoing its role in times of war. Yet while its value can be measured in markets, the true weight of gold is not purely numerical. Beyond price and purity, it carries memories, meanings and emotional significance — as ThinkChina’s Grace Chong discovered in conversations with gold jewellers in Singapore and China, across generations.
READ MORELatest Articles
Beyond trade: The human ties reshaping Indonesia-China relations
Beyond Chinese infrastructural investment or resources extraction in Indonesia, the web of exchanges formed from building mobility, education and institutional links could help to foster a more holistic approach to building bilateral relations and make them stronger, says analyst Kevin Zongzhe Li.
Why Seedance beat Sora in the race for AI video generation
Chinese AI companies’ focus on cost efficiency and concrete applications — compared with US companies’ focus on fundraising and compliance over deployment — has given them the upper hand in dominating global market share and reach. Chinese technology expert Yin Ruizhi observes that aside from the AI video generation field, China is poised to overtake the US in more AI domains.
US-China rivalry undermines fight against cyber scams in Southeast Asia
China and the US have reasons to work together to tackle the scourge of cyberfraud in Southeast Asia. The problem, however, is that their geopolitical rivalry gets in the way.
China’s seed war for food security and supply chains
China is turning seeds into a strategic frontier — balancing domestic food security needs with global ambitions in agricultural supply chains, biotech dominance and the geopolitics of food production. Researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May explains.
The West’s industrial policy double standard
For decades, industrial policy was discouraged in developing economies, even as China’s state-led model reshaped global supply chains. Now, with the US and Europe embracing massive interventions, the old orthodoxy looks less like principle than self-interest. Academic Guanie Lim examines how the discourse on industrial policy has shifted.
China’s tech titans tussle in AI video gold rush
AI agents were all the rage in March, but by April, the spotlight had shifted to AI-generated video. The pace of launches has accelerated, but so has the regulatory scrutiny and backlash due to copyrighted IP.
Can the Gulf-South Asia corridor rewire global trade and energy flows?
The Strait of Hormuz crisis has driven alternative routes, strengthening energy supply chains and boosting cooperation across the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia, while expanding cross-border trade — so the outlook is not entirely bleak despite disruption at Hormuz, says Chinese academic Peng Nian.
From airspace to sea lanes: A new front in US-China rivalry
From the skies over Africa to the strategic waters of the Middle East, the world’s vital transit nodes are being transformed into tools of statecraft. As major powers move beyond traditional warfare to weaponising global infrastructure, smaller nations find themselves navigating a high-stakes era of chokepoint diplomacy and economic coercion. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han finds out more.
Between distrust and engagement: Manila’s China paradox
Well into the second half of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s presidency, academic Aaron Rabena analyses that the perceived distancing of Philippines-China relations is not so clear-cut. In fact, at the state and sub-state levels, there seems to be engagement on some fronts and caution in others.
big read![[Big read] China’s rural officials are performing for attention online, with Xi’s blessing](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/91af693f7113323d1eab1f3a737119439d04b2f750fec14e29c7b7e6700721b7?w=800)
[Big read] China’s rural officials are performing for attention online, with Xi’s blessing
China’s village officials are turning to livestreams, dances and short-form videos to sell rural products and boost local economies, citing President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on e-commerce to justify the shift, though it sits uneasily with expectations that officials keep a low profile. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhang Guanghui reports.
photo story![[Photos] I was in Israel in 1984: Where rifle and bible are one](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/6c4362a38122d3b07543d42f00d0631cb06a8964f222cf083f98596d41271ce5?w=800)
[Photos] I was in Israel in 1984: Where rifle and bible are one
In 1984, historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao travelled to Israel as a young Taiwanese journalist expecting a conventional war zone, but found instead a society where military life, religion and daily existence were tightly interwoven in ways that shaped every encounter.
Grounded: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has nowhere to fly
With Beijing applying pressure to block overseas trips by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, it is difficult for him to pursue any diplomacy as he has his hands tied with little to no room to manoeuvre, while Beijing continues with business as usual. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei tells us more.
Bamboo diplomacy no more? Vietnam’s growing comfort with China
Amid the complex dynamics of China-Vietnam relations, the balancing act between strategic autonomy and economic dependence is becoming increasingly precarious. Academic Alexander L. Vuving explains why.
Empire in decline? Asian Americans in an age of anxiety
Amid intensified immigration enforcement, many immigrants and Asian Americans report rising fear, discrimination and uncertainty, reshaping daily life and eroding confidence in the American promise. Chinese American academic Wu Guo shares some insight on the long-term impact of ICE operations on the psyche of the Asian community.
A watershed in Hormuz: Can US hegemony hold?
The Strait of Hormuz crisis is testing US hegemony as Iran pressures energy flows and Gulf states hedge their bets. Amid rising tensions, China is reassessing its maritime role, weighing security exposure against new strategic and economic opportunities. Lianhe Zaobao’s China news editor Yang Danxu analyses the situation.
How civilisational politics fuels today’s wars
Academic Ma Haiyun traces the history of civilisational conflict narratives in Western strategic thinking, built on Jewish intellectual foundations, long before the rise of Samuel P. Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Such approaches have had a profound effect on influencing the US’s behaviour in the Middle East and spillover effects in the region.
big read![[Big read] OpenClaw sparks China’s one-person AI start-up boom](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/7cd66a3090c19e88bfcdb0b1bee63023e8872e445d38ac858cd9bf3c56903e55?w=800)
[Big read] OpenClaw sparks China’s one-person AI start-up boom
China’s young entrepreneurs are embracing a new wave of AI-driven solo start-ups, as the OpenClaw craze reshapes how one-person companies are built, scaled and powered by digital “agents”. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yush Chau reports from China.
China’s critical minerals export ban falls short
The latest data on imports and consumption of gallium and germanium suggests that Beijing’s weaponisation strategy only led to a price spike, but did not hurt the US’s industrial consumption amid their efforts to diversify. Ultimately, dominance built on a genuine capability differential is key to export controls achieving their desired result, say researchers Amit Kumar and Pranay Kotasthane.